Champions Surrey needed only 30.2 overs on the final day to wrap up victory by an innings and 11 runs against Hampshire in their Vitality County Championship clash at the Kia Oval.
Dan Worrall finished with an impressive five for 47 as Hampshire, dismissed first time around for 151, were bowled out again for 197.
Ollie Pope equalled the Surrey record for the most outfield catches in a first-class match, pouching three more at second slip to give himself six in the innings and eight in the game as the hosts took over at the top of the table.
Elsewhere in Division One, Essex’s Nick Browne scored his first Championship century for more than a year and Callum Parkinson collected his maiden five-wicket haul for Durham, but the weather-affected match at the Riverside ended in a draw.
Having made 488 and taken a 130-run lead on first innings, Essex did their best to force a victory on the final afternoon, but their efforts floundered as Alex Lees (48 not out) steered his side to 131 for two when bad light stopped play at 4.40pm.
Tom Lammonby continued his excellent start to the season and played a major role in Somerset earning a hard-fought draw at Worcestershire.
Lammonby dug in to score his third half-century of the season, in addition to his hundred against champions Surrey.
His unbeaten 81 lifted his run tally for the campaign past the 350 mark and he received excellent support from Andrew Umeed during a decisive fourth-wicket partnership at Kidderminster.
Warwickshire’s match against Nottinghamshire petered out into a tame draw at Edgbaston.
In reply to 400 all out, Warwickshire extended their first innings to 361, with Jake Bethell posting a career best 93, before Nottinghamshire went in again and reached 75 for one when hands were shaken.
The three Division Two matches all ended in draws.
Gloucestershire’s long wait for a Championship win continued as their match against Middlesex at Bristol petered out into a draw.
Middlesex did their utmost to force a result by declaring their second innings on 449 for seven and setting the home side a target of 339 to win in 58 overs on a hybrid pitch offering negligible assistance to the bowlers.
The visitors reduced their opponents to 102 for three in the final session with 27 overs still available, but Ollie Price displayed resilience in compiling an unbeaten 52 as Gloucestershire reached 127 for three.
Peter Handscomb and England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed teamed up as Leicestershire snuffed out Northamptonshire’s hopes of bowling themselves to victory.
The hosts replied to Northamptonshire’s first-innings 453 for seven declared with 452 for eight declared in a contest ruined by the weather.
Handscomb missed out on a 23rd career first-class century after being run out for 99 and Ahmed made 85.
Wayne Madsen completed a century and new signing Aneurin Donald added 97 as Derbyshire’s batters secured a draw against Yorkshire at Headingley.
Derbyshire started day four on 190 for three in their first-innings reply to Yorkshire’s 450 for five declared, needing to reach 301 to avoid the follow-on.
They made 447, with Madsen turning his overnight 88 into 104 and Donald narrowly missing out on what would have been his first first-class ton since July 2019.
Yorkshire were 59 for one in their second innings when bad light intervened.
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