A good start for Gloucestershire, who take seven runs off the first Mark Watt over, including a whip to long on by Graeme van Buuren for four.

Lovely shot, played late and just in front of the crease.

Alex Thomson will bowl at the other end.

Single to Ed Middleton off the third ball and Graeme van Buuren slaps the fifth ball through cover off the back foot for four more.

That shot brings up a seventh-wicket partnership of 50 in 81 balls.

A change of pace atr the City End as Jack White comes back on - and Danny Briggs is undaunted.

Two more beautiful offside boundaries clatter into the fence in front of the almost empty Eric Holllies Stand as the Bears race past 100.

Nathan Gilchrist back into the attack after tea. Kent are desperately seeking to get these final two scalps.

Notts began the day on 177-5.

One session of play left for Middlesex to survive.

If they manage that and Kent run out of time to beat Notts at Canterbury as seems likely now, Middlesex will feel somewhat relived.

Jack Davies and Stevie Eskinazi are back in the middle.

Eskinazi will face spinner Tom Hartley, bowling to a slip, leg slip and short leg.

Here we go. 32 overs left and Derbyshire need a miraculous Gloucester collapse and run chase.

Graeme van Buuren and Ed Middleton will resume with the bat.

Ed Middleton will face Mark Watt.

46 runs.

Three wickets.

On way or another we'll know in the next couple of hours which way the pendulum is going to swing.

Rob Keogh comes in to complete his unfinished over, following the pre-tea fall of Ed Barnard's wicket, and new batsman Danny Briggs is immediately off the mark, swatting him away througn the covers for an imperious four.

Canterbury: Kent 446, Nottinghamshire 265 & 348-8

Old Trafford: Middlesex 194 & 106-3, Lancashire 413

Edgbaston: Northamptonshire 250 & 72-0 dec, Warwickshire 147-4 dec & 94-6

Division Two

Cardiff: Yorkshire 500, Glamorgan 273 & 354-4

Bristol: Gloucestershire 377 & 169-6, Derbyshire 403

Hove: Sussex 262 & 344-9 dec, Leicestershire 108 & 453-7

The Gloucestershire lead is up to 143 now and for the home supporters at least, breathing will come more easily after this unbroken stand of 38 between Graeme van Buuren and Ed Middleton.

Prior to that stand, the hosts lost 3-27.

A draw is almost certain once more.

Joe Clarke goes in for tea on 141* from 277 balls.

He has been at the crease for six hours and eight minutes.

If Notts avoid defeat it is almost entirely down to him, although Brett Hutton's swashbuckling career-best 84 provided him able assistance.

Notts lead by 167 with 35 overs remaining. Kent really need the win. Do not miss this one.

Luke Wells bowls and Stevie Eskinazi nudges a single past short leg.

Tom Bailey will bowl the last ball before tea - and he's bowling off breaks!

Not much turn evidenced by the first four balls and now another close catcher comes in.

We have a slip, leg slip, silly mid off and silly mid on.

A single to short leg for Eskinazi and Jack Davies sees out the over.

Good Middlesex resistance in that session in a game they must at least draw to have any chance of staying out of the relegation zone.

They'll be quietly hoping for a draw at Canterbury too.

Adrian Harms
BBC Sussex

Tom Scriven was the only wicket to fall in the session. It happened four balls before tea.

46 runs required by Ben Cox and Chris Wright in 35 overs remaining when play resumes.

You do not want to miss it. The game is on a knife edge, with both teams needing to win to keep their promotion hopes alive.

Either way it's huge credit to Leicestershire.

The seventh-wicket partnership of 120 between Scriven and Cox looked to be steering the visitors to what would be the third highest run chase in County Championship history, until Jaydev Unadkat dismissed Scriven on the stroke of tea.

What a game!

Sam Northeast is on 141 not out, with Billy Root on 28 - and Glamorgan now lead Yorkshire by 127 runs.

This game is now almost certain to end in a draw, to thwart the Tykes' hopes of a second straight win and the chance to prise themselves off the foot of the table.

Graeme van Buuren has resisted for 66 balls and is unbeaten on 23.

Pat Brown is out of the attack and now Mark Watt is coming back on at the Pavilion End.

Two slips, a leg slip and a short leg come in.

Ed Middleton is forward to defend.

The last ball is leg side and glanced to deep square off the back foot for one.

lead for Nottspublished at 15:06 British Summer Time 13 September 2023

15:06 BST 13 September 2023

Kent 446 v Notts 265 & 331-8

If Kent can get these final two scalps, which looks a big if at present, they will need to chase at least 150 in fewer than 35 overs.

What a final session in store.

Breathing is coming a little more easily now for Bears fans at Edgbaston.

Maybe Ed Barnard and Michael Burgess have drawn the Northsnts;' sting.

Barnard is on 41 and Burgess 30.

Just 83 still needed - and loads of time - as Northants skipper Luke Procter turns to Rob Keogh.

Keogh got out to Burgess last season, the Bears wicketkeeper's only wicket in first-class cricket.

Caught behind by stand-in keeper Craig Miles too.

Bet he'd like to get his own back!!!