Yorkshire were the only side in either division to register a victory in a rain-affected round of LV= County Championship fixtures.
The White Rose forfeited their first innings against Gloucestershire at Bristol as both sides pushed for victory, and the visitors reaped the rewards as they chased down 400 to win by four wickets
Yorkshire were indebted to centuries from Phil Jaques (160) and Gary Ballance (121 not out) as they recorded their second victory of the Division Two campaign.
Pace bowler Ajmal Shahzad made an impressive start to life with Lancashire, taking a wicket with his first ball for the LV= County Championship defending champions.
The 26-year-old, who only joined the county this week after he was made available by Roses rivals Yorkshire, trapped Sussex's Ed Joyce leg before wicket and followed up four balls later with the scalp of Luke Wells.
Another lbw followed when Chris Nash departed for 33 in a match reduced to a scrap for bonus points after rain prevented any play on the first three days.
Sajid Mahmood also took three wickets - but Sussex raced to 300 for eight from 47.4 overs, with Matt Prior (86), Mike Yardy (63) and Joe Gatting (42 not out) helping the hosts to three batting bonus points.
Durham hung on for a draw against Somerset at Chester-le-Street, closing on 234 for nine with Ian Blackwell, who had totalled 70 runs in seven championship innings, unbeaten on 38 against his former team when hands were shaken.
Worcestershire ended on the back foot against Surrey in another drawn match.
The visitors declared on 413 for seven, with Tom Maynard (143) and Rory Hamilton-Brown (115) turning their overnight positions of promise into commanding scores - in Maynard's case a career best.
It meant Worcestershire needed 260 to win - but George Edwards took four wickets on his Championship debut to undermine their efforts and they closed on 150 for eight, with top scorer Matthew Pardoe still at the New Road crease on 38.
Andrew Strauss enjoyed some valuable time in the middle ahead of the Tests as the match between Nottinghamshire and Middlesex finished in a draw.
Middlesex were set a target of 298 to win in 51 overs after lunch but on a slow Trent Bridge wicket with some uneven bounce, a successful run chase never looked likely.
Strauss and Sam Robson batted for 35 overs to reach 87 without loss for the visitors before both sides agreed to a draw, with the England skipper making 43 and Robson 39.
Earlier, the hosts had declared their second innings closed on 174 for seven, Steven Mullaney (73) and Michael Lumb (55) both making half-centuries, while Middlesex off-spinner Ollie Rayner added four for 67 to his first innings 143 not out.
Question marks over Ravi Bopara's fitness took centre stage as Essex and Kent played out a tame draw in their Division Two clash at Chelmsford.
Bopara, pencilled in to bat at number six for England in the first Test against the West Indies, suffered a quad injury bowling on Friday and emerged at number eight batting with a runner.
He was run out in bizarre fashion, attempting to complete a single himself, and England must now give serious consideration to middle-order alternatives.
The game finished with Kent 136 ahead on 92 for two in the second innings, having bowled Essex out for 181.
Leicestershire hung on for a draw in their match against Northamptonshire at Grace Road.
The home side, chasing a victory target of 341, looked like setting up a thrilling finale when Ramnaresh Sarwan (94) and Josh Cobb (59) were at the crease.
However, they received little support and after five wickets fell for 28 runs it was left to Wayne White (29 not out) and captain Matthew Hoggard to stave off victory as they closed on 289 for nine. Lee Daggett took four for 76 for Northamptonshire.
Hampshire's match against Derbyshire also ended in a draw. The home side declared on their overnight 352 for eight and Derbyshire totalled 403 for nine, with Dan Redfern (133) and Wes Durston (121) excelling with the bat and Kabir Ali and James Tomlinson each taking three wickets.
