Roundup: Hampshire win leaves Essex hopes in ruins
An outrageous Hampshire run-chase at Chelmsford, steered by James Vince and Liam Dawson, stamped a great boot through Essex’s chances of challenging for the County Championship title.
Defeat, with five balls to spare, leaves Essex 20 points behind Surrey with one game left. Essex had chased quick morning runs – Sir Alastair Cook out for an ungainly 16 – setting Hampshire 267.
This looked unlikely at 32 for four when Dawson and Vince came together, Simon Harmer fizzing in from the River End. But the pair intelligently harvested 184 for the fifth wicket, taking Hampshire close enough for their teammates to do the rest.
Meanwhile, at the Oval, Rory Burns (71) and Dom Sibley (67) pulled out their best tweed jackets and batted out the day, after Surrey followed on for the first time in 2023. When the rain came just after tea, the pavilion stood in happy applause for their openers. Northamptonshire, who fought to the last, will be playing Division Two cricket next year.
The battle for the other relegation place goes into the final round with Kent surviving at Taunton, but not without palpitations. Left just a day to bat in a rain-affected match, after Somerset declared overnight, they were soon 31 for four, taken to respectability only by 73 from Joe Denly and some stoicism from the late middle order. Denly’s exit precipitated three wickets for a song. Eventually bowled out for 235, Tom Abell four for 52, they followed on, but survived.
Middlesex were not so lucky, despite a second century of the year from Sam Robson, a seven-hour sterling effort, and go into the final strait one point behind Kent.
Worcestershire will need a maximum of three points against Yorkshire next week to guarantee promotion, Scott Borthwick’s hundred the highlight of their damp draw with Durham. Their nearest rivals, Leicestershire, were thwarted by Yorkshire and the rain, and seem likely to lose a bonus point for a slow over-rate.
Till Tuesday
They’ve shut up shop at The Oval, quiet now after every run Hampshire scored was roared on from the Surrey dressing-room. With just a round to go, the reigning champions supper happily, 20 points ahead – though they must now face crusher-of-dreams Hampshire.
Essex are heartbroken, though not mathematically out of it; Durham champions; Northants relegated; Worcestershire nearly there and a scrap to end all scraps about to be unleashed between Middlesex and Kent to avoid the final relegation spot. We’ll be back next Tuesday for it all, in the final round of another brilliant campaign. Until then, good evening!
