Matt Critchley is drawn forward by James Taylor, playing and missing.

He gets a single off the fifth ball, pushed into the off side.

Kent thought they had another. Joey Evison is making the most of the cloud cover over Southampton and is swinging the ball around with gusto. He finds the edge of James Fuller's bat and it flies towards Jack Leaning who takes a low grab at slip.

Did it carry? Leaning isn't sure. Confused faces all round. Fuller stands his ground and on we go.

Evison's frustration is compounded as the next ball is driven nicely to the rope for four.

The interval has been moved back to 12:30 after a miserable grey morning that has restricted play to a single over so far on Day Two.

Double bowling change at the Oval. Tom Lawes is coming on.

Tom Westley leaves the ball outside off stump at first, then laces the wider third one through the off side for four with a flashing drive that only just evades point.

The last ball is banged in short and nudged into the leg side on the back foot by Westley for one. A tight single.

Essex battling hard for every single run.

Can Surrey grab another one before lunch?

James Taylor replaces Jordan Clark in the attack and his first ball yields a leg bye.

The fourth ball is short and pulled away by Critchley.

Tom Lawes almost chases the ball down but holds his hand up and that's four runs.

Two more runs nudged off the hip to Dan Worrall at fine leg.

Batting conditions are just starting to ease ever so slightly for Essex.

Dan Worrall drifts one into leg stump and and Matt Critchley flicks the ball through square leg for four.

Worrall adjusts his line and Critchley defends down the pitch.

The fifth ball is a half volley outside off, driven through cover for four.

The last ball is defended very late from the crease as the ball almost bounces into the stumps.

Glenn Speller
BBC Essex sport

These are dangerous moments for Essex.

Surrey are scenting blood, helped by the absence of Jordan Cox for the visitors.

Dan Worrall had struggled to find his line and length before getting Nick Browne to edge behind.

Jordan Clark had bowled 18 dot balls at Dean Elgar and with the 19th had the South African gently edging to Jamie Smith in the slips. He has now bowled four maidens.

Sussex have lost two wickets in the first hour this morning in Northampton, but James Coles is 23 not out and the visitors have taken their lead to 167 with six second-innings wickets still in hand.

Their closest challengers Middlesex look to be heading for a challenging chase at Leicester.

The hosts lost three early wickets today, but Lewis Goldsworthy (36 not out) has moved them on to 114-4 and stretched the lead to 207.

James Wharton (174 not out) and Jonathan Tattersall (77 not out) are piling on the misery for Derbyshire at Queen's Park.

They've taken Yorkshire to 377-5 - a first innings lead of 301.

And Glamorgan have nudged themselves to an 18-run first innings lead, bowled out for 197 in reply to Gloucestershire's 179.

Mason Crane was last man out for 44, giving Beau Webster his fifth wicket.

Matt Critchley gets a single on the back foot pushed into the off side facing Jordan Clark and that's the first run the bowler has conceded in 25 balls.

Tom Westley pushes forward and gets a thick outside edge safely into the on side for one.

The fifth ball is well wide of off stump and left by Critchley.

Critchley keeps the strike with a single pushed into the off side, via a thick outside edge.

Let's try again.... IF there is no more rain then play should start at 12.30 BST.

If is the biggest word in the world of sport, of course...

Matt Critchley sees out a tense wicket maiden from Jordan Clark, driving and missing outside off stump.

At the other end, Tom Westley appears to edge Dan Worrall to keeper Ben Foakes but it's not out.

The bat hits the pad and the ball swings away from both of them late.

This is tortured viewing for Essex fans.

Tom Westley is again beaten outside off as Worrall gets the ball to really lift.

Maiden over.

Glenn Speller
BBC Essex sport

Dean Elgar edges and he's gone.

Well he's seen off three maidens from Jordan Clark and to the first ball of the fourth over he just very gently edges straight into the hand of slip.

Clark leaps to the skies because he knows that is a huge wicket and it's reward for his disciplined line and length this morning.

Essex are in trouble.

A third bating bonus point for the hosts, and you would not back against them adding at least one more in the next 13.3 overs either.

Liam Dawson steers Nathan Gilchrist away past point to the rope to move onto 13 with James Vince smouldering away on 180* at the other end.

100 up for Leicestershirepublished at 12:00 British Summer Time 1 July

12:00 BST 1 July

Leics 179 & 101-4 v Middx 86 - Leics lead by 194

Lewis Goldsworthy crashes back-to-back boundaries off the first two balls of Ethan Bamber's third over.

The next shot is less well-timed but brings two more to move to 28 off 29 balls.

A good counter-punch after the hosts had slipped to 63-4.

Harry Swindells takes a single off Henry Brookes and the hosts reach three figures.

The Foxes' lead is approaching 200 - not inconsiderable on a pitch which is doing a bit.

Tom Westley defends into the off side. This is a vital partnership for Essex, who remember will be without the batting of Jordan Cox for this game after the latter underwent surgery last night after stomach pains.

Tom Westley is off the mark with a neat back foot push to square leg off Dan Worrall for four.

Worrall gets one to really take off as Westley leaves the ball outside off stump.

Essex captain Tom Westley sees out the over going forward with a play and miss facing Dan Worrall.

Jordan Clark is getting the ball to lift outside off stump and Dean Elgar sways out of the way.

A fuller delivery is defended down the pitch.

Maiden over.

Impressive showing from the Surrey attack so far, striking early and stemming the flow of runs to a trickle.

Matt Cole
BBC Radio Kent

From a Kent point of view, things could get ugly pretty quickly if James Vince gets into his stride this morning and it looks every inch that he might do.

Hampshire are building this first innings total, and for Kent - it's a worrying stat for them - they've conceded 400 in the first innings of games in all but one of their games this season in the County Championship.

They really have been on the end of some difficult days in the field so far.

A rare maiden over from Charlie Stobo as Liam Dawson blocks out. The new batter seems content to let James Vince do his thing. At 179 not out you can see why.

Kent have conceded 400 in the first innings of seven of their eight Division One matches so far this season, with scores of 500+ in six of those matches.

They have only taken 10 wickets three times.

Hampshire are 340-4 in 94 overs. They are looking to add to those statistics.

Nathan Gilchrist is thrown the ball for the first time today.