Jacques Rudolph scored 106 but the loss of three wickets for just nine runs put paid to County Championship Division One leader Yorkshire's hopes of victory against Essex at Chelmsford.
Yorkshire was in sight of victory after Essex had set a target of 369 but the loss of Gerard Brophy heralded a mini-collapse from 310-5 to 319-7 to end the White Rose county's hopes.
Instead, it batted out the remaining overs to ensure it secured a draw.
Jonathan Bairstow and Brophy shared a stand of 92 before the latter went for 28 with Yorkshire on 310-5.
However, that wicket heralded a dreadful spell as Yorkshire lost three wickets for nine runs with Chris Wright striking twice, with the subsequent exit of Bairstow (62) all but putting paid to victory.
Tim Bresnan was also out as Yorkshire called off the chase and finished on 333 for seven, Wright and Tim Phillips taking two wickets apiece.
Geraint Jones defied Somerset's bowlers for nearly three hours on a turning pitch to lead Kent to a draw at Taunton.
The wicketkeeper walked out at 2.40pm with his side 67-1 chasing an improbable 335 to win and was out just moments before the end for a gutsy 47 as Kent closed on 191-7.
Murali Kartik claimed 5-57 for match figures of 10-107, bowling 31 overs unchanged from the River End. When the total was 134-5 with 20 overs still remaining, Somerset had a chance.
In the end their skipper Marcus Trescothick might have regretted erring on the side of safety as he delayed his declaration until 25 minutes before lunch, by which time his team had progressed from an overnight 122-2 to 301-7.
Phil Mustard scored an unbeaten 71 as Durham's clash with Lancashire ended in an inevitable draw at the Riverside.
Glen Chapple finished with figures of 5-65 as the host was all out for 216, avoiding having to follow on in the process.
Lancashire returned to the crease for its second innings and reached 91-4 as the rain-affected match ended in a draw.
In Division Two, Mark Cosgrove scored his third century of the season to put Glamorgan in a useful position going into the final day against Leicestershire at Swansea.
The Australian left hander scored 117 out of Glamorgan's 290 all out to give the Welsh county a 43-run first-innings lead, despite Leicestershire slow left armer Claude Henderson recording figures of five for 72.
In its second innings Leicestershire reached 41-2 by the close, still two runs behind.
Greg Smith made his highest score for nearly two months to give Derbyshire a chance of a first Championship victory since late April at Derby.
Smith made 91 off 163 balls as Derbyshire claimed a first-innings lead of 126 and then reduced Worcestershire to 70 for three at the close.
Eoin Morgan scored 58 in his first county championship appearance of the season for Middlesex but Sussex was 211 runs ahead at 109-5 in its second innings and remain in control of the Division Two top-versus-bottom match at Uxbridge.