The Cricketer rounds up the latest from the third day of the most recent round of matches in the County Championship...
Headingley (third day of four): Yorkshire 181 & 207-3; Hampshire 235 - Yorkshire lead by 153 runs with 7 second-innings wickets remaining
Gary Ballance, unbeaten on 83, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore shared in a superb third-wicket partnership of 141 to help give Yorkshire the chance claiming a come-from-behind victory. But the weather may yet scupper them.
Yorkshire conceded a first-innings lead of 54 late on day two and slipped to 20 for 2 early on day three, only for Kohler-Cadmore, who made 69, and Hampshire’s bogey batsman Ballance to change the complexion of the fixture either side of lunch.
By the time rained arrived and forced an early tea - and later an early close at 5.35pm - unbeaten Yorkshire were 207 for three in the 66th over, leading by 153.
For either side to win this fixture, albeit the hosts have the greater chance, the weather has to hold firm on day four and allow the first full day’s play of the match.
Edgbaston (third day of four): Warwickshire 293 & 76-2; Surrey 188 - Warwickshire lead by 181 runs with 8 second-innings wickets remaining
Warwickshire were frustrated by the weather as they sought to press for their first County Championship victory of the season.
The third day's play was restricted to just 22 overs after rain arrived just before lunch and never relented.
Warwickshire took their overnight score of 26 without loss to 76 for 2, moving 181 ahead overall, but were then denied a chance to build a commanding lead which would give them plenty of time to try to bowl Surrey out a second time.
Bears captain Jeetan Patel will now face an interesting decision on the final day. With the pitch offering some turn, Warwickshire could still put Surrey under pressure but, with less time at their disposal, might have to give the champions' dangerous batting line-up a target which offers a sniff of victory.
Chelmsford (third day of four): Essex 313 & 181-6; Kent 182 - Essex lead by 312 runs with 4 second-innings wickets remaining
Sir Alastair Cook fell 10 runs short of recording back-to-back centuries for the first time in a match in his first-class career as Essex compiled a healthy lead.
England Test great Cook had scored a gritty 125 in the first innings and appeared on course to reach the milestone in the second innings, having compiled 90 runs, before he departed.
It was the fourth time in his career that Cook had scored a century and been dismissed in the 90s, having never collected two hundreds in the same match.
Despite falling short of three figures, Cook helped Essex scored 181 for 6, to boast a lead of 312, before rain truncated the day’s play at tea.
Worcester (third day of four): Worcestershire 156; Middlesex 221 & 287-6 - Middlesex lead by 352 runs with 6 second-innings wickets remaining
Captain Dawid Malan extended his overnight score to 124 as Middlesex attempted to make up for lost time on a rain shortened third day at Blackfinch New Road.
Steady rain, drizzle and latterly bad light meant only 21 overs were possible with play not getting underway until 4.45pm.
But Malan and his teammates had sufficient time to add 92 runs for the loss of four wickets as they stepped up the pace in the bid to clinch their first Championship win of the season.
Middlesex extended their overall lead to 352 as they closed on 287 for 6.
Hove (third day of four): Sussex 420; Glamorgan 186 & 218-1 - Glamorgan trail by 16 runs with 9 second-innings wickets remaining
Australian Marnus Labuschagne scored his third hundred of the season as Glamorgan continued their impressive fightback on a rain-shortened day against Sussex.
Just 21 overs were possible on the third day at Hove before rain arrived with Glamorgan 218 for 1 in their second innings – still 16 behind – with Labuschagne 131 not out.
Labuschagne, who made his Test debut for Australia last October, has already made 121 against Northamptonshire and 137 against Gloucestershire during his stint as Glamorgan’s overseas player and the 24-year-old hasn’t offered a chance here on a pitch which has flattened out since 15 wickets fell on the first day.
Opener Nick Selman, who carried his bat in the first innings, has so far helped Labuschagne add 218 with the Glamorgan record for the second wicket against Sussex of 238, set in 1962 by Alan Jones and Tony Lewis at Hastings, now in their sights.
Leicester (third day of four): Leicestershire 120 & 110-4; Derbyshire 139 & 214 - Leicestershire need 124 runs to win with 6 second-innings wickets remaining
Derbyshire picked up two key wickets in the afternoon session before rain closed in at the Fischer County Ground.
Chasing a target of 234 to win, Mark Cosgrove and Hassan Azad had added 58 for Leicestershire’s third wicket and on 82 for 2 were beginning to accelerate nicely when Cosgrove, having hit occasional offspinner Wayne Madsen back over his head for four two balls earlier, attempted to repeat the shot and holed out to long-on for 28.
As traps go, it was hardly well camouflaged, and there was a disbelieving silence around Grace Road as the Australian left the field.
Soon afterwards Colin Ackermann had his off stump knocked back by a fine delivery from left-arm seamer Luis Reece, leaving Leicestershire’s hopes resting on the slim shoulders of Azad, playing in only his fourth championship match.
The 25-year-old, who has just graduated from Loughborough University with a degree in Chemical Engineering, made half-centuries in each of his first two games, and has so far 90 runs and batted for over six hours in this match without being dismissed.
Cheltenham (third day of four): Gloucestershire 205 v Lancashire 47-2
No play was possible on the third day of the Specsavers County Championship match between Gloucestershire and Lancashire at Cheltenham College.
Umpires Jeff Evans and Paul Pollard inspected the pitch before the scheduled start and reported some, but not sufficient, improvement in the damp area caused by water seeping under the covers during Monday evening’s storm.
That had led to no play on day two and remained a concern. In any case it was soon raining hard and an early lunch was taken at 12.30pm.
With no let-up in the weather, play was abandoned for the day at 2pm.
Reports courtesy of the ECB Reporters Network
For more outstanding county coverage, try The Cricketer for three issues free this summer. Click here to sign up today
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.