10.40am So what today in the Andrew Flintoff soap opera, wonders Andy Wilson at Old Trafford. He only needs seven Durham wickets to complete all 10. Durham, meanwhile, need another 295 to pull off an unlikely win - might be a different story if messrs Benkenstein and McKenzie were here, but as things stand Lancashire must be strong favourites to get their championship campaign up and running at the third attempt.
Paul Collingwood was good value last night in an interview arranged with the main purpose of promoting ticket sales for the second Test against New Zealand which starts in Manchester two weeks today (May 23, details on www.lccc.co.uk). He described facing Fred as "pretty hairy", and attempted to provide solace for his latest duck by revealing that Garry Park, the wicket keeper who removed Flintoff's off pole, is "a nightmare to face in the nets".
11.50am Not going well for Durham, who are now 58 for six, says Andy Wilson. The last man out was Michael Di Venuto, run out by Mark Chilton's direct hit from cover after a mix-up with Phil Mustard. James Anderson took the other two wickets, trapping nightwatchman Mark Davies lbw and having golden-arm Garry Park caught behind. Flintoff was wicketless in his five-over spell, although he did have both Davies and Di Venuto dropped in the space of four balls.
11.55am The glorious sunshine of the first two days has given way to a queasy, muggy morning at Trent Bridge, writes David Hopps, and it is certainly an uncomfortable one for Nottinghamshire, who have lost Adam Voges, Sambit Patel and Matthew Wood in the first 50 minutes. All three fell in successive overs to the Ryan McLaren / Geraint Jones combination, with each McLaren dismissal getting better in turn. At 120-5, Notts lead by only 84 and the captain, Chris Read, has a rescue job on his hands.
If Voges causes half as much trouble to opposing bowlers as he does PA announcers he could have a good season. They are wise enough to know in these multi-cultural days that he does not rhyme with "rogues," but they are not sure how to pronounce him instead.
The Trent Bridge announcer had clearly been having lessons overnight. Throughout the first two days, he has dubbed him "Vo J" (we are using dodgy Guardian blog phonetics here, but you get the drift), and made him sound as if he should be part of London fashion week. Today, correctly, he became Adam Vo-jes, with the accent on the first syllable. However you pronounce it, he is out - and Kent are pushing hard for their first championship win of the season.
12.45pm and Lancashire have already won, writes Andy Wilson. Durham folded tamely for 90 in their second innings, although perhaps that doesn't give enough credit to James Anderson, who took five of the seven wickets to fall today, bowling unchanged from the Stretford End for 11 overs and four balls. He didn't do anything spectacular - I suspect he would put it down to getting lots of balls in the right areas.
2pm Any England Test selector going online this morning would have been interested to note that Matthew Hoggard was among the wickets at the Rose Bowl this morning, writes Paul Weaver.
But the wires got it wrong. Hoggy, who was mightily miffed to be dropped from the England side in New Zealand in the winter, bowled two wicketless spells here before lunch. At least one selector, James Whitaker, knows the truth. He is here, according to England and Wales Cricket Board sources, though we haven't spotted him yet.
JJ was seen at Old Trafford yesterday, so perhaps he is still battling with motorway traffic. The news that James Anderson, as well as Freddie Flintoff, was bowling Durham out in Manchester must have cheered up Hoggy no end.
But it was Graham Onions who took the first wicket of the day with only his second ball when Jamie How was lbw to one that may have kept low. Then Chris Tremlett, who replaced Hoggard at the pavilion end, chipped in with a couple of wickets to leave New Zealand 69 for three at lunch in reply to the England Lions' 280.
Tremlett's steepling bounce caused all sorts of problems. James Marshall turned one straight into the hands of Luke Wright at short-leg. It looked like a tailender's shot. Then Ross Taylor, following a wide one that bounced, was caught by the diving Matt Prior behind the wicket.
2.10pm There is nothing that suits a rejected England cricketer as much as the chance to captain his county, writes David Hopps. (That is unless you are Steve Harmison, in which case what suits you best as a rejected England player is pushing the prams moodily up the prom at Whitley Bay).
It was no easy task to follow the New Zealander, Stephen Fleming, whose captaincy reputation knew no peers. But Chris Read has taken on the task at Nottinghamshire with alacrity.
The dual role of captain and wicketkeeper has troubled many distinguished players in the past, but Read's keeping standards have so far remained high - and he is batting better than ever. His unbeaten half-century against Kent today has put Notts back into the match. He has just lost Stuart Broad, caught at slip off the off-spin of James Tredwell. At 204-7, Notts now lead by 168. For an even game, they probably need a lead of around 240. There is still much to be done.
3.55pm JJ Whitaker, Test selector, is definitely here we've been told, writes Paul Weaver at the Rose Bowl. Hoggard, though, has not really pressed his claims for England so far. He has been roundly outbowled by the gentle giant, Chris Tremlett.
All the chat here - in the press box and in the pavilion - is about the make-up of next week's Test team and, in particular, will Freddie play or not?
Dusty Miller left here yesterday and drove the best part of 300 miles north to see Flintoff in action at Old Trafford. Whether that's to say "Well done, lad, you're in," or to put a consoling arm round his shoulder and tell him to keep working at his batting, no one seems quite sure at the moment.
As for this match, there's not been a great deal going on in the afternoon session. Redmond is still there, having batted four hours and 58 overs for 72. New Zealand are 158 for four at tea.
The only wicket to fall in the afternoon was that of Brendon McCullum, who looked most upset when he was run out. Redmond played the ball to midwicket and McCullum called him through for a single. But Redmond said no and McCullum, already committed, was beaten by Michael Carberry's direct hit.
4.25pm As Timthemonkey observes so wisely, Dimitri Mascarenhas has yet to play a game for Rajasthan Royals. I am reliably assured that this is fact by the brand of press box colleagues who spend a few minutes each day poring over IPL scoreboards. Surely they have better things to do with their lives?
County championship scoreboards, naturally, are considerable more interesting - and a quick perusal of Nottinghamshire's shows that Chris Read has finished with 88 (132 balls) from Notts' second innings of 279. That leaves Kent needing 244 with four sessions remaining.
Read was in spanking form, driving winsomely through extra cover, carving through backward point with a muskateer's flourish and then leaning back with unexpected vigour to haul Ryan McLaren for six over midwicket. The little lad has more muscles than I imagined.
It has been a good game for rejected England wicketkeepers; Geraint Jones also finished with nine catches in the match - equalling his best for Kent in the championship - and his catch to dismiss Read was a blinder, a tumbling effort way to his right. McLaren finished with 6-75.
Nipping into the dining area for a cup of tea, I have just heard a golf commentator reveal that "this course used to be green fields". Presumably this information was imparted in case you imagined it was once a teeming cosmopolitan city. Trent Bridge, of course, is one of the most pleasant green fields of all, and watching Read bat on it for a couple of hours has been a delight.
4.50pm Before any blogger kindly points out that Stuart Broad has removed both Kent openers within his first two overs on the same day that I questioned his worth as an England third seamer I will helpfully point this out myself, says David Hopps. If he gets an eight-for by the close, I might admit I was wrong. Kent are 43-2 at Trent Bridge chasing 244.
6.20pm Three wickets in his first 4.3 overs for Stuart Broad has left Nottinghamshire vs Kent finely balanced entering the final day at Trent Bridge, writes David Hopps. Martin Van Jaarsveld is 45 not out and has thrown his head back in annoyance at several Kent dismissals.
Broad's first wicket came against one of Kent's more redoubtable souls, an lbw verdict against James Tredwell in his opening over. Joe Denly's dismissal - a parried catch at slip - was looser and Matthew Walker's top-edged hook was a bit of a giveaway.
By the time that Darren Stevens drove loosely at Mark Ealham, Van Jaarsveld's frustration was evident. Kent need 115 with six wickets left. An excellent match is too close to call. It could all depend on whether the ball, now 36 overs old, swings for Ryan Sidebottom in the morning.
6.45pm At tea, after four hours batting, the dogged Redmond was 72 not out, writes Paul Weaver. And he was still there at the close with an unbeaten 139 in New Zealand's 261 for nine, just 19 runs behind.
When the long shadows came the Lions took the second new ball and at last the persevering Hoggard had some success. He dismissed Jeetan Patel, Tim Southee and Ian O'Brien. But this wasn't the Hoggard of old and today both Chris Tremlett and Graham Onions looked more dangerous bowlers.
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