A bit of good news for Essex followers.

Sam Cook was out training with the rest of the team this morning. having not been picked for this game after suffering a reported broken thumb while playing in The Hundred.

No sign of any strapping on either thumb (you'll have to take our word for it that the one you can't see doesn't have any) so maybe he could be in contention for next week's game against Warwickshire

Image source, Rex Features

Josh Tongue is off after six pacy overs.

Dillon Pennigton is back on.

There's enough width for Gareth Roderick to shoulder arms.

Remember, Notts are currently one bowler down as Mo Abbas is off the field with a back problem.

Close! Roderick is stuck on the crease, stretching with a loose cut shot and he's very lucky not to have edged it.

Keeper Kyle Verreynne dives to take the ball in front of first slip.

Really good over from Ben Raine, thankfully the only rain on show at Chelmsford, for now...

Matt Critchley cracks the final ball down the ground for a single, the only from the over.

There are storms heading down the A12 from London at present, however, and the ground staff are massing.

Two runs needed for that third bonus point.

Matt Potts induced a couple of false shots from Dean Elgar in that over, to give Durham some hope of a breakthrough, with Matt Critchley's single taking him to 122* to end it and retain strike.

Three runs needed for a third batting point.

Slightly better news at Grace Road where the groundstaff are removing the covers. It's still pretty murky overhead, though.

Shan Masood and Stevie Eskinazi are the not out batters, on 80 and 16 respectively, as we continue to wait for the action to start.

Image source, Rex Features

Nick Gledhill
BBC Essex

The rain is certainly threatening. The wind has got up and there's a lot of dark cloud around.

It wouldn't be surprising if we get another shower soon.

For Durham it's about trying to get a draw from this game.

Ethan Brookes is fine to continue and is nearly foxed by a full ball that is just a bit wide of off stump.

Now it is time for Gareth Roderick to face the music and Lyndon James has him playing and missing outside off stump.

Roderick gets away next ball with a single to leg.

James bowls full and Brookes defends down the pitch.

Brookes makes a very late decision to leave the next ball but sees out the over.

for Dean Elgarpublished at 11:20 British Summer Time 10 September

11:20 BST 10 September

Essex 346-3 v Durham 333

Dean Elgar plays a one-handed shot off Matt Potts down to deep backward point boundary, where it is fielded, restricting him to two to move to 149*.

A play and a miss follows, but then a crack to mid-wicket brings Elgar a single to reach 150* from 281 balls, over nearly six hours, with 17 fours and a six.

Dean Elgar nudges one from Ben Raine to mid-wicket and hares through for his seventh run of the morning.

He's been happy to play a supporting role to Matt Critchley as he goes through the gears and wanted to get him back on strike at almost any cost.

The Essex lead is up to 10.

15 overs left in the race for bonus points.

Mark Church
BBC Radio London commentator

Image source, Rex Features

Surrey are still in a very good position here, they've got a 217 run lead but this will be a little bit of time I think because there was talk of this today.

With the lights on and all the sheets are coming out. I would hazard a guess that we may even get an early lunch because what that will enable the ground staff to is get everything on, take lunch and if it does stop then they have that time to get everything off and dried up and ready to go again.

Brookes struck by Tongue bouncerpublished at 11:15 British Summer Time 10 September

11:15 BST 10 September

Worcs 182 & 119-5 v Notts 207

Josh Tongue has bowled throughout this session and has Ethan Brookes ducking under a bouncer.

Brookes miscues a hook shot and bottom edges the ball safely into the off side.

Off the toe of the bat.

Another bouncer has Brookes back in the crease and jabbing the ball down into the off side. That might have tapped the grill of the helmet.

In fact it struck the front of the helmet via the glove.

Time for a concussion check.

Matt Critchley moves to 120* from 150 balls to take Essex within nine of a third batting point.

He's put on 183 runs with Dean Elgar who has 146* from 275 balls in a marathon effort.

Rain stops play at The Ovalpublished at 11:11 British Summer Time 10 September

11:11 BST 10 September

Surrey 246 & 219-2 v Warwickshire 248

Ollie Pope will feel ill. Five balls after he departs, the players are following him back to the changing room.

Surrey lead by 217 with eight, or possibly seven wickets in hand after Dom Sibley's earlier retirement.

This will frustrate the hosts more than Warwickshire, you'd think.

That last shot from Gareth Roderick brought up the 50 partnership with Ethan Brookes off 127 balls.

Lyndon James is wide of off stump and Roderick leaves it alone.

James adjusts his line and Roderick shows the full face of the bat, blocking down the ground.

A huge LBW shout is turned down with the last ball. On the knee and a fraction outside the line of the off stump.

Josh Tongue continues to run in and hit the bat hard from a line just outside off stump.

But his third ball is short and Roderick is squared up as he sways out of the way.

That really took off.

The next ball is fuller and driven at full stretch through cover point for two.

In the air for a while though!

Roderick shovels the last ball round the corner for one.

This feels like a bonus point race now, Essex are pursuing 35 for a third batting point, with time enough to go for 400+ too before the 110 overs are up.

Matt Critchley has picked up three fours since reaching three figures and Essex have edged ahead on first innings.

Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes have rattled 35 runs in short order since Dom Sibley trudges off.

Pope has moved to 78* with Foakes on 14* from 25 balls but the skies are dark, the lights are on, and it all feels pretty ominous in SE11.