County Championship Division One roundup: Kyle Abbott and Felix Organ heroics keep Hampshire alive

The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action on day three of the tenth round of LV= Insurance County Championship matches in 2023

Northwood (third day of four): Northamptonshire 219 & 372-7, Middlesex 277 - Northamptonshire lead by 314 runs with three second-innings wickets in hand

Sam Whiteman and Luke Procter shared Northamptonshire's highest partnership of the season to give their side hope of forcing a crucial LV= Insurance County Championship win against fellow strugglers Middlesex at Merchant Taylors' School.

Whiteman batted most of the day for his majestic knock of 114 on a pitch that showed signs of flattening out, adding 158 with his captain for the third wicket after Emilio Gay had limped off injured.

However, the opener later returned to the middle, scoring a valuable unbeaten 84 that enabled the visitors to set another record by posting 372 for 7, their highest red-ball total of the summer and an overall lead of 314.

With an overnight declaration likely and both sides – who occupy the relegation places in Division One – desperate for victory, it sets up an enthralling final day.

^{Ashes hopeful Dan Lawrence sparkled in Blackpool [Alex Davidson/Getty Images]}

Taunton (third day of four): Somerset 500, Hampshire 330 & 34-2 (f/o) - Hampshire trail by 136 runs with eight second-innings wickets in hand

Felix Organ and Kyle Abbott produced a ninth-wicket stand of 177 to boost Hampshire's prospects of avoiding defeat on the third day of their County Championship match with Somerset at Taunton.

The visitors had slumped to 152 for 8, replying to 500, from an overnight 58 for 2 when Abbott strode to the crease to strike 89 not out off 152 balls, including 15 fours and a six. Organ contributed a more measured, but equally valuable 97.

Hampshire were eventually bowled out for 330, teenage off-spinner Shoaib Bashir claiming 3 for 88 from 31 overs. They were invited to follow-on 170 behind and reached 34 for 2 in their second innings by the close.

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Blackpool (third day of four): Essex 282 & 292-8, Lancashire 145 - Essex lead by 429 runs with two second-innings wickets in hand

A century for Ashes hopeful Dan Lawrence and a disastrous morning session for the hosts in which Lancashire lost eight wickets for 45 runs put Essex in complete control at the end of the third day of this County Championship Division One game at Blackpool.

Resuming on 37 for 1 after a 45-minute delay for rain and replying to Essex's first-innings total of 282, the Red Rose's hopes of batting all day and building a lead were scuppered by Sam Cook and Paul Walter, who took 4 for 42 and 3 for 20, respectively, as Lancashire crumbled to 145 all out.

The removal of both Essex openers without scoring did give Lancashire a glimmer of hope as the southern outfit began their second innings, but the visitors rallied superbly and brutally to close on 292 for 8, with a lead of 429 runs going into the final day, thanks to a brilliant century from Lawrence, who was out to the last ball of the day for 135, having scored eight fours and nine sixes.

^{Ben Foakes reminded England of his talents behind the stumps [Ben Hoskins/Getty Images]}

The Oval (third day of four): Surrey 355 & 200-5, Nottinghamshire 399 - Surrey lead by 156 runs with five second-innings wickets in hand

Ben Foakes gave the England selectors another reminder of his stunning glovework on an otherwise mixed day for recent discards from the national team in Division One leaders Surrey's clash with Nottinghamshire.

Foakes showed breathtaking skill to remove Notts' centurion of day two Will Young for a magnificent 145, but despite this amazing act of agility the visitors, helped by 50 from allrounder Lyndon James, reached 399 all out, a lead of 44 on first innings, Sean Abbot the pick of the home bowlers with 3 for 85.

Rory Burns bagged a pair when Surrey batted again, but Dom Sibley, another of the former England openers cast aside in the Ben Stokes/Brendon McCullum era showed glimpses of fluency which belied his reputation as being too stodgy for Bazball.

The right hander, dropped on 75, eventually made 83, sharing a second-wicket stand of 141 with Tom Latham, who made 60, but the loss of late wickets left the hosts 200 for 5, a lead of 156.

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