NEW DELHI: Surrey successfully defended their County Championship title, claiming the trophy for a third time in six years on Thursday.
Surrey secured the title after taking an unassailable lead in the standings as Essex were bowled out in their final game of the season.
A 20-point gap between the top two Division One teams heading into the final round of four-day fixtures meant Surrey required just five points to hold on to their crown.
Essex' failure to take any batting bonus points against Hampshire left the door slightly ajar for them as they needed to post a 400-plus score in 110 overs at Wantage Road to keep the title race alive.
But in response to Northamptonshire's 369, Essex were all out for 211, which meant they could no longer catch Surrey, who can celebrate their fifth championship crown since the turn of the century.
London-based Surrey are first side to retain the first-class title since Yorkshire, who won back-to-back crowns in 2014 and 2015.
(With inputs from AFP)
