Just the one wicket lost by Surrey in the afternoon session and they've gone a long way towards saving the game.

That job is not done just yet, though, with 30-odd overs remaining in the day's play.

Surrey's lead is 152 - I wonder if, at some stage soon, they'll fancy a cheeky declaration and a bash at skittling Essex out?

Just the second over of spin in the match as Liam Patterson-White turns his arm over for the first time.

He immediately gets a little turn to bamboozle Ethan Bamber.

Maiden as the rain begins to fall gently over Edgbaston.

100 partnership between Foakes and Lawespublished at 15:36 BST 30 August

15:36 BST 30 August

Essex 279 v Surrey 183 & 247-7

What a tremendous partnership this has been and the century partnership is brought up with a quite brilliant cover drive for four by Ben Foakes.

Foakes and Tom Lawes have been almost faultless since coming together at 144-7, with Surrey only 48 runs ahead at that stage.

Lawes needs six more runs for a half-century, while Foakes is eight runs away from what would be a deserved hundred.

Let's not forget, though, that Foakes could have been dismissed very early in the day's play by Simon Harmer, who dropped a caught-and-bowled opportunity.

It's proved to be a costly miss.

Dillon Pennington back in for a burst as Olly Stone takes a rest with tea approaching.

Can Notts wrap up maximum bowling points before the interval?

The former Worcestershire man beats Ethan Bamber's outside edge.

Bamber glances down to third man, but a dogged chase from Freddie McCann prevents a boundary and keeps him down to three.

Uh-oh! Rain has been reported in the vicinity.

Matt Parkinson's enthusiastic appeal for a stumping against Nathan McSweeney is turned down as Kent's quest for more wickets remains fruitless.

It was a good ball by the leggie, pitching and turning away from McSweeney and Chris Benjamin quickly whipped off the bails - but the batter remained unmoved and so did the umpire's finger.

Kent really will be glad to see the back of Northamptonshire's batting unit this season - they've scored in excess of 1,000 runs against them in just two Championship innings and lost only five wickets in total!

Back out at New Road after rain and an early tea where Worcestershire are 59 shy of a batting point with five wickets in hand against Lancashire.

Derbyshire's lead over Middlesex at Derby is up to 235 with seven wickets standing and tea looming.

Solid enough start by Sussex's openers in their second innings, with Daniel Hughes steering Craig Overton twice to the third man boundary.

Hughes has 10 to his name, with Tom Haines on two and the pair will want to make sure they're still together at the tea interval, which isn't too far away.

150 up for Warwickshirepublished at 15:32 BST 30 August

15:32 BST 30 August

Warks 154-8 v Notts 325-8dec

Michael Booth turns Fraser Sheat into the legside and there's a ripple of applause as the single takes the hosts to the 150 mark.

Hard-earned.

Ethan Bamber then pulls out a handsome drive to get off the mark with four. This may be Sheat's last over of this spell.

Ooof, Jamie Porter turns Tom Lawes inside out with a beauty that beats the outside edge.

Too good - but no wicket.

It's the first time that either Surrey batter has looked in danger for a while.

With Matt Milnes off the field, Kent are having to rotate their remaining bowlers as they look to stem runs, take wickets - or ideally both.

It's not happening for the visitors at the moment, with Nathan McSweeney and Saif Zaib looking very comfortable on 63 and 58 respectively and Northamptonshire will be confident of picking up at least one more bonus point by reaching 350 before it's time for handshakes.

We'll see, Terry. Funny old game.

Image source, Shutterstock

Ripper!

Jordan Thompson prods forward but is beaten for pace by Olly Stone, bowling around the wicket, and it tears out the off stump.

Stone has 5-49 following his 10-wicket haul against Surrey last week. He is in some form at the minute.

Ethan Bamber is next man in with the follow-on target still 29 runs away.

The Bears are beginning to rattle along as Michael Booth helps himself to back-to-back boundaries off Fraser Sheat.

At 30, this is now the biggest partnership of the Bears innings. Which tells a story.

Here we go, then, as Sussex openers Tom Haines and Daniel Hughes stride to the middle in pursuit of an unlikely 303.

Lewis Gregory has ball in hand as Somerset bid to take quick wickets and give themselves a sniff of bowling the home side out in a minimum 44 overs.

Bright sunshine at Chelmsford, where Surrey continue to build their lead against Essex.

Tom Lawes hits two fours off Jamie Porter's opening over with the new ball and Sam Cook's first six balls with the new cherry are safely negotiated too.

Postpublished at 15:15 BST 30 August

15:15 BST 30 August

Warks 135-7 v Notts 325-8dec

Michael Booth takes on the short ball and hooks it for six into the sparsely-populated Hollies Stand.

The Zimbabwe-born all-rounder didn't middle it, but the pace of the bowling and his power did the rest.

An expensive over costs 12 runs as the Bears move within 41 of avoiding the follow on.

50 for Saif Zaibpublished at 15:13 BST 30 August

15:13 BST 30 August

Northants 301-3 v Kent 345

Image source, Getty Images

Saif Zaib has played an accomplished innings and he posts his fifth Championship half-century of the season, coming up from 53 balls.

Northamptonshire also have another batting bonus point safely stowed away now - so as it stands, they've cut the deficit to two points on Kent, who went into this game second in the table.

Derbyshire's Wayne Madsen edges Toby Roland-Jones behind but Middlesex keeper Joe Cracknell, who is dealing with an injury behind the timbers, can't get his glove down in time to hold on.

92-3 still, a lead of 223 with just under 50 overs remaining.

A key passage of play coming up now as Essex take the new ball with Surrey 129 runs ahead.