Warwickshire are chasing an unlikely LV= Insurance County Championship victory over Kent at Edgbaston after some inspired bowling from their seam attack.
Despite the loss of four sessions to the weather, Warwickshire followed up their 453 for four declared, in which Sam Hain hit an unbeaten 165 and Dan Mousley made 94 from 93 balls, by skittling Kent for 158.
All five seamers took wickets as Hasan Ali led the way with three for 36 and England’s Chris Woakes picked up two wickets in his first Championship match for 19 months.
Kent closed the third day on 27 for one, following on, still 268 behind.
Northamptonshire closed in on their first championship win over Middlesex since 2010 after the visitors suffered a fourth batting collapse of the season at Wantage Road.
Chris Tremain was the chief destroyer with three for 41 as Middlesex, plagued by early-season batting frailties, plummeted from 37 without loss to 107 for seven.
A 52-run stand between Toby Roland-Jones and Luke Hollman at least ensured there would be a fourth day, but Northamptonshire closed on 30 for one needing 119 for victory.
Surrey and Hampshire moved to an exciting final-day conclusion at the Kia Oval after Mohammad Abbas’ six for 64 and an unbeaten 79 from Nick Gubbins vied for the visitors’ top billing.
For Surrey, it was Ollie Pope with 91 and Dan Worrall’s three for 30 which did most to keep their own hopes of victory alive, but Hampshire reached stumps on 198 for five – a lead of 182.
Keaton Jennings held together Lancashire’s second innings with a patient half-century against Essex at Chelmsford.
Skipper Jennings, the leading championship run-scorer last season, made an unbeaten 80 from 170 balls as Lancashire reached 167 for four on a rain-affected day – a lead of 155.
Brett Hutton took six wickets for 45 – his best figures for Nottinghamshire – to bowl them into a strong position against Somerset at Trent Bridge.
Somerset were bowled out for 173 replying to Nottinghamshire’s first-innings 256, and that lead was extended to 270 by the close.
Haseeb Hameed (34) and Lyndon James (32) ensured Somerset have plenty of work to do on the final day to avoid defeat.
Gloucestershire’s Division Two match against Yorkshire at Bristol was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
Umpires Billy Taylor and Paul Pollard made the decision after inspecting the outfield ahead of what would have been day three of the four-day fixture.
A Gloucestershire statement read: “Due to extremely high amounts of rain in the weeks and days leading up to and during this match, we have an abnormally high water table and had no reasonable prospect of the outfield drying and creating a safe playing surface for players.”
No play was possible for the second consecutive day between Leicestershire and Derbyshire.
Leicestershire have reached 234 for two from the only 63 overs possible.
Jack Haynes produced a career-best knock of 134 from 255 balls in Worcestershire’s 366 for five declared.
Durham ended day three on 96 for two in their second innings – a lead of 155.
