Paul Weaver at Trent Bridge, 2pm It takes just half an hour, driving briskly down Brian Clough Way, to travel from the County Ground in Derby to Trent Bridge, from the austerity of the lower reaches of the second division to the oxygen-masked top of the first, from one of the domestic game's most prosaic settings to one of its most attractive.
In another sense the distance between Derbyshire, one of the 'have-not' counties, and Nottinghamshire, one of the 'haves' is a lot longer than that, a thought that came to mind this morning in the wake of the selfish-sounding franchise idea for Twenty20 cricket that would further isolate those clubs at the bottom of the pile.
In this match, though, Nottinghamshire have looked far from championship leaders. On Saturday, Surrey had become the first county to top 300 on this ground this season and yesterday they reached 400 before they were all out.
Surrey resumed on 356-7 and Notts made a quick breakthrough when Darren Pattinson had Chris Jordan caught at first slip with the fourth ball of the morning. But Saqlain Mushtaq, 27 overnight, clumped his way merrily to 50 before he lobbed one back to Graeme Swann at 384. Then Jade Dernbatch clouted Swann for successive sixes, straight and over mid-on, before Pedro Collins, obviously excited by reaching his highest score of the season (six) fell lbw to Andre Adams.
When Notts batted Will Jefferson, who had averaged just 12 this season, and Matt Wood (23) managed to improve on their previous best opening stand of the season (33) as they put on 60 for the first wicket, before the former edged Matt Nicholson to the keeper for 42, his best score of the season by ten runs.
If you're wondering why I'm staying in Derbyshire, by the way, it's because it's the most beautiful county in the country and I stay there whenever I can. Breathtaking views (in the Dales as well as the Peaks) fantastic houses to visit (Haddon Hall, Chatsworth) and terrific pubs with great ale and roaring log fires. Yes, in July!
Andy Wilson at Riverside, 2.15pm Can't help feeling I should have been here yesterday. That, according to the local Durham press lads endorsed by the Somerset scorer, was when Steve Harmison was bowling a seriously impressive spell, with overnight figures of four for 68 establishing him as the leading wicket taker in the First Division with 34. Apparently his burst of three wickets in six balls wasn't quite as devastating as it sounds, as two of the three victims - Neil Edwards and Marcus Trescothick - were out to loose shots, Trescothick slapping a long hop to backward point. But Justin Langer was caught at slip by Harmison's brother Ben off a legitimate cracker, and he was deemed worthy of the figures overall.
Unfortunately those of us who were hoping he'd polish off the remainder of the Somerset batting this morning to give us a decent line for tomorrow's paper were frustrated first by Durham captain Dale Benkenstein, who chose to open up instead with Liam Plunkett and Callum Thorp - who each took a wicket, Plunkett having Craig Kieswetter caught at slip by a beauty that lifted and left him, and was apparently much better than anything he managed yesterday. Then, after Harmison had bowled a single over from the Lumley End with the second new ball, Langer declared Somerset's first innings on 352 for eight - enterprising, in that it kept the game moving, or shrewd, in that he denied Durham a third bowling point?
Anyway, Durham responded with a rattling opening stand of 68 inside 13 overs although Charl Willoughby pegged them back by having Michael Di Venuto well caught by Trescothick low down at second slip. Durham now 100 for one, a draw looking highly probable.
Andy Wilson at Riverside, 3.30pm Which idiot said this game was heading for a draw? Durham now 148 for six, as Somerset's bowlers have induced a succession of shocking shots, and cast doubt over Durham's gamble of coming into this game a batsman light. One wicket each for Willoughby, Jones, Thomas and Blackwell, and two for Trego, one of them courtesy of a terrific catch by Neil Edwards at gully to dismiss Durham's captain Dale Benkenstein.
Mike Averis from The Rose Bowl, 4.00pm Twelve overs of Greg Chapple and Andrew Flintoff turned the game on its head, Hampshire's top order crumbling to 48 for five in the first 75 minutes after lunch.
First Chapple, the pick of the bunch during the first innings, nipped out the openers with movement off the wicket before Flintoff, also running down the hill from the Pavllion End, blasted out Sean Ervine and Nic Pothas during his most hostile spell of the game.
Just about the same time that England were toiling to get rid of South Africa's opening pair at Lord's, Flintoff was proving what extra pace can do. Ervine, who had driven the first Flintoff delivery in the air through covers for four, got an edge to the second. The ball flew to Stuart Law at second slip and then on to Paul Horton, standing at first.
His second wicket was all Flintoff's own work - the all-rounder sending Pothas' middle stump back 15 feet. The remaining overs were wicket-less, but left-hander Michael Lumb escaped when a thick edge flew through the vacant third slip area at comfortable catching height.
It wasn't Flintoff's best bowling of the match - the 21 overs of the first innings were more controlled - but it was furious; just the kind of thing England could have done with today and also on Sunday when they laboured over the South African tail.
Sajid Mahmood, the third Lancashire quick to prefer the Pavillion End, then chipped in with the wickets of Greg Lamb (strangled down the leg side for 16) and Dimitri Mascarenhas (caught upper-cutting to third man) so when bad light and then rain forced an early tea interval, Hampshire were 81 for seven, 113 ahead and only Lumb, on 17, left of the recognised batsmen.
Paul Weaver from Trent Bridge, 4.45pm Surrey could be heading for their first win of the season if they make Notts follow on here. At tea the championship leaders, needing to score 254 to avoid the ignominy of being asked to bat again, are 193-6 so it's very much in the balance.
It would be nice to give bottom of the table Surrey some credit for this state of affairs, but they have been gifted some wickets by some appalling batting from the home side. Notts have certainly gifted Surrey their last four wickets.
Openers Will Jefferson and Matt Wood have been in such dodgy form this season that their best stand was 33 before this match, a most dissolvable partnership. They bettered that here, putting on 60 before Jefferson, who had bettered his previous best score of 32 by ten runs, prodded forward to Matt Nicholson and was caught behind.
Mark Wagh, pushing off the back foot to give a catch to second slip, was second out at 64, but it was what happened then that disappointed local supporters. Wood, wafting, was caught down the leg-side and Jade Dernbatch then got Adam Voges, who was pulling, caught in the same area for his second strangulation; 122-4.
Notts now had a battle on their hands to avoid the follow-on. But Chris Read was bowled by Chris Jordan without playing a stroke and then Samit Patel, who was aiming his head-up slog-drive in the direction of long-on, was caught by the wicketkeeper, who had run round to the gully position to take the catch. Awful batting in the circumstances.
Paul Weaver from Trent Bridge, 6.30pm It didn't get any better for Notts. Mark Ealham, bowled when he should have been forward, might be forgiven. But that will be more difficult in the case of Graeme Swann, caught at cow corner immediately after getting away with a miscued six, and Andre Adams, who slogged up to cover.
When Darren Pattinson had his middle stump knocked back by Saqlian Mushtaq, Notts were all out on a good pitch for 218 and followed on 185 behind. Then, with only one on the board, Jefferson had his off stump plucked out by Dernbach. Horrible! Unless you're a brown cap.
