Monday 24 July 2017 08:59, UK
Nottinghamshire are closing in on their sixth victory of the Specsavers County Championship season after reducing Kent to 214-7 on a rain-shortened third day at Trent Bridge.
The visitors lead by only 23 runs and there is some doubt as to whether Darren Stevens will bat again after he retired hurt shortly after ducking into a short ball from Harry Gurney, who has taken 3-61.
Stevens was struck on the head but after extensive checks by the physio, plus a change of helmet, he decided to play on before opting to retire hurt.
Only 45 overs were possible at drizzly Hove with Sussex's match against Gloucestershire destined for a draw unless the rival captains can conjure up a final-day run chase.
Play was restricted to three spells, the lengthiest 32.1 overs in the middle session, and at stumps Gloucestershire had reached 150-1 in reply to Sussex's 358-9 declared.
The floodlights stayed on throughout but the pink ball did little to assist Sussex's seamers while Gloucestershire's batsmen settled for steady accumulation on a slow pitch with a damp outfield a further frustration.
Cameron Bancroft made his second successive championship half-century and Abi Sakande, Sussex's promising 22-year-old seamer, was rewarded for an impressive spell with his first wicket in four-day cricket.
But with Gloucestershire still 208 behind, it will need some imaginative declarations to ensure a decent finish with 150 overs lost so far including the entire second day.
The ground was virtually deserted when play resumed for the final time at 9pm and Gloucestershire's second-wicket pair extended their stand to 82 from 27 overs with Bancroft unbeaten on 69 and Will Tavare 43 not out at stumps.
No play was possible on the third day of Durham's match at home to Worcestershire because of persistent rain.
That meant there was no chance of Michael Richardson and Tom Fell stepping into the action as the replacements for Keaton Jennings and Joe Clarke, who are now on England Lions duty.
Derbyshire retained hope of a first County Championship win since September 2015 after striking a late blow against Glamorgan on day three in Cardiff.
The home spectators who had waited four hours before play started were rewarded for their patience as they saw Derbyshire dismissed for 160 in 44.2 overs, to leave Glamorgan 212 to win.
But that could start to look a high target in the pink-ball day-night clash, particularly without Jacques Rudolph who was trapped lbw by leg-spinner Jeevan Mendis from the final delivery of the day. Glamorgan went run-less in the first six overs of their second innings.
Centuries from Alex Wakely (112) and Rob Keogh (105n0) gave Northamptonshire an excellent chance to pick up a fifth victory of the season.
The duo put the home side in a strong position which allowed them to set Leicestershire 394 to win at Wantage Road. By the close of day three the visitors had survived for 16 overs to reach 44-0.
Both Wakely and Keogh made their first Championship centuries of the season as Northants quickly built up a big lead.
They declared in perfect time with the skies dark enough to encourage the pink ball to swing under the floodlights but unlike on the first evening where the hosts took four wickets, they failed to find a breakthrough as Paul Horton and on-loan Surrey batsman Arun Harinath got through a very tricky period.
