Three in the over for Barker! Charlie Allison, bowled by one that may have kept a bit low. Essex 16 for three...

​Early wickets in sunny Brumbados, Keith Barker striking first ball from the Pavilion End as Dean Elgar is trapped lbw offering no shot. In comes Tall Paul to join Sam Cook, who spared him the hassle last night but has since squirted Barker’s third ball of the day to cover. That’s Barker’s 700th career wicket across formats. Essex 16 for two (need another 190) and an inauspicious start..

They’ve started at sunny Southampton, where Sonny Baker is pistoning in and James Rew, hand on hip, is at the non-striker’s end, 58 not out. Somerset need another 148 to win, seven wickets in hand.

Largely lovely, with floating showers.

I had a treat in the post on Friday, a copy of Jon Hotten’s new book Vinciness or The Unbearable Sadness of Batting. Now, Jon is a friend and I worked with him for quite a few years at The Nightwatchman so am very biased but I think he’s a lovely writer and I’ve read the first chapter and it is gorgeous. So I said I’d give it a plug – if you like Jon’s writing and are a Vince tragic, this is the book for you. Also here.

Adds Ali: “Warwickshire are currently warming up to Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits ... will their day be the song title or the band name?”

Very good. I once ended up watching two hours of Youtube videos on Sultans of Swing, I didn’t realise how obsessed people were with it.

Nicely set up here at Edgbaston: glorious sunshine (cold air), Essex needing 195 more runs to knock off 206, Warwickshire in the hunt for 10 wickets. So far the pitch has bucked a recent trend of being a bit lifeless - highest total in the match is 220 – so there should be chances created. But Warwickshire were badly burned last week trying – and failing – to defend 328 at Hove.

James Rew held firm for Somerset once more to see his stock rise further and keep his side in the hunt for a final day victory on the south coast. After his first innings 86 the cherubic faced stroke maker was undefeated on 58 at the close of an intriguing day in Southampton. Lewis Gregory bustled his way to a five wicket haul earlier in the piece as Nick Gubbins top scored with 83 in the home side’s second innings effort of 336.

Hampshire’s Sonny Baker then had his dander well and truly up and the opposition in trouble by pocketing the Cidermen’s top three of Archie Vaughan, Tom Lammonby and Joshua Thomas, albeit the first two were guilty of being careless on the pull. Rew and Tom Abell then steadied the applecart to leave Somerset needing 148 more to pull off the win.

Seventeen wickets fell at Edgbaston on a topsy turvy moving day where both sides seemingly had their bags packed at different stages. Essex will consider themselves to be in the stronger position heading into the final day with Dean Elgar and self-appointed nightwatchman Sam Cook seeing them to 11-0 at the close in pursuit of 206.

Warwickshire were bowled out for 220 inside 63 overs as visiting Captain Cook picked up five wickets including the crucial scalp of Beau Webster, the Aussie all-rounder’s 91 included sixteen boundaries and helped his side post a challenging if hardly fear-inducing target.

In Division Two, centuries from Northamptonshire’s James Sales and Nathan McSweeney made Middlesex toil at Wantage Road as the home side made 409 in their first innings. Josh De Caires was pinned LBW by Luke Proctor early in Middlesex’s second innings but Sam Robson and Max Holden batted calmly to reach 109-1 and a lead of 41 runs by stumps.

A pot boiler at Bristol saw James Bracey score a dogged century for Gloucestershire as they posted 305 against a toiling Lancashire. James Anderson and George Balderson took four wickets apiece to set up a tricksy fourth innings run chase. Keaton Jennings shepherding the visitors to 75-3 at stumps, 127 more needed for victory.

DIVISION ONE

Southampton: Hampshire 238 and 336 v Somerset 288 & 139-3 – Somerset need 148 runs to win

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 190 & 220 v Essex 205-9 & 11-0 – Essex need 195 runs to win

DIVISION TWO

Bristol: Gloucestershire 136 and 305 v Lancashire 240 & 75-3 – Lancashire need 127 runs to win

Northampton: Northants 409 v Middlesex 341 & 109-1 – Middlesex lead by 41 runs

Hello! Hope it is as spring perfect wherever you are as it is in Manchester this morning, almondy bird cherry wafting me along on my dog walk. Thanks so much to Jim for covering yesterday, four games still in play and at least two results to watch over. Play starts at 11am, do join us.