100 up for Warwickshirepublished at 14:33 BST 30 August

14:33 BST 30 August

Warks 101-6 v Notts 325-8dec

Ben Martindale is bowling chiefly as cover for fellow all-rounder Lyndon James who is back soon after returning from a side strain.

Jordan Thompson cashes in on a full toss to pick up his first boundary and then cuts the next ball for four to bring up three figures for the home side.

Good news, Bears fans - just 74 more to the follow-on mark.

Bad news - Olly Stone (3-22) returns for his second spell.

Middlesex's Naavya Sharma has his first of the second innings and fifth of the day at Derby.

He's bowled Caleb Jewell for 15 and is one away from match-best figures. The hosts are 48-2 and Jewell has been dismissed twice in about three hours.

Wayne Madsen comes in on a king pair but avoids the fate.

Worcestershire have reached 164-4 at New Road against Lancashire. 16 behind on first innings.

Image source, Shutterstock

Essex have turned back to off-spinner Simon Harmer as they bid to break a stubborn eighth-wicket stand between Ben Foakes and Tom Lawes.

Harmer has 3-48 off his 26 overs in the second innings.

Hands on heads from the Hampshire players as Kyle Abbott almost finds the edge of Colin Ingram's bat.

It feels as though we've been on and off more often than a soap opera couple today - but there's play at the moment and Northamptonshire will be keen to pocket another bonus point as soon as they can.

They need another four runs to do just that and edge in front of Kent again in this game. Nathan McSweeney has just helped that cause by thumping Keith Dudgeon for a boundary.

50 for Ben Foakespublished at 14:15 BST 30 August

14:15 BST 30 August

Essex 279 v Surrey 183 & 169-7

Ben Foakes reaches a hugely important half-century for Surrey with a pull shot for four.

The England Test wicketkeeper survived a couple of chances early on but has fought so hard throughout the final day, with excellent recent support from Adam Thomas and Tom Lawes, to keep Surrey's hopes of saving the game alive.

Warwickshire captain Ed Barnard picks up his first boundary as Ben Martindale drives off the back foot through the offside for four.

It's fair to say that his batting partner, Alex Davies, has not enjoyed his best season.

The wicketkeeper and former skip has managed just one Championship fifty this season - from the opening match - and is averaging a touch under 15.

50 for Henry Nichollspublished at 14:13 BST 30 August

14:13 BST 30 August

Sussex 250 v Somerset 202 & 281-4

Image source, Getty Images

Henry Nicholls raises his bat as he squirts a leg-side single off Jack Carson to move to his half-century from 128 balls - the second time he's been past 50 in as many matches since joining Somerset.

It's been a gritty knock by the New Zealand Test batter, but arguably just what Somerset needed as they try to edge towards the security of a draw.

There's something in the air today. And it's not rain (yet).

Jake Libby brings up a half-century for Worcestershire, but goes shortly after.

He's edged Tom Bailey to keeper Matty Hurst to depart for 56 and the Pears are 121-4 in their first innings at New Road.

Caleb Jewell and Matt Montgomery are keeping Middlesex at bay at Derby.

The visitors forfeited their first innings to target 10 wickets and set up a last afternoon run chase, but Derbyshire are 33-1, leading by 164.

Rain stops play at Northamptonpublished at 14:04 BST 30 August

14:04 BST 30 August

Northants 235-3 v Kent 345

This might be a recurring theme during the afternoon. The players were back on for less than 15 minutes, now they're heading back to the changing-rooms again.

Kent managed to pick up the wicket of Ricardo Vasconcelos during that brief spell of play, which means they've now drawn level with Northamptonshire in terms of bonus points for this game.

Durham head coach Ryan Campbell says his side still have work to do to secure an immediate return to Division One, despite a huge advantage in the promotion race.

"I thought we were pretty outstanding," Campbell said. "What I'm so pleased about is that our standards continue to rise. Basically, if teams are wanting to knock us off top spot, they've got to come and catch us.

"The only way they can do that is if we drop our standards. Every day, every hour that we go out there, we're trying to show the Durham way."

On the controversial finish to the game, he said: "I guess it's a bit ironic that they opened the bowling with a spinner this morning, but these things happen. We don't worry about the opposition. We do things our way, and it was delayed, but same result."

He added: "One of the things that we spoke about at length in the off-season was we had become a bit too reliant on too few individuals.

"It's either Alex Lees making a hundred, or David Bedingham in the past, or it has to be Ben Raine to take all the wickets. We've asked our players that everyone needs to step up, and that's hard, of course, when you're throwing in Ben Stokes, who's retired from Test cricket and is in your line-up, but we don't want to be reliant on him either. I think it's been pretty cool the way everyone's stood up.

"We have got a long way to go still. The finish line looks like it's getting closer, but we've got some big tests in the next few weeks, and again, this time of year, we all know that our depths will be tested."