Dom Bess continues into his 44th over (3-98). Andrew Neal works this third ball towards point for a single.

The fourth delivery spins towards leg but Kyle Abbott pads it to short leg where Will Luxton takes the catch.

Another single and a dot conclude the over to move the partnership to 45 for the eighth wicket.

Just 47 needed now and psychologically this match is tilting in Hants' favour surely.

Andrew Neal should have been dismissed had the umpires spotted the ball ricochet up off his boot but he is still there and has 36.

Kyle Abbott has 20 (in 52 balls) and if this pair can put on another 20 you would think this is Hants' to lose.

50 up for Somersetpublished at 15:02 BST 23 August

15:02 BST 23 August

Somerset 55-0 v Essex - target 102

Somerset are halfway to their target and it's only taken them seven overs.

Simon Harmer starts the next and Josh Thomas pulls for four to advance to 29 not out.

"It doesn't look pretty out there if you're of an Essex persuasion," says BBC Essex commentator Don Topley.

Image source, Getty Images

50 partnership for Worcestershirepublished at 15:01 BST 23 August

15:01 BST 23 August

Glos v Worcs 59-0 - target 279

A decent start for Worcestershire who have been given what some might regard as a generous declaration by Gloucestershire. The home side are bottom of the table and really have nothing to lose.

Dan Lategan has brought up the 50 partnership with his second six, again launching Sai Kishore over long- on.

This could be an interesting finish for the crowd at the Cheltenham cricket festival.

Somerset continue to rattle along as Josh Thomas cover drives Matt Critchley for four.

He knows very little about the next one, though, which turns past the outside edge with extra bounce and beats keeper Michael Pepper before rolling away for four byes.

Things are getting a little heated now as Yorks are getting a little het up.

Firstly Andrew Neal pushes forward, the ball loops up off his pad and over Will Luxton at leg slip. Umpire thought that hit wood as he does not signal a leg bye.

Next ball Dom Bess appeals for a catch after drifting it past Kyle Abbott's inside edge, Finlay Bean taking the catch behind.

Yorks celebrate and appeal loudly at the same time but the umpire is unmoved. Well, the umpires are moved to have a word with the Yorks' fielders, notably Luxton, who asked a little too loudly.

This is nervy stuff and Yorks are feeling it more, having had the game by the scruff of the neck.

Just two overs for Sam Cook with the new ball.

Leg-spinner Matt Critchley is introduced as first change.

Essex are already in urgent need of a wicket or two.

for Lateganpublished at 14:52 BST 23 August

14:52 BST 23 August

Glos v Worcs 42-0 - target 279

It's a tempting target for Worcestershire who really need the win to stay in contention for a prompt return to Division One.

Their openers, Dan Lategan and Jake Libby, are building foundations but with the required rate now at nearly five-an-over they will have to accelerate at some point.

Perhaps with that in mind, Lategan has launched Indian spinner Sai Kishore for the first maximum of the innings.

Image source, Shutterstock

It has been a chastening season for Lancs who have never finished either 17th or 18th in the County Championship history with defeat here firming up their claims to be the second-worst team in the country.

Oh for the early season promise when a draw, and two wins against Derby and Glocs, looked like green shoots. On this evidence, an all too youthful line-up is being found out by toughened county pros.

Leaving aside the uniquely notable dismissal of Joe Moores who caught the ball in his crease to be sent on his way for obstructing the field, several other wickets were avoidable.

Red Rose fans will continue to believe Lancs can pull themselves clear of the bottom two and there are still five games of the season to go with Worcestershire (a), Middlesex (a), Gloucestershire (h), Kent (a) and Durham (h) their remaining fixtures.

Third place Northants are very much looking the other way, remaining four points behind Kent in second and they will be hopeful they can cap a successful season in which they landed the T20 Blast with promotion to Division One.

Kyle Abbott and Andrew Neal have put on 32 for the eighth wicket and kept this match very much on a knife edge.

Yorks are appealing for everything now as the tension rises.

George Hill sends down a tight over during which Abbott manages to nick a single but he goes short with the last and Neal cracks it off the back foot through cover.

Just 54 needed now.

Sam Cook overpitches and a lofted drive from Tom Lammonby brings him four runs. That might have been interesting if it had been slightly more to the offside - but it wasn't.

Cook overcompensates and Lammonby ends the over by flicking behind square for his second boundary of the over.

Positive start by Somerset with Tom Lammonby cover driving Sam Cook for four.

Spinner Simon Harmer will share the new ball.

BBC Essex commentator Don Topley believes the odds of victory are 70%-30% in Somerset's favour.

As Jack Leach and Archie Vaughan showed, though, there is plenty of spin out there, so Simon Harmer could be a handful for the home batting line-up.

Despite that, surely they have enough batting to get the job done - or are we in for another thriller like yesterday's Warwickshire v Sussex game?

Five overs of the Worcestershire chase gone and it's watchful stuff.

In these days of T20 cricket, it's easy to forget that 60 overs is a long time to bat.

Wickets in hand will probably be the best way for them to hunt down their target.

George Hill finishes off his over with a bouncer well outside off-stump but Kyle Abbott is all over it quickly, reaching out to pull it to square leg for four.

Six off the over and Hants edge to within 67 of their target.

Image source, Getty Images

The Essex second innings finally comes to an end as Archie Vaughan spins one back into the pads of Jamie Porter and traps him lbw - so the Somerset victory target will be 102.

Vaughan's productive post-lunch spell gives him 3-123, but the bowling plaudits go to Jack Leach who sent down 55.2 overs for 5-81 - giving him match figures of 9-118.

Charlie Allison (114) and Matt Critchley (94) put on 212 for Essex before both fell to Leach during an uninterrupted morning spell.

They were 394-7 at lunch but could add only 18 more runs as Vaughan 'came to the party' for the Cider Boys after conceding over 100 before his first success.

Image source, Shutterstock

Nottinghamshire will remain at the head of the table in the defence of their title at the end of this round of matches although it remains tight.

They have enjoyed a big boost after what head coach Peter Moores described as a "stunning win" over Surrey at The Oval.

"It feels as significant as last year's win here because we've now got five games to go and we've beaten a team who you would expect to be up there again at the end of the season," he said.

What could make the difference for Notts in the run-in is the return to top form of bowler Olly Stone who took 10 wickets having missed most of last season through injury.

"He led the attack and he's not going to bowl much better than that," enthused Moores. "And it was not just the way he bowled, he got wickets when we really needed them and made statements as the leader of the attack."

Next up for the champions is a trip to Edgbaston to take on Stone's former county Warwickshire who are just five points behind.