James Fuller took four wickets as Hampshire completed their fifth win of the LV= County Championship season against Nottinghamshire to close the gap on leaders Surrey.
Tom Moores flayed tired bowlers in the evening with 81 to threaten just the chance of a remarkable upset but became the first of five final wickets to fall in 90 minutes as Hampshire completed a 116-run victory.
Matt Henry followed up his T20 Finals Day heroics with five wickets to set up a nine-wicket victory for Somerset over Northamptonshire.
Henry finished with figures of five for 73, taking eight wickets in the match after Northamptonshire were bowled out for 224 in their second innings.
Somerset duly knocked off the 54 runs required inside 11 overs before lunch to continue their winning ways, with Tom Lammonby powering six boundaries in an undefeated innings of 30.
Middlesex’s batting frailties were ruthlessly exposed by London rivals Surrey as the reigning champions closed in on a big win at Lord’s.
Aussie seamer Sean Abbott, Jamie Overton and Tom Lawes claimed three wickets apiece as the hosts crumbled from their overnight 179 for five to 238 all out in their first innings.
Following on 195 behind, stand-in skipper Mark Stoneman led the resistance with 72 as Middlesex reached 272 for nine, a lead of only 77.
Harry Finch batted for almost five hours in recording a valiant century as Kent prevented Essex from claiming victory inside three days.
Essex, looking for a fourth-successive win to put pressure on Championship leaders Surrey, endured a frustrating day in the field as Finch led the way in partnerships of 93 and 72 with Ben Compton (39) and Joey Evison (56 not out) in his 114.
Kent finished the day on 265 for seven – 14 runs ahead with three wickets in hand.
Lancashire are hoping for kind weather on the last day of their match with Warwickshire after they took charge on the third day at Edgbaston.
After bowling the home side out for 212, for a first-innings lead of 115, Lancashire closed a rain-shortened third day on 182 for six – 297 ahead as Keaton Jennings constructed an unbeaten 64 (174 balls).
Josh Tongue claimed the three remaining wickets inside 18 minutes as Worcestershire wrapped up a 100-run win over Leicestershire in Division Two.
The victory enabled the Pears to move level on points in the table with Leicestershire as both counties chase promotion.
Tongue, who was released from the England squad at Old Trafford to rejoin his county team-mates, took five for 29 – his best return of the season – as Leicestershire were dismissed for 137.
Yorkshire tried their utmost to force victory over Sussex inside three days but 58 apiece for opener Tom Clark and wicketkeeper Oli Carter helped thwart them.
Yorkshire advanced their first-innings reply to 364 for eight declared, meaning Sussex started their second innings 148 behind. And they closed on 236 for seven, a lead of 88.
England fast bowler Matthew Potts paraded his batting credentials as Durham piled on the runs against Derbyshire at Derby.
Potts scored 64 and shared an eighth-wicket stand of 110 from 113 balls with Brydon Carse, who made 80 on a day of stoppages.
The Division Two leaders secured maximum batting points for the sixth time this season before they were bowled out for 575, with fast bowler Sam Conners claiming five for 115.
That gave Durham a lead of 132 but Derbyshire responded strongly in their second innings to close on 89 without loss – 43 behind – with Luis Reece 54 not out.
Billy Root fell two short of a century as Glamorgan blitzed their way to maximum batting points on the second day of their match with Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.
Kiran Carlson (76), Root (98) and Chris Cooke (86 not out) helped the visitors extend their first innings from an overnight 152 for two to 450 for six declared on the fast-scoring College Ground.
By the close, Gloucestershire had moved to 134 for one in their second innings, Chris Dent leading the way with 61 not out.
