Anthony Gibson
BBC Radio Somerset

The frustration goes on for Somerset as they try to make a breakthrough.

It's going to be hard for either side to win this game given the time that's already been lost. And the weather forecast for tomorrow is also a bit uncertain.

So their immediate objective is bowling points. And Worcestershire's is batting points.

Kevin Hand
BBC Radio London

There is a chance of a shower this afternoon and we've already got a damp outfield. Depending on how heavy that shower is, that really could really affect the remainder of the day.

So it's perhaps better to get an hour in now and whatever we can after luncnh rather then wait all that time - and then all of a sudden there comes another shower.

I think the umpires have done the right thing here.

Ben Charlesworth is batting with a runner after turning his ankle on the opening day, but it doesn't seem to have affected his mobility at the crease.

So far the left-hander has punished half-volleys from both Ethan Bamber and Tom Helm with sweetly-struck boundaries on the leg side, moving him along to 30 and the Gloucestershire lead to 82.

Ed Seabourne
BBC Radio Bristol

Once again the ground staff have been assiduous in their work in removing the water that was accrued overnight.

We've got very lucky.

Frank Watson
BBC Hereford & Worcester

The Chester Road outfield is really quick given the circumstances. It's incredible, when you think that the rain didn't actually stop until about 10:30.

It's quite lush, loads of grass on it but it's really been quick.

it is just because it's so much drier here than most cricket grounds are at this time of year, so the ball is bobbling along.

Six overs bowled now this morning. 27 runs scored.

We're up and running at Bristol, where Ethan Bamber delivers what will hopefully be the first of 80 scheduled overs for today.

Bamber has two wickets to his name already in this innings and Middlesex would love him to add a few more swiftly as they look to restrict the home side's first-innings lead.

Zaman Akhter, who's out there for Gloucestershire alongside Ben Charlesworth, dispatches one to the cover boundary to increase that lead to 72.

One game gone, at Leicester.

One game under way, at Kidderminster.

And a second game about to get going... Gloucestershire v Middlesex at Nevil Road, Bristol.

They are due off at 12:30 BST.

No further updates yet in terms of scheduled start times in the other four matches at The Oval, Chester-le-Street, Edgbaston and Headingley.

Nick Gledhill
BBC Essex

Not such good news up in County Durham at Chester-le-Street.

The ground staff here have been sufficiently encouraged by a temporary improvement in the weather to go out and remove some surface water from the covers.

However, the expectation is that this respite will be temporary and that we won't see any real improvement until after 15:00 BST.

Essex would very much like an hour's play this evening.

Strongly placed with a deficit of just 44, their game plan would be to build a big enough lead to leave Durham needing to bat out most of two sessions to save the match.

Any time in the middle today would be useful.

Lewis Gregory's first over of the day costs just one run - a single for Gareth Roderick.

BBC Radio Somerset's Anthony Gibson:

"Lewis Gregory is getting the ball to nip but he hasn't quite got his line right yet. He just needs to bowl it a couple more feet towards the off stump."

One game has already bitten the dust because of the weather today.

Read more about the abandonment of Leicestershire v Northants on day three here.

Image source, Rex Features

Frank Watson
BBC Hereford & Worcester

I'm pleased to say that not only has the rain stopped but the groundstaff have done a wonderful job in getting the ground ready.

But the temperature has risen quite considerably.

End of Jake Ball's first over. Just that one four off it. Lewis Gregory to send down the second over.

First runs of the day now.

Jake Ball's third ball is a four through the covers by his former Nottinghamshire team-mate Jake Libby, who moves on to 60.

Somerset's England paceman Jake Ball bowls the first ball of the day in English county cricket to Worcestershire's Jake Libby.

No run.

BBC Local Radio

You can listen to ball-by-ball commentary of every County Championship game courtesy of BBC local radio, via the "Watch and listen" tab on this page.

After an hour's delay, we're finally about to get going...

Only at one ground. And an 'outground' at that.

But play is due to start at Chester Road, Kidderminster in the next 10 minutes or so.

We will shortly await the dulcet tones of Frank Watson and Anthony Gibson...

Image source, Rex Features

Still no word on when there might be play on day three at The Oval. But Surrey's Jordan Clark was full of praise for Rory Burns after the home captain's well-crafted century paved the way for him to cut loose against Hampshire's bowling on day two.

Burns occupied the crease for more than seven hours in his knock of 113, anchoring the Surrey innings after an early collapse and then going on to share an eighth-wicket stand of 98 with the big-hitting Clark.

The all-rounder posted a hundred of his own in very contrasting style, thrashing 12 fours and two sixes in an undefeated 106 from 102 balls that steered Surrey to a third batting bonus point and a lead in excess of 200.

"Rory's innings was sensational," said Clark. "He soaked up the pressure when needed, took his time and did it his way.

"He got their bowlers into their third and fourth spells and made them tired. If you can lay a foundation like he did, it gives the boys in the middle and lower order the opportunity to attack.

"I really enjoyed that innings. I tried to put pressure back on the bowlers."

Having laboured to 31-2 in their second innings, Hampshire are still 177 behind the hosts' total of 359 all out.

Somerset bowling coach Steve Kirby is looking for his side to take their chances and improve their luck when the visitors get going again today, at 12 noon.

"We bowled really well in different areas and on a different day there we would have been walking away there with four or five down," he told BBC Radio Somerset.

"We were a bit unlucky. A couple of chances we didn't take, and you can't like a player like Jake Libby off the hook like that.

"He has played nicely, all credit to him. But the pitch, there is still enough there. You've got to look to attack the top of the off stump. There is nothing to be gained from bowling short on this surface. It is just too slow.

"If you had watched the way Migael Pretorius and Jake Ball bowled in particular, they kept up a really attacking line. They are not looking to swing the ball. They are looking to deck the ball back at the stumps and look to beat both edges and the bowlers who have tried to do this on this surface have been the most effective."

Good news from Bristol! After a pitch inspection, the umpires have deemed conditions good enough for play to begin at 12:30 BST.

Gloucestershire will continue their second innings on 271-6, already leading Middlesex by 68 runs.

Image source, Chris Williams - BBC Hereford & Worcester

Our first truly encouraging weather post of the day...

Umpires Richard Illingworth and Mike Burns have inspected and, as predicted earlier by our own Frank Watson, play is now due to start at 12:10 BST.

Not that surprising. Chester Road has always been a fast-draining ground.

It sits on a plateau above a hill on the east (Birmingham) side of the Worcestershire carpet town. And the surface has always played straighter and truer than most club grounds.

It is why the Pears always used to stage one home game there every year - back in the days of three-day cricket, when there were far more fixtures - before truly becoming the county's official bale-out ground after the great flood of 2007.

Day two was frustrating at Chester Road as only 29 overs were bowled.

"Days like this can be really tricky," said Worcestershire assistant head coach Kadeer Ali. "Waiting around for three or four hours to get started and the conditions as well. But Jake Libby and Gareth Roderick played beautifully.

"The way they applied themselves, to put on 80 without being parted, we would have taken that."

Somerset missed a chance when Libby was dropped at third slip. But Kadeer was still impressed.

"Libby is getting better and better," he said. "His desire to get better and improve and work hard at his game is unbelievable.

"Our nightwatchman Adam Finch works hard, like all the bowlers, on their batting. We saw it last year against Yorkshire when he and Ben Gibbon played beautifully. We have full faith in those guys down the order."