Image source, Rex Features

Well that completes another rip-roaring instalment of County Championship cricket - are you not entertained?

The Division One title-tussle between Surrey and Essex could not be more nicely poised at the mid-way point, despite bad light playing havoc this evening.

Somerset are scrambling to keep pace and still trail visiting Warwickshire after day two with Oliver Hannon-Dalby claiming four wickets.

Hampshire will fancy their chances of closing the gap with a big win over Kent thanks to James Vince's double-hundred in a total of 505-8d, which Kent are still 300 short of and already five down.

Durham and Worcestershire should know their fate by this time tomorrow, the hosts have a lead of 226 with one wicket remaining after some late fireworks from Ben Stokes.

The Division Two promotion race is getting even more congested with Northants needing 147 runs tomorrow to topple leaders Sussex,

Miles Hammond and Cam Bancroft scored centuries as Gloucestershire took a commanding lead over Glamorgan, while Middlesex are staring down the barrel against Leicestershire, for whom Louis Kimber provided some more beautiful violence with the bat.

The rain played havoc at Headingley and completely washed-out Southport where James Anderson and Keaton Jennings were hoping to star.

That might have to wait for the morning. We'll be here from 10.30 BST to bring you all the build-up and then all the action as the promotion and relegation races take shape.

Thanks for your company today - see you in the morning!

Division One

Chester-le-Street: Durham 190 & 148-9 v Worcestershire 112

Durham lead by 226 runs with one second-innings wicket in hand

Southampton: Hampshire 505-8dec v Kent 206-6

Kent trail by 299 runs with four wickets in hand

Southport: Lancashire 344-8 v Nottinghamshire

Taunton: Somerset 208-6 v Warwickshire 412

Somerset trail by 204 runs with four first-innings wickets in hand

The Oval: Surrey 262 & 44-3 v Essex 180

Surrey lead by 126 with seven second-innings wickets in hand

Division Two

Chesterfield: Derbyshire 76 v Yorkshire 416-6

Yorks lead by 340 with four first innings wickets in hand

Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 179 & 388-3 Glamorgan 197

Glos lead by 370 runs with seven second-innings wickets in hand

Leicester: Leicestershire 179 & 311-8 v Middlesex 86

Leics lead by 404 runs with two second-innings wickets in hand

Northampton: Northamptonshire 97 & 137-4 v Sussex 143 & 237

Northants need 147 more runs to beat Sussex

As ever with bad light and the floodlights on it was all a bit frustrating but after 90 minutes off the field, at 7pm we came back on for four overs.

Essex are battered, bruised and, in Jordan Cox’s case, hospitalised but they are still standing and throwing punches.

They will need to keep taking wickets to prevent Surrey disappearing over the hill into the distance.

The home side have the advantage but this could still go either way.

What an end to the day for both sides.

Joy for Hampshire and Kyle Abbott striving for that wicket.

Good line and length from Jamie Porter to Jamie Smith, who is defending on the up safely down the ground.

He pushes the second ball on the front foot through cover for one.

Ben Foakes has his bat a fair way from body as he gets forward to block at one stage but he's smartly into line to block out the fifth ball.

The last ball jags back, beats the bat and misses the top of the stumps by a whisker.

Can we say a good leave?

What we can say with total confidence is that is the end of a pulsating day two that saw Surrey get a first innings lead over Essex.

But the quality of the Essex bowling has kept Surrey in check tonight and the hosts have a lot more batting to do tomorrow in order to put this game beyond their closest competitors.

The lead is now 126.

... and that will be stumps of course.

Earlier James Vince made his third highest score for Hampshire with an imperious 211, sharing a club record fourth-wicket stand against Kent of 259 with Ben Brown (110).

An early declaration meant Kent had 55 overs to negotiate before stumps but despite a swashbuckling 53 from debutant loanee Feroze Khushi at the top of the order, the returning Jack Leaning has provided the only other real resistance.

He is unbeaten on 73 overnight, with 11 fours in a knock lasting more than three hours. All this on his return to the side after seven weeks out with a broken hand.

Kent need 149 runs to avoid the follow-on and their hopes rest firmly on Leaning's shoulders now.

That last half hour just dragged the game into Warwickshire's direction.

Ben Foakes is forward to block the first ball of the Eathan Bosch over and then is able to leave the ball outside off.

Bosch adjusts his line and Foakes again blocks down the ground.

He drives the last ball to long off but there's no run. Maiden over.

Four overs left tonight.

Smith gets a single second ball and Ben Foakes is able to leave outside off.

The fourth ball is driven through cover off the back foot for two.

Jamie Porter will bowl from the Pavilion End and he gets a ball to life and leave Jamie Smith outside off.

Smith is squared up defending down the ground next ball.

Definitely some seam movement there.

The fifth ball jags back in off the seam as Smith wafts outside off.

He survives the over.

After a gap of an hour and a half we're back on again!

Very surprising.

Jamie Smith is nine not out and will face Eathan Bosch.

Ben Foakes is two not out at the other end.

Oliver Hannon-Dalby has tore this game wide open with two wickets in two balls and will bowl the final over tonight.

Three slips and a leg slip in for James Rew.

OHD angles it into off stump and Rew is nicely forward to defend.

The second ball only just misses the outside edge as Rew tries to block again.

Every fielder bar one is in tight for James Rew who blocks just in front of forward short leg and that's stumps.

Somerset looked to be in calm waters this evening until Oliver-Hannon Dalby removed the dangerous Tom Banton, caught at slip for 78.

Then OHD forced out two night watchmen (Josh Davey and Jack Leach) in two balls in his next over and in the blink of an eye the hosts slipped from 196-3 to 206-6.

Warwickshire hold a big advantage over the host team going into day three.

Tom Abell survives the onslaught on 61 not out and a big stand is needed by him and James Rew to reduce the innings gap, currently 204.

It's been really enjoyable watching Chris Woakes bowl.

What looked to be a low-scoring affair has been flipped on its head by a brilliant second innings from Gloucestershire.

The hosts bowled out Glamorgan this morning for 197 to concede a narrow 18-run lead, but have made mincemeat of that deficit.

Miles Hammond set the tone with a rapid 110-ball 121 as he put on 201 for the third wicket with Cameron Bancroft after the hosts had slipped to 17-2.

Bancroft went even better, reaching the close on an unbeaten 159, while James Bracey is just 10 away from his century as the pair reached stumps with an unbroken 170-run stand.

Jack Leaning batted for nine hours and 42 minutes for his unbeaten 179 against Worcestershire at Canterbury seven weeks ago, sustaining a broken left hand along the way.

Harry Finch was also crucial to Kent salvaging a draw against their fellow-strugglers with a gritty 48* on the final afternoon as his side clung on.

They have resumed their defensive roles again this evening. Leaning is already approaching three hours in the middle for his 68.

They have five overs and change to negotiate before stumps... on day two. Kent are once again facing an uphill battle to save a game.

Chris Woakes is really firing here with seam movement and bounce but Tom Abell has just enough width to leave the ball outside off.

He's squared up a little by the fourth ball but defends firmly down the ground.

The fifth ball is cut through point for two as the batters take on the throw of Dan Mousley and win the race.

He blocks the last ball. One over left.

If the weather plays ball tomorrow, I can't see this going into a fourth day.

Who said Championship cricket was dull?

It's a very handy lead on this wicket I would contend.

The wicket of Ben Stokes brings down the curtain on a rain-reduced but still captivating day of cricket.

The pendulum has swung this way and that throughout the match, and just as Durham looked to be building a decisive lead, the Pears kept chipping away.

Colin Ackermann, but Tom Taylor (4-46) and Nathan Smith (4-52) have kept the visitors in with a healthy enough shout.

Durham will resume in the morning with last wicket pair Bas de Leede and Ben Raine and a useful lead of 226.

The field is in tight for James Rew, who leaves the ball just a tiny fraction outside off and somehow the hat trick is averted.

Two overs left tonight. Dear me. So tense.