Warwickshire secured County Championship Division One safety on Thursday with a comprehensive 10-wicket win over Hampshire at the Rose Bowl

Somerset were left nervously watching Nottinghamshire's quest for bonus points at Old Trafford after they were denied victory by Durham at Chester-le-Street as they failed to chase down a near-impossible 181 in 17 overs

For three soggy days at Old Trafford, Nottinghamshire's quest for the County Championship - the blue riband event of the English season - looked like ending in the most miserable of anticlimaxes

Nottinghamshire edged their way to the 400 runs required to secure a vital fifth batting point

Ian Bell smashed a superb century as Warwickshire batted themselves ever closer to County Championship Division One safety at The Rose Bowl

Corruption and allegations may have soured this English summer but the success of youngsters on the county circuit warms the heart

News filtering up from Old Trafford and Headingley that there will be negotiations to try and conjure results won't have pleased Somerset as they struggled to break the back of Durham's second innings

Nottinghamshire's chances of winning a Championship title have all but vanished after rain washed out the entire third day's play at Old Trafford

Moin Ashraf turned in Yorkshire's best bowling figures of the season and Alex Blake registered his maiden first-class century for Kent as the two sides continued their battle for supremacy