Middlesex secured their first win of the LV= Insurance County Championship Division One season as Pieter Malan and Max Holden half-centuries helped them to a four-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire at Lord’s.
After wet weather wiped out most of the first two sessions, Nottinghamshire declared on their overnight total of 158 for six, leaving the hosts a target of 249 in 40 overs.
And, although Stuart Broad took three wickets, Middlesex ended up holding their nerve in a tense finale to scramble home with six balls to spare, with Malan having hit 61 and Holden 53.
Kasey Aldridge hit his maiden first-class half-century to bat Somerset out of trouble as their match with Lancashire at Taunton ended in a draw.
The home side looked in danger of defeat when slumping from an overnight 41 without loss in their second innings to 169 for six, a lead of only 56, Tom Bailey claiming three of the wickets.
But 22-year-old all-rounder Aldridge, making his first appearance of the season, displayed a calm temperament to score 58 not out in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 87 with Lewis Gregory, who contributed 34.
The match between Kent and Essex at Canterbury ended in a draw after the weather wiped out the final day, heavy rain falling before play was officially abandoned at 1pm.
Kent had ended day three on 342 for seven, trailing Essex’s first-innings total of 451 for five declared by 109, but a draw had always looked likely and in total 206 overs were lost across the four days.
In Division Two, all three matches ended in draws amid wet conditions.
Gloucestershire were denied probable victory by the elements after ripping out the Worcestershire top order on the final day at New Road.
The visitors resumed on 172 for three in their second innings and added 54 runs in 10 overs before captain Graeme van Buuren pulled out.
Worcestershire were set a target of 301 in 84 overs and had got to 51 for four when it began raining during the lunch interval and play was abandoned.
Glamorgan secured a draw despite being forced to follow on by Durham in Cardiff, with a Kiran Carlson hundred the highlight for the home side.
A century stand between Carlson and Timm van der Gugten brought Glamorgan close to the follow-on target but wickets shared amongst the Durham seamers were enough to bowl Glamorgan out for 305 and allow the visitors to ask them to bat again.
In the Glamorgan second innings the Durham bowlers were well on top again as the home side reached 104 for six before a heavy rain shower brought play to a close with 22 overs left to be bowled.
A thrilling contest between Sussex and Yorkshire at the 1st Central County Ground ended in anti-climax, without a ball being bowled on the fourth day.
For Yorkshire, needing 63 to win with seven wickets in hand, it was another frustrating experience in a season which has seen them lose a tight game to Leicestershire and then have their match against Gloucestershire washed out without a ball being bowled.
