Title race still in balance

Just three points cover the top four teams in LV County Championship Division One, as the plot thickened again in the early stages of the penultimate round of matches.

With leaders Hampshire idle this week and day one of Durham's match against champions Sussex washed out at the Riverside, second-placed Somerset and Nottinghamshire had prospects of decisive progress.

Instead, it was championship title outsiders Kent who made the biggest strides - and by close of play their first-innings demolition of Lancashire at Liverpool meant, though still fifth, they are only 10 points off the top.

Somerset, needing a minimum 250 runs to depose Hampshire, began by losing opener Marcus Trescothick for a first-ball duck at Scarborough and ended the day well-placed on 160 for three but doubtless frustrated that bad light restricted them to 44 overs.

After Trescothick had gone, caught behind off his former England colleague Matthew Hoggard, Somerset recovered against relegation-threatened Yorkshire - thanks mostly to Arul Suppiah (58no) and captain Justin Langer (55).

Somerset opener Arul Suppiah works Yorkshire spinner Adil Rashid to leg on his way to an unbeaten 58 at Scarborough

Nottinghamshire, three points behind Somerset at the start of play, finished the day still one adrift - after bottom club Surrey chiselled out 253 for eight at the Brit Oval.

The home sides' tenuous hopes of top-flight survival are likely to be extinguished this week.

Needing every bonus point they can muster to stand even a mathematical chance of going above both Yorkshire and Lancashire, 61 at the top of the order from Scott Newman and 63 on debut from Lee Hodgson helped Surrey eke out two so far - despite Andre Adams' 3-35.

Kent could still sneak the title with a late surge - and after a delayed start against Lancashire at Liverpool, they quickly made up for lost time by putting their hosts in and bowling them out for only 107.

Amjad Khan (3-10) was the last used but most successful of a four-strong frontline pace attack, in an innings which featured just three double-figure contributions.

Robert Key's men then replied with 147 for five, Geraint Jones' 91 from only 88 balls helping to put his team in a very favourable position.

In Division Two, Essex realistically need to beat second-placed Warwickshire to stay in with a chance of promotion - and they got off to a useful start, thanks in part to a notable performance from teenager Jaik Mickleburgh.

The 18-year-old dominated a century fourth-wicket stand with England batsman Ravi Bopara, on his way to 72 - the same score as Ryan ten Doeschate - out of 333 for eight at Chelmsford.

Leaders Worcestershire could almost make sure of the title with a maximum-points win in their final match of the season, against Middlesex at Kidderminster.

Stephen Moore plays majestically down the ground en route to 111 for Worcestershire at Kidderminster

But in the absence of Graeme Hick, missing from a farewell appearance after a recurrence of his elbow injury, they also had to say goodbye to most of their batting points.

They were bowled out for 265, the tail wagging in the form of Chris Whelan (58) with a maiden half-century against his old club.

Two of this season's most prolific performers were the other stars of the show, Stephen Moore (111) hitting 17 fours and three sixes from 139 balls in a total undermined by seamer Tim Murtagh (6-52).

Middlesex then had time to reach 126 for one to hold the advantage by the close, with their England opener Andrew Strauss (66no) clearly taking a liking to club-sized boundaries with 13 fours and counting.

Derbyshire soon looked in big trouble but ended up on top on a shortened day which saw 16 wickets fall at the County Ground.

Put in by Gloucestershire, the hosts struggled to 188 all out despite an unbeaten 62 from Steve Stubbings - Burnley-born seamer David Brown doing most of the damage, with a career-best 5-38.

When Gloucestershire then stumbled to 98 for six - including 4-18 for Graham Wagg and a duck for Brown - Stubbings' efforts looked all the more admirable.

After a delayed start at the SWALEC Stadium, bottom club Glamorgan were indebted to a career-best 140 from opener Gareth Rees against Leicestershire - for whom Dillon du Preez took 3-33.

Rees hit 20 fours and a six from 183 balls, sharing a century stand for the third wicket with Michael Powell (80no), in a total of 265 for four.