Six games, six winners - no draws.

It's been an excellent final day in the County Championship.

Surrey remain firmly on course for the title after a scare against Lancashire, while Warwickshire and Sussex remain at the head of the promotion-chasing pack in Division Two.

We will be back at about 18:30 BST on Thursday with text commentary on the first T20 Blast quarter-final between Kent and Lancashire. Until then, thanks for your company.

Image source, Getty Images

Surrey got the job done against Lancashire at The Oval, winning an enthralling contest by six runs.

It was a close call, though, and they will be delighted to know that South Africa batsman Dean Elgar will be back with them for their five remaining fixtures.

Elgar only averaged 34 for the club earlier in the season, but he is a proven performer at international level with 11 Test centuries to his credit.

He will make a strong side even stronger - and they remain firm favourites for a first title since 2002.

Barring an unexpected loss of form by the top two, it's very much looking like a two-horse race for the title.

Somerset have five matches left to close a 32-point gap between themselves and leaders Surrey.

The Cider Boys will be at home to Surrey in the penultimate round, and will look to win their next three games against Yorkshire, Lancashire and Hampshire and hope Surrey slip up somewhere along the way.

Spinner Jack Leach (pictured) is back to his best after a career-best 8-85 in the win over Essex, but will that tempt England's selectors into recalling him to the Test side?

Somerset fans will have mixed feelings on that subject.

Image source, Rex Features

Division One

Hampshire 277 & 399-7 dec v Nottinghamshire 166 & 240

Hampshire beat Nottinghamshire by 270 runs

Somerset 324 & 202 v Essex 191 & 290

Somerset beat Essex by 45 runs

Surrey 211 & 306 v Lancashire 247 & 264

Surrey beat Lancashire by six runs

Yorkshire 216 & 170 v Worcestershire 572-7 dec

Worcestershire won by an innings and 170 runs

Division Two

Northamptonshire 346 & 184 v Middlesex 187 & 374 (f/o)

Middlesex beat Northamptonshire by 34 runs

Sussex 440 & 353-6 dec v Derbyshire 389 & 161

Sussex beat Derbyshire by 243 runs

Morne Morkel steams in at the start of a new over, Matt Parkinson makes good contact, but substitute fielder Will Jacks somehow pulls off an instinctive one-handed short-leg catch to end a thrilling match in Surrey's favour.

Parkinson is out for seven, leaving Tom Bailey 20 not out, and fast bowler Morkel finishes with figures of 6-57, having taken all five wickets on the final day.

Surrey's seventh win of the season puts them 32 points clear of Somerset at the top, with Lancashire six points adrift at the bottom following their sixth defeat.

The Red Rose county can take a lot of credit for going so close to toppling the leaders, but their next game against Worcestershire, the team immediately above them in the table, could now be crucial to their hopes of staying in the top flight.

Sam Curran attempts an inswinger, but Matt Parkinson dabs it away for a single. Seven needed.

Tom Bailey faces the final delivery of the over it's a swing and a miss, so Parkinson will be on strike to Morne Morkel.

Middlesex secure an amazing win at Wantage Road after being asked to follow on, the first time since 1924 they've ever managed to win from such a position.

For Northants, a club formed way back in 1895, it's the first time they've ever lost after asking an opposition team to follow on.

Tim Murtagh took the visitors one step closer to glory by drawing Nathan Buck into a loose drive which was caught on the off side by James Fuller and pinned Brett Hutton lbw for 23 with his next over. Rarely can a five-wicket haul (his 30th at this level) have felt sweeter.

Tim Murtagh changed the course of the game with second innings figures of 5-38, which helped peg Northants back from a promising 102-2 to 184 all out in 30.2 overs.

And don't overlook the key role of James Harris, who scored a vital second innings 79 and match figures of 8-143.

Middlesex are now on 106 points, occupying fifth position in the table, while a shell-shocked Northants remain second from bottom on 72.

Tom Bailey is beaten outside the off stump by Sam Curran, but plays the next one out into the off-side and takes a single.

There are two slips in place and Matt Parkinson edges, but the ball runs away for four despite a despairing boundary dive.

Matt Parkinson opens his account with two runs as he plays it away just wide of the short-leg fielder.

The Lancashire number 11 then keeps out the last two balls of Morne Morkel's over.

Over to you, Tom Bailey.

Here comes Morne Morkel - this surely is the acid test for the two Lancashire tail-enders.

After a single by Tom Bailey, Graham Onions attempts to come down the wicket to the tall fast bowler - and is beaten outside off stump.

The next one sees Onions' downfall as he tries to give himself room and is bowled as Morkel takes five in an innings for the third time for Surrey.

Last man Matt Parkinson walks to the middle for Lancashire.

The evening session got off to the best possible start for the hosts - with Anuj Dal, in the side for the concussed Ben Slater, falling lbw to Danny Briggs in the first over after the tea interval.

Ravi Rampaul had to withdraw from the match because of breathing problems, meaning Tony Palladino and Lockie Ferguson were the last pair at the crease.

Jofra Archer had the final word, bowling Lockie Ferguson off an edge for 1.

This is a crucial win for Sussex, who move to second place and just four points shy of Division Two leaders Warwickshire.

Spectacular start by Onionspublished at 16:15 BST 22 August 2018

16:15 BST 22 August 2018

Lancashire 255-8 - target 336

Surrey belatedly take the new ball, which was available for the final 10 overs before the interval.

England's Sam Curran has it, but his first delivery is unceremoniously belted into the stand at mid-wicket by Graham Onions.

A single follows, taking Onions onto 29 and bringing Tom Bailey onto strike, and he returns the compliment with one to third man.

Onions goes for another ambitious shot from the final ball but doesn't get hold of it. Lancashire need 16 to win.

How long will this one last?

Anuj Dal returns to the crease with Tony Palladino.

36 overs left.

So just a few minutes to go before the start of the second session at The Oval. Surrey need two wickets, Lancashire need 24 runs - and, of course, there's always the possibility of a tie.

Will the interval break the concentration ot not out batsmen Graham Onions and Tom Bailey? And which bowlers will Surrey skipper Rory Burns utilise to try and finish the job?

Answers to these and other questions coming up. And if you click the link at the top of the page, you can also listen to Mark Church, Kevin Howells and Scott Read describing the denouement of this game.

Nathan Buck and Brett Hutton return to the crease to try and pull off a stunning home win.

Tim Murtagh to bowl to Buck.

With our three remaining games on an interval, here's a reminder of the next round of County Championship fixtures, which begin on Wednesday 29 August.

It will the final round of games with an 11:00 start time this summer. Play in the the final four rounds in September will begin at 10:30.

Division One

Essex v Hampshire, Chelmsford

Lancashire v Worcestershire, Southport

Surrey v Nottinghamshire, Kia Oval

Yorkshire v Somerset, Headingley

Division Two

Derbyshire v Kent, Derby

Durham v Northamptonshire, Riverside

Glamorgan v Warwickshire, Colwyn Bay

Gloucestershire v Leicestershire, Bristol

Middlesex v Sussex, Lord's

Image source, Rex Features

Hampshire skipper James Vince gave a hopeful prognosis on fast bowler Dale Steyn after the South African missed the final day of their 270-run win over Nottinghamshire at the Ageas Bowl with a groin injury.

"I don't think it is as bad as it could have been. He has seven to 10 days where he is going to rest up which probably means missing the next game," said Vince aftewards.

"Hopefully, he will be back for the Worcestershire game (4 September) but there are plenty of guys doing well in the second team who can come in for the Essex game (29 August)."

He continued: "Kyle Abbott has been much better in this game and looks back to his best. He executed the plans well on a wicket which changed a bit. Four wickets and to only go at 1.6 an over is very pleasing for us."

Sussex are not quite over the line yet, but they hold all the aces in this contest now.

Derbyshire came close to parity on first innings with 389 after the hosts made 440 but fell away horribly in the second innings, where Ben Slater had to retire after a head injury on 40 and no other batsman has made more than 30.

Sussex only need two more scalps to win as Ravi Rampaul is absent due to breathing difficulties earlier in the match.

Ollie Robinson has five wickets in the match to date and took the last two second innings wickets to fall, having Alex Hughes and Hardus Viljoen both caught behind for 20 and 12 respectively.

Debutant Anuj Dal has shown promise with the bat and will restart on 25. Tony Palladino is 12 not out at the other end.

What a session!

A win almost looked like a formality when Ricardo Vasconcelos and Luke Procter put on 75 relatively untroubled runs on a good pitch but it's anything but now and nerves will be jangling on both sides.

Great Middlesex fightback with eight wickets in the match plus a precious second-innings 79 for James Harris and three wickets each from veteran Tim Murtagh and promising newcomer Ethan Bamber.

Hold on to your hats - this is going to be a nail-biter.

Nathan Buck will return to the middle on 16 not out and Brett Hutton has 16.

43 to win.

It looks unlikely but a home win is not out of the question at Northampton - where 9th wicket pair Brett Hutton and Nathan Buck are at the crease with an unbroken stand of 24 to date.

Hutton has a first class best of 74 and Buck's best effort is 43 - which would be more than enough to reach the target from here.

James Harris began the fightback, scoring 79 after Middlesex were asked to follow on and taking the early wicket of Saif Zaib caught and bowled to take his match tally to eight.

Tim Murtagh and Ethan Bamber have continued the counter-attack in dramatic style with six wickets beween them, while James Fuller had a bit of luck with a leg side catch to dismiss the dangerous Richard Levi for 18.

Nathan Buck has 18 and Brett Hutton is on 15.

44 to win.