The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action during day three of the final round of the Vitality County Championship in 2024
Chester-le-Street (day three of four): Durham 360, Kent 96-3 - Kent trail by 264 runs with seven wickets remaining
A sparkling century from Alex Lees gave Durham the upper hand in their Vitality County Championship clash with Kent despite a six-wicket haul from Matt Parkinson.
Play was abandoned without a ball bowled on days one and two after heavy downpours at the Seat Unique Riverside, so Lees was on a mission to get quick runs with so much time lost in the game.
Lees (144) was well backed up by Emilio Gay, who made 52, and David Bedingham, who made a swashbuckling 66, as the hosts made 360 in their first innings.
Matt Parkinson led a Kent fightback after tea as he picked up figures of 6 for 109 to give the visitors some hope.
Kent's reply didn't get off to the best start as they lost early wickets, but Harry Finch and Jack Leaning combined for a partnership worth 72 to stall the hosts but they closed on 96 for 3, still 264 behind Durham.
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Harry Finch ended the day not out for Kent at Durham (Getty Images)
Chelmsford (day three of four): Essex 508-8d, Surrey 30-1 - Surrey are 478 runs behind with nine second-innings wickets remaining
Essex batsmen Dean Elgar, Tom Westley and Matt Critchley filled their boots with a century apiece as Vitality County champions Surrey suffered a post-title-winning hangover at Chelmsford.
The former South African captain, batting ostensibly on one leg, led the way by posting 182, the highest of his four centuries for Essex this season during a stay at the crease that began on Thursday morning and ended 102 overs later on Saturday evening – five sessions having been wiped out by the weather on days one and two.
Elgar and Westley put on a record 253 in 59 overs to eclipse the 95-year-old best of 206 for the second wicket against Surrey. Elgar then piled further agony on by adding 168 for the third wicket with Critchley, who played freely for his 112 from 171 balls before Essex declared on 508-8.
Earlier, Westley had been in such explosive form that 106 of his 135 runs came in boundaries (25 fours, one six).
Essex require 17 points from the game to finish ahead of Somerset in third place on games won. They have already pocketed the maximum five for batting and now need to bowl Surrey out twice on the final day of the season. Surrey finished the penultimate day on 30 for the loss of captain Rory Burns, caught at point off Simon Harmer.
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Trent Bridge (day three of four): Nottinghamshire 487, Warwickshire 143-4 - Warwickshire are 344 runs behind with six first-innings wickets remaining
With Lancashire all out for 177 in Worcester, both Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire became safe from relegation just before 5pm on the third day of their Vitality County Championship match at Trent Bridge.
But a good batting surface is just beginning to take spin and, if the main issue is resolved, this game could yet see a result should rain stay away on Sunday.
Nottinghamshire eventually posted 487 after Kyle Verreyyne, their South Africa Test wicket-keeper, sped to a first century in England en route to an unbeaten 148 from just 167 balls. Warwickshire, needing 338 to avoid the follow-on, finished 344 behind at 143 for 4. Sam Hain will resume on a determined 59.
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James Vince's fifty steered Hampshire to second (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
Taunton (day three of four): Somerset 136 & 180, Hampshire 196 & 121-5 - Hampshire won by five wickets
Skipper James Vince led from the front as Hampshire clinched runners-up spot in the County Championship with a five-wicket Division One victory over third-placed Somerset at Taunton.
The home side added 120 to their overnight second innings score of 60 for four before being bowled out for 180, skipper Lewis Gregory top-scoring with 59 and Jack Leach making 33 not out. Kyle Abbott finished with five for 37 from 18 overs.
Set 121 to win, Hampshire lost wickets to the first two balls of their second innings, bowled by Gregory, who was denied a hat-trick when Kasey Aldridge spilt a low chance at second slip offered by Vince.
It proved an expensive miss as Vince went on to hit 54 and Liam Dawson 44 not out, helping the visitors to reach their target on the third afternoon from 27 overs.
Hampshire took 19 points from the game to guarantee second place behind Surrey and Somerset only three, having seen their concerted challenge for all three trophies end without winning one is a desperately disappointing end to the campaign.
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New Road (day three of four): Worcestershire 180 & 0-0, Lancashire 177 - Worcestershire lead by three runs with 10 second-innings wickets remaining
Lancashire's relegation from Division One of the County Championship was confirmed on the third day of their final match of the 2024 campaign against Worcestershire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
After bowling out the home side for 180, Lancashire were themselves then dismissed for 177 in 55.1 overs.
Their fate was sealed as relegation rivals Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire picked up sufficient points from their meeting at Trent Bridge to both guarantee their own safety.
Their fall from grace has been rapid after finishing runners-up in 2022 when they came so close to winning the title - as well as both white-ball trophies - and then fourth 12 months ago.
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