Essex claimed their second win of the Vitality County Championship season with a comprehensive victory by an innings and 124 runs inside three days over Lancashire.
Lancashire capitulated in less than 42 overs for the second time and it was Jamie Porter who picked up the first of nine wickets to fall in the session – finishing with three for 24, while Shane Snater got in on the act with three for 17.
Lancashire had started day three on 10 for one, requiring another 221 runs to make the hosts bat again but lost five wickets in the first hour and did not recover, with the game wrapped up in extra time before the scheduled lunch interval.
Durham earned their first victory of the season after defeating Worcestershire by 185 runs on day three in the battle of last season’s two promoted sides.
Worcestershire’s chances of chasing down a mammoth 458 was dented by Paul Coughlin, who picked up three wickets in quick succession to curtail any chances of the opposition doing the unthinkable.
Matthew Potts also picked up a couple of wickets and with half the side back in the hutch for just 121 in only 28 overs, the contest was all but over and despite some late resistance from Nathan Smith and Matthew Waite, it was not enough to stop them from falling to defeat.
Fletcha Middleton claimed his maiden County Championship century but it may only count for a draw as Hampshire and Warwickshire head into day four.
Middleton reached 116 as he put on 213 runs for the second wicket alongside Nick Gubbins who also passed his century in a stunning partnership between the two.
Hampshire looked set for a huge score but a mid-afternoon collapse saw them lose five wickets for just 45, giving Warwickshire a 90-run first-innings lead.
Rob Yates and opening partner Alex Davies reached 46 without loss by close – a lead of 136.
Champions Surrey need five wickets on the final day to claim their first win of the season over Kent at Canterbury.
They reduced the hosts to 120 for five in their second innings, with Dan Worrall impressing by taking three for 18, after Surrey declared on 543 for seven.
Matt Parkinson took five wickets for Kent as Surrey earned a first-innings lead of 299, with Dom Sibley scoring 150, Dan Lawrence 112 and Jamie Smith contributing 58.
Joe Clarke and Will Young shared a record Nottinghamshire stand of 370 to lead Somerset by 157 runs.
Clarke hit an undefeated 209, while Young contributed 156 not out to break a 121-year-old Nottinghamshire record.
In Division Two, Leus Du Plooy and Ryan Higgins steered Middlesex to a six-wicket victory against Yorkshire at Lord’s.
The pair shared a match-winning stand of 59 just when the hosts were wobbling at 77 for three chasing 158 and Du Plooy fell eight short of 50 with victory in sight, but Higgins remained 33 not out when Stephen Eskinazi made the winning runs.
Ollie Robinson took two wickets in three balls as Sussex look to close victory against Gloucestershire.
After bowling 27 wicketless overs in the match, Robinson was finally rewarded when he dismissed Cameron Bancroft and James Bracey as Gloucestershire fell to 27 for four before slightly improving to 81 for six, leading by just 19 runs.
Jayden Seales had taken two wickets in his first two overs after Gloucestershire entered their second innings trailing by 62 after dismissing Sussex for 479.
Karun Nair’s unbeaten double hundred put Northamptonshire in a strong position in their match against Glamorgan.
He scored 202 not out from 253 balls, propping up a commanding total of 605 for six declared, and shared a sixth-wicket partnership of 212 with Saif Zaib, who scored a century.
Glamorgan go into day four trailing by 230 runs with seven wickets remaining.
Wayne Madsen rescued Derbyshire from the threat of a three-day defeat as they trail Leicestershire by 183 runs with four wickets remaining.
Derbyshire were made to follow on 407 runs behind and Madsen blocked the visitors’ push for victory with an unbeaten 59 from 114 to finish 224 for six at stumps.