±«Óãtv

Ben Sanderson bounces James Coles, who has a slice of luck as the ball bounces safely off the underside of the bat on the way to the keeper.

Coles is forward to the fourth ball, scooping it in front of square leg for a single.

Sanderson is round the wicket to Tom Haines - on 99.

He tries to get the single off the last ball but it hasn't cleared cover.

for Essexpublished at 16:42 British Summer Time 7 April

16:42 BST 7 April

Notts 293 v Essex 253 & 305-7

Agricultural, but effective from Shane Snater as he smokes one over cow corner for a boundary.

But that is far more classical as he on-drives Dillon Pennington for another four.

Essex reach 300 and the lead is up to 261.

Snater continues and steers one down to third man and that's another boundary. 12 off the over!

Paul Newton
±«Óãtv Essex

I would have liked to see the new ball held back to give Calvin Harrison a couple more overs.

Image source, Getty Images

Michael Booth is full and straight, getting Jake Libby to defend.

Oliver Hannon-Dalby is back in the attack. There are two short mid wickets in for Libby.

The sixth ball of the over is just wide of off stump and driven through cover for four.

Big appeal for lbw by Chris Tremain against Tom Haines but it's not out.

Haines drives through the off side but can't clear the field.

But he connects with the third ball, driving neatly down the ground to move on to 99...

A lovely square cut from Jack Davies off Jamie McIlroy gets four more runs as he moves into the forties.

Like most left-handers, there is a real element of style to Davies' stroke.

This partnership is worth 109 and the follow-on target of 471 is now only 88 runs away.

We've lucked out again. This isn't the first time the rain has been confined to an interval here.

Kashif Ali will be a tough act to follow. He was superb today.

For now Jake Libby (68) and Rob Jones (7) will take up the batting for the Pears.

Michael Booth will bowl to Jones.

New ballpublished at 16:30 British Summer Time 7 April

16:30 BST 7 April

Notts 293 v Essex 253 & 280-7

Shane Snater has joined Matt Critchley at the crease for Essex.

The visitors will be determined to add another 30 or 40 runs to stretch their lead to around 280.

We have reached 80 overs, so Haseeb Hameed has gone straight for a new Kookaburra ball.

A mixed over from Chris Tremain, yielding comfortable singles for Haines and Coles - and there's also a no ball.

But he gets good lift off a length too and forces Coles into a hurried defence.

Ben Sanderson will bowl next.

Jack Leaning and Matt Parkinson take the first two overs after tea.

Spin is the order of the day for Kent.

Raining again at Edgbastonpublished at 16:27 British Summer Time 7 April

16:27 BST 7 April

Warwks 333 v Worcestershire 360 & 222-2

Ged Scott
±«Óãtv Sport at Edgbaston

It's raining again in Birmingham - and the hover cover has come back on.

Once again, it is ideally timed - at the start of the tea interval.

And the skies overhead make one think this might be the threatened cloudburst as foretold earlier by those noted weather sages, the Edgbaston car park attendants.

Maybe we might be stuck for longer than we might have hoped on the much-loved Richie Benaud score of 'two twenty two for two'!

Mike Taylor
±«Óãtv Radio WM

Image source, Getty Images

There are good run-makers, and there are makers of good runs. On the evidence of this match, Kashif Ali may turn out to be both.

He may be a relatively late developer, and have passed through the doors of several counties before finding his niche at Worcestershire, but at 26 there is plenty of time for him to make the most of his talent.

His performance in this game should also bring to centre-stage the work of the South Asian Cricket Academy, a scheme designed to help bring forward players from British South Asian communities and overcome obstacles that might have held them back. There could be no clearer demonstration of that value of that project than Kashif's innings today.

Entering in the third over of Worcestershire’s second innings, at what might potentially have been a delicate moment in the game, he carried himself with confidence from his first ball, and changed gear half an hour after lunch. At one stage he scored 35 runs without his partner Jake Libby facing a ball.

He reached 81 before Warwickshire’s Michael Booth engaged him in a showdown over. Late on a hook to the first ball, Kashif was hit on the helmet and took some minutes to recover. Four men were sent to the legside boundary, but Kashif hit a short-arm pull past them all, and then knocked the bowler down with a firm straight drive.

When Booth recovered, Ali advanced two paces and struck him over mid-off. His second hundred of the match soon followed. Though he fell to a boundary catch shortly before tea, he left Worcestershire and his reputation strongly placed.

Early wickets are key for Northants deep into day three with Tom Haines (92) and James Coles (50) both looking well set.

Coles will face Chris Tremain to start the session.

If the light holds - we have 39 overs left in the day.

Anthony Gibson
±«Óãtv Radio Somerset

Image source, Rex Features

After another session in which only a single Somerset wicket has fallen, it is looking increasingly like the only winner of this contest will be the Kookaburra ball.

The Kent bowlers have stuck to their task manfully, but that task has been a thankless one on a slow pitch armed with a soft ball.

The one wicket to fall was that of the Australian, Matt Renshaw, lured into a big drive by Matt Parkinson's tossed-up leg-spin, and undone by sharp turn.

His departure put the brakes on the run scoring, but Tom Lammonby and Lewis Goldsworthy have subsequently sailed smoothly along.

Adrian Harms
±«Óãtv Sussex

Sussex have survived a mid-afternoon wobble to reach tea with three wickets down.

After a solid opening partnership of 55, the hosts lost three wickets for 39, two those to the off spin of Rob Keogh assisted by a brilliant stumping by Lewis McManus to account for Tom Alsop.

The excellent Ben Sanderson then uprooted Oli Carter's off stump and at that stage Sussex looked in a degree of trouble.

However, Tom Haines and James Coles have led a recovery adding an undefeated 82 for the fourth wicket.

Coles was given a life on 38 when George Bartlett dropped a very difficult chance at mid on, but otherwise has oozed class. Haines, who had a disappointing 2023, has looked back to his best having spent two stints in India over the winter working hard on his batting.

Rita Green
±«Óãtv Radio Kent

A really good session once again for Somerset.

I don't think Kent have let them completely run away with it, they're giving them as much to think about as possible.

Kent are working really hard but not much reward in that session and I think Somerset have played a blinder. They've ridden the storm earlier on in the day but that session is very much Somerset's and probably the day so far.

Let's see how they get on in the final session of the day but so far so good for Somerset.

Day three at Old Trafford abandonedpublished at 16:16 British Summer Time 7 April

16:16 BST 7 April

Lancashire 202 v Surrey 15-0

The 16:00 BST pitch inspection brings the inevitable result.

Play has been abandoned for the day, with Surrey due to resume batting tomorrow morning, weather permitting.

We finish day three with just 21 balls bowled.

Nick Webb
±«Óãtv Radio Wales

Middlesex moved steadily towards the follow-on target of 471 despite Glamorgan’s many variations in the field, but had to settle for just two batting points on 341-4 at the 110-over mark.

Ryan Higgins reached his fifty off 91 balls, but Jack Davies was doughtily defensive for most of his knock before opening up just before tea.

Leus du Plooy had made 37 of a stand with 70 with Ryan Higgins before he was pinned lbw by Mir Hamza, the Pakistan paceman claiming his first wicket on the first of seven scheduled appearances.

It may not be spectacular cricket, but at least it’s cricket while many of our colleagues watch a series of pitch inspections.