Image source, Rex Features

One of the rainiest weeks of a generally dry season is over, but there have been significant developments in the County Championship.

Hampshire are the new leaders of Division One following their win over Northants, eight points clear of Surrey, who were not involved and now have a match in hand.

Notts are 43 points clear in Division Two and look certain to be playing top-flight cricket next summer, whatever decision the ECB high-performance review takes about the 2023 format.

A new round of matches are scheduled to start on Monday. Thank you for your company this week.

Here's how the top of the two divisions look following today's results.

At the bottom of Division One, 11 points separate seventh-placed Kent (115) from Warwickshire (104) in ninth, with Gloucestershire still bottom, now 30 points adrift with two to play.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Division One

Hampshire 400-9 dec v Northamptonshire 175 & 221

Hampshire won by an innings and four runs

Kent 164 & 149 v Essex 573

Essex won by an innings and 260 runs

Lancashire 276 & 280-5 dec v Yorkshire 255 & 102-3

Match drawn

Somerset 248 & 11-0 v Gloucestershire 343 & 279-7 dec

Division Two

Derbyshire 306 & 214-9 dec v Durham 223 & 176-5

Match drawn

Glamorgan 295 & 5-0 v Worcestershire 454-9 dec

Match drawn

That's it then, hands are shaken on the draw.

Durham will feel indebted to that unbroken partnership of 70 between Liam Trevaskis (42 not out) and Paul Coughlin (19 not out) after they had slumped to 106-5.

Derbyshire move up to third place in the table, but the failure to force victory is a big blow to their hopes of promotion.

With seven fielders around the bat, it was probably inevitable one of them might take a painful whack sooner or later.

To be fair to Wayne Madsen, he evades that Liam Trevaskis drive quite neatly, turning at silly mid-off and ensuring the ball cannons off his boot for a single.

We've got two overs left and Derbyshire's hopes of victory - which looked realistic earlier this afternoon - are almost gone.

Liam Trevaskis might be eyeing a late dash for a half-century here - he pummels three straight boundaries off Harry Came to reach 41 not out.

Other than personal landmarks, though, runs are irrelevant as Durham close in on securing a draw. Four overs to go.

Paul Coughlin is starting to sense the end of the game is imminent and he tucks into the bowling of Mark Watt, with successive fours taking Durham beyond the 150 mark.

At the other end, Derbyshire have handed the ball to part-time off-spinner Harry Came - who had only bowled five overs in first-class cricket prior to today.

Technically, we have five overs to bowl.

Liam Trevaskis finds the boundary twice again off Sam Conners and he advances to 29 not out.

But it looks as though Derbyshire will have to withdraw the paceman from their attack now, with the umpires taking a light reading that tells them spin is the way to go.

Just seven overs left for Derbyshire to force what's now looking an unlikely win.

Nathan: "Still wanna be in Surrey position with extra game to play and how bad is Kyle Abbott injury. Surrey squad depth compared to Hampshire will help them. #bbccricket, external"

Sam Conners is back for a final burst and gets a couple to spit up at Liam Trevaskis, but also concedes a boundary - not that runs matter at this stage.

Conners' reintroduction has enabled Mark Watt to switch ends, but the spinner gets no joy against Paul Coughlin. Nine overs remaining.

It is worth pointing out that Hampshire's win over Northamptonshire is their ninth from 12 games this summer.

Between them, Kyle Abbott (who wasn't able to bowl today because of injury), Keith Barker and Mohammad Abbas have taken a combined total of 144 wickets - 53, 49 and 42 respectively.

Batting-wise, Nick Gubbins is their highest contributor with 696.

They are now going to lose all-rounder Liam Dawson, who will be in England's squad for the T20 tour to Pakistan. How are the new Division One leaders going to fill that gap?

Image source, Rex Features

Derbyshire supporters probably won't need reminding that Liam Trevaskis played a key role in denying them victory with a dogged innings at Chester-le-Street in July.

The Durham left-hander is proving just as difficult to dislodge this time, although his scoring rate has been a little faster at 17 from 23 balls.

Russell: "Seriously impressive win by Hampshire to squeeze that in with seconds to spare before the rain came - especially with only 224 overs bowled out of a potential 384 (min 96 overs/day). Keeps the pressure well on Surrey #BBCCricket, external"

Four fielders around the bat as Mark Watt continues, but Paul Coughlin plays out the over without any alarms.

He's on seven, with Liam Trevaskis alongside him on 16 and we have a possible 12 overs to go.

Do we have another exciting finish in store at Derby?

The home side haven't managed to take any of the five wickets they need since the re-start.

Just two runs taken from the latest Mark Watt over and Ben Aitchison will bow the next, with Paul Coughlin on strike.

It is now pouring down at the Ageas Bowl, but that dramatic win by Hampshire means the top of the Division One table now looks like this, with three rounds of matches to go in this year's Championship.

Image source, BBC Sport

Postpublished at 16:55 British Summer Time 8 September 2022

16:55 BST 8 September 2022

Derbys 306 & 214-9 dec v Durham 223 & 117-5

Paul Coughlin is dropped at slip by Leus du Plooy off Mark Watt following the re-start in Derby.

Coughlin takes a single and Liam Trevaskis sweeps the next ball for four before driving through mid-on for another boundary.

Hampshire have done it! They go top of the table!

James Fuller clinches the victory by bowling last man Jack White - and it really was in the nick of time.

Incredibly, just as that final wicket went down, the rain has returned. This could be a really pivotal moment in the race for the County Championship!

Four wickets for Mohammad Abbas, three for Keith Barker and Hampshire take maximum points.

All the indications are that the weather is worsening - so Hampshire may need to wrap this up quickly.

Lizaad Williams survives the over from Mohammad Abbas, which means Jack White is back on strike. 15 overs to go, in theory.