Image source, Rex Features

Well that was a rip-roaring day of County Championship cricket.

Stories everywhere you look. Big wins for Warwickshire and Durham and Dan Lawrence sent a message to the England selectors with an astonishing century littered with sixes for Essex against Lancashire at Blackpool.

Michael Neser took a little more time to compile a superb unbeaten 176 for Glamorgan against Leicestershire - could he yet feature in the Ashes for Australia?

Whatever your strike-rate of choice, I'm sure there will be something to interest you on day four - join us from 10:30 BST for what's sure to be an exciting conclusion to the latest round of fixtures.

Division One

Kent 171 & 332 v Warwickshire 549-7 dec

Warwickshire won by an innings and 46 runs

Lancashire 145 v Essex 282 & 292-8

Essex lead by 429 with two wickets standing

Middlesex 277 v Northamptonshire 219 & 372-7

Northants lead by 314 with three wickets standing

Somerset 500 v Hampshire 330 & 34-2 (f/o)

Hampshire trail by 136 with eight wickets standing

Surrey 355 & 200-5 v Nottinghamshire 399

Surrey lead by 156 with five wickets standing

Division Two

Durham 453 & 52-1 v Gloucestershire 316 & 188

Durham won by nine wickets

Glamorgan 403-9 dec v Leicestershire 28-0

Leicestershire trail by 375 with 10 wickets standing

Sussex 402 & 193-5 v Derbyshire 407

Sussex lead by 188 with five wickets standing

Worcestershire 242 & 22-0 (f/o) v Yorkshire 407

Worcestershire trail by 143 with 10 wickets standing

Just a single for Will Jacks from the final over of the day, bowled by Calvin Harrison.

Division One leaders Surrey end it in a slightly uncomfortable position with a lead of just 156, with only five wickets remaining.

Will Young made 145 as Notts established a 44-run lead earlier in the day, and although Dom Sibley(83) and Tom Latham (60) put on 141 for the second wicket, Surrey can't yet feel secure.

Jacks is 19 not out overnight, with Tom Lawes on two.

What a day. Glamorgan were 93-7 in the 35th over... they declared on 403-9 just 53 overs later.

An extraordinary day's play at Sophia Gardens. After 17 overs across the opening two days they have made up for lost time today.

Michael Neser smashed 25 fours and two sixes in a career-best 176 not out from 202 balls. He shared a stand of 128 with James Harris (47) and another 23 with Mitch Swepson, who made 69 from 70 balls.

Leicestershire openers Rishi Patel (24) and Sol Budinger (4) negotiated some potentially tricky overs at the end of the day very nicely and will be targettng quickfire batting bonus points on the final day, even if a result would seem next to impossible.

for Doug Bracewellpublished at 18:56 British Summer Time 12 July 2023

18:56 BST 12 July 2023

Lancs 145 v Essex 282 & 277-7

Lancashire give Luke Wells his first bowl of the innings - but he probably wishes they hadn't.

Doug Bracewell races to his third 50 of the season from just 29 balls with 4-6-6 off successive balls.

He has four sixes so far, to go with the eight hit by partner Dan Lawrence.

Andrew Radd
BBC Radio Northampton

Just about Northamptonshire's best day of the Championship season so far.

Emilio Gay moves to 84 with another dab into the on side.

Keogh tries to run the ball to backward point but the ball is picked up at point.

A clip to square leg brings one more run to Northants and Keogh is on 47.

Gay ducks under a bouncer - and leaves the last ball, back of a length, on the back foot outside off.

This is a painful end to the day for Lancashire.

Jack Blatherwick's eighth over costs 18, with a six apiece for Dan Lawrence and Dog Bracewell.

And the New Zealander starts the next, bowled by Tom Hartley, with another maximum - before Lawrence ends it with two more.

Essex are now 396 ahead. An overnight declaration?

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at New Road

Well, what a remarkable effort from Worcestershire pair Adam Finch and Ben Gibbon. From 'last pair' to 'opening pair'.

Nothing seems to faze them.

After seeing out 35.3 overs to make 63 runs and delay Yorkshire enforcing the the follow-on, they have now faced their third Kookaburra of the day - and Finch and Gibbon have handled a further nine overs of Yorkshire pace.

The Tykes will hope that a good night's rest will restore some firepower to their bowling attack in the morning if they are to stand any chance of winning this game.

But really this is a massive morale boost for Worcestershire, at a time when they really needed one.

What they did, in sending Gibbon (13) and Finch (7) back in again, seems to have been a first - and Gibbon's four from the final ball was a beautiful flourish to round it all off for the day.

Another extraordinary day at Taunton.

Despite making numerous changes a youthful Somerset side remain on top, skipper Tom Abell enforcing the follow-on after eventually dismissing Hampshire for 330.

Just like their hosts Hampshire had mounted an impressive recovery from 80-5 with Kyle Abbott (89*) and Felix Organ (97) sharing a club record 177 for the ninth wicket.

Abbott was then asked to open the batting, adding 16 to reach a moral maiden first class century in his 150th first class match.

He and Joe Weatherley departed in the final few overs to leave the visotrs 136 behind with eight wickets remaining at stumps.

Emilio Gay opens the face to Higgins and runs a single behind gully.

Keogh gets one more, pushed into the off side.

Tip and run here for Northants as the Middlesex field is set deep.

Five singles in the over.

More runs for Keogh, who turns Helm away to backward square leg for two to move to 44.

Still three overs left tonight and the led is 305.

Hazy sunshine here so we'll get those overs in.

Rishi Patel helps himself to three fours off Jamie McIlroy's opening over to start the chase for batting points positively.

Michael Neser is indeed having a breather.

for Dan Lawrencepublished at 18:43 British Summer Time 12 July 2023

18:43 BST 12 July 2023

Lancs 145 v Essex 282 v 220-7

There it is - and what a way to do it.

After two Doug Bracewell fours at the start of a new Tom Hartley over, he rotates the strike and Dan Lawrence finally reaches his hundred off 112 balls with a maximum, slammed away over mid-wicket.

With five overs left, the lead is 357.

Important now for Surrey to keep wickets in hand ahead of the final day against Notts.

Just ones and twos from the laest Lyndon James over and Ben Foakes is 23 not out, with Will Jacks on 13.

Seven more to be bowled and the lead is 146.

Successive boundaries for Keogh, who hooks Higgins to backward square and the ball beats Ethan Bamber to the rope for four.

Four more to a leg side ball tucked away behind square.

More than 300 ahead now.