Hampshire pushed champions Warwickshire to the brink of relegation on the third day of their LV= Insurance County Championship clash at Edgbaston.
Replying to the home side’s 272 for four declared, Hampshire made 311 thanks to James Vince (98) and former Edgbaston favourite Keith Barker (76).
Warwickshire closed on 62 for two second time around – 23 ahead – but, after rain took out much of the first two days, a draw is overwhelmingly likely.
That would secure a runners up spot for Vince’s side and send the Bears down.
Yorkshire’s defeat to Gloucestershire at Headingley has given them a glimmer of hope but the Bears must win this match.
Already-relegated Gloucestershire completed a thrilling three-day victory, defending 241, to leave Yorkshire nervously watching events at Edgbaston.
England fringe ODI seamer David Payne and fellow left-armer, the Pakistan spinner Zafar Gohar, claimed four wickets each and consigned the hosts to a sixth defeat in their last eight Division One games, bowling them out for 222, an 18-run margin.
The hosts were set their target during the second half of the third morning and were going well at 69 for one before succumbing to the pressure of needing to win, despite a late and defiant unbeaten 79 off 103 balls from Dom Bess.
Lancashire wrapped up an impressive victory over champions Surrey inside three days as they signed off the season with a win by an innings and 130 runs.
Left-arm bowler Tom Hartley did the damage with the ball, with the 23-year-old claiming five for 52 and match figures of eight for 80 after nine sessions of cricket which were utterly dominated by the hosts who dismissed the visitors for 173 in their second innings.
Kent thrashed Somerset by an innings and 151 runs to end their campaign in style at Canterbury.
Hamid Qadri hit a career-high 87 as Kent, having secured their top-flight status, made 492 in their first innings, a lead of 290.
Although Kasey Aldridge recorded his best first-class figures of six for 110, it was a day of pain for Somerset as they collapsed to 139 all out.
Matt Quinn took three for 14 and Nathan Gilchrist, Daniel Bell-Drummond and Qadri all claimed two wickets apiece.
Nottinghamshire secured promotion to Division One and are effectively Division Two champions already, although their supporters will have to wait until the final day of the season to see it mathematically confirmed.
They bowled Durham out for 207 just 10 overs after lunch in reply to their mammoth 662 for five declared.
They batted again and declared at 121 for two, leaving Durham an unlikely target of 577. And the visitors ended the day on 14 for two and staring defeat in the face.
Middlesex are on the verge of joining Nottinghamshire as century-maker Steve Eskinazi, John Simpson and Pieter Malan played major roles in them securing maximum batting points against Worcestershire at New Road.
The visitors racked up 509 all out in their response to Worcestershire’s 225, with Eskinazi making 115 and Simpson (93) and Malan (92) also weighing in.
With only a draw required to secure a top two spot, it will require something of extraordinary proportions on the final day to prevent the champagne corks from popping after they obtained a lead of 284.
Captain Tom Haines completed two hundreds in the same day and opening partner Ali Orr thrashed a magnificent unbeaten 185 to transform Sussex’s fortunes against Glamorgan.
Haines, who had resumed on 34, became the first Sussex batsman since 2014 to carry his bat with 108 but his side were still bowled out for 258 in their first innings.
They followed on 275 behind, but it was some turnaround as Haines and Orr guided Sussex to 312 for no wicket, a lead of 37.
Haines was inpenetrable on 121 while Orr made hay, finishing 15 short of his double centry after hitting 18 fours and nine sixes.
