That’s all for today. Here’s our roundup of the day’s action:
Just in case anyone’s still there:
CLOSE OF PLAY SCORES
Division one
Headingley: no play today
Old Trafford: Lancashire 58/2 - Jennings 27 not out, Livingstone 4 not out. It had been a struggle but Hameed and Jennings were just starting to look in control before Hameed was out. Impressive bowling from Notts, especially Gurney 2-22. Lancashire six runs behind with eight wickets in hand.
Aegeas Bowl: Worcestershire 59 for 3; need 265 to win. Abbot 3-27.
Division two
Lord’s: Middlesex won by 160 runs. James Harris: highest score, most runs, most wickets (c/0 T Beecroft)
Edgbaston: Rain stopped play, Sussex 194-6; Stone 6-52.
Kent: Gloucester 61 for 1, need 47 to win. Benny Howell not out 34.
Player of the day: Olly Stone
Good evening!
📽️ Incredible stuff from Olly Stone today. 5 for 41 and it looks like he's just warming up!#YouBears pic.twitter.com/px2wLMW4lE
— Warwickshire CCC 🏏 (@WarwickshireCCC) April 15, 2018
Updated
They’re back on at Southampton: Worcestershire 20/2. Fell b Abbott 8
Inspection at Warwickshire at 545.
And that’s official, we’re done for the day at Old Trafford.
Looks like close of play at Old Trafford, it’s dark as gravy and hammering down.
For despondent Kent fans, a small ray of sunshine
BOWLED HIM! Matt Henry re-arranges the furniture with a beauty to remove Chris Dent for 6. Glos 6-1 chasing 108. pic.twitter.com/N20lmtDq4J
— Kent Cricket 🏏 (@kentcricket) April 15, 2018
Updated
No play anywhere except at Canterbury where Gloucestershire are almost cruising towards victory: 61 for 1, needing another 47 to win. But I see the covers have now come on there as well.
Bad light and drizzle have stopped play at Old Trafford, Southampton and Edgbaston. Gloucester wobble towards victory: 36 for 1, 72 needed.
Updated
Les Ames -Kent and England wicketkeeper Photograph: Popperfoto/Getty Images
TEA ROUND-UP
Division one
Headingley: no play today
Old Trafford: Lancashire 58/2 - Jennings 27 not out, Livingstone 4 not out. It had been a struggle but Hameed and Jennings were just starting to look in control before Hameed was out. Impressive bowling from Notts, especially Gurney 2-22. Lancashire six runs behind with eight wickets in hand.
Aegeas Bowl: Rain stopped play, Worcestershire 17 for 1; need 307 to win.
Division two
Lord’s: Middlesex won by 160 runs. James Harris: highest score, most runs, most wickets (c/0 T Beecroft)
Edgbaston: Rain stopped play, Sussex 170-6; Stone 6-48
Kent: Gloucester 28 for 1, need 79 to win. Benny Howell not out 18.
Wickets starting to tumble at Old Trafford: Lancashire 51/2. They still trail Notts by 13 runs.
A very disappointed Hameed for 19 and then Davies lbw fifth ball for 0. Both wickets to Gurney.
Updated
Timothy Beecroft writes: “In Middx’s crushing defeat of Northants, James Harris made the highest score (46no), and scored more runs (64 for once out) and took more wickets (9-48) than anybody else in the match. This can’t happen very often can it?”
Timothy, this isn’t really my forte, I’m sorry. But I have asked Steven Lynch on your behalf, I’ll let you know if he gets back in touch.
Kent 153 all out: Bell Drummond 61 , Zac Crawley 32. Higgins 5-22. Gloucestershire need 108 to win...
Another wicket down at Canterbury: Kent 153 for 9. Higgins 5-22. A lead of 107, it could be an lively final session.
Off for bad light at Old Trafford: Lancashire 14-0 in reply
At Southampton, rain has stopped play with Worcestershire 17/1.
At Edgbaston, Sussex fighting back at 170 for 6, Burgess last man out for 44 and 6-48 for Olly Stone making his home Championship debut for Warwickshire.
At Canterbury, Kent 138 for 7, more than doubling their first innings score.
And to recap: no play at Headingley and all over at Lord’s with a 160-run win for Middlesex.
Olly Stone in action:
RE: that Olly Stone bouncer @GeorgeDobell1 was referring to earlier...
— Vithushan Ehantharajah (@Vitu_E) April 15, 2018
It's decent 👀 #CountyCricket pic.twitter.com/ER0pNRDLal
A gripping little passage of play here at Old Trafford: Fletcher and Ball steaming in against an immaculate Hameed and Jennings.
— tanya aldred (@tjaldred) April 15, 2018
Northants have been put out of their misery at Lord’s: 142 all out, losing by 160 runs. Murtagh 4-36, Harris 4-39. HS:Newton 44.
Someone with more of a finger on the fixtures pulse than me has pointed out that should Headingley’s sponge not dry out for the next four-day game against Notts starting April 20; there isn’t another Championship game at Headingley until August 29...
Updated
Last rites at Lord’s: Northants 141/7. Three for Murtagh, two for Harris, one each for Cartwright and Roland Jones.
Updated
And at Old Trafford, that’s the end of Moores who flicked Mennie onto his stumps for 38. Notts 222/9. Rewind: Notts 222 all out Jake Ball stumped Davies b Livingstone 9. Notts have a lead of 64.
And play has been abandoned at Headingley for the day.
News from the pitch inspection - Play has been abandoned for today. We will try again tomorrow #YourYorkshire
— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) April 15, 2018
Updated
More wickets at Lord’s: Northants 127 for 6 AND at Canterbury: Kent 89 for6.
Stephen, I’m not sure if this will work but if you click here you should be able to see Higgins take a wicket or two.
An early wicket after lunch at Old Trafford. Wood caught in the gully off Livingstone for 8. Notts 210/8, with a handy lead of 52.
Some reading for anyone contemplating a commentary career or who would just like to know more about it from Gary Naylor.
Lunchtime roundup of a slightly calmer morning:
Div 1
Headingley: pitch inspection 1.40. Incidentally, this was an interesting suggestion.
Old Trafford: Rain now. Notts 204 for 7, Moores 33 not out, Wood 4 not out and Notts have a lead of 46. But, but ... a first wicket for a spinner - Wessels lbw Livingstone for a stylish 44.
Southampton: Worcestershire 17/1, need an unlikely 307 to win. D’Oliveria lbw Abbot 1. A a super season-starter for Abbot: four wickets and a fifty already.
Div 2
Edgbaston: Sussex 109/5!: promising but injury-prone Oli Stone 5-41. See here
Lord’s: Northants a respectable 124/5; top-scorer Newton out for 44. Murtagh 2-28. Northants need 180 more to win.
Canterbury: Kent, oh dear, 89-5. It rather fell to pieces when Bell Drummond was out. Higgins 3-11. They lead Gloucestershire by 43. Could be over today
ps: Weather forecast for the rest of the day is not great.
Updated
All out at Hampshire, leaving Gloucestershire to chase 323 to win. Drizzle and bad light at OT - and yes, the players are walking off now: 204 for 7, Moores 33 not out, Wood 4 not out and Notts have a lead of 46. They’re taking an early lunch.
Updated
Bell-Drummond lbw Higgins 61, with 10! fours. Kent 75/2
Simon Barnes thinks it really might be summer. Oh and that’s a wicket at Old Trafford: Wessesls lbw Livingstone 44. Is that the first wicket for a spinner this year? Certainly here...
Morning ride with seven swallows. One summer?
— Simon Barnes (@simonbarneswild) April 15, 2018
At the Aegeas Bowl an end to the eight-wicket partnership of 72 with Wheal out for 19, they are currently 232/9. Abbott 41 not out.
At OT, a super little partnership of 76 between Wessels and Moores proving that the apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree.
Sussex 39/1: Salt caught Hose b Stone 29 and a victory for nouns.
Northants looking strong at 69/3.
Kent 49/1; Bell-Drummond 43 not out.
Interesting chat re this picture in The Times of Nick Compton and how cricketers’ bodies have changed over the years.
Ken Grime here at Old Trafford saying that back in the early days of one-day cricket Lancashire would have put the more roly-poly figures at backward point and slip.
At Canterbury Kent have lost a wicket: Sean Dickson lbw Worrall 5. Unbeaten 50 something 8th wicket partnership at Southampton...
Updated
Oh, Northants - 44/3. Procter lbw Harris 8.
Floodlights on here at Old Trafford, and a reassuringly sedate passage of play for Notts. A couple of cracking little fours by young Moores .
The last wicket has fallen at Edgbaston, meaning that no team made 300 in their first innings. Ambrose last man out for 81.
A few wickets tumbling already: Gloucester all out and Northants 25/2
An email! From Gareth Frith: “Tanya, I agree with your assessment of the positive number of live feed views, and coupled with listening figures on BBC radio I’d say interest in the format was in rude health.
“I’m still baffled in the ECB’s treatment of it though - it surely would have made good investment sense to build on this, the one day stuff and the existing T20 rather than try and cram four competitions into an English summer, whilst trying to improve Test standards?
“Anyway, what’s done is done now I suppose. Ho hum.”
Discuss..
And, incidentally, Pakistan have just named their squad for the summer tour of Ireland, Scotland and England and Inzaman’s nephew is in it! Insert joke about running between the wickets. Lots of disgruntled Pakistan fans out there crying foul.
PCB has announced the Pakistan squad for Test tour of Ireland and England.
— Cricistan.com (@Cricistan) April 15, 2018
Still no place for Fawad Alam as fans were hoping for.
Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul Haq and Saad Ali get maiden call-ups to Test side.#PCB #PakistanCricket #Cricket #EngvsPak #IrevsPak pic.twitter.com/KnZpoW1ClE
Updated
Lord’s just want everyone to know there is nothing wrong with their pitch
Here’s our pitch for Day 3...#TeamMiddlesex pic.twitter.com/1hKoHDi8Db
— Middlesex Cricket (@Middlesex_CCC) April 15, 2018
Update from Headingley: further pitch inspection at 1.40.
And words from the Yorkshire chief exec- don’t blame the drainage!
Our daily blog is up and running with a statement from chief executive Mark Arthur regarding the lack of play at Emerald Headingley.https://t.co/gCUj8cxy2f#YourYorkshire
— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) April 15, 2018
Updated
Preamble
Good morning from Old Trafford! Hope you’ve recovered from yesterday’s shenanigans – with special commiserations to fans of Northants and Kent.
News from around the counties this morning: play is due to start on time everywhere except Yorkshire where they are waiting for the umpires to pull on the wellingtons and splash down to the outfield for an initial look around.
Unexpectedly good news here at Old Trafford where Lancashire who have joined the growing number of counties offering a live feed of games (from cameras set up for analyst purposes): 17,000 viewers yesterday and that’s before any publicity or before BBC commentary has been added to the mix. The combination of most counties now live streaming games, commentary round-ups on 5Live Sports Xtra, the live commentaries on BBC local radio and online, plus highlights packages on the ECB website all add up to a pretty good service for a competition widely said to be on its last legs. Life in the old Specsavers County Championship dog yet, I say.
As for day three, there is trouble at mill for Northants, Worcester and Kent and it is even-stevens here at a slightly overcast Old Trafford. Sussex are yet to bat but compared to everything else happening around the country, Warwickshire’s 284 for nine looks positively imperial.
