As we mentioned in our coverage yesterday, the top of Division One would have looked so different had Sussex beaten Warwickshire last month - a match they lost by one wicket.

Had that happened, Sussex would have been level on points with Somerset at the top, the Bears would have been fourth and there would have been five points separating the top four.

Now out of the title picture, Sussex look like they're about to finish with a flourish against already-relegated Hampshire.

This is not good from Essex.

After Zaman Akhter bowls four wides, the next over Simon Harmer turns one out of the rough and it beats wicketkeeper and slip fielder for a couple of byes

All very untidy stuff.

Olly Stone nips one back into Adam Lyth and races down the wicket in full-on celeb appeal.

There was a sound as it zipped through to wicketkeeper Mitch Hay, but the umpire believes it was neither bat nor glove.

Lyth is getting a proper working over from Stone, but survives.

Will Luxton then plays and misses at a Brett Hutton delivery which moves back in and beats the opener's inside edge. Groans galore.

Was there a nick?

A superb delivery from Che Simmons cuts back sharply at Daniel Bell-Drummond, who was thinking about a square cut.

But it wouldn't have mattered anyway - as Simmons over-stepped, it's a no-ball.

Zaman Akhter is into the Essex attack and is promptly smacked away to the point boundary by Colin Ingram.

The visiting bowlers just cannot create any opportunities.

Given Leicestershire's appeal against their points deduction, Essex could still be drawn into the relegation frame.

Akhter then serves up four wides down the leg side.

Following a 45-minute delay because of rain, Tom Bailey bowls the first over of day two at Old Trafford.

Ollie Robinson - 34 not out - is a very handy batter and Durham will be looking to push their total on in the hope of only having to bat once in this game.

A small tick for the Northants openers as Middlesex make the first bowling change of the morning in the 10th over as Danru Fearns replaces Ryan Higgins.

A comfortable first over costs four runs.

Toby Roland-Jones' first five overs have gone for just three runs, but he remains somehow wicketless.

That's nice from Luke Procter as he drives TRJ down the ground for three.

A good start from the visitors, but the deficit remains a daunting 129.

Glorious.

Daniel Bell-Drummond drives JT Langridge straight for four and finds the boundary again from the next delivery, clipping the ball to mid-wicket.

Langridge perhaps nearing the end of his first spell of the day?

Nothing doing for the Essex seamers in Cardiff this morning so they turn to the spin of Simon Harmer.

He bowls to Asa Tribe who has moved to 140 not out.

Harmer dropped the Jerseyman before he had scored yesterday...

Adam Whitty
BBC Radio Leicester commentator

Warwickshire, on course for the title, have added 26 runs untroubled this morning. Sam Hain and Ed Barnard have nudged and poked their way to a 50 partnership, but have looked confident doing it.

The pitch, which is a tad slow, hasn't done anything this morning. There isn't a huge amount of movement out there, though Josh Hull is arching his back to bowl some inswing.

Talking to assistant coach James Taylor last night, what I found interesting was that the Foxes' relegation (as it stands) was essentially ignored - it was as if it hadn't happened.

They want to finish in style but are also confident their appeal against their 27-point deduction can be successful. Had they not had that hit, they would be eight points clear of Essex, and, with one bowling point each so far, still would be.

So that will be their aim. A hammering here and the deduction won't matter.

Jack Leach is on for Somerset to see if he can hustle out the Surrey tail.

He immediately spins one past the outside edge of Dan Worrall's bat.

We have four overs remaining for bonus points to be accrued.

Olly Stone so nearly makes the breakthrough as he beats Will Luxton's defensive push with an absolute jaffa which zips through to wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay.

Nothing much you can do about that.

The Trent Bridge floodlights spark into life to combat the slightly gloomy conditions. Not easy for the batters.

And they make life harder for themselves as Adam Lyth pushes and runs the tightest of singles. Luckily for a scampering Luxton, the throw misses the stumps.

for Ben Comptonpublished at 11:10 BST 25 September

11:10 BST 25 September

Kent 109-3 v Glos 229

Image source, Getty Images

Ben Compton pushes a full-length ball from JT Langridge into the covers and is able to come back for a third run as it is fielded just inside the rope.

That carries Compton to 50 from 93 balls - and Kent will now want him to 'go big' in this innings.

Image source, Shutterstock

Sam Hain has been Mr Consistent for Warwickshire in the Championship this season.

Currently 50 not out, this is his 10th score of 50 or more in 20 innings in the 2026 competition.

He's only converted one of them into a century, but he's averaging more than 73 and is closing in on 1,000 runs for the season.

Glamorgan have added only 10 runs to their overnight total in the opening 30 minutes of the second morning in Cardiff.

Tight bowling from Essex without looking particularly threatening.

Not for the first time in his long career, Toby Roland-Jones looks to have the ball on a string this morning.

He continues to torment Ricardo Vasconcelos with an impeccable line and length and movement away from the outside edge.

But there's relief at the other end as Ryan Higgins goes too straight and Vasconcelos tucks it around the corner for the first boundary of the morning.