Shot! Jordan Clark drives Liam Dawson through cover for four to move on to 25.

Little foot movement but firmly struck and superbly timed.

Kemar Roach gets an outside edge off the bowling of James Fuller at the other end but the ball doesn't carry to James Vince at first slip.

The last ball swings in late and the ball runs off an inside edge but short of mid wicket.

The wind is picking up here, which might aid the swing.

Rain stops play at Trent Bridgepublished at 15:47 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

15:47 BST 27 September 2023

Notts 38-2 v Middlesex

This is unofficial, as yet, as it's still tea, but the big covers are on and the heavens have opened over Trent Bridge. The sky looks more like Mordor than Nottingham.

The weather radar provides little hope this will be a short interruption.

Middlesex have made supreme progress towards their goal of survival since play began this morning but their momentum has unfortunately been interrupted by outside influences.

We were off for bad light around 40 minutes ago and now the brollies are out.

The much hoped for afternoon sunshine has not come to pass and we might be in for an early close here.

Surrey have had an outstanding season for the most part but are wobbling at the back end of the campaign.

Thankfully, Essex appear unlikely to score 400 in their first innings meaning the title will be Surrey's.

Jordan Clark is carefully forward to Ian Holland, defending with a straight bat.

The third ball is a little full and wide, inviting Clark to drive firmly through cover for one.

Kemar Roach gets off the mark, driving on the up through the off side for two.

Close! The last ball appears to brush the inside edge of a defensive push and the ball lands short of the keeper standing up.

Like a wet polaroid picture, the survival picture is slowly coming into focus.

It's looking like Kent will need to match Middlesex's three-point batting haul by passing 350 inside 110 overs, presuming their rivals will match Kent's maximum bowling point haul against Notts.

If Kent do that it will mean that the onus is on Middlesex to win their game at Trent Bridge to stand a chance of staying up. If Kent could secure a victory too then it would be out of Middlesex's hands anyway.

An unbroken 93 for this fourth wicket between Ben Compton (90*) and Joe Denly (39*) before tea has put them within 19 runs of a first batting point.

Very gloomy and the brollies are coming out at Trent Bridge as the players head off for tea - possibly even an early tea forced by the weather judging by the umpires demeanour.

Whether they'll be back in 20 minutes is anyone's guess. The covers are coming on.

A perfect start for Middlesex, one wicket shy of a first bowling bonus point. WIll Mother Nature, or Agnes, allow them to continue their fine day.

Sure enough, conditions remain gloomy at Northampton at the end of an early tea and we're still off the field.

Sigh.

Adrian Harms
BBC Sussex

A good session for Sussex led by Ali Orr and Tom Clark who added 120 for the second wicket.

Orr led the way passing 50 for the first time this season, and hitting four huge sixes into the bargain

Clark is still there at tea, looking for his first century of the season, which is a good effort in challenging conditions with the floodlights on.

Better news at Southampton, where we have only lost an hour for bad light.

46 overs in theory are left in the day's play if conditions allow.

Cameron Steel and Jordan Clark are back in the middle.

Steel will face Ian Holland with keeper Ben Brown standing up to the stumps.

Steven Mullaney has yet to face a ball in three overs.

Ben Slater has taken singles off the final ball of two straight overs to retain the strike

He also has five fours in his 24 from 25 balls.

It is very gloomy at Trent Bridge where the lights are already on.

Sadly, the cloak of gloom has spread to the East Midlands too and the players are off for bad light.

Early tea here, which will at least buy us a little bit of time as we wait for the light to improve.

Really tough batting conditions for much of that truncated session, but Paul Walter in particular was just starting to find a bit of fluency with the bat before the halt in play.

He survived an edge off Jack White which was spilled at first slip on one and is now 19 not out.

Tom Westley has 25.

Image source, Rex Features

In theory, play resumes at 3.20.

But don't count on it. It's very murky out there.

A pause in play here as the physio comes on for keeper Lewis McManus, who was struck on the gloves by a delivery from Luke Procter earlier.

Single to Tom Westley off Luke Procter and Paul Walter survives an LBW shout.

Too high and could've been missing leg.

Paul Walter edges Tom Taylor through to third man for four at the other end, well wide of slip but a little bit streaky.

But Walter nails the fourth delivery, leaning into the line of the ball and driving it through cover for four.

Two more runs clipped away to square leg.

Luke Wells is thrown the ball at Canterbury to replace Jack Morley. He's a regular white-ball bowler for the Red Rose so worthy of plenty of respect from Ben Compton and Joe Denly.

It's hosing it down in Leeds and the forecast for the rest of the day is miserable and so they've decided to call things off.

But it's a day Worcestershire's players and fans won't forget... they've been promoted to Division One.

Lancs spinner Jack Morley was showing signs of fatigue in his 16th over with a couple of drag-down which Ben Compton walloped to the fence to move to 72. Not sure we'll see him bowl a 17th for a bit.

Joe Denly has moved onto a breezy 27 at the other end and Kent are 48 away from a batting bonus point.