This partnership between Adam Lyth and Dawid Malan is up to 72 and Durham's lead has been whittled slowly down to single figures.

Lyth's half century, brought up with a clipped single off Colin Ackermann, took him 125 deliveries which cannot be described as 'express'.

But in the context of the game and Yorkshire's obvious strategy not to lose from the point they returned, it has done a job.

Having been 301-1 when Alex Lees and Emilio Gay were charging Durham will leave the field tonight wondering quite how they are not pushing for the win more effectively.

But for all that this has been a tough watch since Yorkshire kicked off their second innings, it has been their day.

The umpires decide the light isn't good enough to continue at Chelmsford and an intriguing contest will go into the final day.

Worcestershire need another 110 to win and Matthew Waite will resume on 27 not out, with partner Ethan Brookes 17.

Having begun the day on 233-6, Essex added 84 to their total with Noah Thain (54) completing a maiden first-class half-century.

Set a target of 295, the visitors soon lost Gareth Roderick, but Kashif Ali made a stylish 50 off91 balls and Brett D'Oliveira 36 to defy Essex's bid to wrap up a victory with a day to spare.

Well, probably to nobody's surprise we have seen our final ball on day three in Southampton.

The players have been off the field for the last hour for bad light and the umpires have finally decided to call stumps.

Somerset managed to get back into the match at a gloomy Utilita Bowl, thanks in large part to Migael Pretorius' excellent figures of 5-64.

The visitors still trail Hampshire, however, by 49 runs with nine second-innings wickets still in hand.

We'll back tomorrow at 11:00 to see if either side can force a result on day four.

Following the conclusion of the 123rd over, Leicestershire have decided to declare in order to have a bowl at Lancashire before the close of play tonight.

Peter Handscomb ends unbeaten on 142 not out and the visitors lead by 228.

We're expected to have at least eight overs left at Old Trafford on day three.

Bad light has forced the end of proceedings at Lord's, stumps drawn with Glamorgan trailing by 85 runs.

As we said before when umpires took the players from the middle with four overs of play still to go, Kiran Carlson (54*), and Chris Cooke (16*), kept out Middlesex after a Toby Roland-Jones two wicket, two ball blitz.

Carlson had earlier survived when a difficult chance off Dane Paterson was grounded at first slip when he had 17, and has fought a decent rearguard with wicketkeeper Cooke.

And with rain expected after lunch on day four Glamorgan will feel a little more resistance in the morning could secure the draw.

Derbyshire have cleared the deficit with six and a bit overs remaining in the day's play. Wayne Madsen is 59 not out and Brooke Guest has seven.

More outstanding bowling from Nottinghamshire's Lyndon James whose wobbled seam delivery misses the edge of Ed Barnard's bat by inches once more.

James' current figures of 0-34 in this second-innings don't reflect the full picture of his performance - he's been excellent since tea.

On-drive by Ethan Brookes and Kasun Rajitha's dive at mid-on is in vain. The ball trundles away for four and Brookes is 15 not out.

Simon Harmer into the attack - it's a maiden.

The umpires are now chatting, presumably about the light.

But they will continue.

for Wayne Madsenpublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 20 April

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Derbys 307 & 190-3 v Northants 500-8 dec

Wayne Madsen uppercuts Justin Broad to the third man boundary and passes 50 for the third time this season, this time from 64 balls.

Broad strays onto his pads later in the over and the ball is clipped away to the rope at mid-wicket by Derbyshire's skipper.

Bad light has done for the day here at Hove with Surrey stranded in the middle of a turbo-fuelled charge to parity.

A smooth innings from Dom Sibley, who made 82 and a silky century from Ollie Pope, who made 103, proved merely the warm up acts for Dan Lawrence to steal the show.

Although the all-rounder was dropped on 35 by unfortunate sub-fielder George Thomas, he made the most of his reprieve to produce the innings of the day.

Bringing his hundred up in 102 balls, he swatted eight fours and six sixes as he took on Ollie Robinson's short pitched barrage.

That charge put Surrey in touching distance of a first innings lead which they surely would have held had umpires not called time.

The draw looks inevitable now and the two sides return in the morning to confirm it.

Too much width from Shane Snater and Ethan Brookes steers it away for four runs.

Nothing else doing in that over - there are 10 more to be bowled.

Meanwhile, Kasun Rajitha is wearing a cap that is blue at the front and red at the back - whereas his teammates have single-colour headgear. Wonder what the reason is for that?

That is likely to be that at Lord's with four overs left in the day and umpires calling time on account of the gloom.

Kiran Carlson, who is unbeaten on 54, and Chris Cooke, with 16, are all smiles as they walk off and they have done well in the face of a Toby Ro-Jo onslaught.

Two in two for the Middlesex captain, removing Colin Ingram and Ben Kellaway, raised the prospect of a run through.

But Carlson, who saw a difficult chance off Dane Paterson grounded at first slip when he had 17, and wicketkeeper Chris Cooke, have fought a decent rearguard.

With rain expected after lunch on day four Glamorgan will feel a little more resistance in the morning could secure the draw.

Frank Watson
BBC Hereford & Worcester

A lot of work to do if Worcestershire are to take this game into the final day.

It was beginning to look as though they would but now it is again looking as though they may not and Essex might wrap it up tonight thanks to that sharp catch by Paul Walter.

He's been stood there all day and nothing has come his way and when it does he just throws out a hand. What a grab that was.

Dave Bracegirdle
BBC Radio Nottingham commentator

Warwickshire have got to go for the runs and play their shots, otherwise they're not getting anywhere.

At the same time Notts won't mind every time there's an attempt at a big shot because there is the possibility of an error or a possibility of the ball nipping back, we've see that happen quite a lot.

Another excellent delivery from Lyndon James beats Ed Barnard all ends up but misses the edge by inches.

Josh Tongue has been limbering up for a few overs and he is back into the attack now - let's see what he can do.

Five 50s in six innings for Derbyshire - still no century.

Caleb Jewell tries to cut a ball from Justin Broad and edges to first slip where Ricardo Vasconcelos clutches the chance.

Jewell departs for 71 off 97 balls. Derbyshire trail by 27.