Michael Lumb and Andrew Strauss enjoyed contrasting fortunes as Nottinghamshire played Middlesex, while Yorkshire struggled in Bristol.
On day two Lumb put on 150 with Alex Hales, 83 with Riki Wessels and 95 with Steven Mullaney before he eventually fell for 162, caught by Tim Murtagh off the bowling of Gareth Berg.
Opener Hales was the first man to go in the morning for 79, caught by England captain Strauss off Murtagh, while Wessels was run out for 41.
Mullaney (60) was one of four victims for England seamer Steve Finn, but it was the hosts' day at Trent Bridge as they amassed 423 before limiting Middlesex to 51 for three at stumps.
There was another failure with the bat for Strauss, who managed only two before he was caught behind off Harry Gurney, while Sam Robson and Chris Rogers were both snared by Andre Adams, leaving Joe Denly unbeaten on 32.
Bad weather prevented any play in the matches between Durham and Somerset and Sussex and Lancashire, while in Worcester the hosts were bowled out for 285 by Surrey.
Openers Daryl Mitchell and Michael Klinger both fell to Tim Linley in the 32nd over, but Worcestershire looked like they were back on track with Vikram Solanki and Moeen Ali at the crease.
The pair put on 102 before Solanki (42) was bowled by Jon Lewis, while Ali was next out for 61, caught behind off the bowling of George Edwards.
Only James Cameron, who was last man out for 52, offered any real resistance after that, while Linley was the pick of the bowlers with four for 78.
In Division Two, Hampshire and Derbyshire are still yet to begin their match after no play again on Thursday, while Leicestershire and Northamptonshire were also scuppered by the weather.
Things were almost as bad in Chelmsford, where only 10 balls were possible, enabling Kent to advance from their overnight tally of 17 for five to 24 for five against Essex.
Gloucestershire did make some progress against Yorkshire in Bristol, the hosts recovering from the early loss of Benny Howell to reach 165 for two at the close.
Howell was caught by Phil Jaques off the bowling of England's Tim Bresnan, but Chris Dent and Kane Williamson then put on 146 for the second wicket before Dent (62) was trapped lbw by Steven Patterson.
Williamson finished the day unbeaten on 89, with Alex Gidman alongside him on six.
