Just one day remains as the first round of the County Championship season enters a fascinating denouement.
Two home teams are within striking distance of an opening-week win while the other are locked in an intriguing battle with the division’s newboys.
Here’s how we sit heading into the final day of Division One action.
Stumps, Day Three: Nottinghamshire 408 (Clarke 112; Olivier 5-96) and 329-5 (Clarke 97*, Nash 75) lead Yorkshire 291 (Lyth 81, Root 73) by 446 runs, at Trent Bridge
Joe Clarke continued his scintillating start to the season as Nottinghamshire put their foot on Yorkshire’s throat on the third day.
➡️ 5 wickets for 85.
— Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) April 7, 2019
➡️ 4 half-centuries.
➡️ 329 quick-fire runs.
Quite the utopian day for #Notts who enter the final day leading by 446.#NottsvYorks day 3 report 👉https://t.co/Yi4kk8RX2G pic.twitter.com/OX190kwvPe
Clarke is just three away from making it twin centuries with Ben Duckett, Chris Nash and Steven Mullaney also passing 50 as the lead crept towards 450.
Earlier Joe Root was out to Samit Patel – one of three bowlers to take three wickets for Notts – for 73 as Yorkshire were bowled out for 291, a first-innings deficit of 117.
Stumps, Day Three: Essex 164 (A Cook 50; Edwards 5-51) and 132-4 f/o (Bopara 60*, Abbott 2-38) trail Hampshire 525-8d (Northeast 169) by 229 runs, at the Ageas Bowl
Essex face an uphill battle to save their clash with Hampshire, still trailing by 229 runs with six wickets in hand as they follow on at the Ageas Bowl.
⚠️ WARNING! SCENES THAT SOME BATSMEN MAY FIND DISTRESSING! ⚠️
— Hampshire Cricket (@hantscricket) April 7, 2019
Five of the best for @EdwardsFidel this afternoon, his eighth @CountyChamp five-for! 🖐️🚀 pic.twitter.com/Bdj6DDr4Se
After resuming on 25-1, Alastair Cook made 50 in the first innings to top-score as the visitors were bundled out for 164, Fidel Edwards steaming in with five wickets.
Ravi Bopara made a fist of it in the second innings though will need to add heavily to his unbeaten 60 if Essex are to escape Southampton without defeat.
Stumps, Day Three: Somerset 171 (Abell 49; Claydon 5-46) and 171-7 (Davies 39; Claydon 3-30) lead Kent 209 (Dickson 43; Gregory 3-26) by 133 runs, at Taunton
George Bartlett and Craig Overton’s unbeaten 60-run partnership for the eighth wicket could be Somerset’s turning point as their match with Kent goes to the wire.
Terrific partnership of 5️⃣0️⃣ between George Bartlett and Craig Overton! 👊
— Somerset Cricket 🏏 (@SomersetCCC) April 7, 2019
The lead is now 123 runs. Somerset 161/7#SOMvKEN #WeAreSomerset pic.twitter.com/MzAlt3mVuk
Sean Dickson and Daniel Bell-Drummond had earlier batted the visitors into the lead, despite Lewis Gregory’s 3-26.
And while Darren Stevens helped topple the top order to place Somerset on 18-3 – including dismissing Marcus Trescothick in the battle of the evergreens – the hosts eked out a lead of 133 runs with three wickets remaining.
