Adam Lyth pleads for the wicket of Ricardo Vasconcelos as he gets one to skid onto his back pad.

It's outside the line. Hope over expectation.

Just one single from the over and Justin Broad plays an orthodox forward defensive to the last.

It looks as though the hosts may have shut up shop.

116 are needed off 13 overs. Yorkshire need four wickets.

There's still a hardy few in.

As ever with Championship matches, for whatever reason the last day, if there is a possibility of a thrilling finish, it appears to be well supported.

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We have a change of bowling as Matt Revis takes a hard-earned breather and strike bowler Vishwa Fernando returns.

Justin Broad leaves the first ball alone and then guides an overpitched second ball from the Sri Lankan Test bowler through backward point for a single.

An attempted yorker goes awry but Jonny Tattersall prevents a bye.

Then Ricardo Vasconcelos turns the next ball through square leg for a single to move to a brilliant century off 125 balls.

It's a 10th first-class ton for the opener and a second of the season.

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Broad tucks a single off Adam Lyth's first ball into the offside to bring Ricardo Vasconcelos who milks a single to go to 99.

Three priceless dots follow before Justin Broad opts to keep the strike with a single.

It turned into a bit of a damp squib.

On the first morning we thought this could be exciting, three wickets down and everything to play for.

But we saw a magnificent partnership between Cheteshwar Pujara and John Simpson of 223 and really after that, apart from the moment when Mark Stoneman was out when the score was on 13 at the start of the Middlesex innings, there were the only two times that we thought we might get a result.

We've seen some great centuries and half centuries which has helped some batting averages, no bowling averages.

The weather was kind even if the wicket was not. The draw very much keeps Middlesex in the running for the title.

The rain halts Lancs' potential chase of 232, or more likely efforts to bat out for a draw if any more wickets lost, and the home side take 11 points from the match.

The Bears leave Emirates Old Trafford with only one point more, their 12 points does not show how they dominated all four innings.

Frustration for Alex Davies at his old home particularly, he continued his fine form with the bat with 127* in the first dig, but the Mancunian weather came back to haunt him.

Northants need 134 runs from 17 overs and their race may well be run.

We may see a change in tempo as Northants go into game-saving mode.

Or maybe not? Matt Revis runs in for his 12th straight over and pitches one up to Justin Broad.

The new batter leans into that and guides it through midwicket for four.

A front foot no-ball is followed by a Broad single to bring up the Northants 200 in just the 41st over.

Ricardo Vasconcelos uppercuts the next ball over the offside to the fine leg boundary to move to 98.

Twelve from the over.

Matt Revis continues to bowls down the legside to starve the batters or tempt them into a mistake.

That one swings away too beyond the despairing dive of wicketkeeper Jonny Tattersall. A wide surely? No, a bye.

Three more singles is all Northants can manage from that over, Ricardo Vasconcelos has two of them to move to 93.

We are into T20 territory here with 146 needed from the final 20 overs.

You'd fancy the batting side in the T20 scenario, but this is red ball cricket and Northants are five wickets down.

Ricardo Vasconcelos picks up a much-needed four off Adam Lyth's third ball and then takes a single.

Lewis McManus' sweep then beats the dive of Matt Revis to pick up two.

Eight from the over - 138 required.

What do Northants decide to do now - or more to the point, when do they shut up shop?

Matt Revis continues to bowl legside to dry up the runs. They'd be wide in limited overs cricket but four dots here.

Ricardo Vasconcelos then digs one out from under his armpit and swivels for a single.

Lewis McManus is allowed a single with the last ball of the over which will keep him on strike.

Derbyshire declare after five balls of a Miles Hammond over and the teams shake hands on a draw at Bristol.

Matthew Lamb is five not out, ending a memorable match for him following his 207 in the first innings.

Arguably the most entertaining cricket, though, was played by Graeme van Buuren (187) and James Bracey (144) who extended their partnership to 277 on the final morning.

The home side were eventually all out with a four-run lead as Derbyshire paceman Zak Chappell took 5-58.

At the end of the 196th over of Middlesex's first innings - a maiden from James Coles - the home side declare and that is the end of that.

It was a match of four centuries, four fifties and a lot of fed up bowlers.

Henry Brookes finishes on 52 not out, having added 46 for the 10th wicket with Ethan Bamber (19) - and there is no five-four by Sussex spinner Jack Carson, who has 4-166 from 56 overs of hard graft.

Sussex takes 13 points and Middlesex 12 and they will remain the top two in Division Two.

I think the threat of rain has past for at least for now.

I still think a draw is very much the most likely result but credit to Northamptonshire for making a decent fist of this.

It's quite interesting as we move into the last 24 overS of this match.

Ricardo Vasconcelos looks to hit Adam Lyth through cow corner but misses it completely.

He runs through for a bye as the ball deflects off wicketkeeper Jonny Tattersall's gloves.

A single brings on George Bartlett who backs away and gets a nice-looking two.

Bartlett milks Lyth for another single before Vasconcelos misses out again. Perhaps the opener's beginning to tire.

Five from the over.

A wicket and three singles from Matt Revis' eighth over.

Yorkshire will take that with both hands.

Northants need 160 runs off 144 balls.

In white ball terms that's eminently gettable.

What a shame.

I'm speechless. I was looking forward to that a little too much.

If you were poised on the brink of a half-century, you'd love to receive a waist-high full toss outside leg stump, wouldn't you?

That is exactly what Henry Brookes is offered by James Coles and he deposits it into the stand to reach 50 off 149 balls - the sixth of his career in first-class cricket.

This is now the second highest total by Middlesex at Lord's - only exceeded by 655 against Glamorgan last month.