Former England batsman Mark Ramprakash struck an unbeaten half-century to guide Surrey to a seven-wicket win over Northamptonshire on the final day of their LV= County Championship match at Wantage Road.

Ramprakash, who also made 70 in the first innings, hit 79 off 143 balls as the visitors won for the first time in 17 Championship matches, their last success coming in this fixture last year.

Former South Africa paceman Andre Nel, who blasted 96 yesterday, had earlier taken four for 68 as Northamptonshire were reduced to 229 all out, giving Surrey a target of 241.

Sussex and Worcestershire remain Glamorgan's closest challengers at the top of Division Two after their match at Hove fizzled out to a draw.

No play was possible before lunch because of rain which meant a total of 65 overs were lost on the final two days.

Worcestershire were not prepared to declare and set their second-placed rivals a target with the pitch still playing easily and a temptingly short off-side boundary on offer.

The visitors, who began the final day on 76 for two, a lead of 212, batted through to finish on 205 for six.

The lead was worth 339 when the players shook hands at 4.50pm.

Also in Division Two, Gloucestershire celebrated their fourth Championship victory of the season after Derbyshire collapsed on the final day at the County Ground.

The hosts had begun the day at five for none and hopeful of victory, but were bundled out for 166 and suffered a 134-run defeat.

Veteran seamer Jon Lewis was the destroyer-in-chief with figures of four for 25 while Derbyshire teenager Chesney Hughes again impressed with 75 to add to his first-innings century.

Derbyshire were chasing 301 but Lewis and Steve Kirby quickly reduced them to 15 for four and, although Hughes supervised some spirited resistance from the lower order, the home side crashed to a third consecutive loss.

In Division One, Adam Lyth fell two runs short of a second hundred of the match as Yorkshire and Hampshire played out a turgid final day at the Rose Bowl.

Resuming on 152 for one after a 16-over delay for rain in the morning session, quick Yorkshire runs were the order of the day if a sparse crowd was to see anything other than a predictable draw.

But their progress was pitifully slow, captain Andrew Gale clearly content with mere bonus points and a tepid stalemate as his side added just 28 runs in an hour, for the loss of Anthony McGrath for the addition of just four to his overnight 60.

Finally, after reaching 292 for the loss of five second-innings wickets, the declaration came - to sarcastic applause - and Hampshire's openers duly blocked out the remaining 14 overs of the day.

Lancashire, meanwhile, did not make any attempt to chase down 336 from 85 overs on the final day against Essex, instead settling for a draw at Old Trafford.

The home side had been offered the target by Mark Pettini when he declared Essex's second innings on 212 for five after Ryan ten Doeschate and Matthew Walker both completed half-centuries during the morning session.

It was soon obvious from the way opening batsman Luke Sutton set about his innings that the Red Rose were happy with six points.

Sutton finished with a painstaking 26 off 155 balls, his innings spanning just over three hours.

Paul Horton top scored for Lancashire with 64 off 179 balls and his side had reached 177 for five from 83.4 overs when the players shook hands on the draw.