Essex consolidated their position at the top of LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two with an innings and three-run victory over Gloucestershire at Chelmsford.

Off-spinner Simon Harmer moved to 49 Championship wickets for the season to finish with four for 78 as Essex wrapped up the five dismissals needed on day four before lunch.

Gloucestershire were bowled out for 197, as Sam Cook claimed three for 31 in his 20.1 overs, with Ryan Higgins (38) eventually run out.

There was also an early result in Canterbury, where Kent beat Worcestershire by an innings and 56 runs in their Division Three match at the Spitfire Ground.

Nathan Gilchrist, Grant Stewart and Darren Stevens took three wickets apiece to dismiss the visitors for 204 in their second innings after resuming at 91 for six.

Joe Leach had shown some defiance to finish 49 not out, while Ed Barnard made a determined 44 from 92 deliveries.

Worcestershire, though, were left to rue their shortcomings on the first two days, with Kent having posted a first-innings total of 393.

At Hove, Sam Robson scored a career-best 253 and Robbie White his second successive century as Middlesex racked up the highest total in their history.

White was unbeaten on 110 when Middlesex declared on 676 for five on day two against Sussex.

Sussex reached 103 without loss at stumps, with Tom Haines on 73.

Lancashire need to score another 329 to pull off an unlikely victory against Nottinghamshire in Division One.

Nottinghamshire had declared their second innings on 339 for eight before tea to set a target of 443 at Trent Bridge.

Lancashire were 115 for one at stumps, with Luke Wells (57) and George Balderson (45) sharing an unbroken stand of 110 after Luke Fletcher claimed his 400th first-class dismissal to remove Alex Davies for a duck.

Warwickshire closed the third day on 139 for two in pursuit of 296 to beat Hampshire at Edgbaston.

Hampshire’s second innings ended at 322, ninth-wicket pair Keith Barker (75) and Brad Wheal (46 not out) having added 93.

Warwickshire openers Rob Yates, unbeaten on 70, and Dom Sibley (47) added 99 in 50 overs, but Hampshire spinner Liam Dawson then struck twice to keep the visitors very much in contention.

In Division Two, Amar Virdi (47) and Gus Atkinson (41) made career-best scores in a last-wicket stand of 83 to help Surrey set Northamptonshire a daunting target of 320.

Surrey took two quick wickets, but an unbeaten stand of 69 by Emilio Gay (44) and Rob Keogh (46) kept the hosts in the hunt at 106 for two at stumps.

Dan Douthwaite (96) and Andrew Salter (82no) put on a stand of 163 for the seventh wicket as Glamorgan kept Durham waiting for victory at Emirates Riverside.

Glamorgan are still 73 runs short of avoiding an innings defeat with three wickets remaining.

A record-breaking sixth-wicket stand between Brooke Guest and Anuj Dal rescued Derbyshire on day three against Leicestershire.

Guest (116) and Dal (106) both scored their maiden first-class centuries and added 227 in 73 overs, lifting Derbyshire from 56 for five to 313 for eight at stumps.

However, another 65 is still needed to avoid following on in reply to Leicestershire’s first-innings total of 528.