The frustration for Essex would be that if you break this partnership between Harry Finch and Joey Evison, then Grant Stewart comes to the crease, who is a handy all rounder.

Essex will know that if they can get a breakthrough or two then they might be able to bowl Kent out tonight and then anything you can take in the second innings would be a bonus.

At the moment it's been a good day for Kent.

Tom Westley is bowling his occasional twirlers - a sign of how things are going for the Essex captain.

Harry Finch is in no mood to let this pass by as he crunches one straight down the ground for four.

He is now into the seventies.

There is thunder in the air in Manchester and the umpires are chatting about it.

Ed Barnard is batting well at the moment despite the threatening skies.

He is 30 not out from 29 balls. He's a man in form after hundreds against Surrey and Essex.

A fourth successive maiden from Liam Dawson who has racked up nine of them in 17 overs in this second innings.

He awaits his first wicket as Ben Foakes survives a ball that keeps low.

Then a play and miss from Cam Steel to a Felix Organ delivery that didn't turn and beats his outside edge. Another maiden.

Positive intent from Ed Barnard as he slog sweeps Jack Morley over midwicket for six.

Barnard then takes a single before Dan Mousley drives one firmly back at Morley, who cannot hang on.

That would have been a stunning catch!

Warwickshire's lead is now up to 196.

Liam Dawson rattles through another over - his 16th - and collects a third consecutive maiden after replacing Michael Neser.

Ben Foakes cintinues to look indiscomfort but is using up time at the crease. He'll need to soak up penty more balls if Surrey are t save this one.

He shows some lovely timing to flick Felix Organ into the legside through midwicket all the way to the rope. His first boundary.

The England wicketkeeper then takes a single to move to 10 off 66 balls.

Jack Morley is having a good game and he bowled really well yesterday.

He's bowling in tandem with Nathan Lyon.

Aaron Beard drops short and Harry Finch is quickly onto it to pull it away for four.

That is the 50 partnership for him and Joey Evison with Finch now on to 64 not out.

New ball and a glimmer of hope for Sussex as Sam Robson clips Fynn Hudson-Prentice to midwicket and is on his way for 136.

Tom Clark will be the most relieved man on the field, having dropped Robson off the bowling of Ollie Robinson in the previous over.

Ryan Higgins is playing by far the most aggressive innings of the match with a run-a-ball half-century, but with just over 100 needed to avoid the follow on, a draw still looks by far the most likely outcome

Image source, BBC Sussex

With Surrey five down and facing a very rare innings defeat, there is an opportunity for Essex to close the gap on the leaders with a win.

The problem is they cannot get through this Kent batting.

Joey Evison is now offering good support to Harry Finch as they close in on a 50 partnership.

Matt Salisbury gets the ball rolling in the evening session as Eddie Byrom faces.

The left-hander works a couple off the second ball. The rest are dots.

Ian Holland opens up at the other end and Marnus Labuschagne gets off the mark with a single from his 11th ball.

Eddie Byrom then produces a beautifully-timed flick off his pads in front of square for his first boundary.

Then, in keeping with the day, the rain returns, the players go off and the covers come back on.

Image source, BBC Sport

We are back out at Old Trafford but as the picture shows, the clouds are darkening and the floodlights are on.

Image source, Rex Features

We've spoken a fair bit about consistency over the past couple of days and Ryan Higgins is certainly one of the most consistent players around.

He drives Ollie Robinson for four and then slices a couple to backward point to reach 50 off just 53 balls.

As if that weren't enough, he produces a carbon copy of his initial boundary as Robinson overpitches again.

There will be no resumption at Bristol as the umpires call off the day's play following a 16:00 inspection.

That is a huge shame as the morning session provided sparkling entertainment with Graeme van Buuren and James Bracey adding 156 runs in 21 overs.

In the process, they set a new Gloucestershire fifth-wicket partnership record, beating the 261 by WG Grace and William Moberly back in the days when AI just meant 'absent ill'.

Van Buuren is 156 not out, from 176 balls, and Bracey has 137. The home side still trail by 127.

Shot!

Dan Lawrence shows Michael Neser the batmaker's name with a lovely on-driven four to move into the 40s.

Two Lawrence singles and another from Ben Foakes and that's seven from the over.

The deficit is 367.

Surrey won't give this away, they'll fight hard.

They're not top of the table and double champions by accident.

They will battle hard and if they can come out of this with a draw, they will feel as though they've had a result.

Ben Foakes has to use his bat as a crutch to get back up after playing a forward defensive shot to Felix Organ.

He does not look comfortable out there.

And then he offers a chance as another forward prod catches his outside edge and goes low to first slip.

James Vince dives at full-stretch to his right but it drops inches wide of his right hand.