Hampshire moved to the top of LV= Insurance County Championship Division One after they beat the rain to thrash Northamptonshire by an innings and four runs at the Ageas Bowl.
Leading wicket-taker Kyle Abbott missed out because of a lower leg problem suffered during Wednesday evening.
Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, though, weighed in with four for 32 while Keith Barker took three for 63, as Hampshire claimed full points from the match to lead Surrey by eight.
After the morning had been washed out and further rain took the players off again in the afternoon, Hampshire eventually managed to pick up the seven wickets needed in 27 overs as the visitors were bowled out for 221.
Lancashire’s title hopes look all-but over after their bid for a final-day victory over Roses rivals Yorkshire was thwarted at Emirates Old Trafford.
Yorkshire had been set an unlikely victory target of 302 in a minimum of 84 overs, but Lancashire took the upper hand when they reduced the visitors to 67 for three.
However, Tom Kohler-Cadmore made a determined unbeaten 34, coming off 159 balls, as Yorkshire finished on 102 for three in the 64th over when rain curtailed play just after 4pm leaving both sides to take 13 points.
Essex needed just 28 balls to complete an innings-and-260-run victory over Kent at Canterbury.
Once the rain stopped and play started on day four, the visitors claimed the remaining two wickets quickly to bowl Kent out for 149.
Sam Cook took 10 for 60 in the match, including seven for 33 in the second innings, while Jamie Porter claimed three for 50.
Jordan Cox was top scorer with 65 for Kent, who are deep in the relegation battle.
Gloucestershire’s bid for a first County Championship win of the season was thwarted by the weather on the final day against Somerset at Taunton.
The visitors extended their second-innings total from an overnight 246 for five to 279 for seven before declaring with a lead of 374.
The rain, though, soon set in and the match was confirmed as a draw, Somerset having reached 11 without loss in their second innings.
Gloucestershire – adrift at the bottom with only two games to play – took 12 points, having two deducted for a slow over rate, while Somerset also picked up the same which lifted them seven points clear of Warwickshire.
Glamorgan moved into second place in Division Two after their rain-affected clash with Worcestershire finished in a draw at Cardiff.
The Welsh county picked up 12 points from the match to move seven ahead of promotion rivals Middlesex – who are their next opponents at Lord’s – while Worcestershire took 14.
There were only 55 minutes of play possible on the final day, during which Glamorgan claimed an extra batting bonus point as they progressed from 241 for eight to 295 all out, Chris Cooke making an unbeaten 51.
Glamorgan fell 10 runs short of avoiding the follow-on, so were immediately sent back in, but openers David Lloyd and Ed Byrom only had to survive nine balls before the rain came down and the match was abandoned early in the afternoon with Somerset 11 without loss.
