Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

It's a sunny day in CLS but also very windy, with gusts approaching 50mph. There's the odd shower about but anything which does come our way will blow through quickly.

Although Somerset's second innings got off to a reasonable start last night, this has been a difficult track to bat on - 18 wickets fell yesterday and this game will finish today, probably around mid afternoon.

Whether that will be a Somerset win - they need another 194 runs - or a Durham victory - nine wickets needed - remains to be seen.

Somerset will resume their second innings on 71-1 and their target of 265 would be the second highest total in the game if they can pull it off.

The highest score in the match remains Ollie Robinson's 52 from Durham's first innings. So this is anything but a straightforward run chase.

BBC Sounds

You can follow every ball of every County Championship match with the BBC this summer.

Along with our live text coverage our BBC Local Radio and 5 Live Sports Extra commentary teams will be out in force to ensure you do not miss a thing.

You can listen via the BBC Sport website and app but also on most smart speakers - just ask BBC Sounds to play the game you want but also state the day as well.

For example, ask for 'Yorkshire against Nottinghamshire, day three'.

Image source, Getty Images

Three wickets from Chris Woakes and four from Chris Rushworth saw Warwickshire dominate Worcestershire on the second day of the County Championship Division One derby at New Road.

Top class seam-bowling from the duo in perfect conditions helped the visitors skittle Worcestershire for 181, giving them a small but potentially important 46-run first innings lead.

That has been extended to 99 with Rob Yates and Tom Latham set to return the crease on day three after captain Alex Davies lost his wicket to Jacob Duffy under glowering skies.

"We're pretty happy with the way the day has gone, we are sitting quite nicely in the game now," Rushworth said.

"The conditions for swing bowling were quite nice and Woakesy is one of the best swing bowlers in the country so we got in a good rhythm, conditions were in our favour and we just tried to make the most of it."

Image source, Rex Features

Sussex skipper John Simpson has shown no mercy in this contest to date with a match-turning 106 in the visitors first innings and shrewd bowling changes which saw Hampshire six down at the close.

And the wicketkeeper-batsman-captain says he is not about to starting easing the pressure as his side chase a victory at Southampton that is very much in his side’s grasp on day three.

Simpson was in reflective mood on Saturday evening conceding that at 36 he hasn’t a huge amount of time left in the game. But that has not dimmed his hunger or fight with the Sussex skipper determined to “enjoy every minute”, starting with a win today.

“We are in a very good position and tomorrow is about us being ruthless and foot on throat stuff," he said. “And if we pick up early wickets tomorrow then we are really dictating the game."

With Hampshire still trailing by 29 runs and only four wickets remaining they are up against it, but head coach Adi Birrell still sees a chink of light in their situation if they can add some runs.

“We have got ourselves so far behind in the match,” he said. “But we are still hoping to get 70, 80 or even 100 ahead and then who knows. On a worn pitch anything can happen.”

Image source, Getty Images

There was good news and bad news for Yorkshire supporters at the end of day two with Dawid Malan insisting the home side could “still win” but Mo Abbas setting an ominous new target.

First Malan, whose 64 in the Yorkshire innings at least delivered a template for how Anthony McGrath’s side might approach day three.

“They are fully in the driving seat at the moment,” the Yorkshire batter conceded. “But that doesn’t mean we haven’t got an opportunity to still win this game.”

Perhaps, but Notts are in the driving seat, passenger seat, back seats and boot with a 296-run lead and seven second innings wickets still standing.

And the prospect of Yorkshire having to content with 6-45 Abbas might well send shivers down spines as he has his sights set on a 50th career five-for in the second innings.

“I’m feeling very good, to be honest,” said the Notts seamer. “Just one five-for away from the 50. I will give my best in the second innings and try to get my 50th.”

Image source, Rex Features

Essex all-rounder Paul Walter insisted "there's no target" in their second innings after his 118 helped his side fight their way back into the match at The Oval.

Although Walter and nightwatch Simon Harmer fell in the final session, the visitors will resume with a 133-run lead over Surrey.

"When we batted it was initially just about getting us to parity and then, when that was achieved, just keeping going and getting as many as possible ahead of them," said Walter, who has been converted to an opener this season.

“Conditions for batting are about the same as earlier in the game. We’re not thinking of how many ahead we need to be - there’s no target. We just need to score as many as we can."

Image source, Getty Images

An extraordinary 31 wickets have fallen in the first two days at Chester le Street with Somerset commencing this morning's play in need of another 194 runs to claim victory.

When bad light ended play five overs early on Saturday, the visitors had reached 71-1, with birthday boy Lewis Gregory and Tom Lammonby putting on 36 following Josh Davey's dismissal at the hands of 20-year-old seamer Mitchell Killeen - his sixth wicket of the match so far.

With blustery conditions expected in Durham today, we look set for a tantalising three-day finish in this Division One clash.

"It was nice to get back out there and take wickets, which is what I love to do," Killeen said.

"We have plenty of work to do and it's going to be tough graft but there's still plenty in the pitch if you put it in."

Image source, Rex Features

Middlesex batter Max Holden admitted they face an uphill struggle after being asked to follow-on by Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens.

They will begin their second innings 228 in arrears after a disappointing first-innings batting performance in which Holden's 42 was the highest score.

"The ball was moving around, we knew we had to be on our A game and we weren't quite at our best. Hopefully we can get our heads down and put things right," he said.

"I've felt in good touch this summer, but I'm well aware it's one innings at a time and hopefully a big one now."

Division One

Durham 277 & 159 v Somerset 172 & 71-1

Somerset need another 194 with nine wickets standing

Hampshire 154 & 114-6 v Sussex 297

Hampshire trail by 29 with four wickets standing

Surrey 279 v Essex 217 & 195-2

Essex lead by 133 with eight wickets standing

Worcestershire 181 v Warwickshire 227 & 53-1

Warwickshire lead by 99 with nine wickets standing

Yorkshire 159 v Nottinghamshire 228 & 227-3

Notts lead by 296 with seven wickets standing

Division Two

Derbyshire 587-5 dec v Kent 210-3

Kent trail by 377 with seven wickets standing

Glamorgan 383 v Middlesex 155

Glamorgan lead by 228 runs

Leicestershire 457 v Lancashire 206

Leicestershire lead by 251 runs

Northamptonshire 469 v Gloucestershire 156-4

Gloucestershire trail by 313 with six wickets standing

There were one or two interruptions, but by and large we got away with it on day two of the nine Championship games.

"Cooler and windier today than it was yesterday," says BBC Weather's Elizabeth Rizzini. "A day of sunny spells and some blustery showers, some of those showers heavy and thundery, particularly out towards the north west, drier and brighter further south and east."

We don't have a game at Old Trafford this week - so not too bad then.

Image source, Rex Features

With the Test match at Trent Bridge finishing early - well done, England - the red-ball focus is on the County Championship today.

There has been some great action in the nine games so far, setting up the prospect of a number of potentially exciting finishes over the next two days.

Somerset are chasing 265 to beat Durham at the Riverside and Sussex have a frim grip on their game against Hampshire, while in Division Two, leaders Leicestershire have a big first-innings lead over Lancashire.

Welcome to our coverage of the third day's play, which begins at 11:00.