Summary

  • Use audio icons at the top of the page to choose your commentary

  • Group 1 results: Essex beat Durham by 44 runs, Warks beat Notts by three wickets, Worcs draw with Derbys

  • Group 2 results: Hants beat Middlesex by 249 runs, Glos beat Somerset by eight wickets, Surrey draw with Leics

  • Group 3 results: Yorks beat Kent by 200 runs, Lancs beat Northants by 206 runs, Sussex beat Glam by eight wickets

  1. Postpublished at 11:12 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Hampshire 319 & 290-4 dec v Middlesex 79 & 219-5

    An early wicket has also fallen at Southampton, where Ian Holland has trapped Robbie White in front for 73. The key man.

    Hampshire need five more wickets for victory, Middlesex need 312 runs.

  2. wicket

    WICKET Bell-Drummond (b Willey) 24published at 11:09 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Kent 265-9 & 34-3 v Yorkshire 379 & 330-5 dec

    We have a wicket.

    Beautiful bowling from Yorkshire's David Willey who crashes the ball into Daniel Bell-Drummond's off-stump.

    Kent need another 411 runs. That seems very unlikely.

  3. Postpublished at 11:06 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Essex 96 & 330 v Durham 259 & 66-3

    And ditto at Chelmsford, where another one of the pre-season favourites are facing a possible defeat.

    Scott Borthwick (nine not out) and Jack Burnham (37 not out) have so far steadied Durham nerves nicely having earlier slipped to 20-3.

    But it's a new day and they'll have to start again.

    They need 102 more runs for a memorable win.

  4. Postpublished at 11:03 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Somerset 312 & 149 v Gloucestershire 309 & 32-1

    We're in for a few interesting final-day chases today, but none more so than at Taunton, I reckon.

    Gloucestershire need 153 to record their first County Championship victory at Somerset since 1993.

    James Bracey, who struck a century in the first innings, clips the second ball of the day for four. Confident start.

  5. We're under waypublished at 11:01 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Incredible drama with twists and turns by the minute...

    ...but before Line of Duty starts in 10 hours, here's the cricket.

    Play has got under way in all nine of our fixtures.

  6. Every ball of every game livepublished at 10:59 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    BBC local radio

    Don't forget you can catch live commentary of every delivery across BBC local radio today.

    Take your pick from the nine fixtures by searching through the live coverage options at the top of this page for the game of your choice.

  7. Today's weatherpublished at 10:57 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    A full day's play in all of our games yesterday and the day before. Will the rain hold off again?

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  8. Latest scorespublished at 10:55 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Group one

    Derbyshire 390 & 268-5 v Worcestershire 305 - Derbyshire lead Worcestershire by 353 runs with 5 wickets remaining

    Essex 96 & 330 all out v Durham 259 & 60-3 - Durham need 108 runs to win

    Nottinghamshire 273 & 260 v Warwickshire 201-9 & 85-3 - Warwickshire need 248 runs to win

    Group two

    Hampshire 319 & 290-4 dec v Middlesex 79 & 208-4 - Middlesex need 323 runs to win

    Somerset 312 & 149 v Gloucestershire 309 & 28-1 - Gloucestershire need 125 runs to win

    Surrey 672-8 dec v Leicestershire 375 & 21-0 - Leicestershire trail Surrey by 276 runs with 10 wickets remaining

    Group three

    Glamorgan 285 & 258-5 v Sussex 481 - Glamorgan lead Sussex by 62 runs with 5 wickets remaining

    Kent 265-9 & 33-2 v Yorkshire 379 & 330-5 dec - Kent need 412 runs to win

    Lancashire 305 & 296-7 dec v Northamptonshire 177 & 59-3 - Northamptonshire need 366 runs to win

  9. Batting dominates yesterday's playpublished at 10:53 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Ollie PopeImage source, Rex Features

    Run-scoring dominated a day of April sunshine in the County Championship as England batsman Ollie Pope, with a double century, captain Joe Root and Adam Lyth all reached three figures.

    Pope's Surrey team-mate Jamie Smith and Lancashire stalwart Steven Croft hit tons too.

    But they were all upstaged by a young Welshman, Glamorgan's Kiran Carlson, who hit his second century of the match against Sussex - a total of 256 runs and yet to be removed.

    Pope's 245 in Surrey's massive 672-8 declared against Leicestershire at the Oval may be a match-winner. The same is likely to apply for Yorkshire pair Root and Lyth against Kent at Canterbury.

    But, despite knocks of 127 not out and 129 not out, all 22-year-old Carlson has done is hold up Sussex.

    Glamorgan go into the final day just 62 ahead with five wickets remaining - and unless Carlson can keep up his heroics a little longer, cruelly, he looks likely to end on the losing side.

    Read Ged Scott's full report of day three here.

  10. Hello!published at 10:51 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    SurreyImage source, Rex Features

    Welcome one and all.

    What a round of action we've had over the last three days and we've still got one final, intriguing day to go.

    All nine fixtures make it to day four. Before we get started, let's quickly remind ourselves of yesterday's highlights.