Toby Lester starts and ends day two in the middle - the Lancashire nightwatchman survives alongside Haseeb Hameed.

The Red Rose close on 8-0, needing 306 more runs for a memorable win over relegation rivals Worcestershire.

The Pears will be very confident of securing victory on day three - with two spinners in their armory - after a superb batting display in their second innings to take control of the match.

100 for Dan Lawrencepublished at 18:19 British Summer Time 30 August 2018

18:19 BST 30 August 2018

Essex 344-5 v Hampshire

Image source, Rex Features

Dan Lawrence gets a couple off Dawson to move to 99 and bring up the 100 partnership between himself and Adam Wheater.

He drives the next ball through mid on - and there it is!

Comfortably his best innings in this format for the 2018 campaign, way beyond his previous best of 71.

173 balls and 14 fours.

50 for Adam Wheaterpublished at 18:16 British Summer Time 30 August 2018

18:16 BST 30 August 2018

Essex 344-5 v Hampshire

Image source, Rex Features

That's his first 50 in nine innings to date in the Championship this summer.

Not his best shot to get there - an edge just wide of slip off Ian Holland, but it's not how, is it? It's how many.

76 balls and 10 fours.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Trafalgar Road, Southport

Interesting choice of openers for Lancs as they start their 314-run chase... nightwatchman Toby Lester and out-of-form England opener Haseeb Hameed.

Lester takes first strike to Josh Tongue.

A lot of oohs and aaahs from the crowd and the fielders but eight off the over!!!

Lancashire begin their run-chase at Southport, with nightwatchman Toby Lester opening alongside Haseeb Hameed.

They get eight off the first over and have two more to survive until close...

Sam Curran top-scores for England with 78 in the fourth Test against India...

Tom Curran takes 5-28 for Surrey in his first red-ball match of the summer.

I make that a smashing day for the Curran brothers!

It's slow going now at The Oval with Notts looking to shut up shop until close.

Kraigg Brathwaite has scored steadily for his 22 not out, though Jack Libby is yet to get off the mark from 13 balls.

Leaders Surrey lead by 231 runs and enforced the follow-on after dismissing the visitors for just 101 earlier.

Gregory drops short... The ball keeps low but Kohler-Cadmore controls the pull for four. That's taken him past 2000 first class runs.

Six off the over and Yorkshire look comfortable.

3 over left tonight.

Ian Holland drops short and Lawrence tucks him away to square leg for a couple. The return throw hits the stumps but the batsman in home.

Next he edges just short of the keeper and runs another to move to 95. Must have jangling nerves now.

Adam Wheater picks up a single and Lawrence defends.

Just the one run from Lewis Gregory.

Ooh, in the air after an edge by Kohler-Cadmore off Josh Davey, but it doesn't quite carry to Marcus Trescothick at slip.

Bit of away movement off the seam in evidence too.

In the air again! But the ball beats Trescothick at second slip and runs down to third man for four.

How well have Worcestershire batted this afternoon? The answer: very well.

Alex Milton, Ben Cox and Wayne Parnell have all registered useful scores and now Josh Tongue (15*) and Dillon Pennington (10*) are rubbing salt in the wounds for the final wicket.

The Pears 241-9, with a massive lead of 302 runs over bottom-of-the-table Lancashire.

New ball taken at Headingleypublished at 17:49 British Summer Time 30 August 2018

17:49 BST 30 August 2018

Yorkshire 279-5 v Somerset 399

Here we go. Umpire Jeremy Lloyds is brandishing the new ball - and Lewis Gregory is limbering up.

Bound to be some tired legs in the field but Somerset need wickets.

It took almost 10 overs for the first boundary but Notts have since pressed on a tad, with Kraigg Brathwaite (15*) and Ben Slater (17*) taking them to 32-0 at The Oval.

They won't win this match tonight (that's for sure) but they can certainly lose it - it's all about getting to close without too much damage being done.

Surrey can be patient, they still lead by 242 runs.

Four matches are left standing in Division Two...

Sussex are making inroads into the Middlesex batting at Lord's with the hosts 181-5 and leading by 179.

Max Holden was the last man out, bowled by Jofra Archer for 4.

Gloucestershire continue to fight back well since they were dismissed for 202 on first innings by Leicestershire at Bristol. The visitors made only 111 in reply and the hosts are now 107-0 second time round, 198 in front.

The bad light has relented at Colwyn Bay, where Warwickshire are 356-6 and lead Glamorgan by 153. Ian Bell is unbeaten on 170 for the Bears.

Derbyshire are resisting on 158-2 against Kent at Derby but remain 403 behind. Billy Godleman has just fallen, bowled by Ivan Thomas for 71, who also dispatched Tom Lace, lbw for 40. Wayne Madsen is 38 not out.

Alex Winter
BBC Radio Northampton sport

Alex Wakely described Ben Sanderson as the best bowler in Division Two of the County Championship after his 4-34 set Northamptonshire up for a seven-wicket win at Durham.

Sanderson passed 150 first-class wickets in Durham's second-innings when they were again dismantled, making only 133.

Wakely also rued the fourth-innings slips against Derbyshire and Middlesex recently - Northants could easily have won five games on the bounce now and still be in the promotion race.

All ifs buts and maybes but they will at least enjoy a drink tonight after a two-day win.

We're back on the field at Colwyn Bay and plenty of overs left in the day's play.