Warwickshire on the brink

Warwickshire require just another 41 runs to wrap up a hard-fought LV= County Championship Division One victory over Surrey at the Kia Oval.

Jeetan Patel took five wickets on Friday morning to finish with figures of six for 95 as Surrey were all out for 245 - leaving Warwickshire chasing 222 for victory.

Tim Ambrose struck an unbeaten 74 as Warwickshire battled their way to 181 for six.

They had slipped to 37 for four, with Gareth Batty (who finished the day with four for 56) their chief tormentor, but Will Porterfield's 66 and Ambrose steadied the ship.

Middlesex will have to bat for the entirety of tomorrow to avoid defeat against Lancashire at Aigburth.

Despite conceding a first-innings lead of 162 after being bowled out for 230, Red Rose captain Glen Chapple opted not to enforce the follow-on, with knocks of 89 and 76 from Paul Horton and Karl Brown respectively helping the hosts reach 266 for eight declared.

Middlesex's victory target of 429 appears notional although openers Sam Robson and Chris Rogers did survive until the close, with the visitors ending the day on 29 without loss.

Chris Nash struck his first century this season for Sussex after they had won the toss against Nottinghamshire at Hove.

Nash's 128, allied with a knock of 81 from Luke Wright - who struck a century in the four-wicket win over Yorkshire in the Clydesdale Bank 40 - helped Sussex reach 305 for nine.

Derbyshire extended their lead at the top of Division Two with an emphatic 10-wicket win over Essex at Canterbury.

Tim Groenewald and David Wainwright took three wickets apiece as Essex were all out for 234, with only captain Jamie Foster (96) Owais Shah (75) offering any real resistance.

Derbyshire were left with the simple task of chasing 94 and opener Martin Guptill's 66 not out helped them ease to their total.

Kent trounced Leicestershire by an innings and 279 runs at Canterbury, with James Tredwell impressing with both bat and ball.

Although Mike Powell added just one run to his overnight 133, Tredwell's 87 and a knock of 47 from Matt Coles helped Kent to 533 all out.

Needing 392 just to make the hosts bat again, Leicestershire meekly subsided to 113 all out. Darren Stevens claimed four wickets with Tredwell picking up three scalps.

Glamorgan closed on 53 for two in their pursuit of 263 for victory against Hampshire at Southampton.

Captain Jimmy Adams top-scored with 72 as Hampshire were all out for 273 while Nick James and Will Bragg were dismissed early on as Glamorgan wobbled in their run chase.

Gloucestershire look set to be given a large fourth-innings victory target against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

Hamish Marshall's 117 not out helped the visitors to 268 all out but Kyle Coetzer's 86 and 58 from Stephen Peters helped Gloucestershire close on 246 for five - a lead of 389.