County Championship day three as it happened

Summary

Cook makes 193 off 280 balls
Browne hits 221 off 384 deliveries
Cook & Browne break Essex highest opening stand with 373
Day three washed out at Headingley & Durham

Live Reporting

Gary Smee

Northants declarepublished at 20:51 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Norhants 261 & 289-7 v Leicestershire 157
Northants captain Alex Wakely brings their second innings to a close at Wantage Road.
They've given Leicestershire a target of 394 with 16 overs still to be bowled tonight. 16 OVERS.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post
BBC Sport app users may have to click 'view more' to see this Tweet.
Postpublished at 20:49 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Essex 542-3 dec v Middlesex 246 & 5-0
The floodlights are beginning to take full effect at the County Ground.
Trick conditions for the Middlesex openers. It's been a day the county champions will want to erase from their memory. Quickly.
Image source, Rex Features
Middlesex batsmen emergepublished at 20:45 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Essex 542-3 dec v Middlesex 246 & 0-0
Nick Gubbins and Nick Compton stroll to the middle for Middlesex, 12 overs to see out this evening.
Essex paceman Jamie Porter will open the bowling.
Gubbins has plenty of company around the bat!
get involved
Get Involvedpublished at 20:43 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
#bbccricket
Dave: Three centuries in the top order! Majestic batting by Essex - well done to Messrs Cook, Browne & Chopra
Play abandoned at Hampshirepublished at 20:42 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Hampshire 211-9 dec v Somerset 135-8
The heavy rain has returned in Southampton and that's your lot.
A very frustrating day all round weather wise, but Hampshire still managed to grab seven quick wickets.
The draw is still favourite heading into the final day though.
Essex declarepublished at 20:38 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Essex 542-3 dec v Middlesex 246
And with Varun Chopra's century comes the Essex declaration.
Chopra is the eighth Essex batsman to hit a ton this season.
Middlesex will have 12 overs to bat this evening.
Century for Choprapublished at 20:37 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Essex 542-3 v Middlesex 246
Pink balls are great aren't they Essex fans?!
Varun Chopra has bludgeoned his way to a hundred off just 74 balls, including six sixes.
The lead is four shy of 300, strap on your bowling boots lads!
Image source, Rex Features
100 for Keoghpublished at 20:37 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Northants 261 & 274-6 v Leicestershire 157
Rob Keogh has a first County Championship hundred of the season. It's come off 136 balls and has contained 11 fours.
Northants are well in control of this one, 380 runs ahead of Leicestershire.
Rain stops playpublished at 20:35 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Hampshire 211-9 dec v Somerset 135-8
Right, I'm off.
It's raining again at the Ageas Bowl. No restart at 20:30 BST.
I just saw a sunshine on my weather app for Saturday - that's cheered me up a little bit!
It's raining at Trent Bridgepublished at 20:33 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Notts 371 v Kent 180 & 186-7
They're off at Trent Bridge after drizzle returns. Kent, who have Adam Rouse and Adam Milne not out, still need another five runs to make Notts bat again.
Postpublished at 20:32 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Warwickshire 321 v Lancashire 273 & 172-4
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, centurion in the first innings, is away again.
The 42-year-old has plonked his way to 19, Dane Vilas has hit a couple of boundaries in his 13.
It's a finely balanced game at Edgbaston - one which could still go either way. Lancashire lead by 124.
Restart imminent at the Ageas Bowlpublished at 20:28 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Hampshire 211-9 dec v Somerset 135-8
There is positive news from the south coast - play is restarting at 20:30 BST.
20.5 overs still to be bowled. Why the point five folks?!
WICKET Lawrence (b Higgins) 2published at 20:24 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Essex 508-3 v Middlesex 246
Dan Lawrence was sent out with a bit of a licence and he's perished, but it doesn't really matter anymore.
Only one side can win this now.
The teenager is bowled by Ryan Higgins for just two. Ravi Bopara joins Varun Chopra in the middle.
get involved
Get Involvedpublished at 20:23 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
#bbccricket
Paul Petto: Please don't take both our opening batsmen.
Dai Davies: Pink balls don't float but it lucky there are some canoeist on the river chelmer to get it back
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post
BBC Sport app users may need to click 'view more' to see this tweet.
Inspection to come at Hovepublished at 20:21 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Sussex 358-9 dec v Gloucstershire 120-1
Adrian Harms
Sports reporter, BBC Sussex
For the umpteenth time it's a mopping up operation at Hove with an pitch inspection due at 8.30pm.
Image source, BBC Sport
Image caption,
Further rain at Hove
WICKET Browne (c Malan b Rayner) 221published at 20:19 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Essex 502-2 v Middlesex 246
Middlesex finally get rid of Nick Browne for 221 - but what an absolutely magnificent innings from the 26-year-old.
The Essex opener smacks Ollie Rayner to Dawid Malan at cover and the stand-in skipper grasps it.
Browne faced 384 balls, hit 22 fours and one six. Oh, and he also put on 373 with Alastair Cook for the first wicket.
Take a bow sir.
Image source, Rex Features
Essex 500 uppublished at 20:17 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Essex 502-1 v Middlesex 246
And another maximum off Ollie Rayner. Varun Chopra's fourth.
Essex go past 500, the lead is up to 256, surely a declaration is imminent?
Chopra on the chargepublished at 20:16 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Essex 495-1 v Middlesex 246
Wave the white flag Middlesex, this is not a contest anymore.
Varun Chopra biffs him for the third six of his innings to go to 70 off 60 balls.
Essex are nearing 500. For One. Bonkers.
Notts nearing sixth win of the seasonpublished at 20:14 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Notts 371 v Kent 180 & 173-7
Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire are all over Kent at Trent Bridge and a sixth win of the season is near.
Kent are effectively eight wickets down after Darren Stevens was forced to retire injured having been hit on the helmet and Matt Coles was caught behind off Harry Gurney.
Adam Rouse and Adam Milne are at the crease.
Fifty for Choprapublished at 20:09 British Summer Time 28 June 2017
Essex 477-1 v Middlesex 246
Image source, Rex Features
This is absolute carnage from the Essex batsmen.
Varun Chopra has raced to his half-century off 51 balls and has put on more than 100 with Nick Browne in 15 overs.
Middlesex don't know who to turn to next.