The first shot in anger of the morning comes from Matty Hurst as he pulls a short delivery from Joey Evison to the fence.

Josh Bohannon has added a couple of singles to move his score to 184.

This partnership is now worth 57.

How did that miss?

Almost two in the over for Dan Lawrence as he spins one back between Adam Finch's bat and pad.

A perfect off-break, but unfortunately it clears the stumps, goes through the gloves of Ben Foakes - he won't like that - and runs away for four byes.

Nick Gubbins picks up a single, scooping a middle and leg ball from Chris Woakes into mid wicket.

The pitch feels a little slower than yesterday.

Felix Organ leaves a ball at the last possible moment and gets a single off the last ball of the over, pushed to backward point.

A heart-in-mouth moment for Paul Walter as he attempts another drive off Peter Siddle, but gets his timing wrong.

It is uppish but lands short of Ben Raine at mid-off. That would have been a give away.

Two balls later, he gets his drive right and although it is not all the way to the long cover boundary, he gets three to move to 90.

The slow left-armers of Callum Parkinson begin the day at the other end for Durham.

With the new ball just over 10 overs away, captain Scott Borthwick is probably conscious of saving Matt Potts and Ben Raine for that.

It could be a good 30 minutes for Essex to try to build up a few runs.

Maiden over from Dane Paterson.

Olly Stone is bowling at the other end and surprises James Rew with extra bounce as the batter fends the ball off into the leg side.

In the air for a while but landing safely.

The fourth ball takes off too and Rew jabs the ball down into gully for one.

Tom Abell plays and misses another rising delivery but survives the over.

Stone is looking sharp.

It turns a bit, but it's too short from Dan Lawrence and Jake Libby cracks it away through the covers for four as he and Ben Allison post a half-century partnership for Worcestershire.

They came together following the dismissal of Tom Taylor for nought with the score on 102. Acting skipper Libby moves on to 66 not out.

Worcestershire might have been expecting Dan Worrall, but it's fellow Aussie Sean Abbott to bowl the second over at New Road.

It's a good one too, pinning Ben Allison to his crease for a maiden.

Nick Gubbins is forward to block out a tidy first over from Oliver Hannon-Dalby.

Maiden over. Not much evidence of movement there though.

Chris Woakes opens the bowling from the Birmingham End and immediately gets lift and a hint of away movement outside off.

The third ball however is a touch wide in the slot and driven firmly through the covers by Felix Organ for four.

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The first over of the day in Chelmsford and the first milestone.

Fourth ball from Peter Siddle and Paul Walter uses his long levers to drive him effortlessly for four.

Walter moves to 84 and it's a first Essex batting point.

I bet the Somerset bowlers will be rooting for their batsmen this morning. They'll want their batters to carry on for as long as possible so they don't have to take the field because it is going to be hot out there in the middle.

Josh Bohannon has been on the field for all bar nine balls of this match and he has resumed on day three.

He begins at the non-striker's end as Matty Hurst faces Australian Charlie Stobo.

Another glorious-looking day in Canterbury, perfect for cricket in whites.

The visiting team are in a very promising position to earn an innings lead going into Day Three.

After a season stalled somewhat by injury, Tom Abell (105 not out) has ably demonstrated his class with the bat, compiling the 15th first class century of his career and his first since relinquishing the Somerset captaincy last year.

He's joined by James Rew, unbeaten on 35.

Abell is on strike first, facing Dane Paterson.

If Jake Libby and Ben Allison are unable to stretch their partnership well into the morning session, you'd have to say the odds are on Worcestershire having to bat again before lunch.

Surrey can be ruthless when they have an opposing team down - that's why they have won the title for the last two years.

Perhaps surprisingly, Dan Lawrence will bowl the first over - a show of faith in spin bowling ability. An appeal for leg-before against Jake Libby from his second delivery is turned down.

Now then... Who are you backing here?

This could be very, very close.

Hampshire chiselled out a useful first innings lead of 44 and lead by 132, but that will be negated by early wickets on a pitch that appears to be getting more docile rather than spicier.

Nick Gubbins battled through a session of attrition last night and resumes on 24 not out, complied over 104 balls.

Felix Organ, strictly speaking is in as last night's watch man, having batted at nine in the first innings and took guard a couple of overs before stumps after the wicket of Fletcha Middleton.

Oliver Hannon-Dalby will bowl to Nick Gubbins first up today.

Formalities concluded. It's time to get down to business out in the middle. Should be an excellent day.

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Opening bat Luke Wells believes a month playing T20 cricket has helped "free up" Lancashire after they built a 158-run lead over Kent in the game featuring Division One's bottom two.

Wells made 150 and Josh Bohannon will resume on 182 not out - the pair sharing a stand of 312, a record for any wicket for the Red Rose against Kent.

"Myself and Bosh haven’t really got the runs we wanted to in the red-ball campaign so to get out there and make the most of the opportunity on a good surface, with the sun out, was obviously really pleasing," Wells told BBC Radio Lancashire.

“T20 is obviously a very different game but it did allow us to free up. Having said that, spending some quality time in the middle after the smack-bang of T20 was really nice as well."