County Championship Division One
Durham 256 & 223-4 v Somerset 179 (match drawn)
Durham and Somerset had to settle for a draw in their Championship Division One game after no play was possible on the final two days at the Riverside.
The home side had played themselves into a good position, with a lead of 300, at 223-4 in their second innings.
But with rain falling, umpires Rob Bailey and Nigel Cowley took an early decision to abandon the game.
Durham's Keaton Jennings was left unbeaten on 105, having made 116 in their first innings on the opening day.
Hampshire 202 & 185-5 v Warwickshire 360 (match drawn)
Hampshire's sixth-wicket pair of Liam Dawson and Adam Wheater shared an unbroken stand of 73 to help their side salvage a draw at home to Warwickshire.
In his first game as county captain, England's Ian Bell made 174 to earn the Bears a first-innings lead of 158 in a rain-shortened match at Southampton.
Resuming on 283-6, Bell added 44 to his overnight score to steer the Bears to 360, before Hampshire replied on 185-5.
After losing four quick wickets, Dawson (50 not out) steadied the ship.
He put on 36 with Sean Ervine (22), who eventually stuck his bat out at a wide one from Keith Barker to give the unsung left-armer his seventh wicket of the match.
But after Dawson was joined by wicketkeeper Wheater, there were to be no more Bears breakthroughs, and hands were finally shaken just before 18:00 BST.
Nottinghamshire 446 & 172-7: Smith 54; Curran 4-58
Surrey 225 & 389: Harinath 137, Sangakkara 83, Ball 5-98
Nottinghamshire beat Surrey by three wickets
Nottinghamshire survived a final-day wobble to beat Surrey at Trent Bridge and go top of the County Championship after the opening round of fixtures.
Resuming on 297-5, seamer Jake Ball took 5-98 as Surrey were bowled out for 389, with Arun Harinath (137) only able to add 24 to his overnight score.
Needing 169 for victory, Notts eased to 72-0, Steven Mullaney following his 113 on day one with a run-a-ball 42.
They then fell to 100-5, but Greg Smith (54) helped seal a three-wicket win.
Mick Newell's side, who were dealt a blow with the news of England batsman James Taylor's retirement on Tuesday, will now head into Sunday's match against Lancashire as Division One leaders.
Nottinghamshire had been in the ascendency since Mullaney's ton and half-centuries from Riki Wessels, Samit Patel and Chris Read on the first day.
The visitors' hopes rested largely on opener Harinath, but after he was caught by Wessels off the bowling of Jackson Bird, Ball trapped Gareth Batty in front to complete his five-for and last man Mark Footitt was dismissed for five.
The home team looked to be cruising to victory with Mullaney, who struck seven fours and one six, and Smith at the crease, but Ravi Rampaul dismissed the former to spark a Notts collapse.
Tom Curran took 4-58 for match figures of 7-156, only for Smith to share 36 with Read (22) to steady the ship and set the platform for Ball to hit the winning runs an hour in to the final session.
Division Two
Gloucestershire 262 & 215: Taylor 74, Roderick 58; Napier 3-36
Essex 385 & 94-0: Browne 55*, Cook 35*
Essex beat Gloucestershire by 10 wickets
Essex registered the first County Championship win of 2016 as they beat Gloucestershire by 10 wickets on the final morning at Chelmsford.
England skipper Alastair Cook added an unbeaten 35 to his first-innings 105 as the home side cruised home on 94-0.
However, partner Nick Browne played the senior role with an unbeaten 55.
Browne, Essex's leading Championship run-scorer last summer, hit nine fours, the last to end the game after earlier being dropped by Ian Cockbain at point.
Northants 481-7 v Sussex (match drawn)
No play was possible on day four of the Division Two game between Northamptonshire and Sussex, which ended as a draw.
The decision to call the match off was taken just before 10:00 BST on Wednesday after heavy overnight rain.
The abandonment left Northants opener Ben Duckett stranded on 282 not out, 49 short of the county's record score.
Northants took nine points from their opening Championship fixture of 2016, with Sussex claiming six.
Worcestershire v Kent (Match drawn, all 4 days washed out)
Worcestershire suffered their first complete abandonment since New Road's great flood of 2007, as their opening County Championship game of the season against Kent was called off as a draw.
After three lost days following heavy rain, a noon inspection was planned for Wednesday's scheduled final day.
But umpires Richard Illingworth and Ian Gould had no option but to abandon, with both teams awarded five points.
Neither side will now play any Championship cricket until 24 April.
They do not have games in the second round of fixtures, which start this Sunday.
Worcestershire have England's Moeen Ali available for the trip to play Gloucestershire at Bristol, while Kent are again on their travels - against Leicestershire at Grace Road.
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