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Craig Overton and Lewis Gregory are long-time mainstays of Somerset’s bowling attack – and the experienced pair will surely have major roles to play again when the visitors come to defend a fourth-innings target at Hove.

Sussex seemed set for a sizeable lead when they reached 149-2 on day two, just 53 behind, only for Overton (4-66) and Gregory (3-55) to rattle through their middle order and restrict the first-innings difference to 48.

Those arrears were swiftly wiped out by Somerset openers Josh Thomas and Tom Lammonby – the latter due to resume today on 74 alongside New Zealand’s Henry Nicholls, who has 12.

“We really showed some character and Craig, who broke the (third-wicket) partnership was superb,” said Somerset bowling coach Steve Kirby. “It has set the game up really well for us.

“All season we have recognised critical moments in games. We bowled in partnerships, tightened our lines and got our rewards.”

Huge appeal from Mir Hamza and the slip cordon for a caught behind off Nick Gubbins's bat but the umpire is unmoved.

Hamza is aghast as he looks at the official and replays are inconclusive with the Hants opener looking to cut it and missing (or not as the case may be).

It is instructive looking at the replays that the one man perhaps not as convinced as the rest was Chris Cooke who took the catch in his gloves but didn't go up.

Good news. That short, sharp shower was just that.

The covers have been taken off and we're due to restart at 15:45 BST.

With the caveat, and this is important, if there is no further rain.

Timm van der Gugten must have been in amateur dramatics in his youth because he has reappeared stage left as the opening bowler just 10 minutes after being dismissed as the last Glam wicket.

He has Ali Orr in his sights and concedes a single off the second delivery and a two off a no ball on the sixth as Hants stretch their lead to six.

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Runs and wickets may be in short supply today with most of the nation's best sitting with their feet up in various pavilions up and down the country.

But it may be a good time to have a look at who are the leading men in Division One and Two starting with batsmen.

Joe Clarke (Notts) hit his season's best of 144 not out against Warwickshire at Edgbaston confirmed his position as the leading runs scorer in the top flight with 1057 runs (three centuries and six half centuries) at an average of a shade over 70.

Tom Abell (Somerset) is the man with the silver medal currently hanging around his neck with 833 runs (three hundreds and five fifties) at 75 and change.

While Dan Lawrence (Surrey) has third spot with 788 (with five hundreds and, with an admirable conversion rate, no fifty) at just under 66 per visit.

Creditable mention, too, to James Coles whose 224 not out, against Glamorgan in June, is the season's high water mark.

No surprises which shirt Division Two's leading runs scorer wears: take a bow David Bedingham (Durham) who has 943 runs (five hundreds and two half centuries) at a superb 78.58 per knock.

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There might not be any play on day three, but day two was a day to remember for Joe Clarke as his stylish unbeaten 146 put Nottinghamshire on top.

He played almost a flawless innings, passing 1,000 Championship runs along the way with an array of stylish strokes against a dogged and disciplined attack.

"I'm really pleased that I managed to get past 90 and get to three figures and contribute to the team and put us in a decent position," Clarke said.

"When there are a lot of stoppages you have to stay focused and try to adapt when the lights are on and the ball is doing a bit more.

"Ben Martindale played really nicely for his maiden 50 in first class cricket and Lyndon James did really well in his first game back after injury. Then that last partnership with Fraser finished off the day well.

"It's pleasing to get to 1,000 runs. It's always a benchmark you want to reach. I was disappointed with last year so I have put a bit more focus on my red-ball cricket this because I wanted to contribute more to the team."

100 partnership for Bancroft and Hammondpublished at 15:21 BST 29 August

15:21 BST 29 August

Durham 384 v Glos 137 & 107-2

The floodlights are on now at Chester-le-Street, but fear not - this game between Durham and Gloucestershire continues to fly the flag proudly on day three!

Cameron Bancroft has just taken his partnership with Miles Hammond into three figures, pulling Kasey Aldridge to the boundary to take his score to 42.

I'm afraid with sadistic timing, the rain has returned at Hove just minutes before our scheduled resumption.

The covers are on and it's as you were. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings.

Adam Whitty
BBC Radio Leicester commentator

Image source, Rex Features

We had spitting rain for a while, and finally the umpires have made the decision to bring the players off.

Yorkshrie bowled more accurately and dangerously in this afternoon session, forcing plenty of misses from the two Foxes openers. Before lunch, it all felt a bit too easy for an opening pair more than happy to watch the ball sail past their off stump.

Rishi Patel and Sheridon Gumbs have batted excellently, frustrating the hosts' bowlers, and playing very selectively. Gumbs' 39 in 106 balls has included 90 dots, for example.

If there felt like a chance of a result, the umpires may have stayed on. But I fear that as the covers come on, that might be the last we see of it today.

Leicestershire will be very happy with their performance today though, they have avoided a collapse which might have set up a Yorkshire win (though that is still far from impossible with a full day's cricket tomorrow), but they have laid a perfect platform for batting bonus points.

As expected, Kasey Aldridge is back into the Durham attack and beats Cameron Bancroft's outside edge before firing in a short one that forces the opener to sway clear.

Bancroft collects a single from the final ball of the over to retain strike as this Gloucestershire pair continue nibbling away at the deficit.

We might have lost half of day three, but there's no doubt Somerset won day two, having batted much better in sunnier conditions second time round.

Craig Overton dropped two slip catches, but also finished with four wickets while John Simpson made 64* with the lower order.

Sussex just reached the lone batting point of the match thanks to two sixes from number 11 Jaydev Unadkat who fell lbw to Jack Leach missing a sweep with his side on 250.

Tom Lammonby and Josh Thomas had a brilliant opening partnership which saw the latter just miss out on 50, getting a leaper from Sean Hunt.

But Lammonby continued his great form reaching 74* alongside overseas Henry Nicholls (12*) as Somerset built a lead of 119.

Eddie Jack sends down five dots to Timm van der Gugten but the final delivery is carved behind square on the off side for four by the Glam bowler.

Six more for parity. Seven for a lead.

Timm van der Gugten probably has a minimal amount of faith in his partner Mir Hamza's ability with the bat and judging by his first delivery he might be right.

Sonny Baker's hands go up to his head as an inside edge flashes past his stumps. The final ball is pushed down into the on side for a dot but this is quite likely to finish soon.

Ben Stokes is really going the extra mile for Durham - he's sent down nine overs in a row and kept it pretty tight overall at just above two runs an over.

Yet Durham are still searching for that third wicket and Alex Lees will probably continue rotating his seamers in a bid to find it. Expect Matthew Potts or Kasey Aldridge to return to the attack fairly soon.

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Glamorgan all-rounder Dan Douthwaite insisted achieving near parity at the halfway mark was “mission accomplished” for the hosts against a quality Hants bowling attack.

Douthwaite was not far off the mark when he suggested day two had been hard work for both spectators and players with Glam climbing to 149-9, just 13 runs behind at the close.

But on a day affected by intermittent rain, he said Kiran Carlson’s side were happy to have potentially set up a one innings shootout.

“We had to absorb a bit of pressure, there was good bowling with Sonny (Baker) coming in from the Test squad bowling really quick and Kyle Abbott doesn't miss so it wasn't easy out there,” he said.

"We were chatting about trying to get as close to their score as possible and although it wasn't exciting cricket it felt like mission accomplished.

"No rhythm and obviously gave a chance for them to rest and it was weird facing bowlers for one over spells before it rained again so it was a bit under pressure but thankfully got threw it.

"Not sure the intentions or chat (on a potential one innings match on day four) at the moment. We know we can take 10 wickets bowling at our best then no reason we can't set up the game."

Sonny Baker is jumping up and down on the spot and comes haring in to bowl at Timm van der Gugten who steers the ball down to third man for a two.

We are up and running in Cardiff.

A real shame.

The second total wash-out in three days.

Let's hope we can get enough action for some bonus points to be secured on the final day in this Division One title showdown.