The race for the County Championship is going down to the wire with Middlesex and Yorkshire hunting victory on the final day at Lord’s in order to claim the trophy and deny the new leaders, Somerset, a first title in the club’s 141-year history.
Somerset are top of the table after completing a crushing three-day win against Nottinghamshire but must now nervously wait as events unfold in north London where Middlesex resume their second innings on 81 for two, trailing Yorkshire by 39 runs. A win for either side will overhaul their 226 points.
It had earlier required a stunning innings from Tim Bresnan, the former England all-rounder, to keep Yorkshire in the race, with his unbeaten 142 taking the defending champions from 53 for four to 390 all out and earning them a fourth bonus batting point that may be crucial.
While victory for Middlesex would bring them a first County Championship since 1993, Yorkshire are hunting their third successive title in what would be a first for the club since the 1960s and a fitting end to the five-year reign of their head coach, Jason Gillespie. Somerset must now hope their two rivals grind to a draw.
That three teams can still emerge victorious came down to an absorbing passage of play on the third afternoon at Lord’s where Yorkshire, needing to get past 350 in their first innings to remain arithmetically alive, reached that particular target with nine wickets down but not before an hour‑long rain delay which came when they were one run short. Ryan Sidebottom, the No11, nudged the runs that eventually got Yorkshire over that line
Bresnan was unquestionably the hero, sharing stands of 56 with Sidebottom and 114 with the No8, Azeem Rafiq. He said: “Knowing exactly what we had to do made it a bit easier – get to 350 to keep the dream alive. Getting there was a massive effort.”
Somerset had earlier seen their captain, the former Australia Test opener Chris Rogers, register a second century against Nottinghamshire – the 76th of his first-class career – before the spinner Jack Leach claimed four for 69 in the victory charge that prompted a lap of honour around the County Ground.
Rogers, who announced his retirement after the match, said: “My overriding feeling is one of immense pride in my team. We were favourites to go down at the start of the season and look where we are now. I’ll be texting a few of my old team-mates at Middlesex tonight. I know what is in their dressing room and I know they will fight all the way.”At the other end of the table it is fourth-bottom Lancashire looking most in danger of joining Nottinghamshire in Division Two next season, as they resume on 28 for three against Warwickshire at Edgbaston in the morning in their pursuit of an unlikely 347. Should Ian Bell’s third‑bottom side claim the seven wickets they require for victory, it would steer them to safety and mean Lancashire – who went into the final round needing a draw – would be relying on Durham avoiding defeat away to Hampshire for their own Division One status to be secured.
In Southampton, second-bottom Hampshire lead by 226 runs with three wickets remaining in their second innings, having bowled out Durham for 361 on the third day in a total that saw the wicketkeeper Michael Richardson left unbeaten on 99 when the final wicket fell. A nervous day all round awaits.At the other end of the table it is fourth-bottom Lancashire looking most in danger of joining Notts in Division Two next season, as they resume on 28 for three against Warwickshire at Edgbaston in the morning in their pursuit of an unlikely 347. Should Ian Bell’s third-bottom side claim the seven wickets they require for victory, it would steer them to safety and mean Lancashire – who went into the final round needing a draw – would be relying on Durham avoiding defeat away to Hampshire for their own Division One status to be secured.
As things stand in Southampton, second-bottom Hampshire lead by 226 runs with three wickets remaining in their second innings, having bowled out Durham for 361 on the third day in a total that saw wicketkeeper Michael Richardson left unbeaten on 99 when the final wicket fell. A nervous day all round awaits.
