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

  1. wicket

    WICKET Gregory (run out) 8

    Hampshire 211-9 dec v Somerset 126-6

    This session, which started so well for Somerset with Eddie Byrom and Adam Hose putting on 77 together, has turned into a disaster.

    With 'tea' on the horizon Lewis Gregory becomes the fifth man to be dismissed this session, run out by man-of-the-moment Ian Holland as Hose attempted a run that wasn't there.

    Somerset have collapsed from 102-1 to 126-6 to completely ruin their position.

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  2. 'Notts move closer to another win'

    Notts 371 v Kent 180 & 137-5

    Dave Bracegirdle
    BBC Radio Nottingham commentator

    Nottinghamshire have moved one wicket closer to picking up their sixth win of the season in the 65 minutes of play that were possible.

    Persistent drizzle prevented any play until 5.45pm and the resumption enabled Joe Weatherley to begin a meaningful role in the contest.

    Having acted as 12th man for the first two days Weatherley, the nominated substitute for the Lions-bound Sam Billings, continued the Kent innings alongside Will Gidman.

    Still trailing by 86 runs at the start of play, the visitors survived for 45 minutes until Steven Mullaney entered the attack and bowled Gidman for 26.

    Darren Stevens joined Weatherley at the crease and the pair had added just seven together before further light rain forced the players from the field.

  3. Get Involved

    #bbccricket

    Phil Webb: with Ian Holland are we witnessing the birth of a the 1st pink ball specialist ??

    1961Blanchflower: Hah, Cook out! Come on Middlesex, got them on the run now!

    Chris Painter: re: Tom Abel's struggles. So Alastair Cook has scored runs in this innings than Abell has in the season thus far? Ouch indeed...

  4. wicket

    WICKET Cook (c Eskinazi b Rayner) 193

    Essex 373-1 v Middlesex 246

    Alastair CookRex Features

    Well, I didn't see that coming. Alastair Cook is out. Ollie Rayner is the man with the breakthrough, with Stevie Eskinazi taking the catch at slip.

    Cook batted for 280 balls, struck 26 fours and ground Middlesex into the dirt. His first-wicket partnership with Nick Browne - a new Essex record remember - is set at 373.

    Varun Chopra is the new man.

  5. Somerset skipper's struggles

    Hampshire 211-9 dec v Somerset 120-5

    Tom Abell is one of many to have struggled for Somerset in the County Championship this season.

    Following his duck today, his scores don't make pretty reading: 4, 16, 1, 0, 1, 0, 8, 35*, 40, 5, 6, 71*, 0, 4, 0.

    That's 191 runs at an average of just 12.73. Ouch.

  6. Get Involved

    #bbccricket

    Ralph Brooker: Alastair Cook, stop it. Just stop it. It's obscene.

    Phil Robinson: Will Cook and Browne be done before the Ashes?

    That's a good question Phil. They're currently 365-0 and still going strong.

  7. wicket

    WICKET Davies (c McManus b Holland) 0

    Hampshire 211-9 dec v Somerset 110-5

    Adam Hose is stood watching the chaos at the non-strikers' end. Ian Holland has a fourth wicket and a second in the over as Steven Davies goes second ball.

    He edges behind to Hampshire keeper Lewis McManus. Somerset's poor season summed up in a flurry of middle order wickets. Their strong position is being undermined by the minute.

  8. 'Mum is tuning in'

    Sussex 358-9 dec v Gloucestershire 100-1

    Adrian Harms
    Sports reporter, BBC Sussex

    A confident reply from Gloucestershire led by Cameron Bancroft who has moved to an impressive half-century including seven fours.

    The pick of the Sussex bowling has been Abi Sakande who has taken the wicket of Chris Dent for his first County Championship victim whilst mum Val listens to the BBC commentary from India.

    HoveBBC Sport
  9. wicket

    WICKET Abell (c McManus b Holland) 0

    Hampshire 211-9 dec v Somerset 110-4

    The all-too-familiar slump continues for Somerset at the Ageas Bowl.

    Tom Abell, who was promoted to captain at the start of the season, goes for a five-ball duck, caught behind off Ian Holland, who has now taken three wickets for eight runs.

    And there's more too...

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  10. 50 runs

    Fifty for Davies

    Warwickshire 321 v Lancashire 273 & 82-2

    Jos Buttler and Haseeb Hameed may be out, but another very talented Englishman is batting well for Lancashire.

    Alex Davies moves to fifty with two fours in an over off George Panayi at Edgbaston. He's struck seven altogether and is scoring at a good rate too.

  11. Wicket for Notts

    Notts 371 v Kent 180 & 130-5

    Nottinghamshire are on their way to victory at Trent Bridge.

    Steven Mullaney bowls Will Gidman for 26. Kent are 130-5 and still need 61 to avoid an innings defeat.

    Meanwhile at Cardiff, Glamorgan seamer Marchant de Lange has taken three quick Derbyshire wickets to leave them 39-3.

    The visitors lead by 90.

  12. Get Involved

    #bbccricket

    Scott Evans: Technically Westley left after yesterday to join up with Lions

    Of course he did. I still can't get my head around that. Essex might not need any more batsmen at this rate!

  13. 150 runs

    150 for Browne

    Essex 340-0 v Middlesex 246

    Nick BrowneRex Features

    It's just a question of how many runs Essex want now. 400 for full batting points will be the next target, while partnership records are also of interest.

    Nick Browne has 152 not out from 323 balls. He's struck 18 fours and although he's played second fiddle to Alastair Cook, this is still an awesome knock.

  14. Get Involved

    #bbccricket

    Nathan Oliver: Tom Westley must have some serious pad rash by now.

    Cook and Browne have been batting for a shade over six hours now. Plus the whole of yesterday was washed out.

  15. wicket

    WICKET Hildreth (lbw b Holland) 2

    Hampshire 211-9 dec v Somerset 104-3

    This has very much been the problem for Somerset - and James Hildreth - this season. The middle order batting has failed time and again.

    Ian Holland has a second wicket and just his fourth in first-class cricket, winning an lbw appeal.

  16. Essex 325-0 v Middlesex 246

    The next target for Alastair Cook and Nick Browne - Essex's record partnership for any wicket - 403 by Graham Gooch and Paul Prichard in 1990 against Leicestershire.

    Essex were actually on the receiving end of the highest opening stand in the history of the County Championship.

    Yorkshire pair Percy Holmes and Herbert Sutcliffe shared 555 at the County Ground at Leyton in 1932.

    I think Essex might have declared before Cook and Browne get there!

    Essex scoreboardRex Features
  17. wicket

    WICKET Byrom (c Bailey b Holland) 43

    Hampshire 211-9 dec v Somerset 102-2

    Obviously, Somerset have now lost a wicket.

    Apologies to Eddie Byrom, who departs the very next ball after my praise. Ian Holland has the wicket, George Bailey the catch, but Byrom can still be pleased with his steady-looking 43 on debut.

  18. 100 up for Somerset

    Hampshire 211-9 dec v Somerset 102-1

    Great stuff from Eddie Byrom and Adam Hose at the Ageas Bowl.

    When Somerset lost Dean Elgar to the South African Test side, it was fair to assume the batting would struggle (even more than it has done already).

    But Byrom has come into the side on debut, and Hose has moved up the batting order after impressing in white-ball cricket to strengthen the away side's grip on this game. They've put on 77 together in 19.3 overs so far.

  19. Get Involved

    #bbccricket

    Mark Roberts: Congrats Browne and Chef for the record partnership of 317+

    Toby Cracknell: At least Gooch & Prichard can console themselves that they still hold (currently) the @EssexCricket partnership record of 403!

    They do indeed Toby - for the second wicket against Leicestershire in 1990.

  20. New record opening stand for Essex

    Essex 318-0 v Middlesex 246

    Alastair CookRex Features

    What a moment for Alastair Cook and Nick Browne! They've made history for Essex.

    When Graham Gooch and Paul Prichard put on 316 together against Kent at Chelmsford in 1994 they probably thought that would stay unbeaten forever.

    That's not the case. Cook and Browne have both benefited from dropped catches, but they've been superb since, dominating the Middlesex bowling. Cook is 178 not out, Browne on 138 not out.

    Nick BrowneRex Features