COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE ROUNDUP: Essex will have to bat out much of the day to stave off defeat by Hampshire; Nottinghamshire's lead at the top looks likely to be cut
Chelmsford (day three of four): Essex 292-8 & 108-3, Hampshire 453 - Essex trail by 49 runs with seven wickets remaining
Liam Dawson enjoyed the sort of day allrounders dream of with a resilient century followed by two key Essex wickets as Hampshire took a firm grip on their Rothesay County Championship match at Chelmsford.
The England white-ball international's 139 from 235 balls, and a fifth-wicket partnership of 133 with fellow centurion Tilak Varma, underpinned Hampshire’s first-innings 453. It left Essex requiring 157 just to make their opponents bat again, or survive four-and-a-half sessions to prevent a third Championship defeat of the season.
But Dawson quickly upset Essex plans by dismissing both openers inside the first 16 of 46 overs faced either side of tea on the third day. With Eddie Jack removing a subdued Jordan Cox, Essex were teetering on 108 for 3 at the close, still 49 runs behind.
If there was any consolation on a miserable day for Essex it was that Simon Harmer collected the 500th first-class wicket of his nine seasons at the club. At the other end of the scale, 19-year-old pace-bowling debutant Mackenzie Jones chalked up his first.
Matthew Potts was in the wickets for Durham (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Edgbaston (day three of four): Somerset 498 & 116-3, Warwickshire 351 - Somerset lead by 263 runs with seven wickets remaining
Warwickshire and Somerset are heading for a Rothesay County Championship draw at Edgbaston after the home side narrowly avoided the follow on on the third day.
In reply to 498, Warwickshire were bowled out for 351, achieving the 349 follow-on figure with just two wickets to spare. Alex Davies hit 78, Sam Hain 78 and Tom Latham 65 but, on a very good batting pitch, nobody else reached 30 against a Somerset attack which kept the pressure high, led by skipper Craig Overton (4 for 61).
Somerset closed the third day on 116 for 3, 263 ahead overall, a commanding position but unlikely to be a winning one on a batter-friendly pitch which is not deteriorating.
Related: So many Championship treats, and still Cheltenham to come
Craig Overton was in fine form for Somerset (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
Chester-le-Street (day three of four): Sussex 361 & 111-4, Durham 327 - Sussex lead by 145 runs with six wickets remaining
Debutant Gurinder Sandhu starred for Sussex on day three of their Rothesay County Championship clash with Durham, but the match is edging towards a draw after a mix of rain and bad light caused play to end early at Banks Homes Riverside.
Durham had a tough morning with Australian Sandhu (5 for 83) taking the role of chief tormentor, picking up a five-wicket haul on debut as Durham lost their final four wickets for 26 runs to leave them on 327, a first innings deficit of 34.
Durham bounced back through Matthew Potts after lunch to put Sussex under pressure at 27 for 3, but James Coles was once again a thorn in the home team's side as he led a Sussex recovery with another fifty.
After several disruptions because of rain and bad light across the afternoon, play finished early with Sussex on 111 for 4 at close, 145 runs ahead.
New Road (day three of four): Worcestershire 209 & 125, Surrey 291 & 53-1 - Surrey win by nine wickets
Nathan Smith's exceptional six-wicket haul inspired Surrey to a dominant Rothesay County Championship win inside three days, as the reigning champions made light work of lowly Worcestershire.
Surrey dismantled Worcestershire for just 125 in their second innings, before taking the home side's final five-wickets for just 13 runs, as Matt Fisher (4 for 47) continued to impress.
Requiring just 49 to win at Visit Worcestershire New Road, Surrey just needed 15 overs to secure an emphatic nine wicket win.
A third win of the season keeps the Kia-Oval based outfit firmly in the hunt for a fourth-straight Division One title, as Worcestershire's relegation woes deepen.
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