Unlike a certain other sorting event taking place in London today, this session of play might be a sprint.

Gus Atkinson will take guard first, facing Migael Pretorius.

He's already belted two boundaries off 13 balls faced for his 12.

Somerset need early wickets.

Surrey need to press home their innings advantage.

Dan Lawrence is 35 not out at the non-striker's end.

Image source, Rex Features

There are plenty of reasons for Notts to finish this game as quickly as possible today not least of which is the fact that the longer it goes on the less likely they will be to win it.

But if extra incentive was needed the prospect of getting their feet up in time to watch their footballing counterparts Forest in the FA Cup semi at 4.30pm may focus a few minds.

With Sussex leading by just 64 runs and with only three second innings wickets in tact, a decent early push could see this wrapped up in time for Bournemouth and United at 2pm let alone the late kick off.

Yet significant resistance in the tail end of the Sussex innings, particularly from the unbeaten pair Jack Carson (21) and John Simpson (35) could make things interesting.

Ollie Robinson, who is next in, and Jayden Seales can both throw a bat and the former believes Sussex are very much still in the fight.

“If we can add another 80 to 100 it will make for a tricky chase. If we can get 150 or so ahead I genuinely think we are in with a sniff,” said Robinson at the close on day two.

Notts assistant head coach Paul Franks appeared to agree that a powerful first hour is the order of the day.

“On the whole we are happy with where we are in the game but by no means taking anything for granted,” he said. “It is important that we get these last wickets quickly, to win that crucial first hour especially.”

Image source, Rex Features

A lead of 38 doesn't sound like much but it is significant on this pitch and if the lead reaches anywhere close to three figures, it may very well be decisive.

Surrey's innings mirrored Somerset on Day One in the sense that batting appeared to be almost serene for much of the morning session (after Somerset opener Sean Dickson's injury) and harder thereafter.

On Friday afternoon and evening, Somerset declined from 98-1 to 187-7 as we saw evidence of late swing and some uneven bounce.

On Saturday, Surrey slipped from 188-2 to 282-6, but three Surrey players made half centuries while team Somerset made two.

Dan Lawrence will resume unbeaten on 35 this morning but the first ball will be faced by Gus Atkinson, who is on 12.

Atkinson already has a career first class century to his name, notably in the Lord's Test v Sri Lanka last summer.

With his role in the team assured as a bowler, might he have licence to thrill while Lawrence anchors the innings at the other end?

He did get off the mark with a six last night, remember!

Image source, Rex Features

This clash is bubbling up beautifully, with Leicestershire picking up the prize wicket of Ollie Price for 43 late on day two.

Ian Holland, Lewis Hill and Ben Cox made gritty fifties to drag Leicestershire to a batting point and a 10-run first innings lead on Saturday afternoon, though the returning Dom Goodman (pictured) picked up 5-54 in his first action for the hosts since September.

Price and Cam Bancroft wiped out the deficit after Holland ousted Ben Charlesworth early-on (he later collected Price too) and Bancroft (36*) and nightwatcher Goodman will resume this morning aiming to build on the lead of 78 they have amassed.

Gloucestershire haven't won at Bristol since September 2022, a run of 12 matches, how they would love to topple the early leaders and end that run this week.

Middlesex limped to stumps with three wickets gone and talisman Leus Du Plooy having retired hurt after a painful blow on the foot from Luis Reece in the lengthening shadows last night.

They remain 371 behind and face a battle to avoid the follow-on as their primary task today - having won the toss and asked their hosts to bat first on Friday morning, remember.

Ryan Higgins and nightwatcher Blake Cullen will return this morning but it was their former teammate who stole the show on Saturday as Martin Andersson amassed a career-best 107, his second century in three matches, in his new side's mammoth 472 and also went on to take a wicket and a fine catch too.

Worcestershire coach Alan Richardson said: "We battled really hard with the bat on the first day and showed a lot of application. Then we bowled really well as a unit to get a lead and we were pretty hopeful from there but the momentum just went from us.

"We didn't handle the third innings of the game very well at all. If you have a session like that you are not going to win many games of cricket. It's incredibly disappointing to go from a position where we were in a position of strength and ahead of the game and then to lose so quickly.

"It is disappointing to have lost two games after taking a first innings lead but it would be more of a concern if we were never in the games. We are putting ourselves into strong positions, it's just a question of working out how to make sure we drive those positions home."Durham captain Alex Lees said: "We are delighted with the win. The obvious talking point is the wicket, to have 34 wickets in just over 180 overs is not what everyone had on their radar at the start of the week, so we are delighted to be on the right side of it.

"It was hard for the batters. Some of those balls were literally unplayable. It is hard to take for whoever loses a game like this so I'm just glad we came out on the right side and hopefully it will kick-start our season."

An extraordinary match at New Road finished in the murk of the second evening.

Debutant Jake Ball picked up 5-45 as the hosts were ousted for 162 after being put in by Durham on the opening morning, though it actually turned out to be enough for a first-innings lead of 26 on a slow pitch which offered the bowlers plenty of assistance throughout.

Durham were whipped-out for 136 in reply before 1pm on day two but then blitzed the Pears inside 24 overs after lunch for a total of just 81 with debutant Codi Yusuf taking 4-26 and Ben Raine collecting 6-36 in the match.

Ben McKinney's gritty 34 paced Durham towards their victory target of 108, though it was not without alarm, with Ollie Robinson (22*) and Graham Clark (20*) seeing them over the line in the end for a margin of victory which looked far more comfortable than it felt.

Durham collected their first win of the campaign and took 19 points while Worcestershire earned three and remain winless and bottom of the division after three straight losses and back-to-back defeats having earned a first innings advantage.

Image source, Rex Features

We have not seen an over lost to the weather or light across all five matches on both days one and two... and do you know what, I'm calling it now, we won't all week.

You can check the forecast from our colleagues at BBC Weather here.

Today

Warmer and sunnier in the south, a spot of cloud in northern England to start with but nothing to worry about at Derby or Trent Bridge.

Monday's outlook.

In a word: glorious. Everywhere.

Division One

Surrey 321-7 Burns 76, Smith 58 v Somerset 283

Notts 300 - Hameed 85, Robinson 4-94 v Sussex 169 & 195-7 - Haines 64, O'Neill 3-60

Division Two

Gloucestershire 252 & 88-2 Ollie Price 43 v Leicestershire 262 - Hill 55, Goodman 5-54

Derbyshire 472 - Andersson 107 v Middlesex 101-3 - Tickner 2-23

Saturday's result

Worcestershire 162 & 81 - Raine 4-20, Codi Yusuf 4-26 v Durham 136 & 108-4 - Durham win by six wickets

Image source, Rex Features

Welcome to a sunny Sunday morning for most of the country...

On a day when tens of thousands of runners will be pounding the streets of London and Manchester, aiming to complete 26.2 miles, Durham have already shown the county championship can be a sprint, and not just a marathon.

They collected victory at Worcester in just five and a half sessions on Saturday after a 24-over blitz in the afternoon in which they ousted the Pears for just 81.

Today Notts will aim to follow their Division One rivals and in wrapping up an early victory and earning a bonus day off, but there are three other games which could end up going the distance.

Find your favourite armchair, make sure to stay hydrated and settle back to watch some peak athletic performance across the next eight hours or so...