Northants have matched their total from the first innings, with four wickets in hand, but the deficit is still 147.

Joe Denly is getting some impressive turn out of the rough and narrowly misses finding Tom Taylor's outside edge. Kent are persevering with the old ball here, rather than taking a new cherry.

Keeper Jordan Cox and five fielders are crowding the bat. A pressurised session.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Most people, including your commentary team at Grace Road, imagined Durham would declare overnight but they didn't.

David Bedingham said they were aware of the fact Leicestershire chased down 392 in Leeds earlier this season. There's also a really short boundary in this game.

The intent was clear though. Callum Parkinson went for three sixes in his first seven deliveries. Then he had Alex Lees caught at Cow Corner on 145 by Lewis Hill. That ended a paretnership with David Bedingham of 243 for the third wicket.

Coincidentally Bedingham finished on the same score but was not out when Durham declared on 343-4.

Rain stops play at Cardiffpublished at 11:23 British Summer Time 28 June 2023

11:23 BST 28 June 2023

Sussex 45-2 chasing 359 to beat Glamorgan

Seven overs in. Sussex have moved from 27-1 to 45-2 but there is light rain falling in South Wales.

This benefits the visitors more, you'd imagine...

Image source, Rex Features

Weakened Derbyshire are further hampered by the loss of another bowler as they attempt to bowl out Worcestershire at New Road.

Already without Suranga Lakmal, Sam Conners and Zak Chappell going into this game, they have now officially lost Ben Aitchison for the rest of the match.

He is now awaiting scans on the thigh injury he suffered on the first afternoon.

So far Gareth Roderick and Rehaan Edavalath have looked untroubled this morning in adding 18 runs as the Pears attempt to save the game.

Double spin at Wantage Road, too, with Jack Leaning and Joe Denly sharing the bowling.

Just the four scoring shots in the opening six overs of the morning. The Northants deficit is 160 but it's time that is their biggest enemy at the moment. No help coming over the horizon in terms of the weather radar either... at least, not yet.

Tom Lawes takes a four off Tom Bailey's opening over of the day.

But Will Jacks plays out a maiden to the next over from Will Williams.

A nice symmetry in first names.

Durham resumed 396 ahead but they want a few more before putting Leicestershire in.

David Bedingham has clearly been told to get a wriggle on and launches two sixes off the first three balls of the day.

Callum Parkinson's work begins by leaking 16 runs off his first over.

Four extras off the first delivery of the morning from Aussie spinner Mitchell Swepson.

Ari Karvelas the Sussex nightwatchman remains in place with 2 from 17 deliveries with Tom Clark at the other end with 12 from 47.

Andrew Salter forms the other half of a dual spin attack at the other end.

Both these sides remain unbeaten in red-ball cricket this season - will that be the case this afternoon?

Division Two leaders Durham are in a commanding position away to Leicestershire but will need the ball and wicket to start giving more assistance if they are to force a fifth win of the season.

A total of 1,235 runs have been scored at the Uptonsteel County Ground in the first three days for the loss of 18 wickets.

Alex Lees (138 not out) completed a second century of the match yesterday and shares an unbroken 212-run third-wicket stand with David Bedingham (112 not out).

Durham are 396 runs ahead and will surely declare soon - maybe before play starts - as they chase down 10 Leicestershire wickets.

Second-placed Sussex are on the back foot in Cardiff, closing day three on 27-1 and needing another 332 runs for victory.

Sam Northeast (104) and Kiran Carlson (59) helped put Glamorgan in the driving seat as they look to leapfrog above their opponents.

Worcestershire, in fourth, are also in a fix at home to bottom side Derbyshire who are well placed to secure a first Championship win of the season.

A superb unbeaten 238 from Leus du Plooy and centuries from Wayne Madsen (143) and Anuj Dal (141) helped the visitors declare on a gargantuan 578-5 at Worcester before reducing the hosts to 70-2 in their second knock, still 271 in arrears.

A run fest at Headingley looks set for a draw with neither Yorkshire nor Gloucestershire into their second innings ahead of the final day.

Replying to Yorkshire’s 550-9 declared, Gloucestershire ground their way to 421-8 at stumps, 129 runs behind with Ollie Price unbeaten on 97

Andrew Radd
BBC Radio Northampton

Image source, Getty Images

It's a murky final morning here at Wantage Road, but Kent may feel one more wicket will open the way for a crucial victory over Northamptonshire - who, for their part, will want to see overnight pair Saif Zaib and Lewis McManus dig in.

Pretty much the only plus-point for the home side so far has been the performance of 21-year-old leg-spinner Alex Russell, who finished with figures of six for 175 from 37.5 overs in Kent's mammoth 621 all out on only his second County Championship appearance.

Left-arm spinner Mick Allen claimed eight for 88 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 1956, and like Russell was playing his second Championship - and first-class - match.

Several others, including the great Dennis Lillee in 1988, have managed 'six-fors' in one of their first two Championship outings for Northamptonshire down the years - but all had appeared in first-class cricket for other teams previously.

Image source, Rex Features

Just the two top flight games have goine into Day Four - and leaders Surrey are in a spot of bother at The Oval where it is fascinatingly poised against Lancashire.

The hosts need another 151 runs for victory, but were reeling on 57-5 at stumps. Their hopes rest largely on Will Jacks, unbeaten on 19, while Tom Lawes joined him last night ahead of Sam Curran, Jordan Clark, Sean Abbott and Dan Worrall, who already provided a three-figure stand for the last wicket in Surrey's first innings, remember.

At Wantage Road,Northants need to score at least 170 runs to make Kent bat again while the visitors need five more wickets to claim their second win over their basement rivals of the season.

Daniel Bell-Drummond's 300* put them in a commanding position but Saif Zaib is there on 43 not out. Lewis McManus will be with him in the middle for the hosts.

There were big wins on day three for Hampshire, who clobbered Middlesex by an innings and 61 runs at Souuthampton, Essex, who beat Warwickshire by nine wickets at Chelmsford, and Somerset, who enjoyed a 399-run win over Notts at Taunton.