Yorkshire moved five points behind Specsavers County Championship Division One leaders Middlesex by wrapping up a resounding 305-run victory over Nottinghamshire at Scarborough.
Needing victory to keep pace at the top of the table in what was their game in hand on their main title rivals, Yorkshire secured the win early in the afternoon session on the final day.
They needed just 34.3 overs on Friday to claim the final seven Notts wickets - Tim Bresnan claiming a career-best five for 36 - as the visitors were bowled out for 146 chasing 452 to win .
Notts remain rooted to the bottom of the table with three matches to play while Yorkshire stay second and well in the hunt for a third successive Championship title.
Surrey are in third spot, two points behind Yorks but having played two games more, after recording a similarly clinical win over Lancashire at The Oval.
Like Bresnan, Surrey left-arm seamer Mark Footitt was celebrating the best return of his career after taking the final two Lancashire wickets this morning to finish with figures of seven for 62
That saw Lancashire bowled out for 230, and Surrey openers Rory Burns and Dominic Sibley knocked off the required 38 runs in 9.1 overs to record a comfortable 10-wicket win.
Somerset's hopes of keeping pressure on the pacesetters suffered a blow as they were held to draw by relegation-battling Hampshire at Taunton.
Craig Overton (138) scored his maiden first-class ton and Roelof van der Merwe (102 not out) also reached three figures early on Friday as Somerset declared on 587 for eight and a lead of 249.
Hampshire lost captain Will Smith for a duck in reply but Sean Ervine (106) and Jimmy Adams (96) helped them finish on 254 for five for a share of the spoils.
The other Division One fixture finished in a draw as well, with a 151-run stand between Scott Borthwick (92) and Mark Stoneman helping (80) Durham keep Warwickshire at bay at Chester-le-Street.
Durham finished on 195 for three in their second innings after Warks had declared on 381 for eight for a lead of 174.
In Division Two, Kent moved 24 points behind leaders Essex with a crushing victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol, the visitors winning by an innings and 69 runs .
Hamish Marshall fought hard to try and deny Kent, top-scoring with 118, but no other Gloucestershire batsman could get beyond 24 as the hosts were bowled out for 243.
Worcestershire and Sussex were also victorious in matches that went right to the wire.
Joe Clarke's 125 and valuable runs from the lower-middle order helped Worcestershire chase down their mammoth 401-run target against Northamptonshire with two wickets to spare at New Road.
The win, which was sealed by a Joe Leach six, lifted Worcs up to third place, albeit still a massive 39 points behind Essex.
Sussex also claimed a two-wicket victory in the final overs after being set 233 to win by Glamorgan at Cardiff.
Chris Nash's 64 at the top of the order set Sussex on their way and, despite slumping to 156 for seven as Glamorgan seamer Timm van der Gugten (five for 73) threaten to turn things round, Ben Brown (42 not out) and Danny Briggs (36) saw them home.
Sussex are now fourth, four points behind Worcs with a game in hand.
Source: PA
