Morne Morkel swept aside limited resistance from Nottinghamshire’s batsmen as Surrey powered to their sixth win in eight matches to extend their lead at the top of Specsavers County Championship Division One.

The former South Africa international returned figures of five for 60 to propel his side to a convincing victory by an innings and 183 runs at Trent Bridge, completing match figures of nine for 120.

Nottinghamshire, beginning the third day on 57 for one, were hustled out for only 199 by early afternoon, with Samit Patel top-scoring with 55.

England Test captain Joe Root took career-best bowling figures of four for five as Yorkshire secured a crucial Roses win over Lancashire by 118 runs at Emirates Old Trafford.

Root took three of four wickets to fall on the third morning to secure the White Rose’s third County Championship victory in eight matches.

The result also deepened their arch-rivals’ relegation worries, given they have only secured one win from their first nine outings, losing five.

Ben Stokes completed match figures of eight for 118 as Gloucestershire set Durham 340 to win the Division Two match at Cheltenham.

The all-rounder pressed claims for an England Test place against India with another lively contribution, looking in good rhythm as he finished with three wickets for 66 in the home side’s second innings of 252 all out.

Kieran Noema-Barnett hit an undefeated 69, while Ryan Higgins added 42 to his first-innings century and Benny Howell made 43 against an attack again deprived of Mark Wood because of a sore heel.

Tom Latham had been last man out for 147 as Durham extended their first-innings total from an overnight 219 for five to 275 all out, but he could not prevent his team trailing by 87.

Azhar Ali scored a century on his Somerset debut as Worcestershire were set a daunting 443 target in the clash at Blackfinch New Road.

The Pakistan batsman is an overseas replacement in the Championship for injured Australian batsman Matt Renshaw.

Azhar struck two sixes and 13 fours in his 125 from 188 balls before he was last out in Somerset’s 362 for nine declared, which enabled England spinner Moeen Ali to complete a five-wicket haul.

It left bottom-placed Worcestershire needing to survive 15 overs and they lost Daryl Mitchell (six) and Moeen (seven) in reaching 50 for two by the close.

James Fuller was the hero with three for 40 as Middlesex beat Division Two leaders Warwickshire by 18 runs in a thriller at Lord’s.

In just his second Championship match of the season, the former Gloucestershire paceman claimed three wickets in two spells after tea, sealing victory with a yorker which squeezed under the bat of Chris Wright.

It ended a heroic last-wicket stand of 22 between Wright and Ryan Sidebottom, denying Warwickshire a sixth win of the campaign.

Northamptonshire skipper Alex Wakely revived his team’s chances of pulling off a record-breaking run chase after a Wayne Madsen century set up the prospect of a thrilling finish to the Division Two match against Derbyshire at Chesterfield.

Madsen made 116 and all-rounder Matt Critchley 51 as Derbyshire posted a total of 342 in their second innings to set Northants 314, which would be the highest fourth innings total at Queen’s Park.