Ben Stokes takes a single off Matthew Waite's third ball to put Colin Ackermann back in strike.

The South African gets an inside edge, prompting oohs from the slip cordon, and it squirts down to fine leg where Amar Virdi does brilliantly to prevent the boundary.

His next shot is more convincing and gets him a couple through point to move to 30.

Five from the over.

Jacob Bethell is bowling well here, offering plenty of flight on a full length with a hint of turn.

He gets one to pitch outside leg and turn back in, just missing bat, pad and stumps.

Another leg side ball costs a couple of leg byes.

How Kent have missed him over the last seven weeks. The sun has shone over Southampton this evening and so has Jack Leaning.

His last knock was an unbeaten 179 against Worcestershire on May 10 and he's followed that with a half-century here, picking up a single off Liam Dawson to reach the milestone from 89 balls with eight fours.

He has just shared 50 for the fifth wicket in 100 balls with Tawanda Muyeye too.

Still 17 overs remaining in the day. The deficit is down to 348.

Tom Abell miscues a drive into mid wicket off Ed Barnard but gets one off the fourth ball, cutting through point.

We have a silly mid on and silly mid off in place and Tom Banton defends down the ground.

11 overs left tonight.

This has been a good innings from Jack Leaning.

We've seen all sorts of fireworks from Feroze Khushi when he came to the crease but Leaning has played a mature knock.

He's dug in when he's needed to.

Colin Ackermann takes a single off the miserly Ben Allison's third ball.

Allison goes around the wicket to Ben Stokes who tucks a single off his hip into the legside.

He moves to a rather placid two from 10 balls.

The lead is 188 with nine overs left today.

Tom Banton tucks into a leg stump ball from Jacob Bethell and scoops the spinner in front of square leg for one.

One more for Tom Abell, pushing into square leg.

Four more to Banton driven through extra cover. Quality shot.

Ben Stokes will love this situation with the game firmly back in the balance.

He's off the mark third ball with a nudged single off Ben Allison who has top figures of 1-6 from five overs.

The England skipper is then content to defend as he plays out a maiden to Matthew Waite.

It's not easy out there, but the sun is now casting the shadows rather than the now-off floodlights.

Ed Barnard is causing Tom Abell a few problems here as the batter plays and misses while trying to defend outside off stump.

Abell is solidly forward to block out the rest of the over.

Maiden.

Jack Leaning, er, leans into a leg-side delivery from James Fuller and sends it through midwicket for four.

That's Kent's 26th boundary of the innings, in fewer than 35 overs.

They have passed 150 but are still 204 away from making Hampshire bat again and have 20 further overs to negotiate this evening.

110 balls with three fours and the landmark is completed with a very well-placed push from the crease for four through backward point off Ed Barnard.

That's his second score of 50 or more this season with a best effort of 111, which he made in the last round away to Notts.

Another light meter reading and we're off again after a session of play lasting less than 15 minutes.

But nonetheless the mini session saw the wicket of Dan Lawrence, LBW offering no shot to a seaming ball from Eathan Bosch.

Ben Foakes is batting on after that blow to the hand but he takes one hand off the bat while playing Jamie Porter defensively into the off side.

He picks up two runs flaying the fifth ball into the off side and blocks out the last ball.

Four more runs to Tom Banton, driving Jacob Bethell sweetly through the off side.

Encouragement for Ed Barnard in the previous over as he gets Tom Abell to play and miss on the defensive push outside off stump.

There's still something in this surface for the Bears attack.

Ben Foakes has been struck on the hand facing Jamie Porter, quite possibly jamming a finger or thumb into the bat handle.

The physio is coming on...

While the earlier showers caused the briefest of stoppages, heavier and more persistent rain has persuaded the umpires to call it off for the day.

It's been a super day for Leicestershire who have moved into an emphatic 404-run lead with two wickets in hand and two days left.

The Foxes lost three early wickets to give Middlesex hope, but Lewis Goldsworthy (71) and a 21-ball 38 from Louis Kimber - featuring four successive sixes - took the game further away from the unbeaten visitors.

Ben Green (45 not out) and Ben Mike (26 not out) rubbed further salt in the wound in the afternoon with an unbroken 71-run ninth-wicket stand.