Summary

  • Title hopefuls Surrey go eight points clear at the top of Division One with draw at Northants

  • Warwickshire hang on for draw with Somerset in key game at bottom of table

  • Middlesex beat Glamorgan in key game in Division Two promotion race

  • Durham complete win over Leicestershire

  1. That's All Folkspublished at 17:45 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Saif ZaibImage source, Getty Images

    So after four days with a mix of sun, rain and bad light, Surrey are back on top of the Championship, but not in the way they would have wanted as a century from Northants' Saif Zaib ensured that game finished in a draw. Zaib will be a popular man in Hampshire this evening.

    While it remains tight at the bottom as fellow strugglers Warwickshire and Somerset also played out a draw.

    In Division Two, Middlesex's win over Glamorgan makes them strong favourites, along with Nottinghamshire, to secure promotion to the top division - issues which could be resolved next week.

    However, before the Championship returns next Tuesday, our next domestic county cricket action is this Saturday's One-Day Cup final between Lancashire and Kent at Trent Bridge.

    The way the fixtures have worked out, both sides have had this week off from County Championship cricket, so it should be a cracker.

    A sincere thank you for your company over the last four days at a mournful time for the country. Hopefully, you can join us again on Saturday.

  2. Next week's fixturespublished at 17:41 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Play starts Tuesday 20 September (10.30BST)

    There are five days to wait before the penultimate round of Championship matches, where eight out of the nine games will have something riding on them.

    Division One:

    Chelmsford: Essex v Lancashire

    Bristol: Gloucestershire v Warwickshire

    Ageas Bowl: Hampshire v Kent

    Taunton: Somerset v Northants

    The Oval: Surrey v Yorkshire

    Division Two:

    Chester-le-Street: Durham v Sussex

    Cardiff: Glamorgan v Derbyshire

    Leicester: Leicestershire v Middlesex

    Worcester: Worcestershire v Nottinghamshire

  3. As things standpublished at 17:40 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Division Two

    In Division Two, the issues surround which two teams will be playing top-flight cricket next summer.

    1. Nottinghamshire - 215pts

    2. Middlesex - 188

    3. Glamorgan - 176

    4. Derbyshire - 169

  4. As things standpublished at 17:38 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Division One

    Now that play has finished at Edgbaston, this round of matches is complete.

    It leaves us with just two rounds left in the Championship, so here is a look at how these latest results have affected the title race and the relegation battle in Division One, with two teams to go down.

    At the top:

    1. Surrey - 225pts

    2. Hampshire - 217

    And at the bottom:

    6. Yorkshire - 132

    7. Somerset - 123

    8. Kent - 115 (ahead by virtue of more games won)

    9. Warwickshire - 115

    10. Gloucestershire - 74

  5. Close of play scoreboardpublished at 17:32 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Division One

    Wantage Road: Northamptonshire (339 & 426, 14 pts) drew with Surrey (421 & 48-1, 16 pts)

    Edgbaston: Warwickshire (196 & 255-6, 11 pts) drew with Somerset (219 & 340-7 dec, 12 pts)

    Division Two

    Leicester: Durham (296 & 108-3, 21 pts) beat Leicestershire (202 & 198, 4 pts) by seven wickets

    Lord's: Middlesex (390 & 45-0, 23 pts) beat Glamorgan (214 & 220, 4 pts) by 10 wickets

    Hove: Sussex (220 & 312-6, 10 pts) drew with Worcestershire (438-5 dec, 16 pts)

  6. WARWICKSHIRE DRAW WITH SOMERSETpublished at 17:23 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Warwickshire (196 & 255-6, 11 pts) draw with Somerset (219 & 340-7 dec, 12 pts)

    And it's all over at Edgbaston.

    Let's call it a draw then!

    The players have shaken hands - and it's on to next week, with Warwickshire still second bottom, although now level on points with eighth-placed Kent.

    The Bears now head to Bristol for a seemingly crucial game with bottom club Gloucestershire, before then hosting title-chasing Hampshire.

    Somerset take on Northants, before a final week trip to Canterbury to face Kent in what could yet be a losers-go-down clash.

    More drama to come.

  7. The umpires are talking at Edgbastonpublished at 17:21 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Warwickshire 255-6 (74 overs), chasing 364 to beat Somerset

    The umpires are checking their meters . . .

  8. Kasey Aldridge comes back onpublished at 17:16 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Warwickshire 255-6 (73 overs), chasing 364 to beat Somerset

    Another bowling change as Kasey Aldridge comes back on.

    He struck twice earlier, bagging Dom Sibley and then Alex Davies in quick succession, but that was back when the Bears were still going for their shouts.

    And now it looks like it's Tom Abell's turn . . .

  9. Somerset fielders crowding round the batpublished at 17:10 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Warwickshire 250-6 (71 overs), chasing 364 to beat Somerset

    The Somerset fielders are now crowding round the bat as the sun comes out, Lewis Gregory completes another over - and the Bears 250 comes up off the last ball.

    Danny Briggs has pinched the strike.

  10. Lewis Gregory bowls a maidenpublished at 17:04 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Warwickshire 246-6 (69 overs), chasing 364 to beat Somerset

    13 overs left now after a Lewis Gregory maiden. But still a few negative concerns about the light.

    It has faded fast in Birmingham on the first three days of this game.

  11. Floodlights on at Edgbastonpublished at 16:59 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Warwickshire 246-6 (68 overs), chasing 364 to beat Somerset

    The floodlights come on at Edgbaston, with 14 overs for Warwickshire to see out.

    Sam Hain is on 51. And more than useful tailender Danny Briggs has so far plundered two boundaries in his 9.

  12. 50 runs

    Sam Hain's half-centurypublished at 16:51 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Warwickshire 241-6 (66 overs), chasing 364 to beat Somerset

    Sam Hain's second half-century of the match - and his ninth of the summer, of which three he has turned into centuries.

    123 needed. 16 overs to be bowled, so we are now into the last hour.

    Four more Bears wickets needed for Somerset.

    Light permitting, the visitors will want to take this as deep as possible.

  13. Lewis Gregory comes back onpublished at 16:47 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Warwickshire 237-6 (65 overs), chasing 364 to win

    Lewis Gregory comes back on, now with five close catchers posted. What a transformation from the way the field was spread-eagled not so long ago!

    But that creates the gap for Danny Briggs to get off the mark with a boundary.

    127 needed off 17 overs.

  14. wicket

    SUSSEX DRAW WITH WORCESTERSHIREpublished at 16:45 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Sussex (10pts) 220 & 312-6 draw with Worcestershire (16pts) 438-5 dec

    Ben Gibbon delivers a maiden and that is enough for Worcestershire captain Brett D'Oliveira to shake hands with the Sussex batters.

    Tom Alsop ends on 137 not out to save the game for Sussex, who remain seventh.

    The Pears stay fifth, 28 points behind Middlesex in second, and with realistic hopes of automatic promotion almost over.

  15. wicket

    WICKET - Yadav run out (Sajid Khan) 8published at 16:40 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Warwickshire 233-6 (63.5 overs), chasing 364 to win

    The Lammonby magic dust does the trick. Sam Hain calls for a second run off his fifth ball, Jayant Yadav is slightly slow to respond and a great direct hit from Sajid Khan runs him out.

    Sloppy cricket, but it shows that the nerves are suddenly jangling.

    18 overs left after this one. Survival might be key now for the Bears.

    Clie Eakin reckons that's the Bears' first run-out of the season. What a time to pick!

    Danny Briggs is the new man in.

  16. Surrey back on toppublished at 16:39 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Northants (14pts) 339 & 426 draw with Surrey (16pts) 421 & 48-1

    Surrey take the eight points for the draw, to go with the maximum eight bonus points from this match to leapfrog Hampshire back at the top of the Championship table.

    But Saif Zaib's brilliant 124 for Northants effectively batted them out of a possible final-day run chase.

    With two matches left, the gap between the top two is only eight points with all to play for.

    Surrey welcome Yorkshire to The Oval next Tuesday before travelling north to face Lancashire at Old Trafford on 26 September.

    Hampshire face Kent before ending the season at Edgbaston against Warwickshire.

  17. Lammonby comes on for Somersetpublished at 16:38 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Warwickshire 230-5 (63 overs), chasing 364 to win

    A last roll of the dice for Somerset as Tom Lammonby comes on for the visitors.

    Sam Hain (46) and Jayant Yadav (7) look settled, but Lammonby has something of a reputation as a wicket taking bowler.

  18. wicket

    NORTHANTS DRAW WITH SURREYpublished at 16:32 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Northants 339 & 426 v Surrey 421 & 48-1

    Northants captain Will Young speaks to the Surrey batters halfway through a Rob Keogh, and that is enough.

    The players shake hands on a very hard-fought game of Championship cricket.

  19. 'Where there's Hain, there's hope'published at 16:29 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Warwickshire 226-5 (61 overs), chasing 364 to win

    138 now needed off 21 - more than six an over.

    Somerset need five wickets. But, crucially, from Warwickshire's point of view, Sam Hain is still there on 43.

    The second top scorer in the County Championship First Division.

    And, as BBC Radio Somerset's Anthony Gibson pessmistically points out: "Where there's Hain, there's hope".

  20. Postpublished at 16:22 British Summer Time 15 September 2022

    Sussex 220 & 300-6 v Worcestershire 438-5 dec

    Tom Alsop is standing firm, while James Coles is offering stoic support.

    The pair have taken the total to 300 and as they lead by 82, they are ending Worcestershire's hopes of victory.

    And if the Pears can't win, their hopes of promotion will have diminished greatly.