That is the third day completed in this latest round of County Championship fixtures. One more day to go.

In the absence of any more heroics from Ben Stokes, the highlight of the day has been leaders Surrey completing their third win of the season by an innings inside three days against Northamptonshire.

Six more games are still going - and there are likely wins ahead for Glamorgan and Durham in Division Two.

But two of the Division One games look destined to end in a draw - and the only potential drama might all be on the south coast, at Southampton and Hove.

Having said all that, in cricket, who knows?

Division One

Essex 403, Yorkshire 425-5

(Yorkshire lead by 22 with 5 wickets remaining)

Hampshire 342 & 204, Gloucestershire 179 & 111-2

(Gloucestershire need a further 257 to win)

Warwickshire 315 & 4-0, Lancashire 361

(Warwickshire trail by 42 with 10 wickets remaining)

Surrey (401, 22 pts) beat Northamptonshire (194 & 202, 2 pts) by an innings and five runs

Division Two

Leicestershire 320 & 158-7, Glamorgan 437

(Leicestershire lead by 41 with 3 wickets remaining)

Sussex 392 & 236-3 v Middlesex 358

(Sussex lead Middlesex by 270 with 7 wickets remaining)

Durham 580-6 dec & 171-1 dec, Worcestershire 309 & 85-2

(Worcestershire need a further 357 to win)

Potentially an interesting finish in prospect - but Sussex will be able to dictate terms on day four thanks to another sparkling innings by Cheteshwar Pujara.

Pujara reached the close on 125 not out, rescuing the home side from a tricky position at 6-2 as he and Tom Allsop (66) shared a partnership of 138.

Sussex lead by 270 overall and, given that they have yet to win this season, may be tempted to try and interest Middlesex in a run chase tomorrow.

A wicket off the fourth ball of the day's final over at Sophia Gardens nudges the close of play forward by a couple of deliveries.

Harry Swindells is bowled for 20 by James Weighell - and that makes Glamorgan's task tomorrow just that little bit easier.

They now need to take just three more wickets and hope that Leicestershire do not add too many in that time to their overnight 41-run lead. But a second Glamorgan win of the season does look rather on the cards.

Only two more games going tonight now - and we're into the last over at Sophia Gardens, where Leicestershire lead Glamorgan by a slender 41 runs with only four wickets remaining.

for Cheteshwar Pujarapublished at 18:43 British Summer Time 7 May 2022

18:43 BST 7 May 2022

Sussex 392 & 203-3 v Middlesex 358

Image source, Getty Images

Rather like Yorkshire's Harry Brook, Cheteshwar Pujara has also been enjoying a rich vein of form in county cricket - and the India Test star racks up another hundred against Middlesex at Hove.

Pujara has now passed three figures in each of his first four appearances for Sussex - converting two of them to double hundreds so far.

His latest century comes from 133 balls and has put Sussex back in the driving seat after losing two early wickets in their second innings.

Umpires Nigel Llong and Graham Lloyd have now made a final decision -and that's it for the day in Manchester.

Just one more day to go, and unless Lancashire can induce a major clatter of wickets first thing tomorrow morning, this game is heading for a draw.

Good effort that from Gloucestershire.

They still need another 257 in their unlikely pursuit of 368 to win.

But, having gone from 54-0 to 66-2, George Scott, with a career-best 70, and Miles Hammond (15) have dug in to avoid the loss of any further wickets.

Still all three (or even four) results possible in this one!

Still waiting for a decision for umpires Graham Lloyd and Nigel Llong in the third city.

There are still 12 overs left to bowl tonight - and the light has not improved.

The usual regulations are that they still have to be playing at 6.30 to be allowed to carry on. But, with last night's lost overs to make up, that adjusts the exact timing.

Not a day to be an Essex bowler, really. Matt Critchley was the only one to take a wicket during the third day's play - although it was a coveted one, that of Joe Root for 75.

Critchley's smart fielding also brought about the only other wicket to fall, with nightwatchman Matthew Revis run out for 47.

Since then, Harry Brook and Dawid Malan - who reach stumps on 110 and 87 respectively - have dominated, with an unbroken stand of 210 that puts Yorkshire 20 runs ahead going into day four.

Just a couple of overs remaining at Chelmsford and, although Harry Brook and Dawid Malan have accelerated in the second half of the day, it's hard to see how Yorkshire will have time to force a victory.

The visitors hold a slender lead of 15, with Brook on 109 and Malan 81 - so they might try and thrash another 100 or so in the morning and then declare.

On what has been a fairly benign pitch, however, a draw looks the most likely outcome by some way.

Hampshire turn to the spin of Felix Organ looking to exploit left-armer Keith Barker's footholes, after a fruitless last hour in Southampton.

Gloucestershire still need 271 to win. The more likely scenario is Hampshire taking another eight wickets.

But George Scott (a career-best 60) and Miles Hammond (11) are proving obdurate customers

Three overs left in the day.

Off they come in Manchester after just three of the 15 overs expected today. That may well be it for the day now.

Another century for Harry Brook!published at 18:10 British Summer Time 7 May 2022

18:10 BST 7 May 2022

Yorks 404-5 v Essex 403

Image source, Getty Images

Harry Brook just can't stop scoring centuries - that's his third of the season and what a way to get there...

Brook's first scoring shot was a six off Simon Harmer and he pulls Matt Critchley for another maximum to bring up his ton from 101 balls.

That six also takes Yorkshire into the lead at Chelmsford.

Two overs from Tom Bailey safely negotiated.

And one from Hassan Ali.

Dom Sibley not yet off the mark.

All going to plan so far in Manchester.

Half century for George Scottpublished at 17:57 British Summer Time 7 May 2022

17:57 BST 7 May 2022

Hampshire 342 & 204, Gloucestershire 179 & 93-2

George Scott has completed his first half-century in three years - and his first for Gloucestershire.

A good effort so far for the Hemel Hempstead-born, St Albans School-educated former Middlesex man.

It's only his second fifty - and, having reached 59, it is now his career-best, beating his 55 against Leicestershire at Lord's in May 2019, in only his second Championship game.

One result already in Division One - is there also an outside chance of a finish tonight in the Division Two game at Cardiff?

Glamorgan have picked up a key wicket, with Hassan Azad caught in the slips off David Lloyd for 58.

Leicestershire have edged in front, though, with Harry Swindells and Scott Steel now at the crease. They lead by eight runs, with five wickets standing.

That's it at The Oval as Matt Kelly falls for 33, caught in the deep off Gus Atkinson and Northamptonshire's resistance comes to an end.

Surrey polish them off inside three days to stay top of the table, with Atkinson taking 3-26 and Dan Worrall 3-37.