Middlesex will go into the final round of the County Championship season with a nine-point lead after their draw against Lancashire at Old Trafford.
The Londoners face their nearest pursuers Yorkshire at Lord's next week when Somerset, also in the thick of the title race just one further point adrift of the White Rose on 203, will be at home to relegated Nottinghamshire.
On a day full of thrilling finishes elsewhere, there was rarely a prospect of anything other than a stalemate in Manchester after Middlesex declared on 8-240 in mid-afternoon.
Dawid Malan hit 87 and John Simpson 74 against his native county in the left-handers' fifth-wicket stand of 151.
Simon Kerrigan (six for 86) took his match haul to 10 wickets as he delayed Middlesex most - and then after a brief gambit from the hosts, when Jos Buttler was promoted to open, Lancashire reacted to his early departure by settling for the draw and duly closed on 1-80.
At Chester-le-Street, Durham defied a brilliant all-round performance from Surrey teenager Sam Curran for a nail-biting 21-run victory which keeps them in the top flight for another season.
Curran added one more wicket on the final morning to finish with a career-best seven for 58 as the hosts reached 246.
Then after Jason Roy (96) and Zafar Ansari put on 143 for the fourth wicket, and Ben Stokes took 4-54, Curran was still unbeaten on 50 when Surrey were all out for 259 in pursuit of 281 deep into the evening session.
Essex were narrowly unable to celebrate their Division Two title in style, losing by just 11 runs to Glamorgan at Chelmsford.
The hosts, who clinched the title and promotion in this fixture two days ago, were bowled out for 252.
