Day three from eight County Championship games
Div One: Essex v Kent, Middlesex v Surrey, Northants v Somerset, Notts v Hants, Warwickshire v Lancs
Somerset beat Northants by nine wickets
Hampshire beat Notts by 116 runs
Div Two: Derbys v Durham, Leics v Worcs, Yorkshire v Sussex, Gloucs v Glamorgan (day two)
Worcs beat Leics by 100 runs
Middlesex 238 & 208-8 v Surrey 433
Tom Helm backs off way outside leg stump to make room for a cut into the offside. His fiendish plan is foiled when he misses the ball entirely and watches his stumps get splattered by Dan Worrall.
If you're Josh De Caires at the other end you'd be mildly miffed, I suspect.
Ethan Bamber joins JDC with Middlesex just 13 runs ahead.
Essex 458-8 dec v Kent 207 & 250-7
Four. Four. Gone.
Grant Stewart swats at the ground in frustration after mis-timing one off Matt Critchley to Tom Westley at long off.
Kent still one run behind.
Hamid Qadri joins Joey Evison.
Essex 458-8 dec v Kent 207 & 242-6
It took Joey Evison 96 balls to bring up his fifth first-class half century, how important it will prove, only time will tell.
Six fours and a six in his haul.
Lancashire 327 & 182-6, Warwickshire 212
. . . actually it might be raining now!
There are one or two brollies up amongst the handful of brave souls at the City End.
But the hard facts of it are that the hover cover is on, the players are off and the groundstaff are now the only ones being kept busy.
Lancashire now lead by 297. And the chance may now have gone to get Warwickshire in tonight and cause a bot of bother, pending tomorrow's ugly weather forecast.
Even with the lights on, as they have been all day in Birmingham, and now shining even more brightly, the prospects of today do not look too optimistic.
Yorkshire seamer Jordan Thompson has got the big wicket of Sussex's Oli Carter for 58. Sussex are now 163-6 in their second innings at Headingley and still 15 behind.
Derbyshire's second innings is under way at The County Ground after Durham piled up 575. They're 22-0 and 110 behind - but that game looks odds on for a draw with a washout on the cards tomorrow.
The batters continue to shine at Cheltenham College. Gloucestershire are 73-1 in reply to Glamorgan's 450-6 declared.
Middlesex 238 & 198-7 v Surrey 433
Josh De Caires (18*) and Tom Helm (11*) have taken Middlesex into the lead.
No innings defeat and this will at the very least eat up a couple of overs for a change of innings.
18 overs remain in the day... who knows what we might have in store tomorrow?
Small targets and small victories at the moment for the hosts.
George Balderson is finally out for the first time in the match, but not to a Warwickshire bowler.
He is run out by Sam Hain.
After his unbeaten career-best 116 in the first innings, this time he went for 46, just when he looked to pass 50 for a 10th time in his career.
But 162 for once out in the match (and two wickets too) is none too shabby.
Essex 458-8 dec v Kent 207 & 235-6
Joey Evison gets down on one knee to launch Simon Harmer over cow corner to begin his latest over... his 33rd. Evison has 43.
Harmer almost gets his revenge as he hits Evison's pads after a missed slog sweep a couple of balls later, nothing doing though, says the umpire.
Notts 239-6 v Hampshire (chasing 411 to win)
Ian Holland does the trick as Tom Moores goes for a season's best 81.
That ends his stand of 64 with Lyndon James, to follow the 99 he had earlier put on with Joe Clarke.
Calvin Harrison, on a pair, is the new man.
Image source, Rex FeaturesNotts 231-5 v Hampshire (chasing 411 to win)
Another 31 overs to come in Nottingham today - and the target is down to a nice round 180.
It seemed the most unlikely of targets when Notts embarked on their quest of making 411 to win. But, despite the loss of Joe Clarke, they have ploughed remorselessly on and have now more than halved the original target.
Tom Moores is well set, having his best knock of the season, well backed by Lyndon James.
Essex 458-8 dec v Kent 207 & 227-6
Joe Denly dances down the track then tries to push Simon Harmer through the covers, only to edge straight to Alastair Cook's sternum at slip.
Not the shot needed in these circumstances, injured or not.
Grant Stewart joins Joey Evison. He tends to play one way.
Kent trail by 24.
Essex 458-8 dec v Kent 207 & 222-5
Joe Denly gets off the mark with a bouncing boundary to long off off Simon Harmer, though he does immediately reach for his left side as he pushes off to run which might cause some cause for concern. He left the field after bowling and did not appear at three as per usual this morning.
The deficit is under 30.
Essex 458-8 dec v Kent 207 & 215-5
Harry Finch has gone. Slog-sweeping Simon Harmer straight to tall Paul Walter at mid-wicket.
He remains down on his haunches for a long while. After just under five hours and 228 balls that is now how he would have wanted to depart.
He hit 11 fours in that innings but departs with Kent still 36 adrift.
Joe Denly will join Joey Evison in the middle. Kent fans will be hoping Joe Division can tear Essex apart in the 17 overs remaining today.
Lancashire 327 & 153-5, Warwickshire 212
George Balderson is doing the business again in Birmingham.
The first-innings centurion is already on to 36 second time around, and is quickly catching up Keaton Jennings, who has almost taken root.
The pair have now added 70 - and the pace is starting to increase. As is the lead, which is up to 264.
Middlesex 238 & 170-7 v Surrey 433
Another good catch from Ben Foakes, flopping low to his left, after Max Holden takes an ill-advised swipe at a wide one from Jamie Overton, who has 2-24.
Josh De Caires is going to have to do it himself once again if the hosts are to avoid a three-day defeat.
Tom Helm joins him with Middlesex still 25 in arrears following-on.
Gloucestershire openers Chris Dent and Ben Charlesworth are still unparted on 34-0 as they reply to that daunting Glamorgan total of 450-6 declared.
Meanwhile, Durham plough on at Derby.
Replying to the Derbyshire first-innings total of 443 all out, the Division Two leaders are now 132 ahead, on 575-9.
Essex 458-8 dec v Kent 207 & 203-4
80 overs in and Essex have taken the new ball... handing it to Sam Cook. Nice option to have.
Kent are 48 behind with five or maybe six wickets remaining, depending on how serious Joe Denly's side strain is.
Essex 458-8 dec v Kent 207 & 203-4
Poor old Noah Thain, he's a sub fielder for Robin Das and has been at short leg all day.
Joey Evison has clipped Dan Lawrence off his pads but straight into the grill of the youngster, who rocks back to the floor.
He's picked up and dusted off, he gets a pat of apology from Evison but it's another concussion test with the physio.
He's ok to continue, thankfully...
Middlesex 238 & 166-6 v Surrey 433
Sean Abbott swings one across Ryan Higgins who plays and misses and has to go. That was going to smash leg stump.
The 39-run partnership with Max Holden is at an end with Middlesex within 29 runs of Surrey's total.
Josh De Caires played nicely for his unbeaten 30 earlier on - he's back out there needing at least the same again.
Notts 187- 5 v Hampshire (chasing 411 to win)
That is the ninth time Tom Moores has got to 50 in his first-class career - but it is his first this season.