Ollie Price has started positively for the hosts this morning.

He punches Justin Broad through the off side for four before a handsome drive down the ground also skips away to the boundary.

Price has 27, while James Bracey is on 18, yet to get off the mark today.

Image source, Adrian Harms/BBC Sussex

The umpires had a quick look at 10:30 and decided that another inspection will be needed at 11:00.

Sussex are 110 behind and Tom Alsop and John Simpson are the not out batters.

Word from the Somerset dressing room is that swashbuckling all-rounder Lewis Gregory will bat at No 11 as he continues to manage a wrist injury.

Chances are they may not need him anyway as Kasey Aldridge and Craig Overton are wasting no time in chasing down the two remaining batting points.

The pair have added 12 this morning leaving them seven away from a fourth in the first three overs.

Nick Webb
BBC Radio Wales

The rain was hammering down in Derby at the scheduled 10:30 BST start time - and it has been since the middle of the night.

That’s bad news for Derbyshire, who are currently 25 points behind Glamorgan and are fast running out of time to win the match.

Glamorgan are currently 25 points ahead of their hosts in the table, with more wins, so Derbyshire need to gain at least two more points than the visitors in the rest of the game if they are to maintain a promotion challenge into the final week.

With other rivals short on batting points, Glamorgan could be assured of second place by tomorrow evening - so their supporters will be relatively happy to watch it rain, even if the team want to get on the park (in public statements at least!)

Somerset start day three with a single which brings up Kasey Aldridge's 150, the all-rounder tapping a single off Keith Barker.

The hosts need 18 more runs for a fourth batting point and 68 for a fifth.

That will be the target then it will be all focus on 20 Hants wickets.

Under menacing-looking skies in Bristol, Ollie Price gets Gloucestershire up and running on day three with a thick outside edge through backward point.

There were 13 wickets on day two and the bowlers will fancy plenty more today, given the favourable overhead conditions.

There we were, ready to describe an exciting day's play, only to be frustrated by the weather. It's enough to drive you quackers.

Thank you to Leicestershire CCC for providing the inspiration for that hoary old joke.

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Rex Features

As well as the County Championship, there is also the second semi-final of the Women's One-Day Cup today.

Following Lancashire's last-over win over The Blaze yesterday, Hampshire are due to take on Surrey at the Utilita Bowl, where Sunday's final will also be staged.

Surrey have won the toss and will bat first - and you will be able to find scorecard updates here.

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Simply ask BBC Sounds to play the fixture of your choice, for example say 'ask BBC Sounds to play Surrey v Nottinghamshire day three'.

Image source, Rex Features

We're going to have an inspection at 10:30 BST at The Oval because the light is not great.

The floodlights are already on as we await the restart of the game between the top two, Surrey and Nottinghamshire

Elsewhere in Division One they are also going to have delayed starts at Chester-le-Street, Hove and Edgbaston.

In Division Two it's looking decidedly soggy at Old Trafford and they are also going to have to be patient at Derby and Leicester where the umpires are going to have a look at 11:00 BST and the groundstaff have had some visitors!

Image source, Getty Images

Durham's Sam Conners admitted there was frustration in the home dressing room after rain then stubborn Worcestershire batting denied them the chance to pull clear of the relegation zone.

Durham sit second from bottom six points adrift of Hampshire in the final safe position but within touching distance of Essex in fifth.

And with just two games to go a victory here against bottom placed Worcestershire looks essential.

"Yesterday being washed out was frustrating for us. We wanted to get on the front foot early doors, but unfortunately we weren't able to,” said Conners.

“Today we stuck at it really well, there was a little bit of movement early doors and they had a nice partnership, which we were lucky enough to break tonight.”

Worcestershire look resigned to their relegation fate with the maximum bonus point win they need seemingly out of sight, but they have the One Day Cup Final on Saturday to look forward to so all is not lost this season.

Image source, Rex Features

We've had quite a couple of days at The Oval with the game swinging from one side to the other but it looks like Notts have wrestled back the initiative.

They recovered from 89-6 in their second innings to now lead by 277 runs with two wickets intact.

Lyndon James (47) shared a 91-run stand with Liam Patterson-White (58) and said: “It’s been quite a chaotic match so far but it’s also a great one to be a part of. I think we are pretty happy at the end of today.

"Surrey bowled really well in our second innings and when I batted with Liam our approach was just to be measured but also positive as we tried to build on our lead. Liam really helped to take the pressure off me when we were six down.”

Surrey will now have a tough run chase on their hands with assistant coach Jade Dernbach never doubting how hard it was going to be.

“Any time you get the number one and two teams in the country playing against each other in what is a one-off contest it is going to get tough, and we expected nothing less than the real battle we are seeing in this game," he said.

“Unfortunately for us, in our first innings the Notts bowlers bowled really well, and we kept finding ways to nick off against them

"We need to come back and get those last two Notts wickets and then be prepared for the run chase. - we want to win a championship, so it will be in our hands when we come to bat again.”

Image source, Getty Images

Kasey Aldridge is looking to sign off his Somerset career at Taunton with a win before switching to Durham next season.

The all-rounder will resume unbeaten on 149 as he makes his final appearance at Taunton.

“It’s great to have done what I have done today in my last home game. I’ve been here since I was knee-high and have so many happy memories," he said at the close on day two.

“Hopefully, tomorrow we can push on as a team and put more runs on the board because we know that with a little help from the weather we have the bowlers to bowl Hampshire out twice.”

Somerset will look to progress to the 110 overs mark with maximum batting points in mind but need to leave time in the game to take 20 Hampshire wickets if they are to stay in the title race.

Hants coach Adi Birrell, who is also leaving the club at the end of the season, admitted defeat would leave them right in the mix for the second relegation place.

“The pitch looks as though it will turn as the game goes on and in hindsight we could have played another spinner," he said.

“We are worried about our position in the table and there is a lot of anxiety in our camp because we are not uses to being in this situation.”

Image source, Rex Features

The match at Edgbaston between Warwickshire and Essex appears nailed on for a draw after a gritty performance from the visitors on day two.

That result would suit Essex just fine, with a draw enough to secure their Division One status next season.

After a washout on day one, Essex batted through for the loss of just five wickets on Tuesday, closing on 325-5 with Charlie Allison's 98 heading an impressive collective effort.

No dismissed batter scored fewer than 25 as Michael Pepper made 54 not out, Dean Elgar 48 and Matt Critchley 47.

Pepper will be joined in the middle by Noah Thain once we get back under way.

Image source, Getty Images

Pace bowler Jaydev Unadkat was delighted to be among the wickets on day two at Hove as Sussex bowled out Yorkshire in 64 overs before the visitors fought back in the final session.

Unadkat took 3-36 in 16 overs, most of them bowled in tandem with Ollie Robinson, and he said: "It was a disciplined bowling performance by our bowling unit and we got our rewards later on. The wind helped the ball to wobble a bit but it is a good batting track.

"We haven't had big partnerships in the last few red-ball games and that has been hurting us.

"I just feel we are one big partnership away from getting the batting unit right back into it. Hopefully that happens tomorrow and we can get ourselves into a good position."

Image source, Kent CCC

Kent's Olly Curtiss admitted it had been a steep learning curve on day two at Grace Road as Leicestershire scored at a rate of more than five runs per over before declaring.

All-rounder Curtiss, who took 0-39 in six overs, and Corey Flintoff are making their Championship debuts and are among five teenagers in the Kent side.

"It was a tough day but a good experience! Receiving my cap before the start felt great - I found out on the evening before the game I'd be playing but I felt quite calm and relaxed," he said.

"To be bowling against someone as good as Shan Masood was a reminder of what this is all about, and you can only learn from it."

Image source, Getty Images

Derbyshire all-rounder Anuj Dal predicted an "interesting finish" if the weather allows after bowling out Glamorgan on day two.

The home side need a victory to close a 27-point gap on second-placed Glamorgan in the race for promotion from Division Two.

"Coming into this game we knew we had to try and force a result and try and be the aggressive team right from the word go," said Dal, who took 3-29, at close of play.

"It's a shame we lost a day which has meant we've had to push it forward at a slightly different pace so credit to our bowling attack, they did a really good job and fingers crossed we can get some positive performances in tomorrow and see where we are on day four."

BBC forecaster Darren Bett says: "A lot of the rain that we start the day with will move away but across southern England, south Wales, the Midlands and East Anglia it could stay cloudy and a bit damp for much of the day.

"Further north, though, any rain will clear away and we'll get the sunshine coming through and it's going to be particularly warm across northern England and north Wales with temperatures reaching 21 or 22 degrees."

Hmmm, not what we were wanting to hear, but let's hope rain doesn't have too big an impact on the day's play.

For a more localised forecast, go to the BBC Weather site and use the search box for the game you are particularly interested in.

Division One

Durham v Worcestershire 320-5

Somerset 381-7 v Hampshire

Surrey 173 v Nottinghamshire 231 & 219-8

Sussex 84-4 v Yorkshire 194

Warwickshire v Essex 325-5

Division Two

Derbyshire 17-0 v Glamorgan 259

Gloucestershire 65-3 v Northamptonshire 206

Lancashire v Middlesex 189-8

Leicestershire 459-7 dec v Kent 17-0

Image source, Rex Features

We are heading towards a potentially thrilling finish at The Oval, where Notts lead Surrey by 277 after the second day's play, with two wickets standing.

Whoever comes out on top will walk away with 19 points, and a huge advantage in the title race going into next week's final round of Championship matches.

Elsewhere, creative captaincy may be needed to force wins as yesterday it was a case of making up time at the other eight grounds following the loss of the entire first day because of the weather and overhead conditions are again 'dodgy' today.

Welcome to our coverage of day three. Play is due to start at 10:30.