Notts revel in title triumph after beating Warwickshire
Tanya Aldred
Nottinghamshire’s season ended with a day to spare, Championship title already secured, 10-wicket victory over Warwickshire in the bag. During the 3.4 overs in the afternoon gloom that they needed to knock off the winning 18 runs, there was time for Ben Slater to become the ninth man in Division One to reach a thousand runs, and for Haseeb Hameed to hit the winning boundary, a one-kneed good-night caress, that zipped across the grass and over the rope.
Minutes later, the club had set up a trestle table in front of the Hound Stand, and members gathered for the presentation. Families mingled everywhere, including Hameed’s proud parents, two sisters, brother-in-law and baby niece, on her first trip to Trent Bridge.
The ECB’s Neil Snowball handed over the medals, Hameed removing his ever-present white floppy hat and taking the trophy to lift with his team. Soon the coaching staff joined the party, head coach Peter Moores wearing a tan jacket over his green hoodie. On closer inspection, the tan jacket had been embroidered in green thread with the initials MOM. “When our first overseas Fergus O’Neill came over, he went and found the jacket in a charity shop, got it dry cleaned, got it sent off and embroidered and presented it at the end of the first match for the moment of the match,” said Moores. The jacket’s recipient was then responsible for awarding it in the next match.
Moores was expecting Josh Tongue, hero of the Oval, to hand the jacket back to Hameed today. But he didn’t, Tongue gave it to Moores. “It was lovely,” said Moores. “I’m not one for big emotion in the dressing room but I was properly made up.”
Tongue, wrapped in cotton wool by England for this game, was back in his whites and wearing his Nottinghamshire cap for the ceremony, towering over his teammates, 31 wickets at 22.03 under his belt. “Words can’t really describe how I’m feeling at the minute,” he said. I’ve always wanted to win a Division One Championship and to win it my first proper year here after missing last season is incredible.
“Taking five wickets in my debut game against Durham sort of proved to the lads why it was worth me coming here. I’ve obviously been in and out of the team with England but coming back it just feels such a special place at the minute.
“It was tough last year and I took myself away from the ground at times and spent time with family but then also I still want to support the lads as well so I still came in.
“I was in a very bad place but Chris Marshall, our sports psychologist, was brilliant during that tough time and a lot of credit for getting me back out there goes to him.
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Good night!
Under slightly farcial circumstances, they will be back tomorrow at Southampton – light permitting. A relegation place still live as we roll into the last day of the season.
But it is goodbye from me. I’ll be at my daughter Rosy’s graduation tomorrow, so Jim Wallace will be in the chair.
Congratulations to Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Glamorgan and thanks to you all for sticking around and making this blog so much fun to write. Hope the winter brings some joy amongst the darkening days – might see some of you through the night on the OBO. Good night!
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Updated at 19.23 CEST
Close of play scores
Chelmsford: Essex 438 v Somerset 433 and 99 Essex need 95 to win
Southampton: Hampshire 248 and 148-9 v Surrey 147 and 281 Hampshire need 33 to win
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 374 and 20-0 BEAT Warwickshire 258 and 133 by ten wickets
New Road: Sussex 350 and 63-7 BEAT Worcestershire 123 and 287 by three wickets.
Headingley: Yorkshire 465-9 v Durham 346
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Lancashire 374 and 134-3 BEAT Glamorgan 265 and 241
Canterbury: Kent 271 and 136-5 v Derbyshire 698-6dec
Lord’s: Middlesex 634-9dec v Gloucestershire 286 and 39-1
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 189 and 120-5 v Leicestershire 429 and 260-5
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Notts revel in title triumph after beating Warwickshire
Tanya Aldred
Nottinghamshire’s season ended with a day to spare, Championship title already secured, 10-wicket victory over Warwickshire in the bag. During the 3.4 overs in the afternoon gloom that they needed to knock off the winning 18 runs, there was time for Ben Slater to become the ninth man in Division One to reach a thousand runs, and for Haseeb Hameed to hit the winning boundary, a one-kneed good-night caress, that zipped across the grass and over the rope.
Minutes later, the club had set up a trestle table in front of the Hound Stand, and members gathered for the presentation. Families mingled everywhere, including Hameed’s proud parents, two sisters, brother-in-law and baby niece, on her first trip to Trent Bridge.
The ECB’s Neil Snowball handed over the medals, Hameed removing his ever-present white floppy hat and taking the trophy to lift with his team. Soon the coaching staff joined the party, head coach Peter Moores wearing a tan jacket over his green hoodie. On closer inspection, the tan jacket had been embroidered in green thread with the initials MOM. “When our first overseas Fergus O’Neill came over, he went and found the jacket in a charity shop, got it dry cleaned, got it sent off and embroidered and presented it at the end of the first match for the moment of the match,” said Moores. The jacket’s recipient was then responsible for awarding it in the next match.
Moores was expecting Josh Tongue, hero of the Oval, to hand the jacket back to Hameed today. But he didn’t, Tongue gave it to Moores. “It was lovely,” said Moores. “I’m not one for big emotion in the dressing room but I was properly made up.”
Tongue, wrapped in cotton wool by England for this game, was back in his whites and wearing his Nottinghamshire cap for the ceremony, towering over his teammates, 31 wickets at 22.03 under his belt. “Words can’t really describe how I’m feeling at the minute,” he said. I’ve always wanted to win a Division One Championship and to win it my first proper year here after missing last season is incredible.
“Taking five wickets in my debut game against Durham sort of proved to the lads why it was worth me coming here. I’ve obviously been in and out of the team with England but coming back it just feels such a special place at the minute.
“It was tough last year and I took myself away from the ground at times and spent time with family but then also I still want to support the lads as well so I still came in.
“I was in a very bad place but Chris Marshall, our sports psychologist, was brilliant during that tough time and a lot of credit for getting me back out there goes to him.
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It’s all come to a close while I was doing something else. Notts now have the trophy while agony, agony at Southampton, where tomorrow morning Hampshire will need 33 runs to beat Surrey and stay in Division One. Those at Headingley watch and wait.
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Lancashire beat Glamorgan by seven wickets
Sophia Gardens: Lancashire 374 and 134-3 BEAT Glamorgan 265 and 241
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Jordan Thompson – Yorkshire’s heartbeat
This landed from Hoppsy, his final missive from Headingley.
It has been a less fulfilling day in Leeds, but Jordan Thompson’s final appearance for Yorkshire merits a mention. Every county should have a player who represents its heartbeat. An obvious example would be Luke Fletcher at Nottinghamshire. Thompson could have fulfilled that role at Yorkshire and for a while he did – a combative player with bat and ball who could turn a game in any format. Perhaps not quite developing as much as expected put still worthy of his nickname, courtesy of Jonathan Doidge, the BBC’s Yorkshire commentator, as The Man That Makes Things Happen.
Back in June, what happened was that he signed for Warwickshire. It was hard to understand then and it is hard to understand now. Yorkshire’s history is littered with transfers like this. The warm applause that Thompson was given when he came out to the crease revealed where the loyalties of the Yorkshire members lie. Perhaps they did not entirely expect what followed a cussed, out of character. 44 not out from 97 balls, that met his responsibilities as gravely as he ever has.
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Updated at 18.52 CEST
Got to write up for first edition, if anyone is still here do chat on BTL.
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Updated at 18.44 CEST
A really lovely ceremony in front of the Hound Stand. Lots of family, including HH’s dad, mum, two sisters, brother in law and niece on her first trip to Trent Bridge. Neil Snowball presented the trophy, Peter Moores was wearing a tan cord jacket over his green hoodie for the Moment of the Match, bought by Fergus O’Neill at a charity shop before his first game, embroidered with the initials MOM and the Notts crest. Josh Tongue, who’d won it at The Oval, handed it over to Moores at the end of the game.
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Updated at 18.44 CEST
Notts beat Warwickshire by ten wickets
Glorious! HH wins the match with a one kneed drive through the covers for four. Handshakes all round. And now I’m going around the ground to see the trophy lift.
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 374 and 20-0 BEAT Warwickshire 258 and 133 by ten wickets
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Updated at 18.50 CEST
Trent Bridges rises to celebrate Slater’s 1000th run! The ninth man to do it in Division One.
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Notts lose a point
for a slow over rate.
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Three fours now. He needs two more runs for 1000 in the season. Stats care of George Dobell.
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It is dark at Trent Bridge, very dark. But no-one is looking at their light meters. Bang, there goes four runs, bashed through the covers by Slater. And another.
Some enormous cream scones arrive in the TB pressbox.
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Hampshire are five down. Chahar (3-26) and Lawrence (2-27) spinning their silken web. Hampshire need 83 runs, which seems, at this point, unlikely.
At Trent Bridge, the crowd, in puffa jackets and the odd bobble hat, tread the square.
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Hutton sends down a full stop with gumption, which swings in as Gilchrist shoulders arms. Warwickshire all out 133. Notts need 18 to win. They’ll take tea one last time.
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They’ve taken an early tea at Headingley, it’s that kind of day. Yorkshire still 453 for eight.
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“Demutualisation top of my list” Colin Graves
Hopps at Headingley:
Colin Graves, Yorkshire’s chair, has revived his campaign for Yorkshire to be demutualised and become the fourth county to abandon the status of being a members’ club. He has told a members’ form at Headingley that it remained his last ambition before he “rides off into the sunset.”
“I think demutualisation will make this club even stronger,” he said, “because, at the end of the day, what we have proven is that this club is investable, and if we get more investment into this club, it can only make this club stronger from a playing point of view, from a facilities point of view, from an outgrounds point of view. We need investment in this club, even though we’ve got money in the bank today.
“So, demutualisation, I can tell you now is going to be top of my agenda for 2026.
“The members will have nothing whatsoever taken away from them – nothing. They will have shares in it and will basically be shareholders in the club. This is the way that I want to take this club before I put my feet up and ride off into the sunset.”
Yorkshire were the only host county to sell their entire 51% stake in their Hundred team to external investors. The county made more than £50m, and roughly half of it was used to clear debts to Graves’ family trust after he saved the club from bankruptcy. But he is still not satisfied.
“I want to make sure that this club never, ever, ever gets in the position it’s been in twice in the last 25 years and, by demutualisation, we will protect this club for the next 50-100 years if we do it properly.”
It is an ambitious target. Seventy-five per cent would have to vote in favour, with at least 50 per cent of the voting membership taking part.
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Updated at 16.02 CEST
Somerset have to win to finish above Surrey, whatever happens at the Rosebowl. And what’s happening at the Rosebowl is that Hampshire are 70-2, need another 111. Ali Orr still there, 44 not out.
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Another lbw, another wicket for Hutton. Tazeem Ali gone for 12. Warwickshire are one run ahead.
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Relegation calculatoins
We think Essex are safe. Hampshire (now one down), if they win, are safe. So all eyes to Headingley where Durham are in deep trouble – Yorkshire are still batting, a lead of 104.
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This is too, too easy. Hampshire: 59-0.
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And another! Three in the over. Booth gets bat (?) onto ball and it trickles, like a cold wet Thursday, onto his stumps. Warwicks 106 for eight.
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Barnard undone by a beauty from Dillon Pennington – a 200th first-class wicket, and second in the over. Warwickshire 104 for seven now and the season fading fast.
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“Switching off for a short period can really hurt”
Paul Farbrace on Sussex’s near miss:“I just said to the lads up in the changing room, it is a lesson that you can play brilliant cricket for a day and a half, then switching off for a short period can really hurt.
“Robbo (Ollie Robinson) was outstanding. He hasn’t quite been fully fit this year but when he has been he has stood up. When you need your best players, they tend to stand up.
“The lads got a bit panicky for that short period after being so good for a day and a half, playing some silly shots, but we held on in the end.”
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Notts nearly there. Zen Malik shuffles into Pennington for 32. Warwicks 103 for six.
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Press box team of the season
Haseeb Hameed
Dom Sibley
Rehan Ahmed
Tom Haines
Saif Zaib
James Rew (c)
Calvin Harrison
Tom Taylor
George Hill
Josh Tongue
Jack Leach
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“I’m just picking through the wreckage of Australia A’s five-wicket defeat to India in Lucknow,” writes Tim Maitland. “Despite having taken a first innings lead of 226. The only logical explanation to a scoreline that reads Australia A 420 & 185 India A 194 & 413 for 5 is they were so impressed with this year’s county championship that they played the first and fourth innings with Kookaburra balls and the middle innings with Duke’s.”
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Leicestershire set Northants 501 to win
Where’s Brian Lara when you need him. Half centuries for Patel, Budinger and Cox (off 30 balls) in Leicestershire’s 260-5.
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The umpire raises his finger high as Sam Hain plays a studiedly defensive bat and edges behind, Verrynne leaping in front of slip to take. A first wicket for James, Warwicks 91 for five, still 25 behind.
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At Southampton, no scares yet for Hampshire, 16 for 0.
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A last lunchtime walk around the ground. It’s cold now, and quite dark and a young steward sweeps up under the stands.
A good showing of fans though, especially in the stand opposite the press box. Someone has brought a fantastic supply of Marks and Spencer treats. And there are a good number of lovely woolly Notts jumpers on display.
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Thanks to Neville Scott for his statistical delving – the leading wicket takert his season is not Kyle Abbott but four-counties Tom Taylor: 58 wickets at 22.88.
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Not a bad season’s work for Kyle Abbott: 56 wickets at 20.7.
A presentation at Trent Bridge to Alex Hales for 18 years of service.
Alex Hales is presented with a signed shirt. Photograph: Steve Poole/ProSports/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 14.12 CEST
Lunchtime scores
Chelmsford: Essex 393-7 v Somerset 433
Southampton: Hampshire 248 and 1-0 v Surrey 147 and 281 Hampshire need 180 to win
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 374v Warwickshire 258 and 79-4
New Road: Sussex 350 and 63-7 BEAT Worcestershire 123 and 287 by three wickets.
Headingley: Yorkshire 365-7 v Durham 346
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 265 and 118-4 v Lancashire 374
Canterbury: Kent 217-5 v Derbyshire 698-6dec
Lord’s: Middlesex 634-9dec v Gloucestershire 217-6
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 189 v Leicestershire 429 and 207-5
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I knew you wouldn’t let me down. Thanks to Romeo for finding a previous Muslim CC-winning captain.
”Asif Iqbal was captain of Kent in 1977 when they won the CC jointly with Middlesex. He was replaced for 1978, when Kent won on their own, by Alan Ealham because of the shenanigans over the Packer lot.”
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Hampshire need 181 to win
Good money on Matt Fisher running through them before stumps.
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Sussex beat Worcestershire by three wickets
Skin of teeth. Ollie Robinson, eleven wickets in the match, hits the winning runs. Ali was watching. “Amusing moment over the stream from New Road – Ollie Robinson walks out with two runs required, seven down, to a shout of “you’re a one-man team” from the stand.”
New Road: Sussex 350 and 63-7 BEAT Worcestershire 123 and 287 by three wickets.
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Sussex now seven down… two runs needed…
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“Off for bad light at Headingley and an early lunch (it’s barely 12 noon guys, even my dad waited until 1230 for his ) with Yorkshire 365 for seven. Durham looked miffed at being denied the chance to bowl under heavy cloud cover.
But the news from the south coast will delight both these sides. If Surrey recover to beat Hampshire a drawn game at Headingley would send Hampshire down. Tanya, arithmetical genius that she is, will be able to give you all the details you desire.”
Hoppsy, I know you only put that line in to check if I read your copy.
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Essex pretty safe and more
Around the grounds at midday.
In Division One:
Essex have picked up a third batting point, and are, i think, almost safe. 369 for five. Elgar gone for 118. Somerset are hoping to overtake Surrey but much depends on what is happening at Southampton….
…where Kyle Abbot is seeing off the season with a bang (5-71) and Surrey have a lead of 176 with one wicket left. All eyes here this afternoon for the relegation run chase.
Warwickshire haven’t collapsed in a heap, but are in trouble at 65 for four, still 51 behind the Champions. Hain and Malik rebuilding.
There is bad light at Headingley, where Yorkshire, seven down, have a lead of 19.
And Sussex are five down, but need just 16 at New Road.
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Still quite a lot of people in today at TB, perhaps to see the trophy presentation later, if Notts get this over the line this afternoon. Abbas, gliding like water between rocks, is a joy to watch, would be a wonderful present for the party division next year if he does go to Derbyshire.
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Sussex, now 33 for four, need 28. Surely, surely, not?
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Over to Hoppsy.
“Dew on the cars,” warned Kevin Sharp, who is doing some coaching with Yorkshire women these days, and who has recently moved back to the Broad Acres after many years in Worcestershire. But dew on the cars has not materialised into dew on the pitch, and Yorkshire have moved cagily into a first-innings lead.
“They have lost their sixth wicket, though, a fourth for the redoubtable Ben Raine, who tailed one back to have Matthew Revis lbw. Revis won Yorkshire’s player of the year award last night and his stock has risen enough for him to be mentioned in despatches when England A squads are discussed. We all have players who through a quirk of fate have never played outstandingly when others have, and Revis is mine.
“He is a tall, powerful lad, but his bowling threat remains theoretical rather than actual – his first-class average remains the wrong side of 45. Championship hundreds in three successive matches this season is statistical proof of his ability and Durham will be pleased to see the back of him. As an aside, by the way, the ejected spectator yesterday was a Yorkshire member and was removed because of alleged foul-mouthed abuse against the Durham coach Will Gidman and the stewards who intervened.”
Yorkshire 355 for six.
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We were wondering in the press box whether HH is the first Muslim captain of a Championship winning side. We couldn’t think of a previous one. Can the hive mind help?
And a gentle lobbed catch sends Young on his way. A wicket had been coming. Warwicks 29 for four. Abbas three for ten.
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Surrey are now eight down, a popped balloon ending to their 2025 summer. They lead by 152.
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Updated at 12.17 CEST
Thinking about Rob Steen, who was so always so generous to me when I was just starting out, and commissioned me to write for his New Ball magazine when I was almost too shy to speak to anyone. Such an altogether lovely guy. RIP.
Notes from yesterday that I didn’t have space to include – no one from this Notts side has ever won a Championship before.
And more from Peter Moores:
“I think all three titles as coach have been as good as each other. I think I’ve always been the same as a coach. I immerse myself in it, wherever I am. It’s part of the way I am. I’ve learnt a lot because you cock up a lot of things on the way as a coach, that’s for sure.
“When success comes, it’s a reward for everybody. I say to everybody, it’s not just about winning or losing our games. It’s a much bigger thing than that, it’s about the development of people, the stories, the memories you get. When you look back, it feels fantastic.”
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Championship prize money
WINNERS £521,210
2 £260,600
3 £130,300
4 £104,240
5 £78,180
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Walk in past an optimistic heron staring at the Premier Inn pond, Mower World and over the river, arriving just in time to hear the Trent Bridge announcer welcome the 2025 County Champions onto the field.
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A lovely message from Hoppsy, remembering the dear cricket writer Rob Steen.
The dying days of the Championship season is the most wistful time of year for many cricket lovers, a time to reflect on summers now departed and the passage of time, and never more so than this year for me with old friends departing. Matthew Engel has written a beautiful tribute to Rob Steen, once a cricket writer of this parish, and a decent and principled man, that you can read below.
If you can face a slightly laddish anecdote, Rob cut his teeth on an England A tour in the early 1990s. He had minimal work and, in desperation, filed an analysis of the tour on spec to a Sri Lankan newspaper. Nothing was heard and Rob was at a low point. So a plot was hatched where Michael de Zoysa, who had become a friend, and who was to go on to become a much-respected Sri Lankan cricket figure, phoned Rob purporting to be the newspaper editor and informed him that if his piece was rewritten to become more favourable to the Sri Lankans they could pay him a pittance and publish it.
Rob dutifully obliged, removing all positive references to the England tourists and left the rewrite behind reception of the hotel to be collected, as instructed. Again, no piece appeared. The following evening, as Rob bemoaned his lot in life, Michael appeared in the bar waving the piece, complete now with yellow marker pen (his idea) and accusing him of “bloody colonial attitudes.”
Rob was no colonialist, quite the opposite, and was about to launch into a passionate defence of his beliefs when he realised he had been had. All I can say in our defence for such a prank is that he earned considerably more in free drinks that week than he would ever have earned had the piece gone to publication. RIP.
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Updated at 11.02 CEST
Elsewhere…
At the Utilita Bowl, Surrey relinquished the title for the first time in four years, and the spotlight swung to their opponents, Hampshire, who need to match Durham’s result against Yorkshire to avoid relegation. Hampshire took a first-innings lead of 101 but Ralphie Albert, grandson of snooker’s Jimmy White, made an unbeaten 61 to ensure Surrey’s bowlers would have something to defend.
Mayank Agarwal’s stunning 175, including 20 fours and five sixes, had the Headingley faithful purring in their seats, and took Yorkshire to within 32 runs of Durham’s total, with five wickets remaining. Jonny Bairstow fell first ball, a third wicket for Ben Raine, who had earlier been Durham’s last man out for 101.
At Chelmsford against Somerset, Paul Walter’s highest first-class score of 158 took Essex close to safety in Division One.
Meanwhile, the Professional Cricketers’ Association refused to rule out taking strike action. The body’s chief executive, Daryl Mitchell, told the BBC that he was “disappointed and disheartened” by the first-class counties’ decision to stick with the schedule status quo.
“We will be led by the players,” he said. “The WhatsApp group last night was pretty animated and there were some high emotions. We are a union. I don’t think any union would rule out the possibility of strike action if their members wanted it.”
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Notts are champions!
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Scores on the doors
Chelmsford: Essex 295-2 v Somerset 433
Southampton: Hampshire 248 v Surrey 147 and 225-6
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 374v Warwickshire 258 and 7-3
New Road: Worcestershire 123 and 270-6 v Sussex 350
Headingley: Yorkshire 314-5 v Durham 346
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 265 and 41-2 v Lancashire 374
Canterbury: Kent 117-2 v Derbyshire 698-6dec
Lord’s: Middlesex 634-9dec v Gloucestershire 146-3
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 189v Leicestershire 429 and 86-2
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Preamble
Hello from, suddenly and wistfully , the penultimate day of the season. The Championship is decided, the beer cans empty.
There was no bunting in town when I went in to buy coffee and a bowl of chia seed overnight oats (this is the Guardian, and I highly recommend public and plants if you’re In Nottingham.) But I hope the city embraces their cricket team. The Championship is an arduous slog, to win, to beat Surrey, is a huge achievement.
Attention now turns to the other end of the table, where Durham, Hampshire, Yorkshire and Essex scrabble to escape the drop. Play starts here at Trent Bridge and around the grounds at 1030am. Do join us, and bring a cardigan.
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