Two well-poised matches in Group 1 but not a single over could be bowled as rain played spoilsport on Day 3 of the fifth round of the County Championship. A spirited bowling performance on the last Day might help Nottinghamshire sniff out a late heist against Essex, while Warwickshire v Worcestershire looks to be meandering towards a draw.
Nottinghamshire v Essex, Trent Bridge
Nottinghamshire 323 (Mullaney 117; Snater 7-98) lead Essex 99 (Browne 53; Fletcher 6-24) and 129/3 (Browne 60*; James 1-24) by 95 runs
Persistent rain in Trent Bridge washed out the entirety of the Day 3 clash between Essex and Nottinghamshire. Essex, 99/3, need another 95 runs to avert innings defeat. Nottinghamshire would eye to take early wickets on Day 4 and pull off a victory.
Nick Browne is still batting on 60 and has played 184 balls in the second innings. He has been an only assured presence for Essex, scoring two fifties in the match. It was his 53 in the first innings that helped Essex avoiding an unpleasant situation, given the other nine batters could only add 37 runs together.
Alastair Cook threw away a good start after getting pinned on the leg by Lyndon James. The Notts pace attack, led by Stuart Broad and Luke Fletcher, posses that psychological edge after bundling out their opponents for just 99 runs in the first innings.
Warwickshire v Worcestershire, Edgbaston
Warwickshire 343 (Yates 104, Burgess 101; Bernard 3-76) lead Worcestershire 198/4 (Libby 74; Rhodes 2-26) by 145 runs.
There was no respite from the rain at Edgbaston either, and a draw looks like the most probable outcome. Not a single over of play was possible on Day 3 as Worcestershire still trail Warwickshire by 145 runs in the first innings with seven wickets in hand.
Centuries from Rob Yates and Michael Burgess had helped Warwickshire post 343 runs. In reply, Worcestershire have lost four wickets for 198. Jack Libby scored 75 before getting dismissed by Olly Stone. Jack Haynes, 52, and he will resume with Riki Wessels on Day 4. For Worcestershire, Skipper Will Rhodes has picked up two wickets.