Warwickshire on the ropes as title slips away

Robin Martin-Jenkins struck a season's best 88 to earn Sussex a healthy 130-run lead over Surrey. He came to the crease with the match evenly poised with Sussex on 180 for six after Azhar Mahmood had taken three quick wickets. But Martin-Jenkins nursed the tail along as 198 runs were added by the last four wickets with Luke Wright and Rana Naved both striking 26. Mahmood finished with 5 for 72 and the Surrey openers, Scott Newman and Richard Clinton, knocked off 54 of the deficit before close to set up a crucial third day.

Middlesex took a stranglehold on the match at Lord's as Warwickshire continued to see their Championship crown slip. Ben Hutton and Owais Shah added 117 to extend a first innings advantage of 51 into a commanding 206 with nine wickets in hand. Earlier, Warwickshire were staring at the follow-on when the fell to 85 for 6 but were rescued by Dougie Brown's 92, from 160 balls. Luke Parker helped with 43 and a last-wicket stand 53 with Dewald Pretorius got Warwickshire closer than they might have expected, but by the close the margin was huge again.

Alex Gidman hauled Gloucestershire back into their match against Hampshire. Gidman and Stephen Adshead added 105 to lift their team from 191 for 6, reducing Hampshire's lead to 22. James Bruce took three top order wickets - including Ramnaresh Sarwan for 18 as Gloucestershire stumbled in the morning session. But, as with Nic Pothas and Andy Bichel yesterday, the recovering came from a wicketkeeper and an allrounder. Jon Lewis managed to remove Chris Benham before the close to complete a satisfying comeback for Gloucestershire.

Glamorgan are facing another huge defeat despite a defiant century from David Hemp. Kent took complete control on the second at Canterbury, firstly through Darren Stevens who completed the first double-century of his career and then an all round team bowling effort as six bowlers chipping in with wickets. Stevens and Andrew Hall extended their partnership to 277, Hall making 133, and Min Patel rubbed salt in the wounded Glamorgan bowling figures with a 55-ball 64. Glamorgan then slumped to 63 for 5 and despite Hemp's unbeaten 134 it is a huge mountain to climb to avoid defeat.

Alistair Cook guided Essex to a useful 49-run first innings against Durham but Dale Benkenstein's unbeaten 96 went most of the way to cancelling out Cook's 107 and it is Durham who hold an advantage. Paul Collingwood made 46 and Gareth Breese 42 to enable Durham to build a lead of 226 despite losing both openers with 13 on the board. A first innings lead seemed a long way off for Essex when 134 for 7 following James Middlebrook's run out but, Cook combined with Graham Napier (51) adding 86. However, Durham showed all the fighting qualities that have taken them top of Division Two and will fancy their chances of another win.

Lancashire's top order squandered the hard work of their bowlers by slumping to 38 for 3 in the face of some impressive bowling from Leicestershire late in the day. Ottis Gibson bowled Mark Chilton with the first ball of the innings and he also removed the dangerous Mal Loye. Aftab Habib and David Masters had shared a vital ninth wicket stand of 77 to lead Leicestershire from 183 for 8 to within 31 runs of Lancashire's first innings 291. Habib hit 12 fours and a six in his 84 and Tim New also reached a half-century before he was trapped lbw by Glen Chapple, who took three wickets.

Shoaib Akhtar ripped through Northamptonshire to give Worcestershire control at New Road. Although he only sent down 9.2 overs he claimed 5 for 55. Martin Love made 51 before falling to Nadeem Malik and Northants wasted a solid platform of 147 for 3. In reply, Stephen Moore held firm on 41 and although Graeme Hick fell for a duck Worcestershire will certainly be the happier of the two teams.

Two of Somerset's youngsters, Arul Suppiah and Wesley Durston, combined to give their team control against Derbyshire. Both players struck their maiden first-class centuries and added 112 for the fourth wicket. Durston was marginally quicker to his milestone - taking 154 balls - with Suppiah not far behind on 176. Derbyshire stuck to their task but showed little penetration after an early wicket apiece for Ian Hunter and Graeme Welch.