partnershippublished at 15.2 overs remain

15.2 overs remain

Gloucestershire 255-3 (target 348) v Leicestershire

Good start to the over with a couple of singles.

Ian Cockbain has 94 not out, Tom Lace is unbeaten on 90.

Chris Wright will continue with the ball.

Bold call.

Gloucestershire haven't really gone hard at Callum Parkinson yet, although they probably don't need to.

Four from that over, 96 needed from 16 overs.

Image source, Rex Features

Thankfully for Leicestershire, the final ball is a dot.

That over brings the required rate below a run a ball.

Cockbain is onto 92.

Postpublished at 17.1 overs remain

17.1 overs remain

Gloucestershire 248-3 (target 348) v Leicestershire

Chris Wright comes into the attack but he can't stem the flow of runs.

Gloucestershire are happy to pick up ones and twos until Wright gets a bouncer all wrong and Cockbain smashes him for six.

That was like a baseball shot!

Here is the updated Group One table following Worcestershire's draw with Essex - the Pears have drawn all four so far:

Image source, BBC Sport

Ian Cockbain (81) and Tom Lace (86) are hunting down centuries too.

Another over and six more runs on the board. We've got 108 scheduled deliveries and Gloucestershire just need 111 more.

Another attacking over, this time Ben Mike is dispatched for 11. The chase is on.

Whatever happens, just like the players, I'm going to get an early chance to sharpen up my white-ball skills ahead of the summer.

An update every over with news of every ball when it gets close. Wasn't thinking I'd be needing to type this quickly when we started at 10:45 BST this morning.

So one game to go and it could go the distance. Four from the latest over as Gloucestershire push for an incredible win.

It's a testament to Lace and Cockbain that we're even in this situation. When the pair came in on 52-3, I was expecting a major batting collapse and an easy Leicestershire win.

I think we can rule that result out now.

A single by Gareth Roderick off Simon Harmer is the final run of the game at New Road as the two asides shake hands on a draw.

There might have been a few butterflies among Worcestershire supporters when they were asked to follow-on 197 in arrears.

But in the end, the task of blocking out was fairly straightforward with Jake Libby making 52 not out and Roderick finishing unbeaten on 13.

This might be one that got away for Essex, but they are still likely to be in the shake-up when red-ball trophies are up for grabs later in the summer.

How can you not love County Championship cricket? So adaptable, we've had two sessions of blocking and now we're going to finish with a T20 run chase!

Tom Lace and Ian Cockbain are both set on 73 with 21 overs remaining. Gloucestershire need 132 runs to win. It's only a smidge over a run a ball.

Stoic is one word you could use to describe Gareth Roderick's innings.

But his first boundary has arrived with a square cut off Dan Lawrence.

Roderick is 12 not out, Jake Libby has 52 and there are a maximum of 15 overs to go.

The 150 partnership comes up for Ian Cockbain (65) and Tom Lace (69).

They've really kicked on another gear now and have struck four an over in the last 15 minutes.

They'll need to up that to around six if they want to snatch victory. I'm not so sure they will, but then again, stranger things have happened in cricket.

for Jake Libbypublished at 16:53 British Summer Time 2 May 2021

16:53 BST 2 May 2021

Worcestershire 119-2 ((following on) v Essex

Image source, Rex Features

Simon Harmer gives Jake Libby room outside off stump and he pushes away through point for three runs to reach a 126-ball half-century.

Well played again by the former Notts right-hander, who already has two hundreds behind him since the start of the season.

Postpublished at 16:51 British Summer Time 2 May 2021

16:51 BST 2 May 2021

Gloucestershire 199-3 (target 348) v Leicestershire

And just like that Ian Cockbain smashes the spinner for six.

We've lost the ball in the stands too.

So then, Gloucestershire need 149 runs in just under 30 overs. It's still doable.

A single to Jake Libby is the only scoring stroke in Shane Snater's latest over at New Road.

Libby is three runs away from yet another fifty in what has been a prolific start to the summer and it looks like Worcestershire are going to come out of this game with a draw, despite following on.

There are a maximum of 17 overs to go.

Things are starting to accelerate now at Bristol.

For so long Ian Cockbain and Tom Lace were slowly ticking along and building a platform.

Now the pair have flicked a switch and are really starting to go for it. Only a matter of time before Cockbain takes on the leg-spinner Matthew Parkinson.

Image source, Rex Features

Middlesex suffered their third defeat of the season when Steven Davies' unbeaten 44 helped Somerset chase down 207 at Taunton.

It was the second time Somerset had fought back to defeat Middlesex, having won last month's reverse fixture at Lord's after trailing by 141 runs on first innings.

Middlesex head coach Stuart Law told BBC Radio London: "We've only got ourselves to blame again. Having said that, we're making good strides and improving.

"It's just those moments were we get put under pressure and we just can't get out the other side."

for Iain Cockbainpublished at 16:37 British Summer Time 2 May 2021

16:37 BST 2 May 2021

Gloucestershire 186-3 (target 348) v Leicestershire

And a brilliant, defensive 50 for Ian Cockbain.

The 34-year-old has looked completely untroubled as Gloucestershire continue to bat out until close.

Still 27 overs remaining.