Stokes withdrawn from Durham duty, Essex v Notts and more: county cricket day three – live

Key events

28m ago

Sussex need 253 to win

50m ago

Start of play scores

2h ago

Stokes withdrawn from Durham game 'at request of ECB'

“Hi Tanya.” Hello Tim Maitland!

”Does English cricket truly understand the storm that’s about to hit them?

”I only ask, because the teenaged Vaibhav Sooryavanshi just hit 94 off 29 balls for India A in the ongoing ODI against Sri Lanka A.

”That’s a strike rate of 324. Three runs a ball. Ten fours and 8 sixes.

”We can only hope that the weather in July provides hooping, green seamers that are utterly alien to him. Anything else and whatever mess the current set-up is in come the end of the New Zealand series is going to look like the calm before the storm by the time the T20 and ODI series is over.

”He’s going to make Harry Brook look pedestrian.

”None of this should come as new news. He just won five of the 2026 IPL’s individual awards (MVP, Orange Cap for Most Runs, Emerging Player, Most Sixes and Batting Strike Rate) aged 15. But as the ECB seems determined to give the impression that they couldn’t run a bath at the moment, you have to hope they’ve started pre-emptive crisis meetings across every department, starting with the Sports Psychologists to prepare for the battered psyches of the bowlers.”

Interesting that Colin Ackermann won’t be able to bowl for Durham because he’s not a like for like replacement.

Sussex need 253 to win

Hampshire hitched their way to the highest score of the match thanks to the lower order - 22o . Three wickets each for Unadkat, Carson and Price. Kyle Abbot 23 not out. Now what are Sussex made of?

Two more early wickets, Yorkshire, fallible Yorkshire, losing Sam Whiteman inside edging to a flying Ben Cox, Yorks 57-3 ; and Charlie Bennett wafting to point, a second wicket for O’Neill, Essex 39-3.

Start of play scores

Chelmsford: Essex 184 and 13-2 v Nottinghamshire 457

Sophia Garden: Glamorgan 358 v Surrey 105 and 82-2

Grace Road: Leicestershire 453 v Yorkshire 185 and 32-2

Taunton: Somerset 208 and 23-1 v Warwickshire 330

Hove: Sussex 159 v Hampshire 191 and 206-9

DIVISION TWO

Chesterfield: Derbyshire 364 v Lancashire 161 and 140-6

Chester-le-Street: Durham 302-7 v Northants 450

Canterbury: Kent 416 v Middlesex 319-6

New Road: Worcestershire210-5 v Gloucestershire 289

Delayed arrival at CLS, via a cheese scone, to see Ben Raine reverse-scoop the ball into his stumps. Durham 332-8 with the new ball imminent. Stokes is still at Chester le Street and warmed up with the team this morning.

Morning everyone and a happy summer solstice to you all. Breaking news at The Oval and here at CLS that Stokes and Atkinson and have been withdrawn from duty and will presumably be meeting up with England after the denouement to the second Test at The Oval. But away from that, there are eight games of cricket to win. Play starts at 11am, do join us.

Stokes withdrawn from Durham game 'at request of ECB'

Tanya will be with you shortly, but some breaking news to bring you early on: Ben Stokes will not play any further part in Durham’s match against Northamptonshire, having been “withdrawn at the request of the ECB”.

“Ben Stokes has been withdrawn from the remainder of Durham’s County Championship match against Northamptonshire at the request of the ECB,” a statement said. “Colin Ackermann will replace Stokes in the Durham 11.”

The BBC are also reporting that Gus Atkinson has been stood down from Surrey’s match at Glamorgan – all of which points to a likely return for both players to the England fold for the third Test against New Zealand.