Somerset's push for title derailed by rain
On a rain-curtailed day in Taunton, Essex took the upper hand in their top-of the table clash against Somerset by bowling out the hosts for 203. They were 25 for 0 when rain forced early Stumps.
Starting the day at 75 for 4 after a rain-hit first day, Somerset continued to tumble as they were reduced to 96 for 6. Skipper Tom Abell hit a fighting 45 but he was the seventh to depart and Craig Overton followed soon after as Simon Harmer bagged a five-wicket haul.
Left reeling at 144 for 9, Roelof van der Merwe provided some respite for the hosts as he struck a counter-attacking 60 off 51, which included three fours and four sixes to help his side past 200 before he became the last to fall.
Nick Browne and Alastair Cook were unbeaten at the crease having faced 11 overs before the day's play came to a premature halt.
Brief scores: Somerset 203 (Roelof van der Merwe 60; Simon Harmer 5-105, Samuel Cook 4-26) lead Essex 25/0 (Nick Browne 16*) by 178 runs.
Ollie Pope, hoping to celebrate his return to the England set-up with a century, was kept waiting as rain played hide and seek at The Oval and eventually brought an early end to the day's play.
With no play possible in the first two sessions due to rain, play eventually started in the final session. But only two overs were bowled in which Pope managed to add a run to his overnight score of 78 while Scott Borthwick was yet to get off the mark on the day, having scored 109 the previous day. Their partnership reached 178 when Stumps were drawn for the day not long after the final session started.
Brief scores: Surrey 248/2 (Scott Borthwick 109*, Ollie Pope 79*; Paul Coughlin 2-39) vs Nottinghamshire.
No play was possible on Day 2 at Edgbaston, which meant that Yorkshire's three-way race with Kent and Hampshire for the third spot was kept on hold. On Day 1, Tom Kohler-Cadmore struck an unbeaten 165 and was assisted by a patient 58 by 20-year old debutant Tom Loten as Yorkshire had finished with 261 for 2.
Brief scores: Yorkshire 261/2 (Tom Kohler-Cadmore 165*, Tom Loten 58; Alex Thomson 1-21) vs Warwickshire.
Persistent rain meant that no play was possible on Day 2 of the match in Canterbury. Having bowled out Kent for 147 on Day 1, thanks to Keith Barker's five-wicket haul and Kyle Abbott's three-fer, Hampshire had ended the opening day at 80 for 3, trailing by 67.
Brief scores: Kent 147 (Daniel Bell-Drummond 39, Ollie Rayner 39; Keith Barker 5-48, Keith Barker 3-49) lead Hampshire 80/3 (Tom Alsop 40; Darren Stevens 2-27) by 67 runs.
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