County Championship: Table toppers Essex hampered by rain
Sussex edge Glamorgan by one wicket in thriller at Colwyn Bay
Wednesday 30 August 2017 23:33, UK
Essex's push for a seventh Specsavers County Championship victory of the campaign was held up by the rain on day three of their clash with Somerset at Chelmsford.
The league leaders progressed from 117-3 to 158-4 in their second innings - Nick Browne (83) bowled by Tim Groenewald - before the heavens opened 13 overs into the morning session.
No further play was possible, leaving Essex with a 153-run lead over second-bottom Somerset heading into day four - Adam Wheater is 53 not out with skipper Ryan ten Doeschate yet to score.
The rain had minimal impact at Old Trafford, where second-placed Lancashire continue to make strong progress against Warwickshire in their bid to trim the 41-point advantage Essex hold over them.
The hosts declared on 504-8 against rock-bottom Warks, a lead of 304, once Liam Livingstone had been dismissed for a career-best 224, before reducing the away side to 275-6 by stumps.
Tim Ambrose is 76 not out, while Dom Sibley scored 57 before he was caught by Haseeb Hameed off Livingstone, but Warwickshire are 29 runs short of making Lancashire bat again.
Fourth-placed Surrey and sixth-placed Middlesex did not get underway at The Oval due to inclement weather, with the same fate also befalling Kent and Leicestershire at Canterbury in Division Two.
Also in the second tier, Ollie Robinson (41no off 37) smashed a match-winning six as Sussex defeated Glamorgan by one wicket at Colwyn Bay - Robinson dominating a 32-run stand with last man Danny Briggs (3no).
Sussex, chasing 209 for victory, were in control at 155-4 but then lost four wickets for five runs, including Chris Nash (68), before No 9 batsman Robinson kept his cool to lift Sussex up to second in the league.
Nottinghamshire's Riki Wessels (116 off 88) and Jake Ball (28no) took their ninth-wicket stand against Northants to 117 before Wessels' dismissal triggered a declaration, the table toppers setting their visitors 417 to win.
Northants closed on 167-4, still requiring a further 250 runs for victory, after Ball struck twice, including the wicket of Rob Newton (53).
Gloucestershire slipped to 55-3 chasing 401 to beat Worcestershire at New Road, with Ravichandran Ashwin claiming two wickets - Daryl Mitchell had earlier been run out for 130 in Worcestershire's 295-8 declared.
Derbyshire frustrated Durham after being asked to follow-on - Luis Reece scoring 106 as the visitors reached 305-6 - but the hosts will expect to wrap up victory on day four with Derbyshire still trailing by 11.
