County Championship Division One roundup: Wash out frustrates relegation-threatened Northamptonshire

The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action during day three of the 14th round of LV= Insurance County Championship matches in 2023

Canterbury (day three of four): Kent 446, Nottinghamshire 265 & 177-5 - Nottinghamshire trail by four runs with five second-innings wickets in hand

A defiant rearguard action from Joe Clarke and Lyndon James gave Nottinghamshire hope of avoiding defeat in their LV= Insurance County Championship with Kent at Canterbury, after they were forced to follow on.

Nottinghamshire ended day three on 177 for 5 in their second innings, a deficit of just four, after Clarke and James batted through the entire evening session to finish unbeaten on 61 and 38, respectively, at stumps.

Aron Nijjar had earlier claimed career-best figures of 4 for 67 as the visitors were bowled out for 265 in their first innings.

Michael Hogan and Joey Evison then claimed two wickets apiece after Kent asked Notts to bat again, but after reducing the visitors to 78 for 5, they were frustrated during a wicketless evening session.

Joe Clarke frustrated Kent [Harry Trump/Getty Images]

Edgbaston (day three of four): Northamptonshire 250, Warwickshire 142-4 - Warwickshire trail by 108 runs with eight first-innings wickets in hand

Northamptonshire's Division One status hangs by a thread after the third day of their County Championship visit to Warwickshire was washed out.

Relentless drizzle from a leaden Birmingham sky left Edgbaston sodden and the match frozen in only its second innings – Warwickshire on 142 for 4 in reply to 250 – with just one day left.

Northamptonshire's frustration only increased as, while they watch the drizzle fall, there was play in Canterbury and Kent took advantage by overpowering Nottinghamshire.  

The visitors need to deliver something spectacular on the final day against a Warwickshire side which can, if they wish, bat without taking risks in pursuit of bonus points. 

Dane Vilas scored a century for Lancashire [Harry Trump/Getty Images]

Old Trafford (day three of four): Middlesex 194, Lancashire 330-5 - Lancashire lead by 136 runs with five first-innings wicket in hand

Lancashire's batters maintained their side's grip on the LV= Insurnace County Championship Division One match against Middlesex and had built a 136-run first-innings lead by the close of yet another rain-shortened day.

Replying to the visitors' 194, the home side were 330 for 5 at stumps with Dane Vilas marking his final month as a Red Rose cricketer by making 124 and Luke Wells adding 97.

Lancashire's powerful position means that Middlesex face a battle to avoid defeat on the final day of the game, thus complicating a relegation battle that already involves Northamptonshire, Kent and Nottinghamshire.