Northamptonshire and Italy all-rounder Gareth Berg calls time on his 16-year professional career.

Division One

Essex 447-9 dec & 112-3 v Hampshire 334

Lancashire 272-7 v Nottinghamshire

Middlesex 121 & 181-3 v Warwickshire 315

Somerset 404-4 dec v Kent 110-5

Surrey 185 & 15-0 (f/o) v Northamptonshire 357

Division Two

Derbyshire 229-6 v Sussex 100

Leicestershire 233 v Yorkshire 155 & 209-4

Worcestershire 313 v Durham 114-2

Alex Thomson launches Henry Crocombe over long-on for six but the Sussex seamer earns a reward two balls later when Anuj Dal edges to the wicketkeeper and is out for 15.

After a roasting from head coach Paul Farbrace following yesterday's play, Sussex have picked up five wickets this morning, with Sean Hunt claiming 3-59 so far.

Luis Reece made 86 for Derbyshire, who lead by 129, and the opener now has 790 runs this season.

Image source, Rex Features

Back to back fours for James Wharton off Umar Amin in the final over before the interval at Grace Road.

Yorkshire have added 98 in the session for the loss of Ben Coad, Shan Masood and Adam Lyth, the latter lbw to Will Davis for 60.

Wharton is just three runs short of 50 and the visitors lead by 131.

Image source, Rex Features

Tom Westley is caught at long-off for 45 from the bowling of Kyle Abbott as Essex reach lunch with a lead of 225 at Chelmsford.

Westley put on 83 with Dan Lawrence, who is 47 not out, following the dismissal of Alastair Cook for 16, and it is now a question of how many more runs they want before declaring.

Cook was caught behind off Mohammad Abbas (2-31) as the speculation continues about whether he will decide to prolong his career for the 2024 campaign.

A morning of torment for Kent with the bat after a couple of days of torment with the ball before it.

Joe Denly (40*) and Marcus O'Riordan (9*) have plenty to do after lunch with Kent 294 adrift and facing 68 overs to negotiate to escape with a draw.

Lewis Gregory was in sublime form taking 3-30 in an inspired early spell as Kent were reduced to 31-4 at one stage, while Jack Brooks picked up a scalp on his final home appearance for Somerset.

Ryan Higgins moves into the 40s with a backfoot glance through the vacant gully position which races away to the rope off Craig Miles.

The partnership has passed 50 and the deficit is down to 13.

Higgins can expect some more short stuff from Miles after lunch, with the new ball less than 20 overs away, especially.

85-2 this morning, not stunning, but Sam Robson (78*) and Higgins have taken time out of the game and chipped away at that deficit.

With showers on the agenda later in the day this past hour might have saved the game.

Surrey survive but still face a fight this afternoon to get out of a huge hole to earn a draw.

Northants need to win to keep alive their chances of survival. They took 4-27 to wrap up Surrey's first innings and enforce the follow-on.

Can they take 10 more wickets in the remaining 67 overs.

The field remains spread at Chelmsford.

Just three singles from Kyle Abbott's latest over as we approach lunch.

Tom Westley and Dan Lawrence are both into the 40s and Essex lead by 216.

A familiar theme this week in the north-west.

And it brings lunch with only one wicket falling in the shortened session - they didn't begin until 11am.

19-year-old Matthew Hurst went to a fifty on debut. He's 54 not out at the break.

Image source, Rex Features

Postpublished at 12:21 British Summer Time 22 September 2023

12:21 BST 22 September 2023

Essex 447-9 dec & 96-2 v Hants 334

Dan Lawrence is in Caribbean mode today.

A perfectly respectable ball from Kyle Abbott is whirled away over square leg for six as Lawrence moves to 38 not out, one fewer than partner Tom Westley.

Essex are now 209 ahead - and surely won't want to be batting for very long after lunch.

10 minutes until lunch at The Oval and it would be a big boost for Surrey if Rory Burns and Dom Sibley can take them there.

Both have been beaten with the new ball wobbling around.

Ben Sanderson threatening as ever with his medium pace, Tom Taylor with more bite at the other end.

But now Rob Keogh's off spin given an early go. Will a wearing Oval surface offer some help?

up for Kentpublished at 12:19 British Summer Time 22 September 2023

12:19 BST 22 September 2023

Somerset 404-4 dec v Kent 100-5

A delicous straight drive to the long-on fence gets Marcus O'Riordan off the mark from his ninth ball.

A great deal of Kent's hopes rest on the shoulders of the recalled Joe Denly at the other end. He is on 35 from 45 deliveries with six typically eye-catching boundaries, the last of which off Tom Abell brings up the Kent 100.

Rain stops play at Worcesterpublished at 12:19 British Summer Time 22 September 2023

12:19 BST 22 September 2023

Worcs 313 v Durham 114-2

Two balls into Dillon Pennington's latest over and the umpires take the players off as rain returns to New Road.

Scott Borthwick is 30 not out for Durham, with David Bedingham on 10, but it's Worcestershire who will have the greatest desire for play to resume as they need bowling points.

George Hill and James Wharton are approaching s 50 partnership for Yorkshire, who are 186-4 at Grace Road, a lead over Leicestershire of 108.

Derbyshire are 204-4 after 47 overs against Sussex, a lead of 104, with Matt Lamb now 30 not out.

The deficit is down to 29.

Ryan Higgins is back, moving onto 30 with a pull off Chris Rushworth. His alter-ego Diggins has disappeared for now.

Sam Robson is on 73 at the end.

Middlesex's two leading run-scorers this year are together and inching closer to saving the game, and possibly their side's Division One status.

Postpublished at 12:14 British Summer Time 22 September 2023

12:14 BST 22 September 2023

Essex 447-9 dec & 83-2 v Hants 334

Kyle Abbott is back to relieve Mohammad Abbas after a spell of 2-31 from seven overs. Six runs from that one - but no boundaries.

Liam Dawson continues at the other end and Tom Westley is down the track and lofting his third ball for six. That brings up a 50 partnership with Dan Lawrence.

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Closing date for voting - Wednesday 27 September.

Wonder what he's thinking?

Sir Alastair Cook is watching Essex's progress against Hampshire following his dismissal for 16.

Image source, Rex Features

Flamboyant.

With a whirl of his arms, Dan Lawrence whips Mohammad Abbas away for four runs to mid-wicket.

Eight from that over and Essex are now 178 in front.