Essex left with a long way to go

Second-placed Somerset's hopes of maintaining the pressure on Yorkshire, the County Championship First Division leaders, were hit by rain delays at Taunton. Jimmy Cox hit 76 for the home side as they reached 207 for 6 against the defending champions, Surrey.

Relegation-hit Essex were in trouble against visitors Lancashire at Colchester and finished the day 300 runs in arrears having lost half of their wickets. Chasing Lancashire's 423, which included Neil Fairbrother's 132, 98 from Mark Chilton and an unbeaten 80 from Chris Schofield, Essex were in trouble on 123 for 5.

Leicestershire struggled in the field at Northampton. Mike Hussey's unbeaten 150 kept the Northamptonshire score moving in the right direction as the home side reached 266 for 5.

The Second Division leaders Sussex's hopes of adding to their title claims continued to suffer at Hove as Durham turned the screw. Durham's Martin Love (82) led the way in the second innings as the visitors reached 179 for 5 to add to their first-innings total of 254. But as Sussex had been dismissed for 117, Steve Harmison taking 4 for 52, the leaders were looking unlikely to add to their points total.

Kevin Pietersen's 150 was the mainstay for Nottinghamshire against Derbyshire, as honours were even between the East Midlands rivals at Trent Bridge. Chasing Derbyshire's 320, the home side were dismissed for 322, Derbyshire's Kevin Dean taking 5 for 89. The visitors were 51 without loss in their second innings at the close.

Mark Wagh and Ian Bell led Warwickshire's pursuit of Middlesex after the home side had topped 500 runs at Lord's. Middlesex had three centurions – Paul Weekes, Ed Joyce and David Nash – in their 502 for 7 declared. But Wagh (81no) and Bell (65no) saw the visitors to 157 for 2 by the close.

Neil Johnson's 103 helped Hampshire equal Worcestershire's first-innings total at New Road. After the home side were dismissed for 247 the visitors then matched that score.