From @ddrury91: "I get that everyone wants Somerset to do it but given Essex have lost 1 game all season and were leading by 12 points going into this game, hopefully they will get the credit they deserve when the rain finally kills this game... #bbccricket, external"

From @timcarlislewine: "#bbccricket, external It seems the commentators all think if this game was not rain affected Essex would be in bother thanks to the pitch, yet we are one down at a point that Somerset were four down and rocking.. love to see us get close to their total by the close with plenty of wickets."

Fine stroke by Tom Westley, who latches onto a half-volley from Roelof van der Merwe and finds the extra cover boundary.

There's an lbw appeal later in the over - again it goes unrewarded.

Azad clips Gleeson away to square leg for one to bring up the Leicestershire 150.

A single and couple of leg byes off Parkinson's over at the other end.

After a maiden from Roelof van der Merwe, Alastair Cook rocks onto the back foot and thumps Dom Bess away through point for four.

"I think we need a hat-trick just to spice it up, says Marcus Trescothick.

Doubt many Essex fans would agree with him.

Four byes from a full length delivery down the leg-side ends the over.

James Harris is driven into the on side by Du Plooy and that takes Derbyshire to 250.

Ethan Bamber is into his 21st over and Du Plooy gets a thick edge to third man for four.

He gets a single off the second ball to move on to 80.

Hudson-Prentice drives Bamber down the ground for four.

Four more with a steer to third man and Derbyshire are ahead.

Same shot off the next ball and four more to third man!

Daniel Norcross
BBC 5 Live Sports Extra commentator

"Somerset need to take a wicket every nine balls, thrash a quick 60 and then repeat the dose."

Marcus Trescothick
Somerset and former England opener on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra

"It's disappointing but until we start playing indoors, and under cover, this sort of situation is going to arise."

That scalp takes Richard Gleeson to 46 wickets - one ahead of Graham Onions, who is sitting out this match.

Rain returns at Tauntonpublished at 14:14 British Summer Time 26 September 2019

14:14 BST 26 September 2019

Somerset 203 v Essex 74-1

This is likely to be a very short interruption, but that's little consolation to Somerset supporters.

It's been an ordeal by spin for Essex so far, but they have only lost one wicket - and confirmation of their eighth Championship win is surely only a couple of hours away at most.

Interesting.

After five dot balls, Dom Bess bowls wide of the off stump and Alastair Cook plays no shot - but the ball is a well-disguised leg-break and goes the other way.

It doesn't threaten the stumps but that's a moral victory for the bowler for outfoxing the former England captain.

Roelof van der Merwe rattles through another over and Tom Westley is fortunate to survive as he is squared up on the back foot and the ball runs down to the third man boundary off the outside edge.

Hudson-Prentice is off the mark with a pull over square leg off James Harris.

Du Plooy leaves Bamber outside off stump.

50 for Hasan Azadpublished at 14:04 British Summer Time 26 September 2019

14:04 BST 26 September 2019

Leics 155 & 131-1 v Lancs 170

Liam Hurt is back of a length and Hasan Azad whips the ball through square leg for four, just past Rob Jones.

That brings up his eighth 50 of the season.

113 balls and ten fours.

Varun Chopra
Essex batsman on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra

"It's hard work for the Essex batsmen, but Alastair Cook in particular is showing his class and his ability to read spin bowling."

Time for a bowling change. Like for like. Roelof van der Merwe replaces Jack Leach.

His opening delivery is poor and Tom Westley puts it away for his first boundary.

There is, as we have said, plenty of turn, but Westley is equal to it.

Dom Bess is too short again and Alastair Cook repeats his shot of a few minutes ago, cutting away for four.

An lbw shout follows and the umpire turns it down - that did seem a VERY good shout, with the ball striker Cook's back leg.

Bess' frustration is compounded by one which turns away, allowing Cook the room to chop it down to third man for the second boundary of the over.

Jack Leach beats everything at the start of his latest over and the ball runs down to fine leg, allowing the Essex batsmen to jog through for a couple of byes.

There's a single for Alastair Cook, before an anxious moment for Tom Westley, who steps back to protect his stumps as the ball spins backwards from the angled face of his bat.