Leicestershire up, Notts win sets up Surrey showdown
After 22 years of trudging around Division Two, including a famous period of 993 days without a win between September 2012 and June 2015, and eight wooden spoons, Leicestershire can celebrate promotion. That First Division status was confirmed through the combination of a soggy draw with Gloucestershire at Grace Road and a soggy draw between the chasing pack Middlesex and Derbyshire at Lord’s, didn’t matter either to the stoical supporters who hung around on the damp green Grace Road benches, or to the delighted players.
“This isn’t just a six-month thing, it’s been a few years in the making,” said acting captain, Ian Holland, as the team popped champagne on the balcony “Credit to [director of cricket] Claude Henderson, to the coaching staff, to [outgoing chief executive] Sean Jarvis and the people in the office getting things right. The players have been able to go out and play the way we have this year because things are right. It’s a great feeling.”
Leicestershire already have six wins in their locker and have played fun and at times thrilling cricket, topped by a fabulous season for Rehan Ahmed, who has flambéed five hundreds. “Rehan [has been] amazing, but so many people have stood up,” said Holland. “I have to mention Pete Handscomb. He’s been amazing with the way he’s captained, his calmness around the group has been incredible.”
Elsewhere, Nottinghamshire scrambled to a three-wicket victory at New Road, despite some incisive Worcestershire bowling on a tricky pitch. When Ben Slater nibbled behind at Tom Taylor, Notts were in deep trouble at 83 for six. But the lower order saved the day, New Road old boy Josh Tongue off-driving the winning runs to lift Notts just one point behind leaders Surrey, who they play in a heavyweight bout at the Oval in the penultimate round of the season next week.
“These are the games you play for,” said Nottinghamshire’s head coach, Peter Moores. “This is what you net for. You want to feel that it’s on the line and if you can get over that line it’s a brilliant feeling.” Elsewhere, rain-affected draws ruled the roost.
Updated
Final scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 457-8dec DRAW with Durham 333 and 173-7
Taunton: Somerset 441-6dec DRAW with Yorkshire 134-9
The Oval: Surrey 246 and 391-8dec DRAW with Warwickshire 248 and 105-1
Hove: Sussex 122 and 84-3 DRAW with Hampshire 226 and 173
New Road: Nottinghamshire 207 and 136-7 BEAT Worcestershire 182 and 160 by three wickets.
DIVISION TWO
Canterbury: Kent 293 and 293 DRAW with Lancashire 284 and 138-3
Grace Road: Leicestershire 342 and 93-1 DRAW with Gloucestershire 482 and 175-3dec
Lord’s: Middlesex 298 DRAW with Derbyshire 283 and 153-4
Northampton: Northants 413-9dec DRAW with Glamorgan 467 and 241-7
And that is that for this round. Big balloons and high fives to Leicestershire, players, coaches and everyone involved with the club for defying the odds, playing with perky joie de vivre and earning Division One cricket for 2026 – whatever format comes to pass.
Even in today’s weather, your support was unmatched 🤝
— Leicestershire CCC 🦊 (@leicsccc) September 11, 2025
From us to you… thank you Foxes! 🙏#Foxes🦊 pic.twitter.com/geJHhecxdP
We’ll be back next week for the penultimate round – for the Division One heavyweight bash at The Oval, the Division Two promotion scrap at Derbyshire, and all the rest. Thanks, as ever, for your company – bye!
Division Two table - with two games to go
1 Leicestershire 205 (promoted)
2 Glamorgan 180
3 Derbyshire 153
4 Middlesex 150
5 Gloucestershire 146
6 Lancashire 139
7 Northamptonshire 137
8 Kent 109
Division One Table - with two games to go
1 Surrey 186
2 Notts 185
3 Somerset 163
4 Warwicks 159
5 Essex 140
6 Sussex 138
7 Yorkshire 135
8 Hampshire 132
9 Durham 126
10 Worcestershire 92
Updated
Essex DRAW with Durham
After a bouncer from Porter in fading light, the umpires say enough. Raine and Potts save the day.
Chelmsford: Essex 457-8dec DRAW with Durham 333 and 173-7
Essex 14 points; Durham 12 points
Updated
Surrey DRAW with Warwickshire
A rain-affected draw means Surrey go into the penultimate round – a home game against Notts – with a one point lead over Notts.
The Oval: Surrey 246 and 391-8dec DRAW with Warwickshire 248 and 105-1
Surrey 11 points; Warwicks 11 points
Updated
Kent DRAW with Lancashire
Canterbury: Kent 293 and 293 DRAW with Lancashire 284 and 138-3
Kent 12 points, Lancashire 12 points
Updated
Here comes Simon Harmer. Two short legs and four in an arc around the bat on the off side. Raine at ease.
Play at The Oval, and now they’ve resumed at Chelmsford. Handshakes expected soon at wet Canterbury.
And the rain sends the players in at Canterbury, just after Marcus Harris reaches fifty. This could be terminal. Lancs need 165, with seven wickets left.
Good news Durham fans, there is life in the Chelmsford pitch yet. Weather permitting, they’ll restart at 4.45, with 9.5 overs left. Durham lead by 19 runs, with three wickets left.
Northants DRAW with Glamorgan
A game memorable for hundreds from two super young batsmen: Asa Tribe and Saif Zaib.
Northampton: Northants 413-9dec DRAW with Glamorgan 467 and 241-7
Northants 14 points; Glamorgan 15 points
Sussex DRAW with Hampshire
A soggy match comes to an end and a bad day for Hampshire after news of an eight-point deduction for a dodgy pitch in May puts them in the relegation zone.
Hove: Sussex 122 and 84-3 DRAW with Hampshire 226 and 173
Sussex 11 points; Hampshire 11 points
Updated
Somerset DRAW with Yorkshire
And they shake hands at Taunton. Leach 2-9, Davey 3-34, Green 2-37, Gregory 2-24. Somerset have a day off before Finals day at Edgbaston.
Taunton: Somerset 441-6dec DRAW with Yorkshire 134-9
Somerset 14 points, Yorkshire 9 points
Leicestershire are promoted to Division One!
With the rain teeming down, Leicestershire and Gloucestershire shake hands on a draw, sending Leicestershire into Division One for the first time in 22 years. Congratulations to all – they’ve been a pleasure to watch this year, especially at lovely Grace Road, with the trees, and the dogs and the cakes.
𝗪𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗗! ⬆️🦊
— Leicestershire CCC 🦊 (@leicsccc) September 11, 2025
We've done it! After 22 years away, Leicestershire will play Division One cricket in 2026. 🥳
THIS TEAM. THIS CLUB. 💚#Foxes🦊 pic.twitter.com/BpL5amVivx
Grace Road: Leicestershire 342 and 93-1 DRAW with Gloucestershire 482 and 175-3dec
Leicestershire 12 points Gloucestershire 15 points
Updated
Off again at Taunton, with the sun shining brightly and some rain in the air. Somerset walking off as slowly as they can and.. actually, they’re coming back on again.
They’re back on again at The Oval, but not for too long you’d think. Yates and Young battling down the hatches. Warwicks 74-1.
After an innings of self-restraint, Adam Lyth pops a catch to short leg and bends over his bat immediately in frustration. Yorks 132-9.
Many thanks to Romeo for the handy graphic on the proposed rearrangement of the counties. I hadn’t clicked that those in Division two will play three games against some counties.
A wicket at Taunton – Thompson after a match-saving (?) 57 – very much lbw Davey. Yorks 128-8
Middlesex DRAW with Derbyshire ...
which almost definitely sends Leicestershire up to Division One! (baring a dramatic loss at Grace Road, where it is currently raining). Neither Middx nor Derby are yet out of the battle for the second promotion place, and Derbyshire play the men currently in position, Glamorgan, next week in what becomes a crucial game.
Lord’s: Middlesex 298 DRAW with Derbyshire 283 and 153-4
Middlesex 12 pts, Derbyshire 12 pts
Tea-time ish scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 457-8dec v Durham 333 and 143-7
Taunton: Somerset 441-6dec v Yorkshire 88-7
The Oval: Surrey 246 and 391-8dec v Warwickshire 248 and 60-1 rain stopped play
Hove: Sussex 122 and 58-3 Hampshire 226 and 173
New Road: Nottinghamshire 207 and 136-7 BEAT Worcestershire 182 and 160 by three wickets.
DIVISION TWO
Canterbury: Kent 293 and 293 v Lancashire 284 and 61-2
Grace Road: Leicestershire 342 and 77-1 v Gloucestershire 482 and 175-3dec
Lord’s: Middlesex 298 v Derbyshire 283 and 153-4
Northampton: Northants 413-9dec v Glamorgan 467 and 204-6
"These are the games you play for"
A happy, happy Peter Moores:
“A great game of cricket. When your season pretty much comes down to 50 runs at the end of a game, it’s a proper game of cricket.
“Credit to the way the lads played because lots of little things happened during the game which meant we got into a winning position. From Freddie McCann’s catch, Haseeb’s run out in the first innings, Lyndon James’ five-for.
“Then this morning Worcestershire bowled really well. Our message was to stay positive but they didn’t miss their lengths very much and they made it difficult for us.
“It’s set up brilliantly for The Oval next week. It’s a great place to play, a really good cricket pitch and both sides are playing good cricket so we’ll go there confident but also very respectful that it will be a tough challenge.
“These are the games you play for. This is what you net for. You want to feel that it’s on the line and if you can get over that line it’s a brilliant feeling.”
To sum up: They’re off at Chelmsford and eating tea. They’re back on at Taunton, where Yorkshire have already lost a wicket – 60-7. But no-one can lose 13 wickets in two hours.
Rain at The Oval (Warwicks 60-1). Sussex 53-1 at Hove with handshakes on the cards not long after tea. Done and dusted at New Road.
In Division Two: Bohannon and Harris on hand to bat Lancashire out of this sticky one at Canterbury, Lancs 46-2; Leicestershire content to go slow at Grace Road – 53/1 – and gain promotion via a draw at Lord’s, where it is raining. Willing Rishi Patel runs after a poor run. And Northants and Glamorgan winding down at Wantage Road, Glamorgan 202-6, three for Calvin Harrison.
Lancs keeping everyone on their toes at Canterbury after Wells too departs to Quinn, pushing at him like a man fencing a toad.
Lightning sends the teams scurrying off at Chelmsford, with Durham 143 for seven. Well played Ben Raine and Matthew Potts.
Looks like the filthy weather is about to save Durham.
A beautiful book arrives in the post: A Portrait of Cricket by photographer Tom Shaw. Tom is my friend, so I’m biased, but his pictures of grassroots cricket in the book are wonderful. You can see some of them on his instagram here.
Updated
Eleven wickets for Mitch Stanley at Canterbury
Chelmsford the only game in town in Division One.
In Division two, Lancashire have a run-chase if they want one, after they whistled Kent out for 293, for the second time in the match. Stanley six for 100. Lancs hover at 17-1, Jennings the man out, a fifth wicket in the match for Quinn.
Updated
At Hove, Haines and Hunt – no cancel that, the rain has hit there too. Sussex 48-1, needing a theoretical 230 to win.
Bad light and rain stop play at Lord's and The Oval
Durham have looked pretty solid since I turned over. Elsewhere, the rain is coming.
Updated
Events at The Oval, where Davies didn’t want to look at the umpire after being struck plumb on the pads by Tom Lawes. Warwicks 48 for one, with about three hours to survive.
Ali on yesterday’s late night soggy slap and tickle.
I think I’ll settle for Chelmsford for now, where Harmer is licking his lips and Durham are close to losing by an innings in this relegation arm wrestle – 103-7, still 21 behind.
Hand shakes all round at New Road, and eyes swivel to The Oval where Warwickshire have safely negotiated 17 overs, 41-0.
Notts beat Worcestershire by three wickets!
Worcestershire old boy Josh Tongue wins it! With a gorgeous off drive. He and James have a big hug in the middle of the pitch.
New Road: Nottinghamshire 207 and 136-7 BEAT Worcestershire 182 and 160 by three wickets.
Updated
Worcestershire right to get a move on if this Manchester weather is moving south. End of Shazzad’s over. Four needed. And another beautiful dog hits the stream.
Josh Tongue flicks Allison off his hips, an elegant tank. Seven to win.
Lyndon James smears Allison past the fielder, over the rope and under the covers. Atmospheric thunder and lightning over (my) head. 13 needed.
The New Road outfield looks like the circus has been in town. Shazzad making Tongue prod and poke, but he survives. 17 needed.
Josh Tongue gets off the mark with a nudge down to the rope, beating a disconsolate fielder. Khurram Shahzad gets the cherry with the fat lady warming up. 17 needed.
Notts seven down! 22 needed
Patterson-White cuts four more, then pushes at Allison and gets a nibble through to Roderick. Worcs are cock-a-hoop. 22 needed.
Allison delivers a long hop and Patterson-White says thanks very much. We get a close up of a Labrador’s rump. 26 needed.
A four, a palpable four – Patterson-White with the long levers. The cathedral stares thoughtfully on from over the Severn. The equation reduces to 34/four wickets.
I don’t know where to put my eyes this afternoon.
No wickets to report yet at New Road, at The Oval, or at Grace Road, where rain has come and gone.
There is movement at Chelmsford though where Durham have got the colly-wobbles. Ackermann the latest to go, 71-5, still 53 behind. What Harmer likes best.
Updated
Bright sunshine at New Road, bouncing off the plastic white seating. A handful of fans getting a treat of a day. Runs proving tricky -41 needed.
Updated
Surrey declare, setting Warwickshire 390 to win
Totally missed the declaration at The Oval – Warwickshire made it unscathed to lunch.
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 457-8dec v Durham 333 and 63-4
Taunton: Somerset 441-6dec v Yorkshire 60-6
The Oval: Surrey 246 and 391-8dec v Warwickshire 248 and 7-0
Hove: Sussex 122 and 37-1 Hampshire 226 and 173 no play yet today
New Road: Worcestershire 182 and 160 v Nottinghamshire 207 AND 91-6 Notts need 45 to win
DIVISION TWO
Canterbury: Kent 293 and 251-7 v Lancashire 284
Grace Road: Leicestershire 342 and 17-1 v Gloucestershire 482 and 175-3dec
Lord’s: Middlesex 298 v Derbyshire 283 and 97-4
Northampton: Northants 413-9dec v Glamorgan 467 and 95-3
Updated
James and Patterson-White survive till lunch, with 45 needed as everyone troops in at New Road. Lunch-time scores to follow round the grounds.
Kent have added 28 and lost two wickets this morning. Both to Mitch Stanley who is fluttering his eyelashes at the England selectors with exquisite timing. Kent, 234-7 lead Lancs by 243.
A declaration at Grace Road!
Bold from Gloucestershire on that vast, fast outfield at Grace Road. Leicestershire have been set 316, currently 17-0.
Have at last managed to get events from New Road on the TV thanks to some intervention from my son. Tom Taylor finishes a fourth maiden with the sun kissing the pitch. Lyndon James is a tall man.
No second hundred for Ben McKinney, who pads up to wily old fox Simon Harmer and loses his bails, for a round ten. Durham 45-3.
Notts 83-6: 53 needed
The conveyor belt moves yet again. A second for Taylor, the big one – Slater, who leans back with intent but just nudges behind. He’s not impressed with himself.
As midday approaches, and Notts manage to put together a partnership of two runs, a wander round the other first-division grounds.
Play yet to begin at Hove and rain rescuing Yorkshire at Taunton, after a tumultuous morning, running back to the pavilion at 56-5.
Dom Sibley is close to a hundred at The Oval where there have been quick runs and quick wickets – Surrey 380-8, the lead over Warwicks 378.
And after Essex declared over night, Jamie Porter has dismissed Lees and Gay at Chelmsford, Durham 43 for two, still 82 behind
Ooooh! A fifth wicket at New Road as Allison sends the dangerous Verreynne back to the dressing room, bat under disconsolant arm. A juicy big nut of a ball, nipping out middle stump. 63 needed…
Surrey are seven down, going for runs. Sibley now re-anchored to the crease accompanied by runner Rory Burns . The lead 343.
If Notts were to win the title it would be Peter Moores’ third title with three different clubs. Just putting it out there.
A sensational in-out-snatch catch at extra cover by Kashif at New Road and Notts are four down! Haynes gone for 10.
Updated
Washington Sundar signs for Hampshire
Hampshire will need every point they can garner as they now find themselves in relegation bother after the points penalty. Luckily, pockets are deep and Washington Sundar is a great card to have up tucked up the sleeve.
Yorkshire are making a Horlicks of their first innings – Davey and Gregory have reduced them to 41-4, still trail by 400.
A couple of wickets at New Road – now will this get tasty? The busy McCann gone for 28 and Joe Clarke for a nine-ball duck. 74 needed and dot balls abounding.
At The Oval, Surrey are still batting, with gumption, Dan Lawrence slammed six off Michael Booth’s first over, but Booth got his revenge, having him caught for 43. Foakes is out too, just after passing fifty. The current lead over Warwicks 313, with five wickets still in hand.
This is a nice story about Tom Kohler-Cadmore raising awareness of cleft lips and palates.
Hampshire deducted eight points for "below average" pitch
Hampshire have been hit with an eight-point penalty, a suspended 24-point deduction for the 2026 Championship season, and £5000 fine by the cricket regulator after match officials rated the pitch for the Hampshire v Sussex match 23-25 May as “below average”.
The officials found the pitch below average for “unevenness of the bounce and assessment of turn” which Hampshire admitted – but the club denied the charge, saying they had prepared the best pitch they could in the circumstances.
It is a very long judgement, but I think it can be summed up by saying the tribunal found that the groundsman hadn’t rolled the pitch for long enough. The charge was aggravated by a “similar transgression in 2023.”
Updated
That’s not a bad outcome – play everywhere apart from Hove and Canterbury.
Weather watch and delayed starts
The Met Office promises wind, especially in the north west, and a mix of sunshine and showers “sometimes heavy and carrying a risk of hail and thunder.”
There is a delayed start at Canterbury and we await news elsewhere.
Potts glad to be back as he eyes up Ashes
After 30 overs on the unyielding Chelmsford pitch, Matthew Potts spoke to the reporters’ network last night
“I’ve been pulled out of the Ireland series. I think it is perfect to have a little run of red-ball. I’ve had nine weeks of white-ball and it gets you out of the groove of bowling with the red-ball, so it’s nice to get back into it. I felt in good rhythm there and felt a bit more like myself and bowled nicely. I’m pleased.
“We talk about three games left and focusing on one game at a time and do all I can to make sure we stay up this year. Just give everything and see where we land when it comes to selection [for the Ashes]. Just try and put everything out there for the guys and see where we land.”
Wednesday's round-up
Rain and bad light stalked the Championship but the skies cleared just enough for Nottinghamshire to move towards victory at New Road and set up a tantalising match with the leaders, Surrey, next week.
Lyndon James (five for 35) and Josh Tongue (four for 52) whistled through Worcestershire. Tom Taylor then bowled Haseeb Hameed for nought for the second time, but Ben Slater and Freddie McCann reduced Notts’ target to 96.
Surrey, meanwhile, used their patches of clear sky wisely. Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes and Dan Lawrence added 95, to compile a lead of 274 over Warwickshire.
Matthew Potts, pulled out of the Ireland white-ball series by England to get some red-ball overs, picked up three wickets for Durham on a docile pitch against Essex at Chelmsford. “I think it is perfect to have a little run of red ball. I felt in good rhythm there and felt a bit more like myself and bowled nicely.”
Another charming century from Saif Zaib made him the first Northants batsman to hit six hundreds in a season since Lance Klusener in 2006. He shimmied 22 fours and two sixes to frustrate Glamorgan, before he was run out to a fumble-turned-direct-hit for 145.
Ekansh Singh’s 30 not out held the Kent innings together as they inched towards a defendable total. There were two more wickets for Lancashire’s Mitch Stanley.
Shan Masood duly eased to an elegant hundred on Championship debut at Grace Road, on an eventful day between the showers, which included a Leicestershire collapse of six for 22 and a blotter spraying debris all over Gloucestershire’s practice equipment. Leicestershire will confirm promotion with a draw on Thursday, if there is also a draw at Lord’s – which can only be avoided with some innovative number-crunching by Middlesex and Derbyshire. Just 10 overs were possible in north London, enough for Caleb Jewell to pass 1,000 Championship runs for the season and get out.
During the very brief spell of clear weather at Taunton, Somerset hurried towards a declaration against Yorkshire.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 457-8 v Durham 333
Taunton: Somerset 441-6dec v Yorkshire
The Oval: Surrey 246 and 276-2 v Warwickshire 248
Hove: Sussex 122 and 37-1 Hampshire 226 and 173
New Road: Worcestershire 182 and 160 v Nottinghamshire 207 AND 40-1 Notts need 96 to win
DIVISION TWO
Canterbury: Kent 293 and 206-5 v Lancashire 284
Grace Road: Leicestershire 342 v Gloucestershire 482 and 10-0
Lord’s: Middlesex 298 v Derbyshire 283 and 33-1
Northampton: Northants 413-9 v Glamorgan 467
Preamble
Good morning! Another bright September morning to hold onto and never let go. Day four around the grounds, with eyes particularly on New Road, The Oval and Lord’s (if they can manufacture a result). Do join us, play starts at 10.30am.
