Worcestershire and Northants keep up the pace at the top

Worcestershire237 and 257 beat Glamorgan 156 and 324 by 14 runs at New Road
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Worcestershire came out on top in a thrilling finish at New Road where they beat Glamorgan by 14 runs and consolidated their position at the top of the table. Resuming on 174 for 4 and chasing 339, Glamorgan's hopes were dashed when Jimmy Maher (95) and Mark Wallace (55) were dismissed in successive overs. However, the Welsh spirit shone through all the way till the end as Robert Croft (51*) and David Harrison put on a battling 56-run stand for the last wicket. But Kabir Ali (4 for 96) wrapped up the win for Worcestershire when Harrison was caught by Gareth Batty at backward point for 27.

Northamptonshire 176 and 330 beat Hampshire 278 and 227 for 2 dec. by five wickets at The Rose Bowl
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Mike Hussey and David Sales ensured Northants kept their second spot in Division Two with fighting innings to beat Hampshire by five wickets. Chasing a stiff 330, Hussey scored exactly 100, including 13 fours, and shared a 159-run partnership with Sales, who scored a valuable 75 from 125 balls, with 11 fours and a six. That partnership set up the win, which Mark Powell made sure of with 47 not out. Shaun Udal and James Bruce took two wickets each, but it wasn't enough to lift Hampshire from the bottom of the table.

Sussex 429 and 302 for 5 drew with Surrey 355 and 114 for 1 at Hove
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Sussex settled for a draw against leaders Surrey as the top-of-the-table clash petered out into an ant-climatic draw. Rather than looking for quick runs, Sussex were content to bat out most of the day and not give Surrey a sniff of a win. Murray Goodwin added eight more to his overnight score before he fell to Saqlain Mushtaq for a tedious 29 from 103 balls. After Chris Adams also fell to Saqlain for 23, Tim Ambrose dug in for a solid 76 not out. And with help from Robin Martin-Jenkins (45) and Matt Prior (50*), they eventually declared on 302 for 5 after Saqlain and Ian Salisbury were bowling off 10-pace runs to deliver some innocuous medium-pace. In their token fourth innings, Surrey ended on 114 for 1 with Jonathan Batty on 65 not out and Mark Ramprakash 14 not out.

Lancashire 479 and 68 for 3 Leicestershire 259 and 287 by seven wickets at Leicester
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Glen Chapple and John Wood took three wickets apiece to help Lancashire to a comfortable win against Leicestershire at Grace Road which kept alive their title hopes. Resuming the day on 156 for 2, John Maunders led the Leicestershire recovery with a gutsy 75, but once he was run out, Leicestershire folded to 287 with the last six wickets tumbling for 87 runs. Paul Nixon (33) and Jeremy Snape (36) showed some resistance, but Chapple (3 for 84) and Wood (3 for 42) had the final say. On their way to the 68 required, Lancashire had a few wobbles as Philip DeFreitas did his best to cause an upset with three wickets, but Mal Loye (21*) and Carl Hooper (20*) saw them home in the end.

Middlesex 278 and 146 for 6 beat Nottinghamshire 254 and 169 by four wickets at Nottingham
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Middlesex won a nerve-wracking match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge to cement their fourth position in Division One, and send Notts rock bottom. Resuming a finely balanced final day's play, Notts made a shocking start when they crashed from their overnight 160 for 5 to 169 all out. Chad Keegan (5 for 39) and Joe Dawes (5 for 46) shared the wickets between them as Notts lost four wickets for no runs. That set Middlesex 146, and two early wickets from Chris Cairns set a few hearts pumping and when Ed Joyce and Paul Weekes later fell in quick succession to leave them on 116 for 6, Notts's hopes of a dramatic victory rose. However, David Nash and Ashley Noffke guided Middlesex home with an unbeaten 30-run partnership.

Gloucestershire 263 and 284 for 6 drew with Yorkshire 226 and 75 for 2 at Cheltenham
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Gloucestershire's rain-blighted match against Yorkshire drifted away to a draw, as the captains Craig Spearman and Matthew Wood opted for safety first at Cheltenham. With both sides battling for the third promotion spot, there was too much at stake for a bold declaration, as Gloucestershire pushed on to 284 for 6, before setting a nominal target of 322 in 40 overs. Spearman himself hurried along to 94 from 118 balls, while Steve Kirby reminded the England selectors that he can take wickets. He added another four to his tally, finishing with match figures of 10 for 183.