Vera Gentry Sports Corner: County cricket ? live | David Hopps, Mike Selvey, Paul Weaver, Andy Wilson and Richard Gibson

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4.03pm: "Well I don't know about you but I have had a fun afternoon, chewing the fat with Jack Birkenshaw, ECB pitch man but one time spinner of repute," writes Mike Selvey. "He goes back a long way does Jack, even further than me and I can reach the Jurassic period. As a kid he watched Len Hutton (I asked him who might today evoke the manner in which Hutton batted and he thought perhaps Belly was closest), and played against him in a charity match. Jack says that Hutton gave him some advice as a young bowler. 'What you need to do,' he whispered (Leonard always spoke softly: we met a few times when he was a selector), 'is get stretched.' I took this to mean that he needed to play up a level or two but actually he meant he should hang from the banisters to try and gain an extra few inches. He was still tall enough to take 1000 wickets though.

"Legend always has it that when Birky and Raymond Illingworth played in the same team at Leicester, it would be Birky who bowled when it was flat and Raymond when there was a bit in it. It always made Raymond look that much shrewder. Our erstwhile press box colleague Martin Johnson, once of the Leicester Mercury, tells a fine story about a Sunday league match, at Grace Road against Kent, when the visitors were ten short of a win with six wickets in hand, and Raymond threw the ball to Birky with the words: 'Toss it up, Birky, games fooked.' Birky took 4 for 15 off three overs, Kent lost and the Mercury had to carry the headline 'Wily Old Fox Does It Again'.

"Tea here and Birky has been out to have a look at the pitch, which has been a little uneven but nothing to worry about. Northants had had a good second session with a fifth-wicket stand of 127 between Kyle Coetzer and Andrew Hall which rescued them from 50 for four. Shortly before tea though Coetzer chipped a return catch to Will Gidman to give him his fourth wicket. Coetzer had made 84 with some strong driving. Hall remained unbeaten on 61 at the interval."

4.00pm: "It's tea at the Rose Bowl and Warwickshire are 187 for two, with Chopra on 80 and Chanderpaul on 43. Can it really be this simple? Can Warwickshire just knock up 400 plus and then bowl out Hampshire twice to take the title? Surely there are a few more twists and turns left to this championship," insists Paul Weaver. "But Hampshire are making it as easy for Warwickshire as they possibly can. They have just put down their fifth catch, a dolly to Carberry at slip when Chanderpaul was on 36. Sean Ervine was the unlucky bowler, not Tomlinson for a change."

3.59pm: "Middlesex's promotion cry has been temporarily lost on the wind at Grace Road," writes David Hopps, who googled a few poems about wind as a consequence but they were all so nauseating that he decided not to pursue the thought. "At tea, Leicestershire are 217-4, quite a recovery from 4-3 after only two overs of the first day. Greg Smith has his first hundred of an unproductive season, achieved by depositing Jamie Dalrymple through extra cover. It is only his second fifty of the season, at the 21st attempt and before this innings began he averaged less than 20. His only other fifty came against Middlesex so even now he must be wondering aloud in the Leicestershire dressing-room why they are top of the table. Having just graduated from Durham University, he will be grateful to have reminded himself that he can forge a career in the game.

"Alongside him, Ned Eckersley, a name to be reckoned with, has his third successive championship fifty. Eckersley is formerly of MCC Young Cricketers and Middlesex 2nds and he is making his old county suffer, poring 118 balls over his half-century. He is a little chap, not much bigger than James Taylor. Will Jefferson, their Leicestershire batting colleague, could fit both in his jacket pockets. There is an idea for an easy pre-season photo in 2012.

"Middlesex have looked quite relaxed in the field, as if this is a match between 5th and 6th with nothing hanging on it at all. Andrew strauss, England's captain, has stood at cover and applauded politely whenever given the opportunity. He applauded Smith's hundred, Eckersley's fifty, he even absent-mindedly joined in with a smattering of applause when Leicestershire brought up the 200.

"Strauss is probably applauding some tea and scones in the dressing-room and will shout 'three cheers for the umpires' when they advise Middlesex it is time to field. What he would really like to applaud, though, is six quick Middlesex wickets and a spell of inspiration. It does not look as if it is going to come from their spinners."

3.56pm: "Since Worcestershire claimed the crucial third wicket that effectively relegated Yorkshire and improved their own chances of survival ? a full set of bonus points here would guarantaee that ? captain Daryl Mitchell turned to off-spinner Moeen Ali and brought on himself to trundle through a few overs," writes Richard Gibson. "They have reduced their over-rate deficit to -1 by tea, which Durham took at 209 for five. Mitchell's own over included a wicket, that of Ian Blackwell, who negated any rush-through policy by dispatching a long hop into the only seating area in the ground not populated, and then boshed a half-volley down the ground, where it got fast in some tarpaulin, before succumbing to the surprise delivery ? the full, straight one. Paul Collingwood also departed in that bail-less middle session when he nibbled at a Richardson delivery to be held low down by wicketkeeper Ben Scott. First time I've seen someone walk for a while. Good old Colly."

2.52pm: "The only twist in this tale is that the same scoreboard that showed Durham to be 146 for three at that point also displayed -2 on Worcestershire's over-rate," notes Richard Gibson. "Under County Championship playing regulations, teams are docked points commensurately for each over they are in arrears at the end of a match. Now that would be a remarkable reprieve for Yorkshire, wouldn't it? Not for one minute suggesting it will happen. For a start, Worcestershire would be within their rights to bowl a few overs off short run-ups to return it to zero if it came down to it. There have also been extenuating circumstances here for the umpires to take into consideration ? not least the gale that forced the use of heavy bails before lunch, and their subsequent removal completely afterwards. I cannot remember watching a first-class match proceed with naked stumps, although I have played in a couple of club games without bails."

2.46pm: "Warwickshire have lost another wicket," writes Paul Weaver. "William Porterfield was given a third life when, on 28, he was put down by Liam Dawson at third slip off Tomlinson. Hampshire's fielding is hopeless today. But without addition Porterfield was lbw to Dimitri Mascarenhas, a neat decision by the umpire this, as the ball was very close to pitching outside leg stump.

Since then the sunshine has come out and batting looks a little easier. Since his two double hundreds at the start of the season Chopra had scored just four fifties and averaged a modest 27. But he has reached another half-century here, the 22nd of his career, and it has come off 108 deliveries with seven fours. At the other end Shivnarine Chanderpaul has settled in nicely and has just hit Danny Briggs for a straight six to move into his twenties.
It must be superstition but Chanderpaul uses his partner's bat ? not his own ? to make his mark at the crease, tapping a bail into the soil. Ramnaresh Sarwan does the same, the bail thing, I mean. It is a Guyana habit? I can't remember Clive Lloyd doing it ? or Carl Hopper. It's 139 for two here."

2.34pm: Bad news for Yorkshiremen, courtesy of Richard Gibson: "The death knell tolled for Yorkshire at 2.20pm, 90 miles up the road at Chester-le-Street, and in spectacular fashion too when Kemar Roach uprooted Will Smith's middle-stump. That provided Worcestershire with a third wicket, and therefore the one bonus point they required to edge ahead of Yorkshire at the bottom of the table."

1.06pm: There is small consolation for MS Dhoni in the LG ICC awards, writes David Hopps. India might have not won a single international match all summer, but Dhoni still skippers the ICC's one-day side, chosen based on performances over the past year. Graeme Swann is the only English player named. There are four Indians in the side, all of whom were involved in India's ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 victory over Sri Lanka in Mumbai in April.

We will keep you briefed on the county blog as to the awards as they come in.

ICC ODI Team of the Year:
Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL)
Virender Sehwag (Ind)
Kumar Sangakkara (SL)
AB de Villiers (SA)
Shane Watson (Aus)
Yuvraj Singh (Ind)
MS Dhoni (Ind, wicketkeeper/captain)
Graeme Swann (Eng)
Umar Gul (Pak)
Dale Steyn (SA)
Zaheer Khan (Ind)
12th Man - Lasith Malinga (SL)

1.03pm: It took Middlesex precisely two overs to claim the first point of the 12 they need to assure themselves of promotion from Division Two, writes David Hopps at Grace Road. At that point Leicestershire were 4-3 with Matthew Boyce, Will Jones and James Taylor already dismissed. Perhaps Leicestershire, one of two English counties in next week's Champions League ? the world Twenty20 club tournament ? were already thinking of Hyderabad. It is not often that you have been able to remark that about Leicestershire. Strong winds are raging across Grace Road, but if anybody should have been able to duck underneath them it was James Taylor, who is no high-sided vehicle. But Taylor fell second ball for nought, bowled by Corey Colleymore. Taylor is second in Leicestershire's first-class averages to Andrew McDonald, but even so an average of 36 in Division Two does not immediately present him as a batsman of international quality.

Leicestershire are 106-4 at lunch, with the game breezing along nicely, and Middlesex still much the happier of the two sides. Jacques du Toit, out for 42, and Greg Smith, 48 not out at the interval, have made this a contest. Top v Bottom (and, what's more, bottom by a whopping 63 points) should make this a formality, but anticipation of the excitement that lies ahead in Hyderabad might yet inspire Leicestershire into a rare burst of championship form.

If they do put up a fist of it, they will do so without McDonald, who is in Australia sorting out visa problems, and Will Jefferson, the hero of England's domestic Twenty20 finals day, who has a hand injury, presumably repetitive strain injury because of the uncommon need to sign so many autographs. The arch sledger, Paul Nixon, is also conspicuous by his absence as he plans an Indian farewell. Not to have Nixon's oaths carried to the boundary edge on gale-force winds might save a few sensitive souls from embarrassment.

1.00pm: Thanks, Selve, for giving me a good old chuckle, writes Richard Gibson. There is a similar 'wind' situation playing out before me today with the Selve-ish Alan Richardson and the West Indian Kemar Roach sharing the new ball. The only difference here is that the gale is a-howling from all directions, so there is little advantage to be gained. They bowled skilfully, without reward, for a dozen overs and it was only when Richardson switched from the Lumley End to the Finchale End that he added to his 2011 wicket tally ? Mark Stoneman shouldered arms at one delivery too many and was adjudged leg before on the stroke of lunch to become Richardson's Division One-high 68th victim of the season. Durham were therefore 83 for two at the interval, having lost Michael Di Venuto just after the hour-mark: umpire Trevor Jesty adjudging that a delivery that shaped in from Gareth Andrew struck pad marginally before bat. Will Smith did not look like a man with a hundred to his name earlier this month, particularly during the first hour when he mustered just two, but remains unbeaten on 28.

12.53pm: Warwickshire have got to lunch on 71 for one after 23 overs, writes Paul Weaver and after a short but dodgy session they will feel very relieved about that. Varun Chopra has 32 and William Porterfield is on 15.

It's a good-looking pitch but the dampness and cloud cover makes it a bowling day too and Hampshire could have had more wickets.

Warwickshire have given four chances, in addition to the wicket of Westwood. Porterfield, who needs a good score here, was missed before he had scored, by James Vince in the gully off Tominson.

Porterfield had scored only one when he gave another chance, a difficult, low-down return catch to the bowler Chris Wood. And Chopra, on 15, could have been run out by Carberry ? a silly single to take to such an alert fielder.

So counting that early chance offered by Chopra to Carberry at third slip that's four chances. Sorry Lancashire supporters! But that's probably why Hampshire are where they are in the table.

12.45pm: Tough old session that, writes Mike Selvey. Tough on the bowlers, tough on the batsmen and fielders and tough on the hardy souls sat watching, although the wind is not a cold one. So the smallest of mercies. This was definitely Gloucestershire's session however, with those two early wickets augmented by that of Alex Wakely who was caught at third slip off what proved to be the final delivery before lunch. This was a good catch by Kane Williamson, as Wakely was trying to whip the ball from Gidman through midwicket, the chance presumably coming from the back of the bat. These are difficult to sight. So at lunch, Northants, with an eye on what is going on elsewhere such is the precarious nature at the top of the second division, were 50 for three, 31 of them to Kyle Coetzer.

12.43pm: Glen Chapple is leading from the front, albeit on one leg, in Lancashire's bid to make history in Taunton, writes Andy Wilson. The Red Rose skipper made an early breakthrough, only to hobble back to the pavilion after completing his fifth over off a shortened run. But this season it has been more noteworthy when Chapple, now 37, has completed a spell without requiring treatment. Sure enough he was back on the field within a few overs, and brought himself back into the attack from the River End for a brief burst, again off a short run, just before lunch, with Somerset's third wicket partnership between Arul Suppiah and James Hildreth starting to pose a major threat. In his second over, Chapple nipped one back to beat Suppiah's defensive prod, and peg back his off stump. That gave him figures of two for nine in his seventh over, and leaves Somerset on 94 for three at lunch.

Suppiah's was a peculiar innings. He had managed five singles in the first 20 overs before flicking Tom Smith wristily through the leg-side for a boundary to bring up Somerset's 50. There were several similar strokes, beautifully timed, leaving Lancashire relieved to make the breakthrough.

Hildreth, who has endured a difficult season since impressing as the England Lions captain last winter, has hinted at a return to form in moving to 37 from 52 balls with five fours, although he did offer a sharp chance to Smith at second slip off Luke Procter, whose unorthodox medium pace has caused a few problems.

11.36am: Paul Weaver, meanwhile, is in Southampton: "Warwickshire got under way against Hampshire half an hour late, the old starting time of 11 o'clock, because of early morning rain. There is a lot of rain still around ? you can see half the county from the Rose Bowl ? so it won't be too much of a surprise if they are off again before the close, tough a pale sunshine is out at the moment.

Warwickshire have won the toss and are batting on what some of the England lads described as the one of the best ODI pitches they have ever seen. Warwickshire are three points ahead of Lancashire and need 22 points to be sure of the championship; Hampshire need maximum points for a rather far-fetched chance of escaping the drop. Both teams are unchanged.

Not much action here early on, but in the fourth over Varun Chopra was dropped at third slip by Michael Carberry off the bowling of James Tomlinson. And we have a wicket: in the sixth over Ian Westwood was caught by James Vince, the finer of the two gullies, off Tomlinson, and it's 18 for one."

11.34am: Mike Selvey is checking in from Northampton: "Marvellous isn't it. After years of bowling into the wind, here I am writing into it as well. The press box windows are rattling away and the flags at the County Ground are tearing at their poles, eager to escape. On the field, hats are being whisked from heads and chased as they skitter to the boundary. It is I can promise you no fun for bowlers and this wind, howling across the ground rather than down the pitch is the worst kind, the sort that will buffet a bowler off balance as he jumps into his delivery stride.

"If ever there was a wind, I got to bowl into it. There was never an option. No one ever said, 'Which end would you like, Selve?' And Wayne Daniel used to grumble away at how hard it was slogging back into the wind to reach his mark. But there is heroism to be had in bowling into the wind. No one ever got a medal for bouncing downbreeze. But people still talk of Chris Old's indefatigable bowling into the teeth of an insidious southerly at the Basin Reserve in Wellington in 1978, overs bowled off the reel that brought him 6 for 54 from 30 overs. Old, by the way, was a difficult fellow to get onto the field, but once there he let no one down.

"At the moment though it is the Northamptonshire batsmen who are having the toughest time coping. It was a late start here because the strength of the wind hampered some necessary mopping-up operations. But when play did get under way, with the home side winning the toss and batting, Rob Newton immediately edged Will Gidman's fourth ball to Richard Coughtrie behind the stumps, and then in the following over Niall O'Brien wafted at a wide-ish ball from Jon Lewis and also edged to the keeper, leaving the Cobblers at 7 for two."

11.26am: It is one days like these that you are thankful not to be at one of county cricket's outposts, writes Richard Gibson - Aigburth is cold at the best of times. The heavy bails are on and the wind is swirling around Chester-le-Street, where Durham, the outsiders of three to win the County Championship pennant, have opted to bat. Yes, that's right, Phil Mustard has won another toss. You wouldn't fancy bumping into the Colonel at that Red or Black thingy-me-jiggy that dominated terrestrial television last week. Thirteen times he has been present when the coin has gone up for a Durham Division One match this season and only once has the opposing captain got the choice of what to do. So Worcestershire began their quest for the three wickets that would officially relegate Yorkshire with the in-form Alan Richardson and Kemar Roach in tandem. Luck remained with Durham, however, as Michael Di Venuto was dropped at gully by Gareth Andrew and then survived a very good-looking lbw shout in successive Richardson deliveries during the fourth over. Ball has since passed the bats of Di Venuto and Will Smith on half-a-dozen occasions but Durham remained unbreached in the opening 10 overs.

10.40am: You would not believe it was possible, writes David Hopps, stuck in ANOTHER huge traffic jam caused by an accident. Going to the cricket has never been so problematic. Forget the sound of leather on willow, once again the air is full again of sirens. I will be at Leicester v Middlesex eventually.

10.30am: So here we go, crunch time, writes Andy Wilson at Taunton. Can the climax to the County Championship season possibly be as dramatic as it was this time last year, when Nottinghamshire snatched the title on the last afternoon at Old Trafford? There's certainly plenty at stake, with the battles for promotion and to avoid relegation still very much live, as well as the tussle between Lancashire, Warwickshire and possibly Durham at the top.

Just to recap on where we stand, the Bears have a three-point lead over Lancashire, with Durham a further 12 back. But word has already come through from the Rose Bowl that the start of their game against Hampshire has been slightly delayed. There seems to be a reasonable chance of a prompt start here at the County Ground, where the sky is grey, the wind is blustery, but it's dry.

Alfonso Thomas, who is captaining Somerset in the continued absence of Marcus Trescothick, has won the toss, and chosen to bat. Lancashire have named the same 11 who beat Hampshire so thrillingly at Aigburth late on Saturday afternoon, sticking with two spinners. Simon Kerrigan, who was dropped after taking five for seven at Edgbaston in May, will be relieved to hang on to his place through his figures of nine for 51, the best by a Lancashire bowler since 1953. Stephen Croft has passed a fitness test on the hand injury he suffered fielding at short leg, so Lancs are unchanged, with Sajid Mahmood again omitted.

There are so many plot lines, irrespective of Lancashire's quest for history. Most of the Lancastrians who have travelled down here feel a little sheepish, as they are aware that Somerset have never won the Championship - and that they have every right to retain a little resentment over Lancashire's pivotal role in last year's heartbreaking near miss. Not only were Lancashire unable to prevent Notts from harvesting the necessary bonus points on the last day at Old Trafford, but they had already been beaten at Trent Bridge after setting a generous declaration in their own desperation for a victory to stay in the title race.

There is even a Lancastrian leading the Somerset attack who has always relished the opportunity of making life awkward for his home county - Steve Kirby, the red-head from Heywood, who bowled beautifully when the teams met at Aigburth way back in April but without sufficient support. Four fascinating days lie ahead.

Preamble Morning all. Mike Selvey is attending Northamptonshire v Gloucestershire, David Hopps is at Leicester v Middlesex, Andy Wilson is watching Somerset v Lancashire and Richard Gibson as at Durham v Worcestershire.