Image source, Rex Features

The curtain has come down on another absorbing County Championship.

Surrey have been crowned champions, and Sussex and Yorkshire can fully celebrate promotion to Division One, while relegated Lancashire and Kent will begin plotting their return.

Thanks to everyone for your company this season - there really is nothing like four-day cricket.

Winter well and we'll reconvene right here next spring for more. See you then.

Justin Broad moves on to 16 with four runs driven through the off side.

Matt Fisher is applauded at the end of the over - which will probably be his final one for Yorkshire - having decided to leave the club when his current contract expires this autumn.

James Sales picks up four runs of his own in the next over, cutting James Wharton off the back foot through cover.

The players shake hands on a draw at the end of the over.

Yorkshire began the day with faint hopes of pipping Sussex to the title and scored rapidly with James Wharton and Jonny Bairstow at the crease in a mammoth innings that also saw whirlwind 50s from George Hill and Jordan Thompson.

But Sussex pushed the trophy out of reach when they scored 250 at Hove just after lunch.

A fine season for Yorkshire even so, who end in second place with five wins and a return to Division One next summer, two years after going down by one point.

Northants finish in fourth place.

Northants reach the innings 50 in 9.3 overs as Justin Broad goes forward to Matt Fisher and gets a thick outside edge off the bottom half of the bat wide of the slips for a single.

Four runs to James Sales in the next over, pulling a long hop from Jordan Thompson through mid wicket.

Image source, Rex Features

Jack Davies, the first wicket keeper bowler I've commentated on, is into his second over and his third ball is driven to long on for one...

The players are shaking hands. It's a draw.

Sussex win eight out of 14 matches to secure promotion and the Division Two title.

Middlesex had to make all the running to keep the pressure on promotion rivals Yorkshire, but were thwarted by two days of rain and disciplined Sussex bowling.

They say a fond farewell to Ethan Bamber (who joins Warwickshire) and Mark Stoneman, who no doubt we'll see on the field of play somewhere in the Championship next summer.

James Coles ends the season in style on 132 not out and John Simpson finishes on 87.

There will be a trophy presentation shortly.

These games are ending thick and fast now.

Moments after Derbyshire batter Wayne Madsen went to his century the captains shake hands.

Derbyshire finish bottom of Division Two, Leicestershire will finish fifth.

David Bedingham delivers the final over of this match, with Bas de Leede keeping wicket - and that probably tells you all you need to know.

Bedingham stretches out his over of somewhat slingy leg-spin - which goes for six runs, for the record - to ensure we get to a point where the draw can be confirmed.

Kent's Joey Evison finishes unbeaten on 77. with Matt Parkinson on seven.

Century for Madsenpublished at 16:14 British Summer Time 29 September

16:14 BST 29 September

Leics 280 v Derbys 243-3

Derbyshire batter Wayne Madsen reaches his 39th first-class century, and with it 1,000 County Championship runs this season.

What a performer this guy is.

Can Sussex reach 450?

Mm. Jack Davies has relinquished the keeper's gloves and he's going to bowl! Leus du Plooy behind the stumps now.

A right arm bowler of some description...

The first ball is slammed over square leg for six!

That's the 450 and the fifth batting point in 106.1 overs.

Single swept to deep backward square. Over to John Simpson.

He gets a single pushed to long on to move on to 83.

A low full toss is tapped through square leg for one.

A full toss is driven to long on for one more. Simpson has 84.

Handshakes all round and we're done. Josh Blake finishes unbeaten on 38 on his first-class debut, with Tom Lawes 33 not out.

Surrey declare to avoid another mandatory 10 minutes of play and now they can get on with the business of receiving the County Championship trophy for the third year in a row.

Simon Harmer bowling medium pace. A wicketkeeper bowling at Durham.

I think the 2024 season might be coming to a close...

Yes, it's THAT Ollie Robinson bowling - not the Sussex and England seamer.

The Durham wicketkeeper has his pads and gloves off and is sending down an over of off-spin.

A tidy over, to be fair and it costs him just a single to Joey Evison. The end is nigh...

Four more runs to James Coles, back and across to Luke Hollman to pull the leg spinner through square leg.

John Simpson gets a single off the third ball.

Single to James Coles at long on and Simpson gets one there as well, driving the next ball to move to 82.

Image source, Rex Features

Not that Surrey need another point - their third successive title was wrapped up more than a week ago - but they've added one more to their total in bizarre fashion.

Tom Lawes punched a cover boundary off the medium pace of Simon Harmer - yes, that's right. Essex's premier spinner is bowling medium pace - as is fellow twirler Matt Critchley at the other end!

Mark Stoneman is into his fifth over of off spin from the Sea End, bowling round the wicket.

John Simpson cuts in front of square for a single.

James Coles sweeps through mid wicket for four.

Not a bad delivery at all but very well struck just outside the line of off.

Single to deep backward square and one more for Simpson pushed into the off side.

That's the 200 partnership between this pair in 249 balls.

New ballpublished at 15:57 British Summer Time 29 September

15:57 BST 29 September

Essex 508-8 dec v Surrey 241-7

Not a great deal is happening at Chelmsford... we spent around five minutes getting the ball changed just after tea - and now it's being changed again.

This is the 'official' new ball, due after 80 overs of the innings. The final over on the old ball was delivered by Sam Cook - bowling off-spin rather than his usual fast medium.

It's that end of term feel now, for sure!

Four runs to Gus Miller, via an inside edge that runs to a very fine leg as he goes forward to defend against Matt Fisher.

Krish Patel tries to pull a short ball from Jordan Thompson and is struck somewhere close to amidships.

28 scored off five overs. Good pitch, this now. As if we didn't know it!

A sub-plot to finish off the season as this game drifts towards a draw, with the Parkinson brothers in direct opposition again.

Matt, who captured Callum's wicket in the Durham innings, is now facing his brother and steers him for a couple behind square.

Shot! John Simpson cuts Mark Stoneman through backward point.

The ball is picked up just inside the rope and the Sussex pair have run four!

Single off the second ball and James Coles is down the pitch lofting Stoneman over mid off for six!