Traditional August Bank holiday rain meant that the tenth round of the Rothesay County Championship proved less decisive than it might have done, with every game in Division One finishing as a draw. The key fixture was due to be the one between Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire (first and third) at Edgbaston, but with no play possible on the first and third days it was all about who could secure the most bonus points. Warwickshire chose to field first and Joe Clarke became the first player to 1000 runs this summer when he reached 89 not out, he went on to make his third century of the summer (150) as the visitors eventually declared on 325 for eight. Nottinghamshire’s new overseas recruit, Fraser Sheat, scored 45 not out. In reply, the hosts were bowled out for 185, with Olly Stone taking five for 49 (he has figures of 15 for 143 in the last two matches). No further play was possible.

Title rivals Somerset had more of a contest on their trip to Hove, where they were put in to bat. At 191 for five, they seemed to be doing OK but lost their last five wickets for just 11 runs, with Henry Crocombe bringing the innings to an end with a hat-trick. Tom Clark’s 85 set Sussex on their way, while an unbeaten 64 from John Simpson saw the hosts up to 250 all out in reply, a healthy lead of 48. With the third day washed out, Somerset were able to post 350 for nine declared in their second innings, leaving time for the hosts to make 62 for one before the game ended in a draw. Somerset are four points behind Nottinghamshire and four ahead of Warwickshire in the title race.

At the bottom of the table, Hampshire’s woes continued in their draw against Glamorgan at Cardiff. Put in to bat, they were dismissed in 40.2 overs for 162, with Jake Lehmann making 51 not out. However, they bounced back to bowl out the home side for 161 as replacement bowler Sonny Baker took four for 34. Six of Hampshire’s top seven reached 30 as they made 300 for eight declared in their second innings, but with much of the final day lost to the weather Glamorgan were able to escape on 21 for three.

With only 30 overs played on the final two days at Scarborough, the relegation duel between Yorkshire and Leicestershire petered out in a draw. The home side were put in to bat and made 263 all out, James Wharton top-scoring with 70. Former White Rose keeper Jonathan Tattersall took five catches. In reply, the visitors had reached 84 without loss when the game ended.

At Chelmsford, Essex asked Surrey to bat first. Nikhil Gorantla made his first-class debut for the visitors but was replaced by Ollie Pope before he could take to the field – hardly a memorable occasion for him! With Pope scoring just 13 and no batter reaching their fifty, who’s to say he shouldn’t have been given his chance. Surrey were all out for 183. Dean Elgar, who recently turned 39, celebrated the announcement of his retirement by scoring 113 as Essex hit back with a total of 279, despite Rahul Chahar taking six for 80. At 144 for seven in their second innings, Surrey could have stumbled to defeat, but Ben Foakes saw them to safety with an unbeaten 120 to take them up to 298 for eight. The draw kept them three points clear of Leicestershire and 19 above Hampshire.

In the Second Division, Durham’s march to promotion continued after they became the only team to record a victory in the entire round at the Riverside. Gloucestershire were asked to bat first and fielded a side featuring three loan signings, including James Langridge, who was making his first-class debut. They were skittled out for 137, with Kasey Aldridge taking five for 16 in just five overs. When Matthew Potts dismissed Cameron Bancroft at the start of his third over, he became the first bowler to take 50 wickets this season. David Bedingham top-scored in Durham’s reply of 384, making 122. Langridge dismissed Alex Lees with his tenth delivery in first-class cricket. A blistering 36 off just 22 balls by Langridge, batting at No 11, saw the away side up to 250 all out, leaving Durham to chase just 4 for victory. There was some controversy when bad light meant Durham could not come out to complete the win at the end of the third day, but the game was finished quickly on the final morning. Durham are now 40 points clear of the sides in second and third place.

The two sides battling to join them in the top division in 2027 met at Northampton, where Kent were asked to bat first. Zak Crawley top-scored with 89, but they narrowly missed out on an extra bonus point when they were all out for 345. Ricardo Vasconcelos (119) and Nathan McSweeney (109) ensured the hosts raced to 450 for six declared to secure maximum batting points before the game ended in a draw. The two sides are equal on points going into the final four games, but Northamptonshire have the tough challenge of taking on Durham in the next round.

Lancashire travelled down to New Road, where they were put in to bat when the game eventually began on the second day. Beyers Swanepoel took four for 37 as the Red Rose made just 180 all out. Swanepoel top-scored in Worcestershire’s reply of 263 for seven declared, making 63 not out. There remained enough time for Lancashire to reach 2 without loss before the match ended.

At Derby, only 32.3 overs were possible in the first three days, as Middlesex chose to field. They dismissed Derbyshire for 131 as Naavya Sharma took four for 36. Middlesex forfeited their first innings, after which the hosts made 111 for three before the game ended as a draw. William Rogers made his first-class debut for Derbyshire, scoring 11 not out.