Summary

  • Simon Harmer hits century as Essex declare with 410-run lead over Surrey

  • Lancashire relegation confirmed after they are all out for 273 against Hampshire

  • Somerset's Tom Abell takes hat-trick as they force Notts to follow-on

  • Gary Ballance's 189 not out gives Yorkshire a lead against Worcestershire

  • Warwickshire's Jonathan Trott out for eight in final game against Kent

  • Northants score 172-4 to defeat Sussex by six wickets in two days

  • Gloucestershire need another 150 to beat Derbyshire

Live Reporting

Paul Grunill and Ged Scott

  1. wicket

    WICKET Livingstone b Edwards 46

    Hampshire 187 v Lancashire 127-5

    The worst possible start to day two at the Ageas Bowl for Lancashire as Liam Livingstone is yorked by fast bowler Fidel Edwards without addition to his overnight score.

    It's a superb delivery which sends the off stump flying and it's also Edwards' 50th wicket of the season.

    Lancashire's chances of maximum batting points fade with Livingstone's downfall. Rob Jones is the new batsman, joining Dane Vilas.

  2. 6 runs

    Overton makes aggressive start

    Somerset 363-7 v Nottinghamshire

    It can't be easy for scorers when the Overton twins are batting together for Somerset, as they are this morning at Trent Bridge.

    Craig makes an immediate statement of intent with a boundary off spinner Matt Carter, and then lofts him away over long-off for six two balls later.

  3. wicket

    WICKET Twohig lbw Coad 30

    Worcestershire 319-9 v Yorkshire

    Yorkshire paceman Ben Coad strikes with the fourth ball of the day at New Road.

    Worcestershire's Yorkshire-born spinner Ben Twohig is out leg before wicket without addition to the overnight total.

    Yorkshire's third bowling point. But they were already safe with their second point yesterday.

    Last man Dillon Pennington comes out to Josh Tongue, who is on 20.

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  4. Play under way

    Right then. As Messrs Daltrey, Townsend and co once said 'Let's see action'.

  5. Good news from Middlesex about Stevie Eskinazi. He'll be out there against Durham today.

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  6. Surrey 'given taste of own medicine"

    Surrey 67 v Essex 197-2 - match resumes at 10.30 BST

    Ollie PopeRex Features

    England batsman Ollie Pope admitted champions Surrey have a "lot of work to do" to achieve their goal of finishing the season unbeaten after being outplayed by Essex on day one at The Oval.

    Pope top-scored with 26 as they were bowled out for just 67 and told BBC Radio London: "Clearly it's not been our best day of the year. It's pretty disappointing considering how we want to end our season.

    "With the moisture on the wicket early doors, probably from the rain over the last two days, it was very tough. None of us really got ourselves out, a lot of us got some good balls.

    "When you're trying to defend 67, psychologically it's pretty difficult. They've done to us what we've done to a lot of teams this season."

  7. 'Anything can happen' - Vilas

    Hampshire 184 v Lancashire 123-4 - match resumes 10:30 BST

    No matter what happens elsewhere, Lancashire's batsmen today have to do what they have struggled to do all season - and claim maximum batting bonus points.

    "There is a tiny percentage that we can still stay up," said batsman Dane Vilas. And anything can happen in cricket.

    "We just want to win the game. We would be gutted it Notts fell short and we didn't do the business. It has been a season of missed opportunities and that would be another missed opportunity.

    Dane VilasRex Features

    To be in the position they are in, having claimed maximum bowling points, was down to another four-wicket haul for Tom Bailey, who now has 60 for the season, and three for Saqib Mahmood.

    "Bails has carried on where he left off," said Vilas. "And it was nice to see Saqib back in the wickets after a tough season being injured.

    "Bailey is incredible. He just wants to bowl. He always picks up a few wickets for not very many runs. He has had a great season. I think this is a turning point in his career."

  8. Middlesex didn't have a great day out in the middle at the Riverside yesterday, but there was some good news for supporters following the close of play.

    Welcome back to England, Stuart.

    Middlesex appoint Law as new head coach

    Middlesex name Stuart Law as their head coach, with the Australian set to leave the same position with West Indies in December.

    Read More

  9. Listen live

    Once again we have ball-by-ball coverage of the nine Championship games, courtesy of our BBC 5 live sports extra and BBC local radio teams. Choose a commentary from among the links at the top of the page and we'll keep you updated on the rest.

    BBC commentary boxBBC Sport

  10. Pears have strength 'down the order'

    Worcestershire 319-8 v Yorkshire - match resumes 10.30 BST

    Daryl Mitchell hit the 35th first-class century of his career as Worcestershire batted out the opening day against Yorkshire at New Road.

    But Mitchell, who survived a bad drop by Yorkshire wicketkeeper Jonny Tattersall on 43, also benefited from lower-order contributions.

    His 88-run stand with Ed Barnard (34) was then followed by a so far unbroken ninth-wicket partnership of 49 between Ben Twohig (30) and Josh Tongue (20).

    Daryl MitchellGetty Images

    "A big strength of ours is runs down the order," he told BBC Hereford & Worcester. "Ed Barnard has done it again, Wayne Parnell has done it the last few weeks and Ben Twohig can bat as well.

    "Yorkshire's bowlers were pretty miserly all day. It is not an easy wicket to score on. If you bowl pretty straight and held your lengths, it was hard to get the ball away. But I had a couple of weeks without scoring many runs so it was nice, once I'd got in, to get a score."

  11. Durham in charge at Riverside

    Middlesex 121 v Durham 227-5 - match resumes 10.30

    Durham enjoyed an excellent opening day against Middlesex in what is captain Paul Collingwood's final match in first-class cricket. Here's BBC Newcastle's Martin Emmerson with his video preview of day two.

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  12. Gurney eyes more victims

    Somerset 353-7 v Nottinghamshire - match resumes 10:30 BST

    Nottinghamshire pace bowler Harry Gurney has the chance to better his career-best bowling figures for the second time this season after taking 5-66 on day one against Somerset at Trent Bridge.

    The left-armer, who set a new personal best of 6-25 against Lancashire in April, posed the biggest threat to Somerset, for whom James Hildreth made 137.

    "We are quite pleased to get them seven down from the position they are in. I'm just happy to have the five - and one or two more in the morning would be nice," Gurney said at close of play.

    Notts have earned two points from the game so far, and need three more to secure their Division One place for next season and send Lancashire down.

    Harry GurneyGetty Images

  13. Bears 'in great position' - Stone

    Kent 167 v Warwickshire 148-0 - match resumes 10:30 BST

    Warwickshire could not have dreamed of the opening day going any better in the Division Two title decider against Kent at Edgbaston.

    After starting level on points at the top, Warwickshire bowled out Kent for 167, then raced to within 52 runs of a first batting bonus point by the close.

    "Chris Wright and Keith Barker bowled really well up front," said fellow paceman Olly Stone, who also took three wickets. "It definitely makes easier for me when the lads have made inroads up front. The boys have done it all year so it's great to see it continue.

    Olly Stone has taken 40 wickets in just seven Championship matches this seasonGetty Images

    "With 10:30 starts, the pitch is always going to have a bit in it and so when we lost the toss and were told we were bowling we thought there might be something there for us if we bowled well.

    "Then for Will Rhodes and Dom Sibley to back it up with an opening stand like that was top-drawer. They've just got better and better this season and have put us in a great position."

  14. Weather outlook

    County Championship - play starts 10:30 BST

    BBC forecaster Simon King's Twitter post below suggests we may get another uninterrupted day's play. Fingers crossed that he's right.

    If you'd like more localised information, then pop over to the BBC Weather website.

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  15. How things stand

    After first day's play

    Division One

    Hampshire 187 v Lancashire 123-4

    Lancashire trail Hampshire by 64 runs with six wickets left

    Somerset 353-7 v Nottinghamshire

    Surrey 67 v Essex 197-2

    Essex lead Surrey by 130 with eight wickets left

    Worcestershire 319-8 v Yorkshire

    Division Two

    Derbyshire 184 v Gloucestershire 100-5

    Gloucestershire trail Derbyshire by 84 with five wickets left

    Middlesex 121 v Durham 227-5

    Durham lead Middlesex by 106 with five wickets left

    Glamorgan 331-8 Leicestershire

    Sussex 118 & 4-0 v Northamptonshire 171

    Sussex trail Northants by 49 with 10 wickets left

    Kent 167 v Warwickshire 148-0

    Warwickshire trail Kent by 19 with 10 wickets left

  16. Good morning

    Kia OvalRex Features

    How will new county champions Surrey respond after being outplayed by Essex on the opening day at The Oval?

    Will Notts collect the three points they need to secure their Division One status today? Will Lancashire's lingering survival hopes finally be ended?

    How big a lead will Warwickshire build in the Division Two title decider against Kent at Edgbaston?

    We'll have the answers to these, and many other questions over the next few hours. Welcome to our coverage of today's County Championship action. Play starts at 10:30.