Here we go.

Joe Leach - six wickets in the Kent first innings - opens the bowling for Worcestershire.

Ben Compton and Tawanda Muyeye are the Kent top-order pair.

Derbyshire want that extra batting point, if possible.

Anuj Dal top edges a pull to fine leg for four and two balls later drives Ned Leonard square for another.

He is now 80 not out.

There are still a mighty 33 overs left in the day at The Oval and Rory Burns and Ben Foakes are eyeing up some big runs.

Burns now has his highest score since 2018, 173, and has only made three higher totals in his career.

Foakes is 80 and this is his best effort of the year.

The new ball hasn't done much yet for Lancashire.

John Turner isn't trying to hide his post-tea plans.

He has a deep fine leg, long leg and deep square leg on the ropes, with a deep third also positioned for the top edge. Basically it is going to short and fast.

But none of the fielders are fine enough to stop a fine inside edge to the boundary from Jordan Cox.

They are also ineffectual at running Cox out...in fact sub fielder Joe Eckland gives away five buzzers with his wayward throw as Cox, miles out his crease, counts his blessings.

Just two off Neil Wagner's first over after the interval.

Callum Parkinson then starts with four byes down the leg side which is definitely one of those has to be calls in the four-day game which is very harsh on wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson.

26 run partnership between Lyndon James and Calvin Harrison so far, 30 overs remaining.

Another one gone at Derby where Jack Morley was caught by Timm van der Gugten off Ned Leonard for one. Derbyshire are 387-9, a lead over Glamorgan of 219.

Ben Charlesworth reached a 96-ball 50 for Gloucestershire with a boundary off Tom Scriven. They are 113-2 after bowling out Leicestershire for 402.

Image source, Rex Features

Four slips and a short leg for the hat-trick ball...

Ben Sanderson is right on line but Nathan Fernandes keeps it out.

Jacob Bethell's left-arm spin takes the first over after tea, a slight gamble to Somerset's tallest, long-levered batters who can reach any length balls and slap them down the ground for six, Craig Overton does exactly that third ball. Two more through the covers added also, eight off it, OHD will continue from t'other end, just two off his first this evening.

partnership between Elgar and Coxpublished at 16:29 British Summer Time 23 August

16:29 BST 23 August

Play is back under way after tea at Utilita Bowl, and within an over of the restart Dean Elgar and Jordan Cox are wrapping gloves on a fifty partnership.

Cox guides a ball through third to reach the landmark.

These two have simply continued on the path Elgar had trod with Tom Westley.

West Indian pace bowler Akeem Jordan marks his debut appearance for Kent with a five-for as Worcestershire's firs innings finally comes to an end at New Road.

He bowls Adam Finch for 43 to end a stubborn last-wicket stand of 49 with James Hartshorn (12 not out) and finish with figures of 5-97.

The home side lead by 276 and it looked as if it could have been a lot more at one stage when they were 371-5, but Brett D'Oliveira's exit for 97 sparked a mini-collapse.

A tough final session ahead for Kent's batsmen.

Image source, Getty Images

Nick Gledhill
BBC Essex

It has been an immaculate display from Dean Elgar who reached his third century of the season with a boundary to long on just before tea. The South African missed the One Day Cup but has looked in great form, combining watchful defence with an increasing range of expansive strokes.

His 144 run partnership for the second wicket with Tom Westley put Essex in control before the Essex captain offered a return catch to Liam Dawson. That brought in Jordan Cox, released by England, and he also looked in fine touch going into tea.

This slow pitch has offered nothing like the assistance James Vince was expecting when he won the toss and chose to field this morning. Mo Abbas has posed the greatest threat but, such is the lack of help for the seamers, Vince has had to use Dawson in a 19-over holding role which he would not have anticipated.

Unfortunately for Essex tomorrow’s forecast remains poor and there is still a lot to do to have a chance of forcing victory on this surface.

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Kent's afternoon of hard toil continues.

A couple of singles from Matt Parkinson's latest over and Akeem Jordan will continue at the other end.

Can he complete a five-for?

Calvin Harrison (4*) and Lyndon James (15*) have seen the away side to the tea interval, a 19 run partnership off 14 balls.

Still 32 overs remaining so plenty of time for Durham to skittle the Notts lower order and maybe even a few top order batters if they sniff a Sunday and even Saturday afternoon off and enforce the follow on.

Tea has been delayed at New Road as Kent are nine down and Adam Finch - who recently changed his bat - belts Akeem Jordan over mid-wicket for a big six.

Two balls later he carves it away to the cover boundary and progresses to 29 not out. Worcestershire lead by 257.

Just the afternoon Middlesex were looking for.

It's been quite hard going against a disciplined Northants attack but Sam Robson, 58 not out, Mark Stoneman and Max Holden have ground out their runs and are now in a very strong position.

The wicket of Holden just makes the Vicky sponge taste a little sweeter for Northants but they've got work to do in the final session.