Samit Patel and Chris Read shared an unbroken stand of 148 to keep second-placed Notts afloat on day two of their LV= County Championship Division One encounter against Somerset at Taunton.

Essex continued to suffer at Canterbury where Kent, having posted an impressive 420, reduced the visitors to 194 for six by stumps on day two. By then, opener Mark Pettini was 80 not out.

Jimmy Adams and Sean Ervine made valuable half-centuries as Hampshire gained the upper hand at the Rose Bowl, where Lancashire are seeking to remain the championship's only unbeaten team.

A five-wicket burst in the space of 26 balls by fast bowler Toby Roland-Jones followed Dawid Malan’s third championship century of the summer to help Middlesex towards maximum points at Lord's.

A career-best 184 from Chris Nash and some hostile bowling from Corey Collymore and Yasir Arafat put Sussex in sight of their sixth win of the season, against Leicestershire at Grace Road.

Pitch inspector David Hughes will take no action despite 15 wickets falling on the opening day of the tussle between Second Division promotion hopefuls Gloucestershire and Glamorgan at Cheltenham.

Northamptonshire succumbed to their lowest LV= County Championship total of the season before Lee Daggett wrecked Worcestershire's second innings thanks to four wickets with the new ball.

Craig Kieswetter made 73 - his first LV= County Championship half-century of the season - as Somerset amassed 517 against Nottinghamshire, for whom Samit Patel replied with 92 not out.

Chesney Hughes made a composed 72 to help Derbyshire complete a regulation seven-wicket win over the Netherlands in Group B of the Clydesdale Bank 40 in Schiedam.