Surrey led Essex by 18 points at the top of D1 before the start of the current round
Karun Nair hits century for Northants but Surrey claim three bowling points
Essex's Matt Critchley out for 99 as they declare on 447-9 against Hants
Middlesex's Tim Murtagh takes five wickets in an innings for the 40th time in first-class cricket
Northants will be relegated if either Middlesex or Kent win
No play possible at Old Trafford, Taunton, Worcester, Leicester and Derby
Middlesex 121 v Warwicks 115-6
Image source, Rex FeaturesHe's had to be patient, but Will Rhodes has finally brought up his half-century, tucking into a short delivery from Tom Helm and pulling it for four.
The Warwickshire skipper's 50, which arrives from 110 balls, is his third of the season and takes his side to within six of Middlesex's first-innings total.
Surrey v Northants 241-7
Good bowling initially from Kemar Roach with the new ball, bouncing and moving away from Tom Taylor's outside edge.
The fourth ball is much straighter and clipped away through square leg for four runs.
A subsequent no ball is turned away to long leg for a single.
Essex 355-6 v Hants
Almost gone for 99 - Matt Critchley drills the ball back at Liam Dawson, who sticks out his left hand but can't hold it.
It's a maiden over and Critchley must bide his time a little longer.
Surrey v Northants 234-7
Karun Nair is driving the ball beautifully and picks up two fours off the bowling of Tom Lawes, both driven through cover.
11 runs off the 80th over altogether - and Surrey take the new ball straight away.
Middlesex 121 v Warwickshire 108-6
Tim Murtagh takes a breather now and Middlesex will hope they can polish off these last four Warwickshire wickets without his assistance.
It's time for spin, with Jayant Yadav replacing Murtagh at the Nursery End and operating alongside the somewhat livelier pace of Tom Helm.
Helm has just been clobbered to the midwicket boundary by Danny Briggs, who's made nine so far while Will Rhodes remains anchored on 48.
Surrey v Northants 223-7
Image source, Rex FeaturesWith Championship rivals Essex faring well against Hampshire, Surrey need to wrap this innings up pronto - and now it's time for Kemar Roach to have a bowl.
The new ball is due in two overs.
Taylor advances to a run-a-ball 23 with a dab behind square on the off side for two.
Two more runs to Taylor, driven through cover - and the fifth ball is driven through point for a single.
This is a vital contribution from Taylor, raising hopes of a batting point for Northants and a competitive total on a seaming wicket.
Surrey v Northants 218-7
Tom Lawes gets a ball to nip back in from outside off but the LBW shout is turned down.
High and missing leg.
Lawes bowls a fuller length and Nair drives to mid off for no run.
The fifth ball is short and left alone and the final ball is full and defended down the ground.
Maiden over.
Essex 351-6 v Hants
Simon Harmer flashes Mohammad Abbas square for four and earns a third batting point for his team as the total goes past 350.
Harmer is 28 not out and Essex have eight more overs to try and push on to 400 for a fourth.
Having started the game 18 points behind Surrey, every one could be crucial.
Middlesex 121 v Warwickshire 101-6
Clive Eakin
BBC CWR Sport
Famously, Nasser Hussain ended his cricket career with a match- winning Test century on this ground.
Tim Murtagh's swansong at Lords won't put him alongside Hussain on the honours board here but it's equally as impressive in it's own way.
Given a guard of honour by Warwickshire when he came out to bat yesterday, 42-year-old Murtagh has responded with the 40th five- wicket haul of his career in his final home match before retiring.
As he continues to get a response from the pitch on another windy if slightly brighter morning, the Irish international could even threaten his career best of 7-82.
Middlesex 121 v Warwickshire 101-6
Danny Briggs hauls the Bears total into three figures, pulling Tim Murtagh to the boundary at deep square leg and the deficit is now down to 20.
Meanwhile, Warwickshire captain Will Rhodes is still stuck two short of his half-century - it'll be up to him to guide the visitors into some kind of first-innings lead.
Surrey v Northants 218-7
Tom Lawes restores a bit of calm to proceedings with a maiden - after the previous over went for 17.
Jamie Overton appeals for LBW against Karun Nair but it's not out. Nair must have got something on that as he gets to the other end and the umpire awards a run.
Taylor moves briskly to 20 with a drive through cover and gets one more run with a nudge to leg off the fourth ball.
Nair keeps the strike with a single to end the over, pushed out into the off side.
Essex 347-6 v Hants
Lucky Matt Critchley.
He tries to pull Mohammad Abbas but spoons the ball towards mid-on.
It falls short of the fielder and he then picks up a single to move within four runs of a century.
Essex 344-6 v Hants
A nudge towards third man, despite being squared up by Mo Abbas, is enough to bring Simon Harmer another boundary for Essex.
He has been the aggressor so far this morning - but Matt Critchley has quietly advanced to 94 not out.
Another six runs will bring Essex a third batting point and they have 10 overs to try and add 56 to the current total for a fourth.
Surrey v Northants 213-7
How costly will that Taylor drop be? Costly.
Tom Taylor pulls Jamie Overton in front of square for four to take Northants to 200 in the 75th over and blasts the bowler over mid-wicket for six!
A single apiece for Taylor and Karun Nair - and there's four more via another swat through mid wicket as Taylor waits for the ball and plays it from the crease.
17 from the over in all.
Surrey v Northants 196-7
Justin Broad fell to the last ball of the Tom Lawes over - and now we have the second bowling change of the day, with Jamie Overton returning to the attack.
Just one run from the over, hooked in front of deep square by Karun Nair.
Tom Lawes bowls to Tom Taylor at the other end, edged and dropped at third slip by Cameron Steel!
The ball seemed to climb on him as Steel crouches and spills the chance at chest height.
Taylor gets away with a single squirted away behind point.
Middlesex 121 v Warwicks 95-6
Image source, Rex FeaturesThe script was written, wasn't it?
Tim Murtagh takes a five-for in his final appearance at Lord's and Michael Burgess is his fifth victim as one glides past his outside edge and takes the off stump.
Murtagh has figures of 5-32 and Middlesex are back in this, with Warwickshire still trailing by 26.
Essex 332-6 v Hants
A double change by Hampshire as spinner Liam Dawson comes in for his first over of the day.
Three singles are exchanged by the Essex batters as Matt Critchley moves into the 90s, before Simon Harmer cuts Dawson away for four.
Emboldened by that, Harmer launches one to mid-wicket for another boundary to end the over.
Surrey v Northants 193-7
Andrew Radd
BBC Radio Northampton
This is a solid start for Northants, who are batting with much more resolve to score runs than we saw yesterday morning.
What a catch from Ben Foakes! Tom Lawes has four wickets!
Extraordinary. Justin Broad gets an edge low to second slip, where the ball is parried and that's a superb one-handed grab from the Surrey keeper, diving towards the slips.
Tom Taylor is in at number nine for Northants.
"That is a very high class bit of wicket keeping."
Surrey v Northants 192-6
We have an early bowling change at the Oval, with Tom Lawes coming on from the Vauxhall End.
His first ball is full and wide of off and Justin Broad pushes the ball neatly through cover for four.
The batters get a single each off the next two balls.
At the other end, Karun Nair drops the first ball from Clark into the off side for one and Justin Broad gets away with a nudge wide of third slip for two.
The fifth ball jags in sharply from outside off, striking Broad's pad but it's too high for LBW.
Lavish movement off the seam though - and Surrey surely won't want to be much more than 250 in arrears when they bat later in the game.
Essex 321-6 v Hants
Three overs only in Keith Barker's opening spell.
Mo Abbas takes over and Matt Critchley picks up a single to move to 89 not out.
At the start of play, he needed another 47 runs to reach 1,000 for the season, he has reduced that by six so far.