COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE ROUNDUP: Durham need the weather to be in their favour to complete a victory over Yorkshire after chipping away in the visitors' second innings
Chester-le-Street (day three of four): Yorkshire 307 & 132-4, Durham 427 - Yorkshire lead by 12 runs with six second-innings wickets remaining
Durham will hope the threat of fourth afternoon weather does not ruin their chances of claiming a County Championship victory over Yorkshire at Riverside.
Yorkshire can lay claim to having the better of day three thanks to taking the last nine first-innings wickets for 126 through until early afternoon, limiting the hosts to 427 all out in reply to 307. Alex Lees was removed for a standout 172, and Emilio Gay for an excellent 152.
New-ball seamer Jack White led the way with three wickets, but all five of the county's quicks struck, including New Zealand overseas debutant Ben Sears.
However, Durham chipped away at the second-innings wickets on a slow pitch, restricting Yorkshire to 132 for 4 from 59 overs at close. Their lead is only 12.
Related: Sean Dickson and bad light combine to thwart Hampshire
Chelmsford (day three of four): Essex 179 & 317, Worcestershire 202 & 185-6 - Worcestershire need another 110 runs to win with four second-innings wickets remaining
Jamie Porter struck three significant blows to carry Essex to the precipice of their first County Championship win of the season against Worcestershire.
The pace bowler took his tally to 11 wickets in three games so far to leave Essex on the cusp of a victory that had looked a distant prospect when they were dismissed for 179 in their first innings on day one after being put in.
However, Porter sent back Gareth Roderick with his second ball of Worcestershire's run chase and then added the scalps of Rob Jones and Brett D’Oliveira, who was settling into ominous form. Worcestershire were set 295 in five sessions, or a nominal 165 overs, and were still 110 runs short with four wickets standing when bad light ended play with five overs remaining on the third day.
Essex's second-innings 317 was bolstered by some belligerent tail-end batting from Shane Snater, who hooked Jacob Duffy for six in addition to five fours in a 53-ball 48. At that point, it looked to have turned a comparatively small hill into a mountain.
Related: Somerset indebted to Migael Pretorius as they cling on to passive Hampshire
Jack White took 3 for 76 (SWPix.com/Yorkshire Cricket)
Utilita Bowl (day three of four): Somerset 184 & 103-1, Hampshire 338 - Somerset are 49 runs behind with nine second-innings wickets remaining
Migael Pretorius' bowling and Sean Dickson's batting swung the advantage away from Hampshire in their Rothesay County Championship fixture with Somerset.
South African Pretorius picked up 5 for 64 as Somerset only allowed the hosts a first innings lead of 152, despite Nick Gubbins' 82 and Liam Dawson's 72.
That edge was whittled down to 49 for the loss of just Archie Vaughan as Dickson ended his start-of-the-season drought with a calm, unbeaten half-century before the dingy light descended on Utilita Bowl.
Hove (day three of four): Sussex 435, Surrey 390-3 - Surrey are 45 runs behind with seven first-innings wickets remaining
Dan Lawrence and Ollie Pope both made attacking hundreds before bad light halted Surrey’s rapid progress on day three against Sussex at Hove.
When the players came off ten minutes after tea, Surrey were 390 for 3, only 45 runs behind with Lawrence unbeaten on 117 after Pope had made his first Championship century for two years.
The loss of 36 overs could be crucial to Surrey’s hopes of making it an awkward final day for Sussex by going past their first innings’ 435.
After Pope scored 102, Lawrence made the most of a reprieve on 35, when he was badly dropped by subfielder George Thomas.
He hit six sixes in his first hundred of the season, off 92 balls, including two in an over when Ollie Robinson opted to bowl short to a packed leg side field.
Sussex should still be able to save the game on a surface which has offered little assistance for seam or spin, but after drawing and winning their first two games since promotion, this was a reminder that Division One cricket represents a big step up.
Related: The accuracy of Fergus O'Neill leaves Warwickshire on their knees
Josh Tongue was back in the wickets for Notts (Getty Images)
Edgbaston (day three of four): Warwickshire 93 & 163-6, Nottinghamshire 367 - Warwickshire are 111 runs behind with four second-innings wickets remaining
Nottinghamshire need to find four wickets – and, crucially, for the rain to stay away – on the final day to turn their total domination of Warwickshire into a County Championship victory at Edgbaston.
Trailing by 274 on first innings, Warwickshire closed the third day on 163 for 6, in deep trouble but still alive and with a potential lifeline in the form of heavy rain predicted for the final day.
Nottinghamshire’s decision to bat quite deep into day three despite the dodgy forecast could cost them. They extended their first innings to 367, Haseeb Hameed carrying his bat for 138 in 399 minutes, supported by Fergus O'Neill (50, 53 balls) and Lyndon James (42, 117). Medium-pacer Michael Booth took 5 for 90, his maiden first-class five-for.
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