Surrey will take 20-point lead into final games after Hampshire beat Essex
Northants relegated despite draw with Surrey at The Oval
Kent draw with Somerset after following on 169 behind
Lancashire & Notts draw game with only 84 overs bowled because of rain
Middlesex's Sam Robson scores 107 but they lose to Warwickshire
Durham's Scott Borthwick hits century in draw with Worcestershire
Derbyshire draw with Sussex and have yet to win a 2023 Championship game
Leicestershire promotion hopes fade following draw with Yorkshire
Hants 23-1 - target 267
A maiden from Sam Cook to Nick Gubbins.
Simon Harmer appeals for a leg-slip catch in the next over, but it didn't touch Fletcha Middleton's bat or glove.
No runs off that one either.
Middlesex 121 & 227-5 v Warwickshire 315
John Simpson is caught by Dan Mousley at short leg. Danny Briggs has had him under intense pressure and finally gets his man.
Josh De Caires is the new man - he has plenty of pedigree of course. There are seven balls until the new ball becomes available. The lead is 33.
This is cricket.
Surrey 45-0 f/o trail Northants by 127 runs
Over an hour gone in the afternoon session and Surrey are moving towards safety.
Plenty of alarms for Rory Burns and Dom Sibley and no shortage of luck either but they've also both played well to negotiate the moving ball.
32 overs into the innings now so it's getting a bit older and Northants are looking to spin to try and give them a foothold in this second innings.
Northants need to win remember to stay alive. A draw for Surrey, even with an Essex victory today, would keep their noses in front heading into the final week of the season.
Hants 23-1 - target 267
Enter Simon Harmer to bowl the fifth over.
Hampshire tried to attack him in the first innings and had some success - but will they dare do the same now?
Fletcha Middleton top edges a sweep but it falls into a gap and there is one run.
Final ball of the over and he drives pleasantly past mid-off for four.
Derbyshire 229-6 dec v Sussex 100 & 38-1
Looks like the East Midlands is where the bad weather is gathering.
There is no play currently at Leicester and now they are off in Derby too.
Tom Clark is 17 not out for Sussex, with Tom Alsop on eight, and they need another 91 to avoid an innings defeat.
Somerset 404-4 dec v Kent 159-6
Image source, Getty ImagesIt's safe to say Neil Wagner has not had the, ahem, X-Factor for Somerset today, but he has certainly tightened up since lunch.
His first 15 balls went for 32 runs, the next 34 have cost seven runs.
Kent have 95 runs to find from somewhere to avoid the follow-on. 55 overs remain.
Worcestershire have a bowling point at New Road with Durham's David Bedingham bowled by Ben Allison for 39. Scott Borthwick is still there on 64 and the champions are 183-3.
Sussex are 37-1 against Derbyshire, with Ali Orr the man out, caught by Alex Thomson off Sam Conners for 12, and trail by 92.
There has been no resumption at Grace Road where Yorkshire were 225-4 in their second innings when rain arrived. James Wharton is 58 not out.
Middlesex 121 & 223-4 v Warwickshire 315
Seven overs until the new ball becomes available at Lord's where Middlesex have inched into a 29-run lead.
Sam Robson is on 92 and John Simpson has 10.
53 overs remain in the day. No sign of the afternoon showers forecast as yet, the shadows remain sharp.
Hants 11-1 - target 267
Image source, Rex FeaturesWhat a catch by Adam Rossington.
Toby Albert on-drives Sam Cook for four but two balls later leg glances and is brilliantly taken one-handed by the diving Essex wicketkeeper.
Nick Gubbins is the new batter and immediately under way with a single.
Somerset 404-4 dec v Kent 156-6
Big appeal from Josh Davey and up goes the finger. A big breakthrough and a second bowling bonus point for Somserset.
Josh Davey thuds Marcus O'Riordan on the pads as he tries to work the ball into the leg side and he has to depart to end a vital stand of 71.
Just how vital remains to be seen.
Joey Evison joins Joe Denly.
Somerset 404-4 dec v Kent 156-5
Whisper it, but from 31-4 Kent are 156-5 and 94 runs short of a batting bonus point as they seek to narrow the gap on Middlesex in the basement battle.
What is is they say again about giving someone hope?
58 overs left in the day.
Hants 2-0 - target 267
Here we go.
Jamie Porter has the new ball, the heavy roller has been used between innings.
A leading edge by Toby Albert falls short of the fielder at point and the Hampshire opener takes two.
Middlesex 121 & 213-4 v Warwickshire 315
John Simpson is in the slightly unfortunate position of coming in as a left-hander on a final afternoon pitch with left-arm offy Danny Briggs able to use the bowler's foot marks to generate some turn.
Not only that but Middlesex have a slender lead of 19 runs and if he goes they are down to their final five wickets with a new ball in the offing.
How many might Warwickshire be able to chase in a final session? Weather permitting, of course.
Compton (Kent), Jennings (Lancashire), Abell (Somerset), Brook (Yorkshire), Pujara (Sussex), Foakes (Surrey), Barnard (Worcestershire), Harmer (Essex), Roland-Jones (Middlesex), Abbott (Hampshire), Potts (Durham).
That was the County Championship team of the season for 2022 as chosen by you.
Now it's time for you to get voting again and pick this season's best Championship XI.
Click here to go to the voting page and make your choice from the options available - but please include at least one wicket-keeper, one spinner and one all-rounder.
Surrey 25-0 f/o trail Northants by 147
Frustration building for Northants.
Ben Sanderson has passed Rory Burns' outside edge - again - then swung one back in and missed off stump by a whisker.
And now he has a mighty lbw shout against the left-hander but it's turned down!
Sanderson throws his hands to the turf.
Surrey have survived 24 overs so far and 59 are left in the game.
And another huge lbw shout against Rory Burns is turned down!
My days that looked good. Perhaps just sliding down from round the wicket. Tom Taylor denied this time.
Essex 447-9 dec & 153-8 v Hants 334
A couple of runs for Sam Cook to mid-wicket and there is the declaration by Essex skipper Tom Westley.
Assuming the loss of a couple of overs for the changeover, they will have 59 to try and bowl Hampshire out and earn a win which could be crucial, with leaders Surrey batting for a draw against Northants.
Kyle Abbott finishes with 4-63 from 13 overs.
Somerset 404-4 dec v Kent 137-5
Somerset's appeals to the umpires to change the old ball have been accepted but it hasn't stopped Joe Denly from bringing up his first half-century of the Championship season with a streaky inside edge for four off Jack Brooks. That's his eighth boundary in a 74-ball vigil so far.
He made two scores of 70+ at Lord's and Chelmsford in the T20 Blast inside a week in June... how Kent could do with him beating that this afternoon.
Essex 447-9 dec & 151-8 v Hants 334
Simon Harmer cuts and is well taken by Nick Gubbins at deep extra cover. The chance of a five-for now for Abbott.
Rain has stopped play at Grace Road, where Yorkshire are 225-4 in their second innings, a lead of 147 over Leicestershire. James Wharton is 58 not out and George Hill has 32.
Durham skipper Scott Borthwick needs four runs for 50 at New Road, with his side 153-2, replying to Worcestershire's 313 all out.
Sussex are 17-0 in the sixth over of their second innings against Derbyshire, 112 behind.
Essex 447-9 dec & 150-7 v Hants 334
New batter Nick Browne goes aerial but doesn't make a great contact. It falls short of the field, though, and he takes a single.
The lead is now 263 and it seems Essex are taking the number of overs they think they need into the declaration calculation.
There are 62 left in the day - minus two for change of innings.