Heavy rain stalked the country but, despite not getting onto the field until 4.30pm, Surrey marched inevitably towards their second win of the season.

Hampshire, starting 177 runs behind and two wickets down, lost most of their middle-order ballast during the evening session: Ollie Pope taking two dramatic catches at slip to dismiss Nick Gubbins and Tom Prest, and James Vince, cracked on the shoulder by a Gus Atkinson bouncer, then lbw to a Kemar Roach in swinger after a 95-ball vigil of 26. Hampshire still trail Surrey by 92, with five wickets remaining, and Monday’s forecast in London offers them little chance of succour.

Ed Barnard’s determined 69 helped hold off the Notts dogs at Edgbaston on a day when only 35 overs were possible. He was also helped by thirties from Dan Mousley and Jacob Bethell. Warwickshire need another 76 runs to avoid the follow on.

A century from Gareth Roderick gave Worcestershire the upper hand at Kidderminster, four batting points and a first-innings lead of 142 before Jason Holder removed Sean Dickson for a duck in Somerset’s three over batting test in the evening light. Shoaib Bashir bowled with aplomb, settling into a good rhythm and keeping his head despite being dispatched for sixes over the railway line, removing both Jake Libby, for a sterling 97, and the boundary-happy Kashif Ali.

Max Holden and Ryan Higgins both made classy unbeaten hundreds to set up what could be a thrilling final day at Bristol. From the dregs of 9-2, Holden and Higgins, with help from Leus du Plooy, helped Middlesex build a second innings lead of 143 – with seven wickets still in hand. Earlier, Henry Brookes had finished off the Gloucestershire innings with three wickets in an over. At Grace Road, Chester-le-Street and Headingley, no play was possible.

DIVISION ONE

Chester le Street: Durham 358 v Essex 314-3 play abandoned for the day

The Oval: Surrey 359 v Hampshire 151 and 116-5

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 175-5 v Nottinghamshire 400

Kidderminster: Worcestershire 451-9dec v Somerset 309-9dec and 5-1

DIVISION TWO

Bristol: Gloucestershire 322 v Middlesex 203 and 262-3

Grace Road: Leicestershire 97-2 v Northampton 453-7dec play abandoned for the day

Headingley: Yorkshire 450-5 v Derbyshire 190-3 play abandoned for the day

A third wicket for Jake Ball, but a super innings from Roderick who came in at 23 for one and guided Worcestershire into a first-innings lead. Worcs 337-6 lead by 28.

DIVISION ONE

Chester le Street: Durham 358 v Essex 314-3 play abandoned for the day

The Oval: Surrey 359 v Hampshire 151 and 31-2 play to start at 4.30pm

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 74-3 v Nottinghamshire 400 play started at 4pm

Kidderminster: Worcestershire312-5 v Somerset 309-9dec

DIVISION TWO

Bristol: Gloucestershire 322 v Middlesex 203 and 66-2

Grace Road: Leicestershire 97-2 v Northampton 453-7dec play abandoned for the day

Headingley: Yorkshire 450-5 v Derbyshire 190-3 play abandoned for the day

At Headingley, Harry Brook has been talking about the death of his beloved grandmother Pauline: “When I came home from Abu Dhabi, it was a very tough time, and I’m glad I did come home. Obviously it was a big decision to make. I hadn’t played 100s of games for England, so to just turn down a big Test tour like that (India) was a big decision to make.

“But she comes before all of that. She would have come out there a couple of years ago, so I had to come back and support her as much as I could.

“Like I say, it was a very tough period, but I’m glad I came back and I was with my family and was with her.

“I managed to take her out for a coffee and what not in that first week I was back.

“I was still training with a mindset of trying to get back out for the last couple of Tests all being well.

“Obviously it all disintegrated fairly quickly, so that didn’t happen.

“I just tried to support her as best as I could and everyone around us.

“Both of those hundreds (for Yorkshire this season) and all of the runs I’ve scored so far this year are all dedicated to her.”

Plug pulled by the umps, leaving Nick Browne to sleep another night on 94.

He takes out Charlesworth (43), de Lange and Goodman in a single deadly over. Middlesex must bat again, facing a deficit of 119.

DIVISION ONE

Chester le Street: Durham 358 v Essex 314-3 no play yet today

The Oval: Surrey 359 v Hampshire 151 and 31-2 no play yet today

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 71-3 v Nottinghamshire 400 no play yet today

Kidderminster: Worcestershire 185-1 v Somerset 309-9dec

DIVISION TWO

Bristol: Gloucestershire 314-7 v Middlesex 203

Grace Road: Leicestershire 97-2 v Northampton 453-7dec play abandoned for the day

Headingley: Yorkshire 450-5 v Derbyshire 190-3 play abandoned for the day

This is a fascinating little nugget, from Luis Reece at a sodden Headingley, on bowling to Harry Brook and Joe Root:

“I felt like I bowled well to Root, but it was Brook I struggled with. He put me under a lot of pressure and took a liking to my bowling.

“You know what cricket’s like, you can come across certain batters which suit your style and others who don’t. It’s visa versa when you bat.

“Your margin for error is a lot smaller. The way England have played, it’s been about that - putting the bowlers under pressure. Harry’s thriving as a cricketer under that. Joe, his stats speak for themselves. He’s one of England’s best ever players.

“You want to test yourself, and you want to get a buzz out of doing it. Otherwise, what’s the point in being out here. “

Another one bites the dust.

The west of the country faring the best today.

This is what Miles Hammond had to say yesterday evening.

“It’s been a good day for us, we’ve batted nicely, put ourselves in a great position and are happy with that. Hopefully, the weather doesn’t play too great a part tomorrow [ahem] and we can get back out there and add to our lead.

“ It was doing a bit out there to begin with, but there was extra bounce in the pitch and that meant you could play more shots and score a little bit more freely. Graeme (van Buuren) came out and batted really well in the way that he does.

“We were able to build a good partnership, build momentum and take the initiative in the game. That’s the way he bats best. It was great to watch and put Middlesex on the back foot. I don’t think we can afford to look too far ahead, because that would be careless. We have to focus on increasing our lead. There may come a time when we’re in a position to pull out and put them back in, but that can only come after a lot more hard work.”

There’s justice in there somewhere. Worcestershire get onto the green first.

Delayed starts at The Oval, Durham, Edgbaston, Worcestershire, Bristol, and Headingley. And for a full set, they’ve already called it a day at Grace Road

In Manchester it is damp. Elsewhere? The Met office says: “Locally heavy rain and brisk winds moving north across many eastern and central parts, mostly clearing into the North Sea by late afternoon. Drier and brighter in the west with sunny spells and scattered showers. Still rather cool for most.”

The current scene at Grace Road:

Centuries of different but sparkling hues by Joe Root and Harry Brook helped Yorkshire to maximum batting points at Headingley. Together they dabbed 201 for the fourth wicket, Root celebrating his 10th century for Yorkshire with a reverse-ramp for six before being bowled by a Zak Chappell yorker for 119, shaking his head as he trudged off.

Brook’s hundred, his ninth for Yorkshire and second of the season, was a more brutal affair at a run a ball. Derbyshire looked in deep trouble at 23 for three, but Wayne Madsen (88) and Brooke Guest (74) frustrated Yorkshire until stumps on a day so chilly that Root fielded in a snood.

Essex batted with restrained fortitude at Chester-le-Street, thanks to a quick-witted and stylish century from Feroze Khushi, his second for Essex, and a steady unbeaten 94 from Nick Browne, trailing by just 44 but with rain forecast for Sunday.

The groundsman Vic Demain explained that the wet weather had meant that his team couldn’t get heavy machinery on to the square early this year to compact the earth, and that therefore pitches are starting softer than he would like, without the bounce he was aiming for. Durham’s attack proved testing in the early overs of the day, with Ben Raine and Matthew Potts agitating, unsuccessfully but energetically, for several close lbw shouts.

Rory Burns put together a seven-hour 113, blunting skilful spells from Kyle Abbott and Mohammad Abbas, to reach his first hundred since July 2022. The innings hauled Surrey from a wobbly 44 for four to an intimidating 359 on a grassy Oval pitch. Jordan Clark provided the power hitting, freestyling an unbeaten 106 at a run a ball, and biffing Surrey to a lead of 208. Browbeaten Hampshire then lost two quick wickets before the rain fell.

Pepperpot Ben Duckett duly reached a brilliant 200 at Edgbaston, the fifth of his career and the one he considers his best in county cricket, as Nottinghamshire got the upper hand at a damp Edgbaston. He and Dillon Pennington steered Notts to 400, before Warwickshire’s in-form top order were reduced to 26 for three. Ed Barnard and Dan Mousley steered them safely to stumps.

There was a first hundred for George Bartlett in Northamptonshire colours, as he, with support from the gung-ho Chris Tremain and Lewis McManus, carried Northants to maximum batting points, biffing 116 in 14 overs and reaching 450 with two balls to spare.

Ben Sanderson then dismissed Leicestershire’s Australian opener Marcus Harris for a duck. On a wet day at Kidderminster, Jake Libby reached his fourth half century of the summer against Somerset, while Miles Hammond (81) and Graeme van Buuren (75) helped Gloucestershire to a 68-run lead over Middlesex at Bristol.

DIVISION ONE

Chester le Street: Durham 358 v Essex 314-3

The Oval: Surrey 359 v Hampshire 151 and 31-2

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 71-3 v Nottinghamshire 400

Kidderminster: Worcestershire 107-1 v Somerset 309-9dec

DIVISION TWO

Bristol: Gloucestershire 271-6 v Middlesex 203

Grace Road: Leicestershire 97-2 v Northampton 453-7dec

Headingley: Yorkshire 450-5 v Derbyshire 190-3

Good morning! Round the grounds? Wet.