Image source, Rex Features

A trademark defensive masterclass from captain Cheteshwar Pujara has put Sussex into a promising position against Gloucestershire.

After a delayed 1.50 start due to a saturated outfield, the visitors took their first-innings total from 47-1 to 302-4.

India Test star Pujara led the way with 99 not out, while Tom Alsop contributed 67 and James Coles a career-best 74.

Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace at one point feared they might have spent most of it sitting on the sidelines due to the weather.

“The Gloucestershire bowlers did well and made him work hard for every run," said Farbrace. "But he played exceptionally well and hopefully will get a few more.

“Pujara shows such patience when batting and is a great lesson to anyone playing county cricket. The longer you bat, the easier the game becomes.

Gloucestershire's left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar, his side's most successful bowler with 2-67, said both sides will be looking for bonus points today with so much game time already lost.

“It was good to get a wicket in the final over of what was a tough day for us.

“It is a flat pitch and it was great to see Marchant de Lange and Ajeet Dale running in doing their best to hit the surface hard.

“I just tried to keep things tight and restrict the scoring rate. In that respect, we did pretty well as a team."

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Durham are just five wickets away from completing a rapid innings victory over Derbyshire on day three at Chester-le-Street.

The hosts set the tone from day one, rattling along at more than four runs an over before declaring early on the second morning on 452-9, spearheaded by Ollie Robinson's run-a-ball 114 and an equally rapid unbeaten 108 from Brydon Carse.

Derbyshire have been on the backfoot ever since, slumping to 6-4 and then 49-6 in the face of an opening assault from Ben Raine and England Ashes hopeful Matty Potts.

A recovery of sorts, thanks to Luis Reece's 56, took them to 165 all out but, once asked to bat again, the visitors found the second knock no easier.

Raine was at it again, prising out two wickets in the evening session, including Brooke Guest (35) just before stumps.

It left the visitors tottering on 92-5, still an imposing 195 runs shy of making the home batsmen pull on their pads again.

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Leicestershire are in the driving seat at the beginning of day three after a three-wicket burst from rookie seamer Tom Scriven left Glamorgan 243 runs behind.

The hosts' score was built by Australia's Peter Handscomb (95) and teenage England star Rehan Ahmed, who struck 90 before falling lbw to the impressive Timm van der Gugten, who took 6-88.

“I was more frustrated with the way I got out than missing out on the hundred. For me, I don’t really look at hundreds and fifties for myself, it’s more about how important the runs are to the team," said Ahmed. “We were not in the best situation when we batted, but we found a way out of it, and in terms of bowling they had a very good partnership for the third wicket but we stuck at it, bowled well as a group even when the wicket got a bit flat in the sun, and we got our rewards," added the Leicestershire man.Glamorgan have plenty of work to do with the bat, despite half-centuries from Marnus Labuschagne and Eddie Byrom.

Byrom said his side knew they were behind in the game but there were lots of runs to be had and he hoped the pitch was improving.

“It was not an ideal final session for us but having said that they bowled some pretty good balls to get our wickets. On another day, some of those edges just beat the bat or don’t carry.

“It’s going to be a fighting day for us, that’s for sure. We just have to keep in the game as long as possible. Timm van der Gugten is a capable batter to come in as nightwatchman and we still have some batting to come."

Alex Hoad
BBC Radio Kent at Lord's

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This one is fascinatingly poised as we await the start of day three.

Ben Compton and Jack Leaning showed some real grit to get through a testing final 65 minutes last night after wily Tim Murtagh had whipped out Zak Crawley and Daniel Bell-Drummond with the first two balls of Kent's second innings.

The sun is out and the sky is blue and my dark jumper is already proving a mistake. This could be the first 20-degree day of the County Championship season - if so, it's apparently the latest in the year that's happened since 1926.

Kent trail by three runs with eight second innings wickets remaining.

The ball has swung and seamed since the opening over on Thursday but today's conditions are very different and the visitors will hope Compton can register his second half-century in as many mornings and steer them to a lead of at least 220.

If they can do that it would make for a fascinating final day with the weather unlikely be a factor.

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Warwickshire face a growing first-innings deficit going into the third day against Surrey at Edgbaston.

After being bowled out for 150 (a score that would have earned you a batting bonus point once upon a time - but is now a full 100 short!!!), Warwickshire's own pace attack trhen hit back.

Oliver Hannon-Dalby has so far claimed three wickets in his 100th first-class match, aided by two each for Chris Rushworth and Hasan Ali and one for Ed Barnard, while England all-rounder Chris Woakes has beaten the bat a lot without finding an edge.

"Surrey bowled brilliantly on Thursday, albeit in helpful conditions," said OHD. "But we are sharing the wickets around this season and that's great."

Surrey resume on 211-8, leading the Bears by 61 runs.

Following the close of play after the fall of Tom Lawes' wicket in the day's final over, Kemar Roach is due in next to join Jamie Smith, who looked well set last night on 57 - followed by last man Dan Worrall.

"Jamie Smith has played a hell of a knock which has put us in a decent position," said Surrey and England keeper Ben Foakes. "If we can get a lead of 80 or 90 on that pitch that's a lot of runs. That's our first goal."

Just how long can they stop around to cause the Bears some early morning bother?

Division One

Lord's: Middlesex 229, Kent 186 & 40-2

Kent trail by three runs with 8 wickets standing

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 150, Surrey 211-8

Surrey lead by 61 with 2 wickets standing

Division Two

Chester-le-Street: Durham 452-9 dec, Derbyshire 165 & 92-5

Derbyshire need another 195 to make Durham bat again

Leicester: Leicestershire 407, Glamorgan 164-5

Glamorgan trail by 243 with 5 wickets standing

Bristol: Sussex 302-4 v Gloucestershire

Image source, Getty Images

Welcome back for day three of the latest round of matches in the 2023 County Championship.

We now seem to have hit the better weather, so let's hope it stays dry.

Only five games on this week - but lots of entertainment, nonetheless, from Lords, Edgbaston, Chester-le-Street, Leicester and Bristol.