Plenty of action between the showers, with good days for all the leading contenders: Somerset, Notts and, above all Warwickshire. We’ll be back tomorrow. Thanks for your company – bye!

And a short sharp session for Kent too, who have already lost Ben Compton. Aitchison, of course. Kent 4-1.

Kent are currently having their mettle tested - four overs to face from Dillon Pennington and Olly Stone before stumps.

As I’m watching a handful of groundstaff crouch around the OT covers and stare at the radar on their phones, I’d better write up. Do keep chatting BTL as Notts, Somerset and Warwicks battle for supremacy.

They’re off again at OT. Glos 124-6.

The commentators are just pondering whether this could be the last ball of Anderson’s spell when Hammond chances a quick single to mid-on where Balderson picks up and hits. Oh dear. Glos 121-6.

And here comes Noman Ali for his first bowl of the day.

After the conversations about demutalisation etc in county clubs, a similar interest in privitisation across the oceans.

As the skies darken again at OT, Anderson frowns upon Gloucestershire, Dhariwal caught behind for 20. Gloucs 106-5. The umpires take a look at their light meters.

Derbyshire and Durham’s fortunes are mirroring each other today – Durham are 196-9 against Middlesex, with Parkinson and Raine adding a so-far-un-broken 32 for the last wicket. And Derbyshire 197-7 against Middx, thanks to an unbeaten 71 from Andersson.

Tom Lammonby will be fuming about that lapse of concentration, caught on the boundary for 74 having been largely untroubled all day. Green the bowler. Somerset 181-1.

A quick walk around Old Trafford at tea, it is very autumnal out there and was definitely a mistake to wear sandals. There’s been a double bowling change, Anderson retakes the ball at his own end and the impressive Ben Walkden has his first over of the day from the Brian Statham end.

They take tea at Sophia Gardens where Somerset will munch happily, Lammonby and Thomas racing along at over five an over. Fellow Championship chasers Warwickshire have Glamorgan 61-9, while Joe Clarke, with his fourth century in the season, has taken Notts to a not-quite-but-almost-comfortable 249-6.

Hands in pockets for the Lancashire slips, as Stanley bundles in. Gloucestershire 74-4 – I think I missed two-centuries Bracey getting out, nibbling behind, a third for Balderson for 21.

Bamber (5-28) and Barnard (2-5) continue to slice through Glamorgan. Only Ingram (19) has made it into double figures. Glamorgan 59-7.

Shame about the washout at Hove, today was the “wear yellow” celebration of the 200th birthday of John Wisden, born on September 5 1826. I hope a CCLive reader got one of those nice anniversary umbrellas they were giving away to early arrivals.

They’re back on at OT.

In Division Two, they are playing hokey-cokey with the covers at Old Trafford, with the sun currently out but the hover cover defiantly on – Gloucs 58-3.

Derbyshire have recovered thanks to a defiant fifty from Martin Andersson, 155-5 against Kent; Middlesex’s Morgan and Sharma, who bowled so well against Lancs here early season, now have Durham in trouble at 146-6; while Libby (50) and Hose have moved Worcesteshire along to a more comfortable 89-2 against Northants.

Right, head back above water, to discover Glamorgan have collapsed, again – 48 for six against Warwickshire; Somerset are flying against Leicestershire – 124-0; Joe Clarke (86) has saved Notts’ blushes, 202-4; and Yorkshire are plodding along, 129-2, Lyth unbeaten on 61.

More rain at OT. Off they run, Gloucs 58-3.

To rub salt in the wound for Leicestershire, Somerset have whizzed along to 58-0 after the Foxes won the toss and chose to field.

And now Price, in the same over, caught behind for 29. Glos 45-3.

Bustling Balderson does it again, bowling Phillips for eight, Gloucestershire 44-2. Ken, watching with keener eyes than me thinks it may have kept down a little, anyhow, it zipped through the gate without any manners.

After nine neatly-knitted overs here at OT, Anderson is replaced at the JA end by Mitch Stanley.

They restart at Old Trafford in sudden bright sunshine, though I’ve just got to finish something, won’t be too long, but do keep chatting BTL.

They’ve just started at New Road (the inevitable Ben Sanderson dismissing Lategan for 0), Worcs 10-1; and they’ll keep playing at Headingley until 12.50, where Lyth and Luxton have so far kept out Porter and Snater, Lancashire’s George Bell behind the stumps after signing on a short-term loan.

A third wicket for insatiable wicket-taking machine Kyle Abbott (3-12) at TB – Jack Haynes for 48.

Thoughtful as ever from Mark Ramprakash.

A fourth wicket at Derby where I imagine Fletch has sighed a long, inextinguisable sigh. Wayne Madsen lbw to Khaled, turned inside out until he was facing the square leg umpire. Derby 74-4.

A wet outfield at OT means they’ll take lunch and hope to start at 1.10.

And I think the rain might be returning to OT. Sharma has whistled out a second at CLS, Rhodes dislodging his own bail by dusting a ball into his own stumps.

Meanwhile talented 17 year old Manny Lumsden is having his first bowl in first-class cricket at Trent Bridge. A lovely action, and he gets through it, Kyle Abbott whispering in his ear from mid off, despite being dispatched for four first ball by Haynes.

Northants have won the toss at New Road and chosen to have a bowl. Their bowling includes Harry Conway in place of fellow Aussie Nathan McSweeney.

Listening in to the excellent BBC coverage from Trent Bridge, where they agree that Leicestershire, if found guilty, will be docked 19 points. Grace Road, meanwhile, “strongly dispute the allegations”.

After a stoical third wicket stand of 43, Derby have lost a third, this time to Syed Khaled Ahmed. Bin Naeem the man to go for 12. Derbyshire 45-3.

Huge thanks to Mike Birtwhistle in the Lancashire scorebox for some handmade ginger snap biscuits which are both very gingery and make a satisfying snap when you crack them. The rain has stopped, the covers are being unfolded but no news yet on when we will restart.

“Sunshine at Headingley,” writes Tim Maitland. “I’m not imagining it. You can clearly see it as they drag the hose around the ground to try and clear off the precipitation.”

Meanwhile all-conquering Durham, who need a maxiumum of 17 points to confirm promotion, have lost Ben McKinney for 26, a wicket for young Sharma. Durham 43-1.

The champions are wobbling. From 18-0, Nottinghamshire are suddenly 20-3 against Hampshire. HH, Slater and McCann all back in the pavilion. Two for the evergreen Kyle Abbott. The pitch is an interesting shade of bile.

Middlesex will lose director of cricket Alan Coleman at the end of the season, saying: ““I will leave Middlesex with two senior teams with exceptional young talent and huge potential to achieve success in the game, supported by a dedicated staff who will no doubt continue to guide these players well through the coming seasons” Interim CEO Julie Harrington promised that Middx would build on “his philosophy of wanting to win with homegrown players.”

Derbyshire’s season seems to be careering to a close. After thrashings by Durham and Gloucestershire, they were 0 for two off two balls against Kent, thanks to the wiley Hasan Mahmud. They’ve recovered to 17-2.

Torrential Manchester rain now, the groundstaff sprinting to cover the pitch.

Rain at OT, they come off with Gloucestershire 11-1.

Bat black skies now above OT. Perhaps suprisingly Gloucestershire have not chosen new young signing Che Simmons for this game. Ben Walkden has dropped Phillips at third slip but Gloucestershire have survived six and a half overs without further collapse.

Arrive at Old Trafford to bright sunshine if threatening skies, to find Gloucestershire have won the toss, chosen to bat against Jimmy Anderson and are 3-1. Middleton feathered an edge behind off Jimmy’s second ball. One change for Lancs, Mitch Stanley in for Tom Bailey.