The toss is won and the team sheets are in and Middx are going to bat with the teams set to take the field shortly (the covers are still on but there is movement).

Jimmy Anderson is back in the Lancs side for the first time since a T20 against Yorks in July and for the first time in red ball cricket mid June.

He will captain the visitors as they try to avoid finishing in the bottom two in the country against a Middx side who look booked for mid table.

Here's how it looks so far. Not much to look at, I know.

Division One

Chelmsford: Essex v Sussex (Sussex 3-0)

Utilita Bowl: Hampshire v Warwickshire (Delayed)

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Leicestershire (Delayed

Taunton: Somerset v Glamorgan (1100 AM BST start)

Kia Oval: Surrey v Yorkshire (Delayed)

Division Two

Bristol: Gloucestershire v Derbyshire (Delayed)

Canterbury: Kent v Worcestershire (10-0)

Northwood: Middlesex v Lancashire (Delayed)

Northampton: Northamptonshire v Durham (Delayed)

It has been a chastening season for Glocs in red ball cricket with a miserable 44 points from 10 games and just one win all season.

Yet it will be of some comfort in such an awful campaign that that win came against this round's opposition in Derby back in April.

On that occasion Miles Hammond's 145 and a stunning ninth wicket partnership of 191 between Henry Brookes and Will Williams gave them an unassailable first innings total and a 10 wicket win.

Since then it has been downhill at an increasingly fast pace including last weekend's 10 wicket drubbing at the hands of Champions elect Durham.

Derbys have fared slightly better with 110 points in sixth place with three wins in their last six games.

Seasons of "transition" or "a rebuild" are underway at both counties which, in layman's terms, means neither can probably wait for the season to finish.

Unsurprisingly Kent are batting after losing the toss or a pitch that looks sweaty and green.

The Pears have resisted the chance to play spinner Fateh Singh and gone with an extra seamer, given the conditions.

So far Zak Crawley and Ben Compton have seen off the first couple of overs.

Sussex won the toss at Chelmsford and have chosen to bat.

A few minutes' delay but they’re now under way with Daniel Hughes and Tom Haines in the middle.

Typical. After all the rubbish weather in the last round, we all hoped for better this time but the rain is proving rather stubborn.

Just two games under way at the moment, with delays everywhere else.

Slightly better news at Taunton....

Slight delay at Taunton.

The toss will now be 10:40 BST and play will begin at the top of the hour.

Some early morning light rain has delayed the toss at The Oval ahead of Surrey's match against Yorkshire.

Surrey have been title contenders and usually title winners in recent years so it's strange seeing them face a battle against relegation. They were grateful to their eighth wicket pair of Ben Foakes and Tom Lawes for saving the game against Essex but that still leaves them just one place and three points above the drop zone.

They've recruited Delhi Capitals bowler Auqib Nabi for the next three games as he gets his first taste of county cricket.

Yorkshire are also looking over their shoulders with a 12 point cushion although, 28 points off the pace, they may not have given up their title ambitions completely.

They'll be hoping for an improvement in the weather after a particularly frustrating four days against Leicestershire

BBC Local Radio

We'll bring you regular text updates across all four days of this round of the County Championship, but you can tune in to BBC Local Radio, flitting between the games that interest you, as you wish.

Just click the 'Watch & Listen' tab at the top of the page for coverage from all nine matches - when weather permits - or if you prefer you can listen to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra who are jumping from ground to ground to keep you across all the action as the day goes on.

Just a point separate these sides with Sussex, fifth on 120 points, and Essex in sixth.

The gap to Notts at the top is now 28 points for Sussex, which seems like too many with four games remaining. So the fairytale title before the break-up of their squad seems beyond them.

Likewise, it would appear fanciful for Essex to send Dean Elgar off into retirement with a Championship pennant.

But this is sport - so who knows?

Essex were denied by a Surrey rearguard last week while the weather saved Sussex from what was looking like a tricky fourth innings against Somerset.

Here we go again for Somerset.

Into the final stretch of the season and a maiden Championship title is very much within reach as they sit just four points behind leaders Notts.

Glamorgan travel to Taunton this week, still with title ambitions of their own. They start the round in fourth on 121 points, 27 behind Notts.

These sides played out a game for the ages at Cardiff back in May.

Glamorgan trailed by 125 on first-innings, only to rifle Somerset out for 157 and then chase down 283 to win having been 134-5.

And to cap it all off, the hero was nightwatchman Ryan Hadley who made an unbeaten 50 from 231 balls!

Play it again Sam…

Image source, Getty Images

Notts remain in the box seat when it comes to retaining their Division One title but only just with a lead of just four points lead over Somerset in second place and eight points over Warks in third.

Rain has delayed the toss here at Trent Bridge ahead of a local derby against Leics that looks key to their hopes. And with three of the champions four remaining matches at Trent Bridge they are probably justifiable favourites.

Two wins and a draw (against the Bears last weekend) bring them into this match in good form and no one is in better form than Joe Clarke, whose season's best 150 in the last round extended his lead at the top of the run charts.

The Foxes face a very different battle at the other end of the table, clear of Hants in last place but in the other relegation slot.

All hope is not lost though given they trail Surrey by just three points, making safety in reach. It also makes every batting or bowling point crucial here.

Although it's not raining at the moment in Southampton a wet outfield has delayed the toss for the match between Hampshire and Warwickshire with the two teams keen to start for different reasons.

Warwickshire were second best against top of the table Notts last week but they remain just eight points behind in third place.

Indian test spinner Manav Suthar returns having last played for the county in June.

While all first division matches were curtailed by the weather in the last round, Hampshire were perhaps the most frustrated team as they were in a good position to beat Glamorgan before rain arrived on the final day.

Rock bottom, they're now 19 points off safety so desperately need a win. They've recruited New Zealand all-rounder Scott Kuggeleijn for the final four matches

He made his Test debut at the age of 31 during England's 2023 winter tour taking four wickets with Ben Stokes being one of his victims.

BBC Local Radio

We'll bring you regular text updates across all four days of this round of the County Championship, but you can tune in to BBC Local Radio, flitting between the games that interest you, as you wish.

Just click the 'Watch & Listen' tab at the top of the page for coverage from all nine matches - when weather permits - or if you prefer you can listen to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra who are jumping from ground to ground to keep you across all the action as the day goes on.

In the second tier, Durham's charge back to Division One continues to look a formality but which one of Kent or Northamptonshire will join them?

Worcestershire's failure to beat Lancashire may have dealt their hopes of a late charge a knockout blow with the gap to the second spot 24 points.

That can turn round of course and both Kent and Northants will be well aware of that as they both arm wrestle each other from afar over the next four days.

Northants host the leaders first up as Kent welcome the Pears.

A pivotal round.

As we continue to charge down the home straight, the fight to be county champions looks like going to the wire.

Defending champs Nottinghamshire's slender lead could not be much slimmer as Somerset, still believing this will finally be the year, and Warwickshire continue to huff heavily down Notts' white shirts.

Eight points is all that separates them. It's brilliantly poised.

At the bottom, Surrey just about stayed clear of the bottom two, thanks to Ben Foakes' heriocs at Essex, and, of course will want to stay away from trouble against Yorkshire.

Division One

Chelmsford: Essex v Sussex

Utilita Bowl: Hampshire v Warwickshire

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Leicestershire

Taunton: Somerset v Glamorgan

Kia Oval: Surrey v Yorkshire

Division Two

Bristol: Gloucestershire v Derbyshire

Canterbury: Kent v Worcestershire

Northwood: Middlesex v Lancashire

Northampton: Northamptonshire v Durham

Four games to go and hopefully after all the rain from the last round, let's hope for a kinder four days from the weather gods.

Draws all round pretty much left things where they were in terms of title races and the battle to stay playing first division cricket.

There is some dampness around today though but let's hope the conditions - and the action - bring some sunshine over the next four days.

Here we go...