Image source, Getty Images

Thanks for your company on another enthralling, and baking hot, day of late-season County Championship cricket.

We're a step closer to knowing who will lift the silverware this month as Surrey rolled over Warwickshire by an innings and 97 runs with more than five sessions remaining.

If closest challengers Essex see off Middlesex, then they will be 18 points adrift of the leaders with just two games remaining - while relegation-threatened Middlesex would have a six-point advantage over second-bottom Kent with Northants 26 adrift of safety.

Division Two champions-elect Durham are seeking to wrap up a win which would take them within five points of sealing promotion and Worcestershire remain in pole position to join them in Division One after seeing off Glamorgan by 80 runs.

Leicestershire remain in the race, though, 24 points back, but having played a game fewer.

We'll be back at 10:00 BST tomorrow to guide you through the rest of the action.

Division One

Hampshire 308 & 330-3 dec v Somerset 137 & 102-2

Somerset need another 400 with 8 wickets standing

Northamptonshire 232 & 211-5 v Lancashire 524

Northants trail by 81 with five wickets standing

Surrey 396 v Warwickshire 161 & 138 (f/o)

Surrey won by an innings and 97 runs

Essex 304 & 104-1 v Middlesex 179 (day two)

Essex lead by 229 with nine wickets standing

Division Two

Durham 505-9 dec v Sussex 266 & 263-9

Sussex lead by 24 with one wicket standing

Leicestershire 204 & 168-2 v Gloucestershire 159 & 212

Leicestershire won by eight wickets

Worcestershire 284 & 145 v Glamorgan 170 & 179

Worcestershire won by 80 runs

Yorkshire 297 & 520-9 dec v Derbyshire 247 & 65-1

Derbyshire need another 506 with 9 wickets standing

Henry Crocombe survives the final three balls of the day, and the players will be back tomorrow to wrap things up.

Sussex lead by just 24, and so barring a series of miracles, Durham will win this one fairly comfortably.

Bas de Leede was the standout performer for the hosts today, scoring his first Championship hundred, before an excellent spell of 3-36 hammered home Durham's advantage.

When Durham do wrap up victory, they will need just five points from their remaining fixtures to guarantee promotion.

for Fynn Hudson-Prenticepublished at 18:39 British Summer Time 5 September 2023

18:39 BST 5 September 2023

Durham 505-9 dec v Sussex 266 & 263-9

Fynn Hudson-Prentice drops one into the offside, and trots through for a single that takes him to 50 from 58 balls.

Henry Crocombe sees out Matt Parkinson's last over today with a series of leaves and defensive prods.

Ben Raine will bowl the last...

Fynn Hudson-Prentice works a full delivery from Ben Raine through midwicket for three, which takes Sussex's lead to 20.

Two overs left in the day.

We will come back tomorrow.

Henry Crocombe safely navigates the rest of Matt Parkinson's over, and even if Durham do take the 10th Sussex wicket tonight, they won't have time in which to knock off the prospective target.

Just the one from Ben Raine's next set, and it's looking likely now that we'll be back tomorrow.

Four overs left in the day.

Unadkat dropped on 8published at 18:20 British Summer Time 5 September 2023

18:20 BST 5 September 2023

Durham 505-9 dec v Sussex 266 & 244-8

Matt Parkinson kicks the turf in frustration.

Jaydev Unadkat shapes to cut, but gets a thick outside edge to Matt Potts at slip.

It goes quickly to the England seamer, and Potts palms it up, but the ball lands safe.

Ben Raine's over passes without incident.

There are six left in the day - time is running out for Durham, who I'm sure will fancy a day off tomorrow.

Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Jaydev Unadkat exchange singles from Matt Parkinson's latest over, which stretches the Sussex lead to a mighty three.

Ben Raine will replace Matt Potts at the other end.

A quick reminder that the latest T20 international between England and New Zealand is taking place at Trent Bridge.

You can follow that match here.

A couple of singles take Sussex into the lead, and although that was the last scheduled over of the day, we are staying on at Chester-le-street.

Can Durham force a result this evening?

A thick outside edge that just evades slip's right hand brings Jaydev Unadkat a couple, and inches Sussex closer to making Durham bat again.

Jaydev Unadkat has a couple of wafts outside off at Matt Potts, but much to Potts' annoyance, doesn't make contact on either occasion.

The final ball of the over is hooked down to long-leg for a single, and Unadkat will now face up to Matt Parkinson...

It's been Lancashire's day but Northants have clung on and an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 46 in the final hour has shown some grit.

Saif Zaib is on 37* overnight with Lewis McManus 17* and the hosts are 81 runs shy of making Lancashire bat again, though with only five second-innings wickets remaining going into the final day.

Earlier George Balderson cracked a fine 115, one shy of his first-class best while Tom Bailey bludgeoned 77, beating his, as Lancashire added 335 runs for the final four wickets to register their highest ever score at Wantage Road.

What a day. Day two of this game, remember.

Josh de Caires polished off figures of 8-106 before Jamie Porter collected 6-34 as Middlesex were dismissed for a first-innings deficit of 125.

Alastair Cook is on 44* overnight with Tom Westley unbeaten on 17 and will resume in the morning with a lead of 229.

The hosts will be looking to bat for at least two sessions of tomorrow before thinking about having another bowl, you'd imagine.

Sean Dickson isn't just going to block his way to the close.

He launches Tom Prest for four over midwicket, before squeezing the penultimate ball of the day down to deep third for another boundary.

He is not out on 63; Andy Umeed has 21, and Somerset need exactly 400 more runs tomorrow for an unlikely win.

Hampshire meanwhile need a much more achievable eight wickets.