A slip, leg-slip and forward short-leg in place for Essex as Simon Harmer bow;s another over.

The pressure is right on the champions now after Rory Burns and Dom Sibley seemed to have got through a couple of early scares.

The deficit is 173 runs but that all seems rather academic.

Lyndon James comes on at first change this morning as Dillon Pennington takes a breather.

Colin Ackermann collects a single before Graham Clark defends five dots to some accurate stump to stump bowling. Tidy stuff.

Durham have been cautious and, some may say, have played themselves into trouble.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Notts have got their tails up and have taken two wickets in the first 40 minutes this morning. Durham are bogged down and could be heading for a heavy defeat unless someone can put a partnership together.

Ollie Robinson was the first to fall, edging Dillon Pennington to Lyndon James at first slip. He was on seven at the time and James' team-mates gave him a big pat on the back after he'd shelled two previous chances!

Pennington then got Will Rhodes lbw for two. He's had a debut to forget. He was out for 10 in the first innings and his bowling was expensive too, 2-88 in just 15 overs.

The bowling has been razor sharp today though and the batsmen are struggling.

Although Colin Ackermann has reached his second 50 of the game, who is going to hang around with him and dig Durham out of bother? It's also taken 53 minutes for the first boundary of the day.

Another change by Lancashire as Tom Aspinwall takes over from Will Williams. He took 4-32 in the first innings but hasn't managed a wicket in this one - yet.

Aspinwall is on the spot to start with but then overpitches and Jack Davies cracks it past cover for four.

The lead is now 245.

Dillon Pennington into his seventh over of the morning.

Graham Clark picks up a single into the offside and Colin Ackermann plays his shot of real intent, driving Pennington through the covers for his first four of the day.

Despite shipping five from the over, Pennington has impressive figures of two wickets for 10 runs this morning.

Josh Tongue looked good yesterday evening and replaces Fergus O'Neill at the Radcliffe Road End.

Will Williams overpitches and Max Holden puts it away unerringly through mid-on to post a 50 partnership with Jack Davies.

Williams responds well with another good one which beats the edge.

300 up for Worcestershirepublished at 100.3 overs

100.3 overs

Somerset 670-7d v Worcs 154 & 303-6

Tough going for Worcestershire this morning against some probing bowling.

But their nightwatchman Adam Finch as the only wicket to fall so far as Brett D'Oliveira battles on.

Craig Overton is the sole slip to Lewis Gregory and Matthew Waite edges the ball down just in front of his grasp.

Gregory offers a little width and Waite neatly runs the ball down to the third man boundary which takes the Pears past 300.

The deficit is down to 213.

Scott Read
BBC Radio Lancashire

This (weather) has set an unrealistic high bar for the rest of the season

for Max Holdenpublished at 101.2 overs

101.2 overs

Middx 260 & 329-7 v Lancs 359

Max Holden drives Will Williams for four and repeats the stroke next ball with the same result to go to 150 from 298 balls.

"He doesn't get hit for many back to back boundaries, Will Williams. It'll be an unfamiliar feeling for him," says BBC Lancashire's Scott Read.

George Balderson beats Jack Davies again with an absolute beauty.

He then finds the edge but once more the ball doesn't carry to the slips.

Pressure increasing, Davies goes for a wide one and is fortunate as it flashes down to third man for four.

The Middlesex lead is 222.

Nine overs into the day and we have spin.

Jack Leach is tossed the ball - 17 overs old - and looks to winkle out Matthew Waite as he searches for a fourth wicket of the innings.

With just his fifth ball comes a big shout for lbw as he turns one into Waite's pad, but it's perhaps sliding down leg.

He then draws a play and miss with the final ball. Leach straight on the money but Waite survives.

Lewis Gregory joins the attack.

First change of the day by Lancashire as Tom Bailey makes way for Will Williams.

There is sun overhead judging by the shadows across the outfield but Max Holden is wearing a sleeveless sweater nonetheless.

He jabs down on one and scampers through for a single.

Ok, who had 11:34 in the 'when will Essex bring on Simon Harmer' sweepstake?

Well, congratulations you've scooped the pot of well, nothing but feel free to have an extra choccy digestive with your coffee.

50 for Colin Ackermannpublished at 38.2 overs

38.2 overs

Notts 579 v Durham 378 & 121-4

Image source, Rex Features

It's been a watchful start from Colin Ackermann, as you would expect in the context of the game and against some good bowling.

But he nudges a single to deep backward square to bring up his fifty off 95 balls.

The Dutch international has been Mr Dependable for so many seasons now and reaches 50 for the second time in the match.

And for the 67th time in his long first-class career.

Important runs they are, too, in the context of the match, coming off ?? balls.

If he can go on and make back-to-back centuries it will go a long way to saving the game for the visitors.

It's Monday morning and Chelmsford is not overly populated as yet.

Rory Burns and Dom Sibley have got through the early jitters of a couple of edges and now seem comfortable enough although having said that the Surrey skipper promptly whips one in the air to mid-wicket but it's just short of Noah Thain.

There is still that feeling that one wicket could bring two etc etc

Lancashire may be a little concerned with the number of easy boundaries Middlesex are scoring at the moment.

Max Holden tickles Tom Bailey down to fine leg, easy as you like, for another and moves on to 142 not out.

That's a more authoritative stroke by Jack Davies, who clips George Balderson past the square leg umpire for four. He is 16 not out.