Summary

  • Notts need 90 more to avoid innings defeat by Durham after following on

  • Surrey need nine wickets on final day to beat Lancashire

  • Kent's Tawanda Muyeye hits 211 against Worcestershire

  • Ben Charlesworth & James Bracey score double centuries for Gloucestershire

  • Warwickshire skipper Alex Davies makes 109 not out against Somerset

  • Essex declare on 438-8 in rain-hit game against Hampshire

  • Yorkshire need 103 to beat Sussex after Ben Coad takes 5-69 at Scarborough

  • Anuj Dal out for 94 for Derbyshire against Glamorgan

  • No play possible on day three between Middlesex and Northants

Live Reporting

Chris Harby, Alex Hoad, Alex Smith and Paul Grunill

  1. Essex look to bowling attack

    Hampshire v Essex 404-8

    Dean ElgarRex Features

    Essex opener Dean Elgar believes they have a bowling attack capable of winning the game despite the loss of the entire first day's play at the Utilita Bowl.

    Centuries by Elgar and Jordan Cox enabled Essex to pick up four batting points on day two as they look to close the gap on Division One leaders Surrey.

    They have Sam Cook back in their side - his first Championship appearance since May - but need all 20 wickets, weather permitting, to beat a strong Hampshire side.

    "We're still in a good position and have to believe we can take 20 wickets, even on day four. With our bowling attack, I'm pretty sure we can achieve that," Elgar told BBC Essex Sport.

  2. How things stand

    After second day's play

    Division One

    Durham 531-7 dec v Nottinghamshire 220-8

    Notts trail by 311 with two wickets standing

    Hampshire v Essex 404-8

    Surrey 444-9 dec v Lancashire 204 & 4-0

    Lancashire trail by 236 with 10 wickets standing

    Warwickshire 337 & 27-1 v Somerset 239

    Warwickshire lead by 125 with nine wickets standing

    Worcestershire 447 v Kent 171 & 104-2

    Kent trail by 172 with eight wickets standing

    Division Two

    Derbyshire 429 v Glamorgan 168 & 39-0

    Glamorgan trail by 222 with 10 wickets standing

    Gloucestershire 227-3 v Leicestershire 402

    Gloucs trail by 175 with seven wickets standing

    Middlesex 250-7 v Northamptonshire 207

    Middlesex lead by 43 with three wickets standing

    Yorkshire 326 v Sussex 189 & 26-0

    Sussex trail by 111 with 10 wickets standing

  3. Bears aim to press home advantage

    Warwickshire 337 & 27-1 v Somerset 239

    Ed BarnardRex Features

    Warwickshire all-rounder Ed Barnard continued his highly successful season by taking 5-54 to put them on top against Somerset after two days' play at Edgbaston.

    Barnard has scored 668 runs in the Championship this season, and shone with bat and ball in the One-Day Cup, but this was his best red-ball bowling display so far in 2024.

    "To be in a position where we've got a 100 run lead going into day three, only one wicket down, is really pleasing. The lads stuck at it really well," Barnard told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire.

  4. Sussex still in the game in Scarborough - Carson

    Yorkshire 326 v Sussex 189 & 26-0

    Jack CarsonRex Features

    Sussex spinner Jack Carson insisted the Division Two leaders were "not out of the game yet" after taking 5-83 on the second day against Yorkshire at Scarborough.

    Carson used a breeze blowing across the ground intelligently as they restricted the White Rose to a first-innings lead of 137 - with England's Jonny Bairstow among his victims, lbw for 57.

    "Batting yesterday, we lost the toss and were maybe 50 or 60 short and then again we probably let them get 50 or 60 too many," the 23-year-old Northern Irishman told BBC Sussex.

    "I haven't got a five-for for quite a few games now so it's good, when conditions are in your favour, to do your job and do it pretty well."

  5. Team comes first, says Derbyshire's Dal

    Derbys 429 v Glamorgan 168 & 39-0

    Anuj DalGetty Images

    Derbyshire all-rounder Anuj Dal said the team took priority over personal achievements after being dismissed for 94 on the second day against Glamorgan at the County Ground.

    The 28-year-old was the last wicket to fall, six runs short of a century, as the home side earned a first-innings lead of 261.

    "We got a message the over before saying I needed to crack on, so it’s not ideal, but you’re trying to put the team in the best position you can," he told BBC Radio Derby.

    “I pride myself on being able to go big when I get in, and I like to value my wicket, but as long as I’m doing a job for the team that’s the important thing."

  6. Weather prospects

    In summary, a bit grisly.

    This is what BBC Weather has to say: "Heavy rain will clear eastward from the south leaving sunny spells and showers, some heavy and possibly thundery. Further north, sunny spells, patchy cloud and scattered showers. Cooler."

  7. Good morning

    County Ground, BristolRex Features

    "You can be the last pioneer, you can be king of the wild frontier, but do you know how to face your fears, out in the middle?"

    An interesting question by The Duckworth-Lewis Method and one very relevant to the art of batting in the County Championship cricket.

    Welcome to our coverage of the third day's play in the current round of nine matches. Play is scheduled to start at 11:00 but we think rain may have something to say about that.

  8. In addition to ball-by-ball coverage here on BBC Sport, via most smart speakers there’s now a new way you can enjoy ALL our cricket coverage.

    For most smart-speaker devices all you need to do is ask BBC Sounds to play the full title of the event you want.

    So, for example, just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Surrey v Lancashire".