County Championship Division One roundup: Ben Stokes takes five wickets as Zak Crawley piles on double hundred

The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action during day three of round seven of the Vitality County Championship in 2024

Chelmsford (day three of four): Warwickshire 397 & 94, Essex 162 & 224-4 - Essed need 106 runs to win

An unbroken fifth-wicket century stand between Jordan Cox and Matt Critchley gave Essex the chance of pulling off an unlikely Vitality County Championship victory over Warwickshire at Chelmsford.

Set 330 to win in 170 overs, Essex finished day three on 224, requiring a further 106 runs on the final day, with six wickets standing, to resurrect their hopes of launching a serious challenge to Surrey at the top of the table.

Both players mixed aggression with caution as they pieced together a partnership worth 112 in 37 overs with Cox becoming only the third player in the match to pass fifty. He was 77 not from 144 balls at the close with Critchley on 46 from 111.

Warwickshire, who had amassed 397 in the first innings and looked favourites to record their first win of the season, were dismissed inside 38 overs for just 94 in their second. Essex spinners Critchley and Simon Harmer sharing seven wickets, including all five that fell in the morning.

^{Surrey won easily on Sunday (Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)}

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Blackpool (day three of four): Lancashire 357 & 353-9 dec, Durham 236 & 134-3 - Durham need 341 runs to win

Durham's Ben Stokes took five second-innings wickets for 98 against Lancashire at Blackpool but Keaton Jennings's second century of the match helped ensure that his side will go into the final day of this game as warm favourites to win their first Vitality County Championship match of the season.

Jennings was dismissed by Stokes but only after making 155 in his side's 353 for 9 declared, setting his former side what would a county record fourth-innings score of 475 to win.

Durham's confident pursuit of that distant target was damaged by Tom Aspinwall, who took two wickets in seven balls, and the visitors ended the day on 134 for 3.

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Trent Bridge (day three of four): Nottinghamshire 235 & 209, Hampshire 276 & 84-5 - Hampshire need 85 runs to win

Hampshire's opportunity to notch a first win of the season is in the balance after a fast-moving third day of their Vitality County Championship match at Trent Bridge left them with still much work to do.

Chasing a modest 169 to win, Hampshire ended the day still 85 runs away from their target at 84 for 5 and probably a man short unless Tom Prest can bat with the injured shoulder that has kept him off the field since tea on day one.

Nottinghamshire had been bowled out for 209 in their second innings by tea, with veteran quick Kyle Abbott (3 for 41) and off-spinner Felix Organ (3 for 38) taking three wickets each after Joe Clarke and Jack Haynes had made half centuries.

But Hampshire then slumped to 44 for 5 as Dillon Pennington (2 for 16) and Dane Paterson (2 for 19) led a determined effort with the ball by the home side before Fletcha Middleton (33) and James Fuller (23) saw out the final overs to calm their nerves.

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^{Dillon Pennington's new-ball burst put Hampshire's run-chase on the back foot (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)}

Taunton (day three of four): Somerset 554, Kent 178 & 409-5 - Kent lead by 33 runs with five second-innings wickets remaining

England opener Zak Crawley returned to form with a superb double century to lead a stirring Kent fightback on the third day of the Vitality County Championship Division One match with Somerset at Taunton.

There were three wickets each for Craig Overton and MIgael Pretorius as the visitors were bowled out for 178 in their first innings from an overnight 108 for 5. Only Joe Denly, with 61, offered much resistance and his side followed on 376 runs behind.

But it was a different story in the second innings as Crawley and Ben Compton (65) put together an opening stand of 194 in 42 overs. Crawley, who had mustered only 67 runs in seven previous Championship innings this season, fell shortly before the close for 238, having faced 267 balls and hit 31 fours and four sixes.

Skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond made 62. At 409 for 5, Kent’s lead at stumps was only 33, but they had given themselves a fighting chance of salvaging an unlikely draw on day four.

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Related: Meet Dillon Pennington, the latest quick to catch England's eye

Kia Oval (day three of four): Surrey 213 & 427, Worcestershire 128 & 231 - Surrey win by 281 runs

Surrey's quest for a hat-trick of Vitality County Championship titles gained further momentum with a 281-run demolition of Worcestershire inside three days at the Kia Oval.

Dan Worrall added four for 35 to his first innings' 6 for 22 and late hitting from Ben Gibbon and Nathan Smith merely delayed the inevitable as Worcestershire, set a nominal 513 to win, were bowled out for 231 in their second innings.

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