Worcestershire’s Leach bows out on a high while…

Worcestershire’s Leach bows out on a high while Yorkshire batters feast – as it happened

Essex batter Dean Elgar in action against Surrey. Photograph: Gavin Ellis/TGS Photo/Shutterstock

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Roundup: Worcestershire's Leach bows out on a high

The 2024 cricket season slipped quietly away, the final day finishing with seven draws in seven games, as bad light, rain and ennui drew the curtain over the summer.

At New Road Joe Leach marched out to bat for one final time before hanging up his big boots. His 30 not out, a familiarly lusty affair, was part of a second‑innings Worcestershire fightback. At 78 for six, it had seemed possible that the relegated Lancashire might pull off a consolation victory, but Worcestershire were rescued by Matthew Waide, Adam Hose, Logan van Beek and Leach. As the clouds darkened and the umpires ushered the players in, Lancashire waited behind to clap the grand old boy off. He pulled away his helmet, wiped his eyes, saluted the crowd and pushed through the little white gate and into the future, 477 first-class wickets in his chest pocket.

Worcestershire, who went straight into their end-of-season party, can also raise a glass to finishing sixth, their highest position since the Championship became two divisions. For Lancashire, time to regroup. Their first-team coach, Dale Benkenstein, said: “You sometimes need to go down to find your feet.”

Surrey, deserved champions, belatedly received their silverware after the game at Chelmsford petered out, rain-affected and on a docile pitch. Sam Cook sent down some spin and Simon Harmer and Matt Critchley mixed it up with some medium pacers, Dom Sibley’s 127 saving Surrey’s blushes. The captain, Rory Burns, said: “A fractionally stale trophy lift after a pretty dead rubber last game.”

Sussex were presented with the Division Two trophy at Hove in front of more than a thousand shivering supporters. Tom Haines and James Coles both made centuries, but the crucial bonus point came with a no‑ball – nevertheless sparking huge celebrations. Middlesex used nine bowlers including Mark Stoneman, who will play elsewhere next season. Sussex finish the season unbeaten at home.

Promoted Yorkshire guzzled on runs at Headingley, their 726 for seven the second highest score in the club’s history, James Wharton’s 285 the joint-eighth highest first-class score for Yorkshire. There was just time for Matthew Fisher to take two Northamptonshire wickets for the final time in the white rose shirt before everyone shook hands.

Half-centuries from Jack Leaning, Joe Denly and Joey Evison helped relegated Kent to secure a draw at Durham; Sam Hain made a century in the Midlands derby from which both Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire emerged unscathed, and there was a hundred for the 40-year-old Wayne Madsen at Grace Road as Derbyshire drew with Leicestershire.

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Goodbye!

Thank you all for your company, wit and wisdom from the chill of April to the chill of September. With Worcester cathedral staring across the New Road grass, it’s goodnight from me. May your winter days be warm and fruitful.

I’ll leave you with this, the one, the only, Joe Leach.