Lancashire Fight On as Surrey Complete Title Hat-trick

By the final day of the penultimate round, all attention was focused on Old Trafford, where defeat for Somerset would hand the title to Surrey, while defeat for Lancashire would mean relegation to the Second Division – an ultimate high-stakes match. Lancashire, put in to bat, had folded to 140 all out in just 40 overs on the first day, but then struck back with similar force to dismiss the visitors for only 146, and there was still time for a first second-innings wicket to fall before the end of the first day. On his first-class debut, Harry Singh provided solidity at the top of the order, taking 218 minutes to score 31, but it was a score of 130 by Luke Wells that really gave the Red Rose county hope, as he helped his side up to 398, adding 135 for the eighth wicket with George Balderson (47). At 109 for one, with Archie Vaughan again showing his promise (this time with bat, making 68, after his success with the ball in the previous round), Somerset seemed well in the mix, before Wells began to spin his side to victory. He finished with four for 36 and Somerset were all out for 224, beaten by 168 runs.

Defeat meant Somerset could no longer catch Surrey, who were crowned champions. Only a few days earlier, Somerset had been looking at a potential treble, only to lose the final of the Blast to Gloucestershire and now this match to Lancashire. Unfortunately, they would go on to miss out in the final of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup in a weather-reduced game at Trent Bridge against Glamorgan. Somerset are many cricket fans’ favourite other team, and they have one of the biggest support bases, so one can only hope that this season of so near yet so far doesn’t haunt them over the winter. Meanwhile, for Lancashire, they lived to fight another day.

By then, Surrey had already done what they needed, beating Durham by ten wickets at The Oval to record their eighth win of the summer – two more than any other county in the division. The visitors were put in to bat and scored 262, with Daniel Worrall taking four for 39. The former Australian paceman will qualify for England at the start of next summer, and he is many people’s call for an early chance. Emilio Gay made his debut for Durham, after his departure from Northamptonshire, but was dismissed without scoring. Ryan Patel’s 134 was the biggest component of Surrey’s reply, as they responded by making 415 all out. On his first-class debut, James Minto bowled at a lively pace and Conor McKerr was his maiden victim. At 18 for four in their second innings, Durham got off to an appalling start. Gay hit 48 but no one topped fifty and they were all out for 177, leaving Surrey to chase down just 25, as the game was concluded inside three days. It was appropriate that skipper Rory Burns was at the crease when the winning runs were scored. He has been captain for each of Surrey’s last four Championship triumphs, and the county became the first since Yorkshire in 1966-68 to complete a hat-trick. Not too many will be betting against them to make it four in a row next year.

Nottinghamshire travelled to Canterbury knowing that a win against bottom side Kent might prove their best chance of ensuring their safety in Division One for 2025. Asked to bat by the hosts, they piled up a total of 433 all out, with Ben Slater scoring 160 of them. The away side welcomed Kiwi paceman Jacob Duffy to their ranks, but it was the teenage spinner Farhan Ahmed who did the most damage, picking up four 37 as Kent succumbed to 225 all out and were asked to follow on. A total of 230 was the smallest improvement, but not enough, as Duffy took four for 60. Nottinghamshire required 23 for victory and got there in 21 balls as they won by ten wickets. That second win of the summer kept them 15 points above Lancashire and just five behind Warwickshire. Nottinghamshire will host Warwickshire on Thursday, with both sides knowing that a draw will be enough to keep them safe and condemn Lancashire, who will travel to Worcestershire, hoping for good weather and good fortune.

An innings defeat at Edgbaston against Essex left Warwickshire unable to say they were mathematically safe. Essex chose to field first and the hosts collapsed to 78 all out, Shane Snater taking five for 13. Snater came in at a wobbly 133 for seven and hit 69 off 72 balls to move his side’s reply up to 232 and gave them complete control. In Warwickshire’s second innings, it was Jamie Porter who proved the pick of the bowlers, finishing with six for 36, as the hosts fell away again, bowled out for 114 to lose by an innings and 40 runs inside two days. Porter is the top wicket-taker this summer, with 55, ahead of Ben Coad, Daniel Worrall and Toby Roland-Jones, who all have 52, while Liam Dawson has 50. Porter was the first to reach the landmark of 50 wickets for the summer on 18 September, while the other four all got there a day later.

Hampshire chose to bat first at Southampton, and Nick Gubbins equalled the best score of his career, making 201 not out. He was joined in a fifth-wicket partnership of 220 by Liam Dawson, who scored 109. Hampshire were all out for 462, despite on-loan Amar Virdi taking five for 133. Worcestershire were in deep trouble at 61 for five, when Gareth Roderick (94) was joined by Ethan Brookes, who hit a career-best 132 as the pair added 196 for the sixth wicket. Dawson followed up his century with figures of five for 88 – the second time in three matches he has managed this remarkable double. Dawson top-scored (51) in Hampshire’s second-innings total of 204, setting the visitors a target of 394. Kyle Abbott (five for 36) ensured they got nowhere near, dismissed for 158 to lose by 235 runs.

Sussex confirmed their promotion back to Division One with a comprehensive victory at Bristol inside three days. Gloucestershire chose to bat first, but Jaydev Unadkat ripped through their top order (four for 32) as they were rolled over for just 109. Jack Carson (71) top-scored in Sussex’s reply of 311, while Zafar Gohar took six for 76. The hosts’ batting struggled again in their second innings, reaching just 195 all out, as they were beaten by an innings and 7 runs. Bertie Foreman of Sussex made his first-class debut.

Yorkshire are 20 points behind Sussex after their 186-run win in Cardiff. Put in to bat, the visitors made 361 all out, Andy Gorvin taking four for 67. Colin Ingram’s 82 was the only substantial score in Glamorgan’s response of 239 as Ben Coad and Matthew Fisher picked up four wickets each. Ingram now leads the way as the top runscorer of the season, with 1267, just ahead of David Bedingham (1265). James Harris (five for 73) kept Yorkshire in check, while debutant Ben Morris picked up his first wicket (Jonathan Tattersall), but the visitors still reached 273 all out to set a target of 396. Glamorgan never got close and were dismissed for 209.

Middlesex did their best to remain in the promotion race with a big win in Derby, where the home side chose to bat first and were bowled out for 173, Toby Roland-Jones taking five for 34. Mark Stoneman, who is being released at the end of the season, gave his side a parting gift of 115 runs, while Joshua De Caires equalled his highest score (80), as the away side hit back with a total of 358. Once again, Roland-Jones was the key prong of the Middlesex attack, taking five for 38 to give him excellent match figures of ten for 72. Derbyshire were all out for just 119, beaten by an innings and 66 runs. The win left Middlesex 15 points adrift of Yorkshire, and they travel to Hove knowing that they will have to win and hope that Northamptonshire can do them a favour at Headingley. Derbyshire look doomed to finish bottom of the table.

Leicestershire chose to bat first at Northampton but managed only 203, Yuzvendra Chahal taking four wickets. James Sales made a career-best 135 to help the visitors up to 383 in reply. Scott Currie (120, his highest score) was an unexpected leader of the hosts’ fightback, adding 110 for the ninth wicket with Sam Wood (57 not out in his second game), as they reached 316. Chahal continued his successful match, taking five for 134. A target of 137 was comfortably achieved for the loss of just one wicket.