Grey clouds here at Edgbaston and the floodlights are beaming down. Barnard and Hain are untroubled though and have built the lead to an already tricksy 41. A significant first innings lead and my moolah could be drifting towards this finishing today…
Hampshire are staring down a significant barrel at the Utilita, Eddie Jack has just been castled by Jaydev Unadkat to leave them 69-6 and trailing Sussex by a whopping 175 runs.
This is good insight into Leicestershire's predicament from BBC Leicester's Adam Whitty:
Talking to assistant coach James Taylor last night, what I found interesting was that the Foxes' relegation (as it stands) was essentially ignored - it was as if it hadn't happened.
They want to finish in style but are also confident their appeal against their 27-point deduction can be successful. Had they not had that hit, they would be eight points clear of Essex, and, with one bowling point each so far, still would be.
So that will be their aim. A hammering here and the deduction won't matter."
"Hi James"
"At Lord's today to see if the mighty Northamptonshire can bat all day. Well, at least past lunch. Seemed a strange decision to bat first yesterday. I grew up during the heyday of the NatWest Trophy cup finals in September, so maybe the Northamptonshire think tank should have involved me…"
Well, Procter and Vasconcelos have made steady progress to 18-0 … lunch is still a while off though!
Josh Hull is summoned at Edgbaston and he very cleans up Barnard with his first delivery that hoops back and passes the off stump by the width of a gnat's eyebrow. Two types of leave as they say and that must go down as a 'good one' from the Bears captain.
Nerves in the Garden? Kent need a minimum of 15 points to gain promotion and have three batting points in the bag already. Hang on though, Langridge gets rid of Sam Northeast with his first ball!
Muyeye is back in the hutch now too as Langridge gets his third wicket!
Kent 97-3 and trail Gloucs by 132 runs.
Sam Hain clips off his legs to bring up the 50 partnership with his skipper Ed Barnard. Warwickshire's lead is up to 14 runs.
Elsewhere, Notts are all out for 251 against Yorkshire.
Dan Lawrence is still whipping the boundaries at Taunton but Ben Foakes has been pinned LBW by COverton.
Apologies I was just grappling with the Edgbaston media centre wifi. A battle I can proudly say I have now won. For now.
It's a murky day in Birmingham, bowling conditions you'd think, Leicestershire need wickets to stop this lead getting too chunky.
Play begins around the grounds on day two – here are the close of play scores from yesterday:
Hampshire 55-4 v Sussex 244
Worcestershire 214 & 5-0 v Derbyshire 88
Hello and welcome to day two of the final round of the 2026 County Championship. I'm on the way to Edgbaston where there is a chance Warwickshire are crowned today… or this being cricket, something completely different happens. That's why we love it.
Catch up on a round up of yesterday's action below. I'll post the scores on the doors and we'll get into all the talking points.
The champagne is on ice in but probably not for much longer. Fourteen wickets fell on the opening day at Edgbaston and 10 of them belonged to relegation scufflers who won the toss in late September sunshine and decided to bat first.
A couple of hours later and the Foxes were bowled out for just 125. Baby-faced assassin Ethan Bamber continued his fine season with the ball, the 27-year-old took four for 42 to go level with Hampshire's Kyle Abbott as the leading wicket-taker in Division One this year. It was the seventh innings in succession that the Bears have routed their opponents for under 200. They finished the day five runs ahead with six wickets in hand and have at least a few digits on the trophy.
Asa Tribe scored his second century in successive innings as reached 318 for three against in Cardiff. The bowling point Essex picked up is likely enough to see Leicestershire relegated. An asterisk comes in the form of the appeal the chief executive Emma White confirmed the Midlands club had lodged with the independent Cricket Discipline Panel after they were handed a 27-point deduction for a poor pitch in their match against Glamorgan in the ninth round.
Any chance of a Mexican standoff in the race for the title was de-escalated by racking up 327 for four against second-placed . Dan Lawrence going to his sixth century of the campaign with a howitzer six into the stands off Jack Leach. The sun setting along with Somerset's hopes of a hoodoo breaking Championship title late in the day at Taunton.
At Trent Bridge, third-placed slipped from a well-placed 172 for four to finish on 242for nine againstand in the battle of the south coast slipped to 55for four in reply to 's 244.
In Division Two, 's hopes of promotion were dashed by the decision to bat first at Lord's, 's Ryan Higgins taking four for 30 with the ball to skittle the visitors for 103 and then scoring 115 off 124 balls as the home side posted 255 in response.
started the day in the box seat for the second promotion place behind champions Durham and are 77 for one replying to 's 229 at Canterbury.
Emilio Gay scored his fourth ton of the season for as they cruised to 355 for five against a beleaguered at Old Trafford. lead by 131 runs, Ben Allison pocketing five for 22 to raze Wayne Madsen's side for 88 in their first innings.