Lancashire appeared to be out of the reckoning in their match against Sussex at Old Trafford until Stuart Law and Gary Keedy shared a last wicket partnership of 145 to cut the Sussex first innings lead to just 57. Keedy only contributed 25 but partnered Law to a superb 218. Without the Australian's effort, Lancashire would certainly have been following on. As it was, Sussex were indebted to an innings of 80 from Richard Montgomerie to extend their lead to 243 with four wickets in hand and the prospect of an intriguing final day.

The loss of Darren Lehmann's wicket for 72 was a big setback to Yorkshire's hopes of salvaging something from their match at Canterbury. Nevertheless, Richard Blakey took up the challenge against Kent and found a more than useful ally in Richard Dawson. The pair added 162 for the seventh wicket, with Dawson scoring 87. Having been behind on points all the way through the match, Yorkshire find themselves going into the final day with a lead of 144, Blakey 88 not out, three wickets in hand and just the faintest glimmer of hope.

Hampshire were bowled out 170 runs behind Warwickshire at Edgbaston. Neil Johnson was top-scorer with 79 and Nic Pothas contributed 59. Not surprisingly, Warwickshire enforced the follow-on and had taken two wickets before the fifty had been posted. Derek Kenway reached 54 before he was out, meaning that Hampshire closed on 120 for three, still 50 in arrears.

In the other Division One match, rain in Taunton meant that no play was possible until late in the day between Somerset and Leicestershire. Leicestershire were 324 runs behind with only three first innings wickets in hand overnight and, in the ten overs that were possible before bad light brought play to a close, that deficit was reduced to 277 for the loss of Darren Stevens for 73.

In Division Two, Durham managed to add four runs to their overnight total before losing their last wicket when exactly 200 runs in front of Glamorgan. However, before the home side could begin the final innings of the match, rain set in and play was abandoned for the day.

Nottinghamshire could have done with the rain to prevent a heavy defeat in Bristol at the hands of Gloucestershire. Kevin Pietersen (46 not out) received precious little support from his colleagues as he at least made Gloucestershire bat again. Set a target of 33, the home side did suffer three casualties on the way before running out winners by seven wickets.

Middlesex gave Northamptonshire a bit of a roasting in what appears to be a culinary convention at Wantage Road. Simon Cook took eight wickets to bowl Northamptonshire out for 286 in the first innings before, following on, they were well and truly in the soup. They were bowled out again for 253 to lose by an innings and two runs. Only one wicket fell to Cook this time, but Jeff Cook decided to take a hand with a defiant innings of 84.

Despite a century from Aftab Habib, Essex could only muster a first innings lead of six against Worcestershire. However, in their second innings, Worcestershire's batting crumbled against the deceptive medium pace of John Stephenson who has hardly scored a run since returning to Essex but who took five wickets. By the close Worcestershire were 98 for six.

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