The fourth-wicket stand between Hashim Amla (26no) and Jamie Smith (45no) has been worth 63 for Surrey - that is more than double the previous highest partnership all day at the Kia Oval.

They need another 156 runs for an unlikely win.

Half-century for Josh Inglispublished at 16:29 British Summer Time 14 July 2021

16:29 BST 14 July 2021

Leicestershire 153-5 v Middx (chasing 293 to win)

Josh Inglis, Leicestershire's best hope of victory, reaches his fifty.

Hampshire, of course, have history with being held at bay.

Only last week, Hashim Amla batted out the entire final day to secure Surrey a draw against them - had they won that, Hampshire would have been in the box seat here, with a draw perfectly adequate.

Instead, they are chasing victory against a Gloucestershire side who also batted long and hard to claim a draw in the reverse fixture between the teams in April.

A minimum of 26 overs remain. Glos lead by 52.

for Dan Lincolnpublished at 16:18 British Summer Time 14 July 2021

16:18 BST 14 July 2021

Kent 165 & 152-3 v Sussex 181 & 332-4 dec

Kent need 196 runs from the final session to win at Canterbury.

A pretty big ask - although marvellous maximums like the one Dan Lincoln has just lofted over the ropes will help.

We have local radio commentary of all eight ongoing games, remember.

Click on the audio icons at the top of the page - while BBC 5 Live Sports Extra is also bringing you live commentary too.

Half-century for Pieter Malanpublished at 16:13 British Summer Time 14 July 2021

16:13 BST 14 July 2021

Bears 395 & 177-1, Pears 447-9 dec

After his first-innings ton, South African Pieter Malan has another half-century and has now almost completed a tally of 200 in this game.

In fact, throw in his scored of 32 and 28 on his delayed debut for Warwickshire against Worcestershire at Edgbaston in May - and he has scored over 80 per cent of his runs for the Bears habe come against the Pears.

Bit of a worry for Hampshire as fast bowler Brad Wheal is in some discomfort, appears to have something in his eye.

There's a trainer on to have a look.

Here we go.

The final session of this year's County Championship group stage.

And a massive, potentially season-defining one for Hampshire and Gloucestershire in particular.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Notts made sure of their place in Division One yesterday and, following their batting collapse on the same afternoon, Durham were left needing snookers (and a Warwickshire defeat) to keep any hopes alive of joining them.

Today it looks like Durham have lost another point for a slow over rate, to add to the two lost last week when more than half the game was wiped out by the weather at Edgbaston.

Any hope of winning this one seemed unlikely when they were set a target of 381.

Even on a tiny boundary, that's 42 greater than Yorkshire's record run chase here in 2013.

Having lost Michael Jones for 46 and skipper Scott Borthwick on 25, after giving himself another platform which he couldn't build on, a draw is the most likely outcome.

But a couple of quick wickets in the final session and Notts might feel they can run through them again like they did yesterday.

Group One

Nottinghamshire 328 & 217, Durham 165 & 136-3

Warwickshire 395 & 160-1, Worcestershire 447-9 dec

Group Two

Gloucestershire 229 & 302-7, Hampshire 486-7 dec

Middlesex 324 & 196, Leicestershire 228 & 145-5

Somerset 429 & 60-7, Surrey 240 & 79-3

Group Three

Sussex 181 & 332-4 dec, Kent 165 & 139-3

Northamptonshire 215 & 161-4, Glamorgan 462-4 dec

Lancashire 411-2 v Yorkshire. Match abandoned as a draw.

Aside from Derbyshire's Covid-related woes there is one other fixture cancellation we forgot to tell you about yesterday.

Warwickshire's current injury crisis has forced them to call off next Tuesday's friendly with Cheshire, external at Chester Boughton Hall.

Image source, Nathan Stirk - Getty Images

It's not the first such game to be called off.

As part of the ECB directive to award all the Minor Counties teams a fixture against their first-class neighbours again, following the loss of their annual one-day knock-out fixtures, Durham were due to play Lincolnshire in Grantham and Notts were due to play Norfolk - but they are both off too.

Derbyshire were due to play Shropshire the same day - and that is now presumably off too because of the Covid outbreak at Derby.

The BBC fixture list for next Tuesday (20 July) says that the Berkshire-Middlesex, Buckinghamshire-Surrey, Dorset-Hampshire, Kent-Suffolk and Leicestershire-Staffordshire games are all off too, as is next Thursday's Hertfordshire-Middlesex game.

But there are eight games still on next Tuesday: Gloucestershire v Wiltshire (Bristol), Lancashire v Cumberland (Sedbergh School), Northamptonshire v Bedfordshire (Wantage Road), Somerset v Cornwall (Taunton), Sussex v Oxfordshire (Hove), Wales Minor Counties v Glamorgan (Sophia Gardens), Yorkshire v Northumberland (Scarborough), Essex v Cambridgeshire (Chelmsford).

There are also two games on Thursday (22 July): Worcestershire v Herefordshire (New Road) and a second fixture for Somerset against Devon (also at Taunton).

All the games start at 11:00 BST.

Adrian Harms
BBC Sussex

On a good batting track, this game looks to be heading for a draw, although at one stage with Kent 120-1 and Harry Finch and Marcus O’Riordan going well, an unlikely home victory looked a possibility.

However, once O’Riordan was brilliantly run out by Tom Haines for 47, the run rate has slowed considerably.

Finch has batted very well against his former county, who released him last season, and he reached tea just 24 runs short of a century.

The battle of the spinners is heading towards a draw at the Kia Oval - although all three results are still possible and after the wickets that have fallen today (15, all to spinners) don't count anything out.

Surrey, with Hashim Amla (23no) and Jamie Smith (25no) at the crease, need 180 runs to win, while Group Two leaders Somerset need seven wickets.

Leicestershire go for tea at at Merchant Taylor's School still needing 148 runs to win.

Nick Webb
BBC Radio Wales

Northants have battled hard to avoid defeat at Sophia Gardens as they reached tea without losing a wicket in the second session to frustrate Glamorgan.

The visitors were already without Luke Procter because of a family bereavement and Gareth Berg through injury, and Rob Keogh retired mid-session on 50 not out to view the streaming of his grandmother’s funeral - although he is allowed to return to the crease later.

It’s been a mature performance for 20-year-old wicketkeeper Harry Gouldstone in his first Championship match, with Simon Kerrigan joining him to block the remaining 40 minutes before tea.

Michael Neser claimed three wickets in his first spell but an oft-changing Glamorgan attack toiled without success in the afternoon sun as Northants began to glimpse a ‘Great Escape’, still 86 behind with effectively four wickets standing.

The Price brothers take their partnership up to 32 in the final over before lunch as a little nick runs by the slips for a couple for Tom.

There are a minimum of 31 overs remaining - in which Hampshire must take Gloucestershire's final three wickets and then chase down whatever lead (currently 45) the hosts amass.

This is getting tense, having looked at one stage a foregone conclusion, only for Tom Lace's gritty 118 to drag Gloucestershire right back into this battle for a Division One berth.

Michael Jones is bowled by spinner Liam Patterson-White for 46 in the final over before tea, so off they go for refreshments - two deliveries early.