Essex and Hampshire both kept alive their promotion hopes with victories in Division Two of the LV= County Championship - but Surrey were unable to follow suit.
Monty Panesar completed match figures of 11-168 as Essex picked up the final two wickets they required to complete a 63-run win over Glamorgan at Swansea, in the process handing their opponents a fourth straight defeat in first-class action.
Glamorgan had resumed in the morning on 237-8 but any slim hopes they had of making the further 111 they needed for victory were quickly dealt a blow when Graham Wagg fell to the 14th ball of the day, becoming Panesar's sixth wicket of the innings.
Dean Cosker, who finished up unbeaten on 218, and Michael Hogan frustrated Essex for a further nine overs, adding 43 until the latter offered a return catch to Tom Westley to be dismissed for 25.
Essex pick up 21 points from the match while Glamorgan ended with three.
Hampshire, meanwhile, landed their fifth win of the campaign as they bowled out Kent for 304 second time around at Canterbury.
Matt Coles claimed 3-68 and there were two wickets apiece for spin duo Danny Briggs and Liam Dawson as Hampshire claimed a 23-point haul with their 196-run triumph on the road.
Kent never threatened to reach the 501 they had been set to win, despite Darren Stevens hitting 74. The all-rounder smacked four sixes and seven fours in his 81-ball knock before becoming the seventh wicket to go down.
Doug Bollinger marked his farewell four-day appearance with an unbeaten 33 but the hosts still suffered their first defeat in any form of cricket since being beaten in NatWest T20 Blast by Essex back on July 12.
The win for Hampshire means they now occupy second place in the table after Surrey had to settle for a draw against Leicestershire.
Jason Roy hit 44 not out in a hurry as Surrey declared their second innings on 279-5 at Grace Road, leaving their opponents chasing a rather unlikely 387 to win with just over two sessions to play.
The home team looked to be facing an uphill struggle to survive when they slipped to 99-4 in the 23rd over, though the rain helped them out as 32 overs were lost following a torrential afternoon downpour.
Still, at 147-6 Leicestershire needed an unbroken alliance of 85 between Rob Taylor (40 not out) and Jigar Naik (44no) to see them secure a draw. They pick up 12 points for their efforts, with Surrey taking home 13.