Division One

Essex 123 v Yorkshire 216 & 114-1

Yorkshire lead by 207 with nine wickets standing

Nottinghamshire 333 & 171-6 v Hampshire 196

Notts lead by 308 with four wickets standing

Sussex 284 & 66-3 v Worcestershire 180

Sussex lead by 170 with seven wickets standing

Warwickshire 665-5 dec v Surrey 98-1

Surrey tail by 567 with nine wickets standing

Division Two

Kent 156-8 v Glamorgan 549-9 dec

Kent trail by 393 with two wickets standing

Northamptonshire 238 & 140-6 v Lancashire 276

Northants lead by 102 with four wickets standing

Image source, Rex Features

Liam Dawson concedes two singles from the final over of the day as the halfway point of this match is reached with Notts having extended their lead out to 308 runs.

With 16 wickets falling on the day credit is due to Liam Patterson-White (44) and Jack Haynes (60), who have put together 87 for the seventh wicket.

Whether their resolve shows the pitch is flattening will become apparent in the morning. Hampshire will certainly hope that is the case.

But with a lead already stretched over 300, even if it is Notts will feel safe with their position in the game with four wickets to come and two days left.

Mention should be made of Kyle Abbott whose 5-57, 67 with the bat and 2-33 in the second innings makes him the standout performer in Hampshire ranks.

Kent survive to the close at the Spitfire Ground but are facing the prospect of following on when the teams return for day three.

Glamorgan's Ben Kellaway finished unbeaten on 181 when they finally declared after adding 160 to their overnight 389-7, Andy Gorvin (47) having helped add 108 for the eight wicket.

Kent then slumped to 23-5 in only the 15th over of their reply, before Chris Benjamin and Jack Leaning steadied things by adding 81.

Benjamin remains on 68 not out, but Leaning apart, has lacked and Glamorgan will be fancying their chances of a first win of the season.

Image source, Getty Images

And that is that for the day on the south coast with shadows stretching artfully across the square as the players depart.

That has been Sussex's day having removed Worcs for 180 to establish a lead of 104 at the halfway stage.

But it has not been one without a wobble or two given Sussex were 0-2 and 18-3 in this second dig.

Tom Taylor has continued to have a great match with bat and ball following up his five for in the first innings with two of the three wickets to fall this evening.

He finishes the night with 2-15 from nine overs.

But credit is due to Tom Alsop (24) and James Coles (27) who have steadied the Sussex ship with a 48 run partnership which has seen them extend their lead to 170 runs at the close.

Image source, Rex Features

Left-arm spinner Tom Hartley is given his first bowl of the match for the penultimate over of day two and concedes four runs from it before George Balderson closes proceedings for Lancashire.

And Balderson claims what could be a crucial wicket, having Lewis McManus caught behind for 15 off a thin edge from the final ball of the day.

McManus looked unhappy with the decision, but he won't be returning to the crease tomorrow and Northants, leading by 102, will be relying on Saif Zaib - who has battled hard for his 26 not out - when they resume.

50 for Haynespublished at 18:41 British Summer Time 10 May

18:41 BST 10 May

Notts 333 & 145-6 (lead by 282 runs) v Hants 196

Two splendid on drives from Jack Haynes, punishing James Fuller for getting a bit full, brings up his half century.

This is his second 50 of the season with the first going on to three figures against Essex and has moved the partnership with Liam Patterson-White to 61.

Are these two taking the game away from Hants or are they giving them hope that the pitch is flattening out?

Kevan James
BBC Radio Solent commentator

It's been a good hour and a bit here for Nottinghamshire.

Hampshire will be desperately hoping there's a little waver in concentration and one of these two makes an error and maybe just opens the door again as we near the end of day two.

Three overs left of a glorious evening session at Hove as the match looks to be entering something of a holding pattern.

The dangerous Tom Taylor is back on trying to add to his two wickets but has been sliced for a four behind point by James Coles who moves to 26.

He comes back with an inducker which goes from inside edge to the thigh of Coles. Stinger.

Two overs to go at Wantage Road and Northamptonshire are creeping towards a lead of 100.

Overall, Lancashire will be pleased with their bowling efforts this evening, but they'd love to separate Saif Zaib and Lewis McManus before stumps if they can.

McManus has just nudged a short ball from George Balderson to the boundary to advance to 14, with Zaib on 23.

Liam Patterson-White has carved Sonny Baker for four through cover following Jack Haynes in the previous over who glanced Kyle Abbott off his legs for a boundary.

Now Patterson-White sends another to the ropes through mid off pouncing on a full toss.

Either batting is becoming easier or the bowlers are tiring but, hang on, the last ball from Baker's over hoops remarkably, quite amazingly missing everything as it goes whistling to Ben Brown.

Plenty left in this pitch it seems which makes the lead of 258 a big one.

Warwickshire are going to need a lot of patience and a lot of skill if they are to force a victory over the reigning champions, having declared after three of their batters made centuries.

The Bears' first innings total was the third highest in their history against Surrey, and they added 301 to their overnight 364-4 for the loss of Tom Latham for 184.

Ed Barnard hit a career-best 177 not out and Zen Malik, in only his second Championship game, an unbeaten 105 as they put on 215.

But Surrey reached the close for the loss of skipper Rory Burns - Alex Davies claimed a stumping in the final over but Dom Sibley's back foot was anchored - and it will be a tough ask for Warwickshire to take 19 wickets over the next two days.

Anderson Phillip appeals with gusto as he strikes Lewis McManus on the pads, but the umpire remains unmoved by one that looked as though it was drifting down the leg side.

Vital for Northants that McManus and Saif Zaib, who has displayed a tremendous amount of grit in his unbeaten 21, remain together at the close tonight.

50 up for Sussexpublished at 18:15 British Summer Time 10 May

18:15 BST 10 May

Sussex 284 & 51-3 v Worcs 180

Tom Alsop (17) and James Coles (20) have put on 33 for the fourth wicket which in the context of this innings is like batting through two sessions.

It could be that they are making use of a tiring Worcs attack or it could be that the batting in the lengthening shadows with a ball approaching 20 overs old is becoming easier.

Seven overs left in the day and Sussex's lead is up to 155 runs.

A sniff of a chance for Essex in the final over of the day as Adam Lyth dabs outside off stump at Matt Critchley, but the ball eludes both slip fielder and wicketkeeper and rolls to the rope.

That rounds off a good day for Yorkshire. All-rounder George Hill was their star performer with the ball, taking 6-51 - well ed by Ben Coad with 3-20 - as the visitors dismissed Essex for just 123.

Since then it's been all about building their lead and Lyth, unbeaten on 79, has ensured that Yorkshire hold a 207-run advantage going into day three.

Too wide by James Harris and Matt Parkinson thumps it through point for four runs. There are 10 more overs to come after this one.

Kevan James
BBC Radio Solent commentator

It's a good spell this from Sonny Baker, this is what Hampshire require from him.

He's just cut his pace down a fraction at the moment. He doesn't need to bowl flat out here, I think he just needs to keep it up around a 90% level and let the pitch do the work.

Warwickshire introduce spin for the 28th over of Surrey's innings as Rob Yates comes into the attack. He produces one which turns and bounces out of the footmarks - food for thought there for the left-handed Ryan Patel.

George Balderson is back on for Lancashire and draws an edge from Lewis McManus, but the ball drops short of second slip and the batters snatch a single.

Every run is valuable for Northamptonshire as they extend their lead to 87, with eight more overs to be bowled tonight.