Tanya Aldred on Surrey’s title:
Final Scores
Southampton: Hampshire 219 and 172 v Surrey 207 and 112-6 Surrey need 73 to win
Canterbury: Kent 494 v Lancashire 327 and 126-0
County Ground: Northamptonshire 369 BEAT Essex 211 and 119 by an innings and 39 runs
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 384 v Middlesex 366 and 10-0
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 273 v Somerset 215 and 90-2
DIVISION TWO
Chester-le-Street: Durham 457-8dec v Leicestershire 143 and 13-0 CLOSE
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 301-5dec v Derbyshire 450-8dec and 68-0
Hove: Sussex 202 and 505-7dec v Gloucestershire 195 and 113-5 Gloucs need 400 to win
Headingley: Yorkshire 262-6dec v Worcestershire 389 and 18-2
Will the rain arrive at the Rose Bowl before Surrey collapse completely?
As Alastair Cook (possibly) slinks quietly off to the farm, Essex coach Anthony McGrath paid tribute:
“He’s been very tight-lipped, because he’s wanted it that way and particularly because we were going for the title.”
“He hasn’t officially made his mind up, as far as I’m aware but if it is his last game, we’re going to miss him.
“In case it is, everyone was just giving him a clap.
“He wants to do it his own way, he did that with England and, with the amount of cricket he’s played and what he’s given to the game, he deserves that respect and I don’t think we should push him into it.
“I can’t speak highly enough of him. Hopefully we’ll see him for a bit longer but if not then the service he’s given to cricket, not just Essex, has been phenomenal.”
Scores on the doors
Southampton: Hampshire 219 and 172 v Surrey 207 and 96-5 Surrey need 89 to win
Canterbury: Kent 494 v Lancashire 327 and 126-0 CLOSE
County Ground: Northamptonshire 369 BEAT Essex 211 and 119 by an innings and 39 runs
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 384 v Middlesex 366 and 10-0 bad lights stops play
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 273 v Somerset 215 and 90-2 bad light stops play
DIVISION TWO
Chester-le-Street: Durham 457-8dec v Leicestershire 143 and 13-0 CLOSE
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 301-5dec v Derbyshire 450-8dec and 13-0
Hove: Sussex 202 and 505-7dec v Gloucestershire 195 and 86-4
Headingley: Yorkshire 262-6dec v Worcestershire 389 and 18-2 CLOSE
Huge apologies for the lack of updates, hope you’re keeping it going BTL – will do a scores update, but here at the Rose Bowl, Surrey are 85 for four. The floodlights are on and they have run out of Twixes.
Essex lose to Northamptonshire by an innings and 39 runs
Completely belying their finishing places in the table.
Surrey need 185 to win
This is all happening far too quickly. Essex now nine down in Northampton too.
And Will Jacks grabs his fifth wicket – Hampshire 168 for nine. As Ben Bloom points out, ten wickets in the match for the Tom Lawes-Will Jacks persona: one person played by two characters. (A good line – and more available in his book coming out on the County Championship in April).
Essex deflating at record speed: now 100-8 following on against relegated Northampton.
Just popping back to say Essex are 19 for five following on…
Updated
Sir Alastair Cook
A low-key farewell indeed.
(if it is farewell).
2.5 | Sanderson strikes again! 🔥
— Northamptonshire CCC (@NorthantsCCC) September 28, 2023
Ben Sanderson claims the wicket of Alastair Cook as he edges one through to McManus. 🧤
Essex 7/2.
Watch live 👉 https://t.co/CU8uwteMyd pic.twitter.com/eXJOBk3SSy
With just the relegation battle to be decided now, please forgive my absence for an hour while I write up a Surrey champions piece.
Updated
Lunchtime scores
Southampton: Hampshire 219 and 67-2 v Surrey 207
Canterbury: Kent 447-8 v Lancashire 327
County Ground: Northamptonshire 369 v Essex 211 and 0-1
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 201-3 v Middlesex 366
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 225-6 v Somerset 215
DIVISION TWO
Chester-le-Street: Durham 457-8dec v Leicestershire 96-6
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 143-2 v Derbyshire 450-8dec
Hove: Sussex 202 and 352-4 v Gloucestershire 195
Headingley: Yorkshire 93-4 v Worcestershire 398
Bad light stops play for the Champs
And off they come, for a very slightly early lunch. Hampshire’s batters lurk before the boundary rope, and Surrey’s players wait for Rory Burns to lead them off the field. He pulls off his floppy hat, puts a self-conscious hand through his (now short) hair)and crosses the line, where Alec Stewart is waiting in regulation royal blue Surrey jersey. He hand slaps and hugs each player in turn.
The Surrey team react to being confirmed as @CountyChamp winners 💥
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) September 28, 2023
🤎 | #SurreyCricket pic.twitter.com/F9U7AdV2tD
Updated
And the Champions plod on in the encroaching gloom at the Rose Bowl, Hampshire 67-2.
Surrey win the Championship!
They’ve done it! At 12.25, as Jamie Porter is bowled by Taylor for 0 at an almost empty Northampton, Essex are all out 189 runs short of the 400 they needed to stay in the race. With a delay of about five seconds, applause rings around the Rose Bowl, Will Jacks pulls out of his delivery stride, and Gubbins and Vince clap along.
Essex must follow on.
Updated
Yadav heaves at Rob Keogh, and is collected by Saif Zaib. Essex 210-9. After so much hard work, it is Porter and Cook left to working miracles with the bat.
The Surrey media guys are lurking near the boundary, primed to record the moment.
Harmer gone, Essex eight down – 200 made, 200 needed. The incredibly noisy hover cover zooms off again at Southampton.
400 is still on for Yadav, who whoops back to back boundaries off White. Essex 182-7.
And down the rain comes, and on the covers go, as the spectators scurry to the cover of the Arlott Atrium. Eyes turn to the Essex scorecard, where two wickets have fallen, including Westley. All down to the bowlers now.
A brief detour to get caffeine, back shortly.
Round the Division One grounds:
Hampshire 20-2, the lead 32 over Surrey. A waiting game.
Kent 387-4 against Lancs. Denly 127, more batting points await, the lead over Lancs 61. All they have to do is not lose. Lancs have substituted Tom Hartley for Will Williams, and Jack Blatherwick can’t bowl again after bowling two beamers in an over yesterday.
Essex 162-5 in 62 overs, need another 238 in 48 overs against Northants, to stay in the race.
Notts 132-2, Slater 68. Middlesex need wickets.
And in the no-stress game at Edgbaston, Warwickshire 144-4 v Somerset
Hampshire 19 for two – and we see James Vince for the last time this season. Just a peachy cover drive or two to see us through winter.
While you wait for Essex to slowly file away, and Joe Denly to stride past 150, here is Simon Kerrigan’s finest hour:
A batting point at Canterbury
Kent now favourites to avoid the drop, as a Tom Bailey no ball takes them to a precious 350.
A wicket at The County Ground
A wicket at the Ageas, Albert LBW to Worrall, but more importantly a wicket at Northampton, where Walter has been bowled after adding only five runs. Essex need an Adam Rossington miracle.
Who needs what at the top and bottom of Division One
If Essex don’t make 400 in 110 overs, Surrey win today.
If Kent get 350 today, Middlesex need maximum bowling points PLUS a better final result than Kent achieve at Canterbury.
Weather watch
A delayed start at Durham and Headingley, floodlights on around the grounds.
Clank, clank down the metal stairs troop 13 pairs of spikes. The floodlights are on. Maybe today, Surrey will win the Championship.
Simon Kerrigan to retire
A very happy retirement to Simon Kerrigan, destined to be remembered in quizzes for that nightmarish Test debut at The Oval in 2013, but so much better than that.
Lovely spell, Kegs. 👏
— Northamptonshire CCC (@NorthantsCCC) September 28, 2023
Simon Kerrigan has announced his retirement from professional cricket.
“I’m proud throughout my career to have given 100% and fought back from each setback along the way.” 🏵️
Read more 👉 https://t.co/L0Vif3o1Ml pic.twitter.com/zZBp4xv8oZ
Updated
Handle Jofra Archer with care:
Scores on the doors
Southampton: Hampshire 219 and 1-0 v Surrey 207
Canterbury: Kent 345-4 v Lancashire 327
County Ground: Northamptonshire 369 v Essex 125-4
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 92-2 v Middlesex 366
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 112-3 v Somerset 215
DIVISION TWO
Chester-le-Street: Durham 457-8dec v Leicestershire 96-6
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 22-0 v Derbyshire 450-8dec
Hove: Sussex 202 and 256-3 v Gloucestershire 195
Headingley: Yorkshire 24-0 v Worcestershire 398
Wednesday's round-up
And so the wait to crown the season’s county champions goes on, as the excellence of Hampshire’s Liam Dawson kept a firm lid on Surrey.
To tie down the title yesterday, Surrey needed to make 300 runs, thereby collecting two batting points – in fact they were bowled out for 207, with not a single batting point. Dawson, with five for 44, made the ball spit and fizz, while Mohammad Abbas finished with three.
Surrey’s batting faltered as it did against Northamptonshire at the Oval last week, with only Sai Sudharsan and Jordan Clark making more than 25. Sudharsan moved to his first half-century for Surrey, patient and stylish in just his second match.
It was possible for Surrey to have won if second-placed Essex had fallen in a heap against Northamptonshire, but Tom Westley and Paul Walter ensured that the dream of maximum batting points remained at least a theoretical achievement. But theoretical it looked, after Ben Sanderson removed Alastair Cook, Nick Browne and Dan Lawrence in nine miserly overs.
Six years to the day that they were last promoted, Worcestershire secured second spot and will join Durham in Division One next season. A team that regularly travels between the two divisions, Worcestershire’s golden moment came when Josh Baker dabbed Matt Milnes through the covers for two, to sporting applause from Yorkshire. Joe Denly’s first century of the year kept Kent’s hopes of avoiding relegation alive against Lancashire; Ryan Higgins did the same for Middlesex against Nottinghamshire, knitting the innings together with 107.
Preamble
Good morning! The sweet chestnut trees outside my window muffle the noise of the traffic on the dual carriageway outside the Rose Bowl, as Surrey stiffen their sinews for the final push. Today, surely, the Championship is theirs. Essex may have other plans, but they’ll have to pull out the superhero suits quickly to do it. And the trapdoor still awaits either Middlesex or Kent. We will follow it all here – for the penultimate time this season. Play starts at 10.30am.
