Image source, AFP

Some disappointing news for Sussex's fans ahead of tonight's match - batsman Matt Machan, who also represented Scotland at the last World Cup, has been forced to retire.

The 26-year-old has been affected by a persistent wrist injury.

Machan averaged 33 in ODIs and 40 at T20 level for Scotland and also took nine ODI wickets with his off-spin and five in international T20s.

A career-best score of 192 came for Sussex against Somerset at Taunton in 2015, one of three centuries hit that season.

You can follow all tonight's T20 Blast action (weather permitting) on both BBC local radio and BBC Radio 5 live Sports Extra.

The TMS T20 team have made the trip down to Hove to bring you the action once they've drawn stumps at The Oval on day two.

Choose your match of choice via the live coverage options at the top of this page.

Middlesex put two defeats behind them as skipper Brendan McCullum led from the front with a 19-ball half-century as they beat Essex Eagles by 72 runs. McCullum scored 54 of his 63 runs in boundaries and paceman Tom Helm then took 5-11 as Essex were bowled out for 131.

Trophy holders Northants Steelbacks made it four wins in five games, and moved up to second in North Group, as Alex Wakely's unbeaten 46 guided them to a seven-wicket win over Worcestershire Rapids, who had set a target of 159, with 14 balls to spare.

Sam Northeast hit an unbeaten 54 off 27 balls as they beat Somerset by seven wickets, reaching 181-3 with nine balls to spare after being set a revised target. The visitors had earlier made 197-6, thanks mainly to Johann Myburgh (64) and Steven Davies (62).

Match abandoned at Derbypublished at 18:44 British Summer Time 28 July 2017

18:44 BST 28 July 2017

Derbyshire Falcons v Northants Steelbacks (19:00 BST)

Rain sadly claims its second match of the evening....

Moments after our man in the East Midlands took this snap the umpires decided to abandon this evening's North Group game.

A point apiece for the Falcons and Steelbacks.

Middlesex have won the toss and chosen to bat first at the 1st Central County Ground.

Sussex are without hard-hitting Luke Wright and fast bowler Tymal Mills, who have what the club describes as "slight niggles", with Stiaan van Zyl and Will Beer in the side as their replacements. The visitors have named the same XI that beat Essex on Thursday evening.

Sussex: Taylor (capt), Nash, van Zyl, Brown, Evans, Jordan, Wiese, Archer, Beer, Briggs, Garton.

Middlesex: McCullum (capt), Gubbins, Simpson, Morgan, Scott, Higgins, Franklin, Southee, Sowter, Helm, Finn.

Hove is our main focus tonight with Middlesex looking to push closer to the top of South Group at the expense of home side Sussex Sharks, who have only won one game so far this season.

Unfortunately, the game at Old Trafford between Lancashire Lightning and Nottinghamshire Outlaws has already fallen victim to the weather - and it's not looking too clever at most of the other grounds either.

Tonight's fixtures:

• Leicestershire Foxes v Durham Jets - start delayed
• Derbyshire Falcons v Northants Steelbacks - start delayed
• Birmingham Bears v Yorkshire Vikings - start delayed
• Glamorgan v Surrey - start delayed
• Gloucestershire v Hampshire - start delayed
• Sussex Sharks v Middlesex - 19:00 start

...or at least it will be if the weather settles down.

T20 Blast action continues this evening in both the North and South groups with most sides already at the halfway stage or beyond of their campaigns.

There is rain all around across the country tonight (more of that in a moment), but here we are to bring you more thrills and spills, we hope. Fingers crossed.

Image source, Getty Images