Sussex go top for a night

Scott Styris hammers a six on his way to a 113-ball hundred ... but Middlesex still headed towards defeat at Lord's © Martin Williamson

3rd day
For one night Sussex are top of the table as Yorkshire crashed with a day to spare at Arundel despite Darren Lehmann's unbeaten 130. Sussex claimed the extra half hour to finish the result, but for a while it didn't appear they would have to. Yorkshire slumped to 162 for 7 with all the bowlers chipping in before Lehmann to the attack back to them in a final show of defiance. Yasir Arafat took two wickets to follow up his impressive 86 as Sussex extended their first innings to 550, a huge lead of 312. He hit eight fours and three sixes before removing Michael Vaughan - batting at No.7 due to his hamstring injury - and Richard Dawson. Mushtaq Ahmed claimed the final wicket as Sussex re-established themselves as frontrunners for the title.

For a full report on Middlesex and Lancashire at Lord's click here

4th day
Stephen Fleming ensured Nottinghamshire safely negotiated a draw against Kent, at Canterbury, in a match that has rarely stirred the imagination. Notts failed by 12 runs to avoid the follow-on despite Graeme Swann's 85 while Amjad Khan finished with a hard-earned five-wicket haul off 36 overs. But time was always Kent against on a pitch where wickets have never come in a rush despite Kent slipping to 57 for 2. Fleming held firm and and 10 Kent bowlers turned their arms over towards the end.

Michael Vaughan warms-up ahead of the third day's play at Arundel ... but he only made 4 © Paul Limmer Photography

4th day
Alex Gidman guided Gloucestershire to an impressive seven-wicket win over Leicestershire at Leicester. It was his second century of the season and he combined in an unbeaten fourth-wicket stand of 127 with Ian Harvey, who clubbed 72 off 99 balls. David Masters had given Leicestershire their only breakthrough when he removed Kadeer Ali for a vital 83 and broke a stand of 136 with Gidman. But Masters was the only bowler to really threatened and Gloucestershire eased home.

Surrey's meeting with Glamorgan at Swansea ended in a draw but Mark Cosgrove gave the home fans something extra to remember him by with a swashbuckling 80 off 48 balls to enliven the closing stages. He tore into the Surrey bowling, especially James Benning who went for 44 in two overs. Mark Ramprakash had earlier extended his innings to 156 and, after their bitter experience against Worcestershire who chased 287 in 32 overs, they played it very cautiously with the declaration and neither side ever stood a chance of pulling off a win.

3rd day
Worcestershire swept to an overwhelming 227-run win as Northamptonshire succumbed despite an improved second-innings display at Worcester. Usman Afzaal fell early in the day to set the ball rolling and there was only sporadic resistance there after. Sourav Ganguly completed a debut to forget with a seventh-ball but Rikki Wessels at least should some fight with a battling half-century. However, it didn't take long for Worcestershire to clean up the tail as claimed two and Matt Mason grabbed his fifth of the innings to finish the match with more than a day to spare.