Half-century stand for Rhodes & Shaikhpublished at 12:03 British Summer Time 12 September

12:03 BST 12 September

Worcestershire 307, Warwickshire 128 & 229-3

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Worcester

Warwickshire are now 50 runs ahead as they slowly plod their way to safety in this match.

Barring a spectacular collapse when the new ball is taken in two overs' time, this game now looks almost certain to end in a draw - and the only real matters of interest will be for the statisticians.

Both Will Rhodes and Hamza Shaikh clearly like this place, having enjoyed their career-best scores on this ground.

Rhodes made 207 at New Road against the Pears in the Bob Willis Trophy at the end of the Covid-wrecked season four years ago, while Shaikh's was more recent, his 90 here for England Lions last month.

Anderson Phillip sweeps Callum Parkinson to long leg for two and gets a four next ball, pulled through mid wicket.

Not out of the sweet spot. More the toe end of the bat.

Parkinson is round the wicket and Phillip glances three into the on side.

Tom Aspinwall gets a couple off the fifth ball, reverse sweeping through point.

11 off the over but nine down, well behind and the end is in sight.

Chemar Holder replaces Matt Potts in the attack.

The ball is going soft and the pitch has got flat.

In theory, the only thing stopping Kent from avoiding defeat is themselves, or perhaps a magic spell from one of the Hampshire bowlers.

James Vince has thrown the ball to Liam Dawson to try and find something, but there isn't a great deal of rough to attack.

He drops one short in his first over, and Joey Evison capitalises with a pull to the ropes.

Kent's deficit is down to 65.

Craig Overton gets a nice bit of bounce and strikes Rory Burns on the thigh pad.

A late cut down to third man earns Burns a run. Two from the over.

No scares to speak of so far.

Durham are one ball away from a maximum points win.

Matt Potts is now into his 24th over of the innings and has bowled unchanged this morning.

Three slips in for Anderson Phillip, who sways out of the way of a bouncer.

The fifth ball is pushed away on the front foot for one and Tom Aspinwall sees out the over, leaving the ball outside off.

Jack Leach takes the new ball from the River End with an unsurprisingly attacking field.

Rory Burns sweeps first ball and picks up his second run.

Two slips and a leg slip in close attention for Dom Sibley who works one into the offside to get off the mark with a single.

Two more overs until the second new ball.

Paul Walter has just bowled a maiden and Matt Critchley is going to get an over.

It feels this is a bit of a holding pattern before Sam Cook and Jamie Porter are let loose again.

Surrey have 76 overs to face or chase - if the weather plays ball.

Rory Burns gets off the mark with a single to his fourth ball.

Dom Sibley then leaves a ball which passes uncomfortably close to his off stump.

The question is will Surrey stick or twist?

They need a gettable 221 to win, but a draw would suit them down to the ground so they're unlikely to risk anything silly.

In which case do Somerset have enough to prise out 10 wickets in two and a bit sessions? Their title hopes probably rest on the next few hours.

A pumped up Craig Overton races in with Rory Burns on strike.

Tom Helm is getting Miles Hammond to drive at the ball without really getting into line and his third over is a maiden.

A slip, gully and a point are in for Henry Brookes as Ollie Price drives and misses outside the off stump.

Price gets off strike with a single dabbed into deep mid wicket.

Single to Hammond pushed into cover.

Three singles off the over in all.

Matt Potts beats Anderson Phiillip outside off stump as Phillip is forward to defend.

The ball is seaming and keeping a bit low.

Phillip withdraws his bat at the last moment to end the over.

That be the last over of this spell from Potts, which has all but won the game for Durham.

No bowling change yet for Surrey as Shakib Al Hasan continues.

And that's it! Tom Banton takes a big swing, misses and Shakib hits. That's a fifth wicket for the one-match loan man.

Somerset's battling innings comes to an end with Banton out for an incredible 65-ball 46 and Craig Overton left unbeaten on 49. They eked out 71 for the last wicket.

Those last two wickets reaped 102 runs for Somerset to rescue them from the brink of defeat.

Enormous credit to Overton for nursing the tail.

And what can you say about Banton? Let's hope his heroics haven't exacerbated his injury.

Image source, Getty Images

Paul Walter is only really bowling to guide Essex to the second new ball.

Only six overs until that fresh cherry.

But Walter has really torn Notts apart with two wickets in an over.

Four runs to Miles Hammond, who is forward to drive the ball just past a diving cover point.

Hammond plays a lovely, flowing cover drive for four more in the same over, bowled by Henry Brookes.

Gloucestershire are getting a firm foothold in this match after the early loss of both openers.

Can Durham finish the job before lunch?

Callum Parkinson is round the wicket to Anderson Phillip, who works the ball round the corner for two.

Matt Potts bowls a short leg side ball to Matty Hurst, who follows it and misses.

A short ball nips in and flies off the glove of Hurst, bouncing safely into the off side.

He'll get a couple chipped into mid wicket and sees out the over with a confident swivel-pull to fine leg for four.