Definitely not a day to be a bowler, unless your name is Keith Barker, who took 6-53 for Hampshire against Kent.
Shan Masood made his second successive double century for Derbyshire, Warwickshire's Michael Burgess smashed 170 against Essex and Hampshire skipper James Vince made a typically stylish 111.
Josh Bohannon, Ben Slater, Lyndon James and John Simpson also made three-figure scores - not forgetting Tom Abell and Brett D'Oliveira, who scored centuries on day one and ended their innings not out.
Will tomorrow be another run-fest or will the bowlers strike back? Join us at 10:30 to find out.
Close of play scores
Division One
Kent 305 v Hampshire 337-4
Hampshire lead by 32 with 6 wickets standing
Lancashire 289-3 v Gloucestershire 252
Lancashire lead by 37 with 7 wickets standing
Northamptonshire 204 v Yorkshire 296 & 85-1
Yorkshire lead by 177 with 9 wickets standing
Surrey 204-5 v Somerset 337
Surrey trail by 133 with 5 wickets standing
Warwickshire 385 v Essex 168 & 0-1
Essex trail by 217 with 9 wickets standing
Division Two
Durham 230 v Nottinghamshire 371-3
Notts lead by 141 with 7 wickets standing
Glamorgan 122 & 104-6 v Middlesex 336
Glamorgan trail by 110 with 4 wickets standing
Leicestershire 213 v Derbyshire 437-4
Derbyshire lead by 224 with 6 wickets standing
Worcestershire 491 v Sussex 169-5
Sussex trail by 322 with 5 wickets standing
Close of play at New Road
Worcestershire 491 v Sussex 169-5
Sussex lost three wickets for no runs in the space of 13 deliveries to end day two in deep trouble, 322 in arrears.
Joe Leach removed Tom Clark, Mohammad Rizwan and nightwatchman Jamie Atkins and has figures of 4-56 - but Cheteshwar Pujara remains unbeaten on 85.
Worcestershire earlier added 153 to their overnight 338-5 with captain Brett D'Oliveira remaining unbeaten on 169 from 333 balls - with a six and 16 fours.
Close of play at Leicester
Leicestershire 213 v Derbyshire 437-4
Derbyshire lead by 224 after another magnificent double century by opener Shan Masood.
He made 219 off 268 balls before being bowled by Leicestershire's Callum Parkinson 11 overs before the close.
It was his second successive double century for the club and he has now scored 611 runs in four innings. Wayne Madsen contributed 94 and Mattie McKiernan will resume on 63 not out on the third morning.
Close of play at Canterbury
Kent 305 v Hampshire 337-4
An unbroken stand of 62 between Liam Dawson (63*) and Ben Brown (42*) guides Hampshire into a 32-run lead at stumps at Canterbury.
But the innings of the day was played by James Vince, who struck 19 fours in making 111 off 118 balls before edging Nathan Gilchrist to slip.
Nick Gubbins weighed in with 69 after Kent added only 34 to their overnight 271-7 in the morning session as Keith Barker claimed 6-53.
Close of play at the Oval
Surrey 204-5 v Somerset 337
Sam Curran reached 44 not out as he and Will Jacks survive to the close on day two at the Oval.
Tom Abell's career-best 150 not out enabled Somerset to push on well beyond 300 and Surrey would have been in an even tougher posiittn but for a stand of 80 between Ben Foakes and Ollie Pope.
Foakes made 63 and Pope 47 - before the latter fell to one of the best catches you are likely to see, a one-handed effort by Banton on the boundary edge, having earlier dropped Foakes on two.
Close of play at Edgbaston
Warwickshire 385 v Essex 168 & 0-1
An awful day for Essex ends with Nick Browne edging Oliver Hannon-Dalby to Sam Hain at second slip and they will begin day three 217 in arrears.
The main reason for that deficit was a wonderful 170 by Michael Burgess, his second successive century for Warwickshire, in which he hit 24 off one over from Matt Critchley.
Warwickshire were struggling on 124-5 before Matt Lamb (71) helped add 113 for the sixth wicket and Burgess then turned the game firmly in his side's favour with some magnificent hitting.
Close of play at Wantage Road
Northants v Yorks 85-1 lead by 177
Yorkshire have taken complete command over Northants.
Emilio Gay and Will Young began the day well for the hosts but their stand of 55 was the only significant partnership.
In the end, Northants did well to scramble even a single batting point.
With a first-innings lead of 92, Adam Lyth and Dimuth Karunaratne came bounding out to quickly stretch the advantage, scoring 57 in 11 overs.
Yorkshire can now look to put the game out of reach tomorrow.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Close of play at Cardiff
Glamorgan 122 & 104-6 v Middlesex 336
Glamorgan manage to take the game into a third day but it was touch and go for a while as their batting line-up failed for the second time.
Sam Northeast is 21 not out but they are 110 in arrears following John Simpson's earlier unbeaten 104 for the visitors.
He put on 103 with Toby Roland-Jones, who made 65, and Shaheen Afridi (29) helped add 60 before again taking the prized wicket of Glamorgan's Marnus Labuschagne in the final session.
Close of play at the Riverside
Durham 230 v Nottinghamshire 371-3
Lyndon James takes a single off George Drissell in the final over of play as Notts end day two in a commanding position.
James ends on 105 not out - his maiden hundred - with Slater unbeaten on 164, an innings featuring a six and 16 fours.
They have added 216 so far, a county record for the fourth wicket against Durham, and the lead is 141.
Close of play at Old Trafford
Lancs 289-3 v Glos 252
What a day for Lancashire.
We knew it was a good wicket and they've taken full advantage to march into the lead, still with plenty to come too.
Josh Bohannon has been the star, a fourth first-class century and he walks off 142 not out.
The home side have built superbly with two century stands.
Just two wickets for Gloucestershire all day.
Zafar Gohar got through 35 overs of work and took 2-65, a wonderful effort.
But only Ryan Higgins, 19 overs 0-27, was also able to contain Lancashire with two of the visitors' seamers going at above five-and-a-half an over.
If day two was long, day three could be even longer for the Glosters.
for Lyndon James
Durham 230 v Notts 361-3
It is a very big moment for Lyndon James who reaches a maiden first-class hundred by pushing Scott Borthwick away for three runs at the Riverside.
It has taken him 194 balls and he has struck 13 fours in an unbroken stand of 206 with fellow centurion Ben Slater.
WICKET
Burgess b Steketee 170 (Warwickshire 385 v Essex 168)
It's finally all over at Edgbaston as Michael Burgess walks right across his stumps to try and flick Mark Steketee away and loses his off stump.
Burgess hit five sixes and 20 fours in his superb 217-ball innings which, if you recall, followed a season-opening 178.
Craig Miles remains on 10 not out and will presumably be part of Warwickshire's attack as Essex try to clear a 217-run deficit after Liam Norwell went off, having been hit on the helmet by Steketee, who took 4-130.
WICKET
Karunaratne b Procter 36 (Northants v Yorks 73-1 lead by 165)
Some relief for Northants to break that blazing opening stand.
Luke Procter brings one back and clips Dimuth Karunaratne's off stump.
Six overs remaining at Wantage Road.
Slater & James set new record
Durham 230 v Notts 352-3
Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle
Ben Slater, with a Notts' best 159
and Lyndon James, with a career-best 95, have broken the record for a fourth-wicket stand against Durham by their county.
They have added 197 so far, beating
the 192 by Samit Patel and James Taylor in 2014. Durham haven't taken a wicket since
before lunch and don't look like they will again today.
They used to say
"oh to be a bowler in England in April" - not least in
Chester-le-Street - but the track is lifeless and as flat as a
pancake.
In the last 186 overs bowled here by
Durham, including the final day against Leicestershire, they have taken just
five wickets.
for Ben Slater
Durham 230 v Nottinghamshire 340-3
Ben Slater hits a ball from Scott Borthwick into the covers - he can only take a single but that's enough to bring up his 150 from 298 balls. Partner Lyndon James is still on 93 not out.
for Michael Burgess
Warwickshire 367-9 v Essex 168
What an over - following a dot ball by Matt Critchley, Michael Burgess goes 6-4-4-6-4 from the next five as he races to 150 off 208 balls.
He clearly likes to reach landmarks in a rush, having struck four fours off Mark Steketee as he went to 100 earlier in his innings.
Warwickshire lead by 199 as Burgess hits Steketee over long-on baseball-style for another maximum.
Post update
Lancs 277-3 v Glos 252
Graeme van Buuren forced to use one of his other seamers to try and utilise the new ball.
But Josh Shaw's first over back leaks 12.
Shaw whipped off straight away and the captain brings himself on.
Five overs left in the day - may be bonus overs here!
God Bless Spinners.
WICKET
Foakes c Renshaw b Siddle 63 (Surrey 173-5 v Somerset 337)
An excellent leg-cutter from Peter Siddle puts an end to Ben Foakes at The Oval with fellow Aussie Matt Renshaw taking the catch at second slip.
A good knock by Foakes, who faced 138 balls and hit 10 fours, but Will Jacks has come out now to join Sam Curran with 14 overs remaining.
Division Two round-up
Glamorgan are toppling towards a heavy defeat against Glamorgan - they are 76-5 in their second innings, still 137 away from making the visitors bat again.
Shan Masood has now passed 600 runs for the season in only his fourth Derbyshire innings - he is 215 not out and they are 400-3 at Leicester, a lead of 187, with a full complement of batting points.
Lyndon James is 92 not out and Ben Slater has 149 in Nottinghamshire's 337-3 against Durham at the Riverside.
Sussex are 140-2 at New Road, with India batting star Cheteshwar Puajara now 62 not out - and Tom Clark has 44.
Live Reporting
Paul Grunill and Alex Winter
All times stated are UK
Rex FeaturesCopyright: Rex Features 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images 
Latest PostSigning off
Definitely not a day to be a bowler, unless your name is Keith Barker, who took 6-53 for Hampshire against Kent.
Shan Masood made his second successive double century for Derbyshire, Warwickshire's Michael Burgess smashed 170 against Essex and Hampshire skipper James Vince made a typically stylish 111.
Josh Bohannon, Ben Slater, Lyndon James and John Simpson also made three-figure scores - not forgetting Tom Abell and Brett D'Oliveira, who scored centuries on day one and ended their innings not out.
Will tomorrow be another run-fest or will the bowlers strike back? Join us at 10:30 to find out.
Close of play scores
Division One
Kent 305 v Hampshire 337-4
Hampshire lead by 32 with 6 wickets standing
Lancashire 289-3 v Gloucestershire 252
Lancashire lead by 37 with 7 wickets standing
Northamptonshire 204 v Yorkshire 296 & 85-1
Yorkshire lead by 177 with 9 wickets standing
Surrey 204-5 v Somerset 337
Surrey trail by 133 with 5 wickets standing
Warwickshire 385 v Essex 168 & 0-1
Essex trail by 217 with 9 wickets standing
Division Two
Durham 230 v Nottinghamshire 371-3
Notts lead by 141 with 7 wickets standing
Glamorgan 122 & 104-6 v Middlesex 336
Glamorgan trail by 110 with 4 wickets standing
Leicestershire 213 v Derbyshire 437-4
Derbyshire lead by 224 with 6 wickets standing
Worcestershire 491 v Sussex 169-5
Sussex trail by 322 with 5 wickets standing
Close of play at New Road
Worcestershire 491 v Sussex 169-5
Sussex lost three wickets for no runs in the space of 13 deliveries to end day two in deep trouble, 322 in arrears.
Joe Leach removed Tom Clark, Mohammad Rizwan and nightwatchman Jamie Atkins and has figures of 4-56 - but Cheteshwar Pujara remains unbeaten on 85.
Worcestershire earlier added 153 to their overnight 338-5 with captain Brett D'Oliveira remaining unbeaten on 169 from 333 balls - with a six and 16 fours.
Close of play at Leicester
Leicestershire 213 v Derbyshire 437-4
Derbyshire lead by 224 after another magnificent double century by opener Shan Masood.
He made 219 off 268 balls before being bowled by Leicestershire's Callum Parkinson 11 overs before the close.
It was his second successive double century for the club and he has now scored 611 runs in four innings. Wayne Madsen contributed 94 and Mattie McKiernan will resume on 63 not out on the third morning.
Close of play at Canterbury
Kent 305 v Hampshire 337-4
An unbroken stand of 62 between Liam Dawson (63*) and Ben Brown (42*) guides Hampshire into a 32-run lead at stumps at Canterbury.
But the innings of the day was played by James Vince, who struck 19 fours in making 111 off 118 balls before edging Nathan Gilchrist to slip.
Nick Gubbins weighed in with 69 after Kent added only 34 to their overnight 271-7 in the morning session as Keith Barker claimed 6-53.
Close of play at the Oval
Surrey 204-5 v Somerset 337
Sam Curran reached 44 not out as he and Will Jacks survive to the close on day two at the Oval.
Tom Abell's career-best 150 not out enabled Somerset to push on well beyond 300 and Surrey would have been in an even tougher posiittn but for a stand of 80 between Ben Foakes and Ollie Pope.
Foakes made 63 and Pope 47 - before the latter fell to one of the best catches you are likely to see, a one-handed effort by Banton on the boundary edge, having earlier dropped Foakes on two.
Close of play at Edgbaston
Warwickshire 385 v Essex 168 & 0-1
An awful day for Essex ends with Nick Browne edging Oliver Hannon-Dalby to Sam Hain at second slip and they will begin day three 217 in arrears.
The main reason for that deficit was a wonderful 170 by Michael Burgess, his second successive century for Warwickshire, in which he hit 24 off one over from Matt Critchley.
Warwickshire were struggling on 124-5 before Matt Lamb (71) helped add 113 for the sixth wicket and Burgess then turned the game firmly in his side's favour with some magnificent hitting.
Close of play at Wantage Road
Northants v Yorks 85-1 lead by 177
Yorkshire have taken complete command over Northants.
Emilio Gay and Will Young began the day well for the hosts but their stand of 55 was the only significant partnership.
In the end, Northants did well to scramble even a single batting point.
With a first-innings lead of 92, Adam Lyth and Dimuth Karunaratne came bounding out to quickly stretch the advantage, scoring 57 in 11 overs.
Yorkshire can now look to put the game out of reach tomorrow.
Close of play at Cardiff
Glamorgan 122 & 104-6 v Middlesex 336
Glamorgan manage to take the game into a third day but it was touch and go for a while as their batting line-up failed for the second time.
Sam Northeast is 21 not out but they are 110 in arrears following John Simpson's earlier unbeaten 104 for the visitors.
He put on 103 with Toby Roland-Jones, who made 65, and Shaheen Afridi (29) helped add 60 before again taking the prized wicket of Glamorgan's Marnus Labuschagne in the final session.
Close of play at the Riverside
Durham 230 v Nottinghamshire 371-3
Lyndon James takes a single off George Drissell in the final over of play as Notts end day two in a commanding position.
James ends on 105 not out - his maiden hundred - with Slater unbeaten on 164, an innings featuring a six and 16 fours.
They have added 216 so far, a county record for the fourth wicket against Durham, and the lead is 141.
Close of play at Old Trafford
Lancs 289-3 v Glos 252
What a day for Lancashire.
We knew it was a good wicket and they've taken full advantage to march into the lead, still with plenty to come too.
Josh Bohannon has been the star, a fourth first-class century and he walks off 142 not out.
The home side have built superbly with two century stands.
Just two wickets for Gloucestershire all day.
Zafar Gohar got through 35 overs of work and took 2-65, a wonderful effort.
But only Ryan Higgins, 19 overs 0-27, was also able to contain Lancashire with two of the visitors' seamers going at above five-and-a-half an over.
If day two was long, day three could be even longer for the Glosters.
for Lyndon James
Durham 230 v Notts 361-3
It is a very big moment for Lyndon James who reaches a maiden first-class hundred by pushing Scott Borthwick away for three runs at the Riverside.
It has taken him 194 balls and he has struck 13 fours in an unbroken stand of 206 with fellow centurion Ben Slater.
WICKET
Burgess b Steketee 170 (Warwickshire 385 v Essex 168)
It's finally all over at Edgbaston as Michael Burgess walks right across his stumps to try and flick Mark Steketee away and loses his off stump.
Burgess hit five sixes and 20 fours in his superb 217-ball innings which, if you recall, followed a season-opening 178.
Craig Miles remains on 10 not out and will presumably be part of Warwickshire's attack as Essex try to clear a 217-run deficit after Liam Norwell went off, having been hit on the helmet by Steketee, who took 4-130.
WICKET
Karunaratne b Procter 36 (Northants v Yorks 73-1 lead by 165)
Some relief for Northants to break that blazing opening stand.
Luke Procter brings one back and clips Dimuth Karunaratne's off stump.
Six overs remaining at Wantage Road.
Slater & James set new record
Durham 230 v Notts 352-3
Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle
Ben Slater, with a Notts' best 159 and Lyndon James, with a career-best 95, have broken the record for a fourth-wicket stand against Durham by their county.
They have added 197 so far, beating the 192 by Samit Patel and James Taylor in 2014. Durham haven't taken a wicket since before lunch and don't look like they will again today.
They used to say "oh to be a bowler in England in April" - not least in Chester-le-Street - but the track is lifeless and as flat as a pancake.
In the last 186 overs bowled here by Durham, including the final day against Leicestershire, they have taken just five wickets.
for Ben Slater
Durham 230 v Nottinghamshire 340-3
Ben Slater hits a ball from Scott Borthwick into the covers - he can only take a single but that's enough to bring up his 150 from 298 balls. Partner Lyndon James is still on 93 not out.
for Michael Burgess
Warwickshire 367-9 v Essex 168
What an over - following a dot ball by Matt Critchley, Michael Burgess goes 6-4-4-6-4 from the next five as he races to 150 off 208 balls.
He clearly likes to reach landmarks in a rush, having struck four fours off Mark Steketee as he went to 100 earlier in his innings.
Warwickshire lead by 199 as Burgess hits Steketee over long-on baseball-style for another maximum.
Post update
Lancs 277-3 v Glos 252
Graeme van Buuren forced to use one of his other seamers to try and utilise the new ball.
But Josh Shaw's first over back leaks 12.
Shaw whipped off straight away and the captain brings himself on.
Five overs left in the day - may be bonus overs here!
God Bless Spinners.
WICKET
Foakes c Renshaw b Siddle 63 (Surrey 173-5 v Somerset 337)
An excellent leg-cutter from Peter Siddle puts an end to Ben Foakes at The Oval with fellow Aussie Matt Renshaw taking the catch at second slip.
A good knock by Foakes, who faced 138 balls and hit 10 fours, but Will Jacks has come out now to join Sam Curran with 14 overs remaining.
Division Two round-up
Glamorgan are toppling towards a heavy defeat against Glamorgan - they are 76-5 in their second innings, still 137 away from making the visitors bat again.
Shan Masood has now passed 600 runs for the season in only his fourth Derbyshire innings - he is 215 not out and they are 400-3 at Leicester, a lead of 187, with a full complement of batting points.
Lyndon James is 92 not out and Ben Slater has 149 in Nottinghamshire's 337-3 against Durham at the Riverside.
Sussex are 140-2 at New Road, with India batting star Cheteshwar Puajara now 62 not out - and Tom Clark has 44.