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Image source, Getty Images

There's an ominous feel about the County Championship title race following Surrey's comprehensive nine-wicket win over Warwickshire.

They have opened a 21-point gap at the top after five matches each, with all boxes ticked in terms of batting and bowling.

But the beauty of sport is that we can always hope that's it's our day or our week.

Gloucestershire fans have probably been thinking that for the best part of a year - but it happened today as they recorded a first four-day win since September 2022 by rolling over Northants.

There are just a few days for bowlers to rest tired limbs or out-of-form batters to get in the nets ready to go again.

Thanks for your company over the past four days. All 18 counties are back in action on Friday and we'll back to follow it all. See you then.

Division One

Hampshire 503 & 62-2 v Durham 432

Match drawn

Kent 407 & 146-4 v Worcestershire 618-7 dec

Match drawn

Nottinghamshire 503 & 81-1 v Lancashire 331 & 252

Nottinghamshire won by nine wickets

Surrey 464 & 89-1 v Warwickshire 343 & 209

Surrey won by nine wickets

Division Two

Northants 171 & 301 v Gloucestershire 409 & 319-5 dec

Gloucestershire won by 256 runs

Convincing wins for Surrey and Nottinghamshire today - here's how the top-flight table now looks:

• Surrey P5 W3 95pts
• Essex P5 W2 74pts
• Somerset P5 W1 72pts
• Nottinghamshire P5 W1 65pts
• Durham P5 W1 61pts
• Warwickshire P5 W0 59pts
• Worcestershire P5 W0 58pts
• Kent P5 W1 56pts
• Hampshire P5 W0 44 pts
• Lancashire P5 W0 31 pts

Frank Watson
±«Óãtv Hereford & Worcester

Worcestershire take 13 points and Kent take 10 and I think that's probably a reasonable reflection.

You could argue perhaps Worcestershire deserve a bit more but Kent - excellent in their determined resistance in both innings particularly Jack Leaning in the first innings.

A fantastic effort by Worcestershire in my book and Jack Leaning was certainly the man of the match for Kent, his resistance in the first innings was absolutely crucial.

It's ends in a draw in the bright sunshine just like it began.

Wins for Glamorgan and Gloucestershire over the last few days have really shaken the table up in Division Two.

Just 11 points separating second from seventh with all teams in action again on Friday.

• Sussex P5 W2 78pts
• Middlesex P5 W1 68pts
• Leicestershire P5 W1 68pts
• Glamorgan P5 W1 67pts
• Gloucestershire P5 W1 62pts
• Yorkshire P5 W0 60pts
• Northants P5 W0 57pts
• Derbyshire P5 W0 43pts

Division One

Chelmsford: Essex v Warwickshire

Blackpool: Lancashire v Durham

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Hampshire

Taunton: Somerset v Kent

The Oval: Surrey v Worcestershire

Division Two

Derby: Derbyshire v Northamptonshire

Cardiff: Glamorgan v Middlesex

Leicester: Leicestershire v Gloucestershire

Hove: Sussex v Yorkshire

They have shaken hands on a draw with 16 overs remaining...

It’s tough to put into words quite what this Worcestershire squad and staff have done at Canterbury this week.

They have been bonded by tragedy but thrust back into the business of professional cricket and represented their club and themselves with huge dignity and immense resilience.

Gareth Roderick's emotional first-innings century, after which he patted the number 33 on his shirt in memory of Josh Baker, laid the foundations for a record total of 618, with Jason Holder and Matthew Waite adding unbeaten hundreds.

Kent's Jack Leaning responded with an extraordinary innings which saw him score an unbeaten 179 in just 12 minutes less than 10 hours.

They left themselves just a touch too much to do to try and secure victory, but Worcestershire could not have done more and did not only the badge, but also the number 33 on their chests, proud this week.

A single apiece for Harry Finch and Joey Evison off another tidy Kashif Ali over.

Rob Jones, long locks flowing in the breeze, jumper and sunglasses on, sends down four dot balls of leg breaks before Joey Evison works a single into the leg side.

The only run off the over. 17 remain.

Kent are 68 behind with 18 overs remaining. It's the six wickets in hand which looks pivotal at the moment.

Kashif Ali, a former Kent 2nds player of course, returns to the attack having had the pads on as a close fielder of late.

Harry Finch picks up a single to point to move to 47, Joey Evison retains strike with another single.

Rob Jones is going to bowl the next over... does this mean the end of Worcestershire's chase?

Image source, Rex Features

Into the final 20 overs of the day and a really attacking field is set for Joey Evison as he faces Matthew Waite.

He responds with a lovely drive past Brett D'Oliveira at mid-on who gets a finger on the ball to limit Evison to three, but probably wishes he hadn't as it will have hurt.

Gareth Roderick then stands up to Waite as Harry Finch takes strike. He moves to 46* with another three.

Worcestershire giving absolutely everything they have got and doing absolutely everything they can to try to engineer a win.

Frank Watson
±«Óãtv Hereford & Worcester

When you think that we've had 21 wickets in the whole game and Worcestershire need six in the next 20 overs - it's not going to happen, is it?

Matthew Waite sends down a short one which prompts Harry Finch to fly into the air like a, erm, bird, and pull the ball in mid-air towards deep square for a single.

It's surrounded by five dot balls. Finch is on 41 and Evison has 2. He might have had more but his glance off Waite's full-toss is well stopped by keeper Gareth Roderick.

Harry Finch is tempted into playing at and missing one flighted in by Brett D'Oliveira prompting oohs and ahhs. He will be full of adrenaline now.

Just the single off the final ball of the over so Finch retains strike, on 40*.

Matthew Waite almost cuts Joey Evison in half with a fine first ball of the over and then beats the bat with the second and fourth balls too.

A guttural roar of frustration at his misfortune from the bowler. He's produced some ripsnorters in the past half-hour on this placid 12-session old track.

Another maiden. Not that Waite looks satisfied as he stomps off looking very weary indeed.

Short leg and a slip in for leg-spinner Brett D'Oliveira. Worcestershire giving it a concerted go here as the shadows start to lengthen.

Harry Finch has taken to kicking away anything outside leg stump and short leg is moved to silly point.

Another maiden over. The deficit is 80. 24 overs to come.

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Matthew Waite comes on in place of Ben Gibbon. He hasn't had to move more than a few yards, he was at short mid-on, practically on the track, during Gibbon's spell.

Maiden over first up in this spell. Joey Evison negotiates it, just, the fifth ball just beats his edge, and off stump. He is on two, Harry Finch has moved to 39.

Harry Finch picks up a couple off Ben Gibbon's second ball of the over to move to 33 and then dribbles one to the rope through deep extra cover to bring up another boundary.

Kent are 82 behind. 27 overs remain.

Harry Finch cuts a single off Brett D'Oliveira as he rattles through another six deliveries. Five of them dot balls.

That's 46 he's bowled of the 195 overs Kent have faced since Saturday afternoon.

Matt Cole
±«Óãtv Radio Kent

It's been a bit of a sparse crowd today for Kent but no one's leaving the contest right now.

Particularly not the travelling Worcestershire supporters. They think it's just possible they can get a win here.