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Northamptonshire are confident that opener Hassan Azad will be able to resume his innings after retiring hurt during the third day's play at Taunton.

Bowling coach Chris Liddle said the injury is nothing more serious than a "small cut on his finger" and added: ""Our medical team have dealt with it."

They need another 91 to make Somerset bat again and Sam Whiteman and nightwatchman Jordan Buckingham are the not out pair.

The home side remain hopeful of a first victory of 2023, having begun the match bottom of Division One, and batter James Rew said: "There is still a bit of pace in the pitch. There was also some swing and a couple of Jack Leach’s deliveries spun, so that offers promise for us."

Leicestershire face a potentially tough final day if they are preserve their unbeaten record following Derbyshire's declaration at the Incora County Ground.

Derbyshire have yet to win this season and with rain washing out most of day three, the declaration was made easy for them.

The visitors will start their second innings, needing to score 228 to avoid an innings defeat.

Loan signing Henry Brookes needs four wickets to mark his Derbyshire debut with 10 in the match.

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Nottinghamshire are waiting to hear whether Olly Stone will be able to bowl again in the game after he was forced to go off mid-over during the third day's play against Lancashire.

Fast bowler Stone - who has been beset by several injury issues during his career - took the wicket of George Balderson for 91, but left the field with two balls left in his 15th over.

"Olly felt a bit of tightness in his hamstring. It is a bit too early to tell but hopefully it is not too serious," skipper Steven Mullaney said at stumps.

Lancashire lead by 184 and Mullaney added: "It is set up to be a great [final] day, an exciting game, and that’s why we play, to win big games of cricket. This is a game between two very good sides who are evenly matched, so we’ll see."

Division One

Essex 314 & 24-0 v Surrey 240

Essex lead by 98 with 10 wickets standing

Hampshire 229 v Warwickshire 364-5

Warwickshire lead by 135 with 5 wickets standing

Nottinghamshire 249 v Lancashire 214 & 219-4

Lancashire lead by 184 with 6 wickets standing

Somerset 412 v Northamptonshire 255 & 66-1

Northamptonshire trail by 91 with 9 wickets standing

Division Two

Derbyshire 350-7 dec v Leicestershire 122

Leicestershire trail by 228 with 10 wickets standing

Worcestershire 264 & 34-1 v Sussex 373

Worcestershire trail by 75 with 9 wickets standing

Yorkshire 106 v Glamorgan 245 & 352-4 dec

Yorkshire need 492 to win

"If you've got plans for a street party or #BigLunch, external today, for most of us it's going to be the driest and warmest day of the long weekend. Do get out and enjoy it before things go rather downhill again weather-wise tomorrow" - BBC Weather Twitter feed., external

What's good for Coronation celebrations is also good for cricket, so let's hope we see a lot more Championship action today.

"One can find so many pains when the rain is falling" - John Steinbeck.

On that basis, there must have been quite a few niggles and twinges in various dressing rooms with so much rain about on day three of the current County Championship matches.

All seven that began on Thursday are still active and if the weather is kinder, we could be in for one or two exciting finishes.

Welcome to our coverage of the final day's play.

Image source, Rex