Well, my first day back at work after holiday is over, and what a day it's been.

Middlesex tightened their grip on the Division One title race with an innings win over Durham, while Hampshire and Surrey set Notts and Warwickshire big final-day targets, and Lancashire are 204 to the good in the Roses match, with all 10 second-innings wickets remaining.

Rob Newton of Northants took the day's batting honours with an unbeaten 202 against Leicestershire, and there were centuries for Sussex's Ben Brown and Derbyshire skipper Billy Godleman.

Godleman's team-mate Wayne Madsen was one of two men to pass 1,000 Championship runs for the season, but Durham's Keaton Jennings pipped him to the milestone.

In Division Two, Sussex are close to victory over Gloucestershire, leaders Essex are firm favourites to beat Derbyshire, and there is an intriguing finish in prospect between Worcestershire and Glamorgan.

Day four looks like being a good one, so don't forget to join us again from about 10:40 BST.

Here's how things look at the end of day three:

Division One

Lancashire 494 & 70-0 v Yorkshire 360

Lancashire lead by 204

Durham 204 & 252 v Middlesex 536-9 dec

Middlesex won by an innings and 80 runs

Hampshire 319 & 393-7 dec v Nottinghamshire 245 & 42-2

Nottinghamshire need another 426 for victory

Surrey 252 & 390 v Warwickshire 247 & 2-1

Warwickshire need another 394 for victory

Division Two

Essex 530-9 dec v Derbyshire 165 & 213-5 (following on)

Derbyshire need another 152 to avoid defeat

Leicestershire 519 & 49-0 v Northamptonshire 397-7 dec

Leicestershire lead by 171

Gloucestershire 367 & 149-8 v Sussex 527

Gloucestershire need another 11 to avoid innings defeat

Worcestershire 163 & 393 v Glamorgan 280 & 16-1

Glamorgan need another 261 for victory

Sussex will have to come back on the final morning to try and polish off Gloucestershire after the Taylors - Jack (52 not out) and Matt (four) - survive the extra half hour at Hove. The visitors need another 11 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

Taylor bring up half-centurypublished at 18:56 BST 15 August 2016

18:56 BST 15 August 2016

Gloucestershire 367 & 148-8 v Sussex 527

Jack Taylor wallops back-to-back sixes off Luke Wells to reach a 64-ball fifty. It's likely to be in a losing cause, but he's providing some early evening entertainment in the extra half hour at Hove.

Leicestershire are 171 ahead against Northants despite Rob Newton's unbeaten 202 for the home side at Wantage Road. 

Here's what all-rounder Ben Raine told BBC Radio Leicester at close of play:

"We were hoping and expecting there to be a few more 'ugly' balls today, but it didn't work out that way, the pitch played very flat, but it was still one hell of a knock by Newton.

"We thought we'd be bowling all day and some of tomorrow, but it's an interesting declaration and it throws the game open again - if we can push on and get 300 plus ahead, with 60 or 70 overs remaining, it gives us a sniff as well as them..

"It could be an exciting final day. If we're without Clint McKay it would be a big miss for us, but the rest of us will have to step up."

Play is done and dusted for the day - except at Hove, where Sussex have enforced the extra half hour in the hope of forcing a three-day victory. They only need one more wicket as Liam Norwell cannot bat because of concussion, but Jack Taylor has hit three fours in an over off spinner Danny Briggs. Gloucestershire need another 28 to at least avoid an innings defeat.

Job done by Lancashire's openers who survive the final 21 overs of play to extend the lead over Yorkshire to 204, with Tom Smith 35 not out and Haseeb Hameed on 30. They will look to accelerate on the final morning in search of a declaration and hope their bowlers can give the Yorkshire batsmen an uncomfortable time. With leaders Middlesex winning, both sides need a victory.

Left with just two overs to face at the end of play at Edgbaston, Warwickshire lose opener Ian Westwood, who is lbw to Tom Curran for a duck. They will need another 394 to win on the final day, a tall order against a strong Surrey attack. Varun Chopra and nightwatchman Chris Wright are the not out batsmen overnight.

Spinner Ollie Rayner has Graham Onions caught at mid-on for 34 to finish with figures of 5-85 as Division One leaders Middlesex record their fourth win of the season with a day to spare. There is daylight between them and the rest now - could the title be on its way to lord's for the first time in 23 years?

Durham's defeat is only their second of the summer, but they are now 40 points behind Middlesex, albeit with a game in hand.

Image source, PA

Off-spinner Jeetan Patel has Surrey last man Mark Footitt caught for seven, giving him figures of 3-126 and 7-184 in the game. It means Warwickshire face a final-innings target of 396.

The day's final delivery at Trent Bridge sees Riki Wessels superbly taken at slip by Will Smith as leg-spinner Mason Crane makes Hampshire's second breakthrough. Notts need another 426 on the final day for victory, and Steven Mullaney will resume on 18 not out.

Warwickshire's Chris Wright has had Steven Davies caught by Jeetan Patel for 42 and the following delivery was edged to the keeper by Tom Curran. After denying Wright a hat-trick Gareth Batty hits a six off the aforementioned Mr Patel (off-spinner bragging rights are important after all), but the seamer then has Sam Curran caught behind for 62. Surrey are 389 ahead with one wicket standing. 

Just a few hours after Durham's Keaton Jennings became the first batsman to reach 1,000 Championship runs this summer, Wayne Madsen of Derbyshire does likewise - the first man in Division Two to do so. The home side need a lot more from him if they are to extricate themselves from this situation after following on. Essex's lead is still 176.

Curran makes half-centurypublished at 17:48 BST 15 August 2016

17:48 BST 15 August 2016

Surrey 252 & 363-6 v Warwickshire 247

Sam Curran is developing rapidly as an all-rounder and after reaching a 44-ball fifty with a single off Jeetan Patel, he celebrates with a six later in the over. His partnership with Steven davies is now worth exactly 100 and Surrey are 370 in front. Will they declare this evening, or wait until tomorrow?

Image source, PA

To anyone who has been following the text commentary all day - yes, I did say earlier on that Worcestershire's Joe Clarke was out for 99. His official score is 98 (see 5:42 entry), so either I need some new spectacles, or his score has been amended following his dismissal. If the former, sorry. If the latter, not my fault. 

BBC Wales' Nick Webb at New Road:

"Joe Leach has done the home sideproud, with more than a hundred runs in the match plus five wickets, and his hard-hit half-century has extended Glamorgan's fourth-innings target.

"Graham Wagg's five wickets looked to have put the visitors in control despite Joe Clarke's 98, but the tail-end resistance means Glamorgan will face a demanding run-chase, if not an impossible one on a flat pitch."