Image source, PA Media

It came earlier than we might have expected but Surrey are county champions once again following victory over Yorkshire - and will receive the trophy at next week's game with Lancashire.

Hampshire's challenge fizzled out against Kent, leaving Rory Burns to lead his side to a 10-wicket side to victory at the Oval with a day to spare.

Gloucestershire achieved their first win of the season, but it came too late to save them from relegation, while Somerset's Tom Abell hit his second century of the game as they piled up a huge lead against Northants.

We'll be back tomorrow from about 10:00 for the final day of the four remaining Championship matches in this penultimate round.

Division One

Gloucestershire 255 & 149-7 v Warwickshire 274 & 128

Gloucestershire won by 3 wickets

Hampshire 57 & 300 v Kent 165 & 269

Kent won by 77 runs

Somerset 389 & 277-1 v Northamptonshire 265

Somerset lead by 401 with 9 wickets standing

Surrey 333 & 55-0 v Yorkshire 179 & 208 (f/o)

Surrey won by 10 wickets

Division Two

Durham 459-7 dec v Sussex 162 & 9-4

Sussex trail by 288 with 6 wickets standing

Glamorgan 550-5 dec v Derbyshire 253 & 123-3 (f/o)

Derbyshire trail by 174 with 7 wickets standing

Leicestershire 294 & 13-4 v Middlesex 297 & 271

Leics need another 262 to win with 6 wickets standing

Worcestershire 390 v Nottinghamshire 128 & 183 (f/o)

Worcestershire beat Notts by innings and 79 runs

Tom Abell drives Josh Cobb over cover for six and sweeps the next to the mid-wicket boundary as Somerset's lead reaches 401 by stumps.

A declaration before the start of the final day is surely inevitable.

Abell has 112 not out off 93 balls to go with his 111 in the first innings and Tom Lammonby has 101 not out.

Together they have added 176 and it is now just a question of whether Northants can survive for a draw. Craig Overton might have something to say about that after his 5-38 in their first innings.

for Tom Lammonbypublished at 17:40 British Summer Time 22 September 2022

17:40 BST 22 September 2022

Somerset 389 & 265-1 v Northants 265

Tom Lammonby is down the track at the start of a new Saif Zaib over and lofts him over mid-wicket for four to reach 99 not out.

This is already his highest score of the season and after four dot balls, he reaches his first century of 2022 with a single.

He has faced 228 deliveries and hit eight fours. Somerset lead by 389 with one over to come.

Andrew Salter will bowl the last over of the day.

Two slips and a short leg. Du Plooy drives the ball back down the pitch.

Du Plooy is hurried a little by the fifth ball but keeps it out and gets a single to deep extra cover for one. That's stumps.

With Middlesex likely to beat Leicestershire tomorrow, Glamorgan will want to wrap this Derby innings up quickly tomorrow.

Good resistance from Wayne Madsen and Leus du Plooy for over an hour tonight to take this game into day four.

for Tom Abellpublished at 17:33 British Summer Time 22 September 2022

17:33 BST 22 September 2022

Somerset 389 & 256-1 v Northants 265

There it is - a single off Josh Cobb, and Tom Abell has his second century of the game, and fifth of the season, this one taking him just 87 balls.

Will Tom Lammonby reach three figures before stumps? He pulls Cobb away for four to reach 92 not out.

Their partnership is now worth 155.

Four overs left so looks like there won't be a declaration tonight.

Somerset add five in ones and twos from Emilio Gay's third over and they lead by 372.

Patel bowls round the wicket and Du Plooy takes a single into the off side to bring up a 50 partnership with Madsen off 99 balls in 61 minutes of resistance.

Can they save this game? If they do, this pair will have to bat deep into day four.

Madsen clips Patel away to mid wicket and the ball beats Michael Hogan to the boundary for four.

Image source, Getty Images

It is a second County Championship in four years for Surrey after their ten-wicket win over Yorkshire, coupled with Hampshire's surprise defeat by Kent wrapped the title up with a game to spare.

Rory Burns was captain in 2018, and he is captain again this year after three summers playing for England. And the opener has credited Surrey's strength in depth as a key reason for them being one step ahead of the rest throughout 2022.

"It's a really special feeling," he told BBC London 94.9.

"I don't know if it's more special doing it a second time but it's as special. It's a real testament to the guys in the dressing room that we have done it again.

"Every time we've needed a performance or someone to step up, they have and they've delivered. In this game, Popey (Ollie Pope) was outstanding on a surface offering plenty. For him to come back and do that is a real feather in his cap.

"Using 22 players - we knew at the start of the season that would be crucial. It's a long season with different formats and you know you're going to need a really strong squad to get over the line."

Josh Cobb is handed the ball by Northants skipper Will Young and Tom Abell drives his first ball for four.

That's 1,000 and climbing for the season and Abell ends the over with another boundary as he progresses to 94 not out. Not far from a hundred in each innings now.

Madsen nudges a single off Salter and the left-handed Du Plooy plays the ball back to the bowler.

He takes a single off the fifth ball and Madsen blocks.

Two overs left tonight.

Shot! Du Plooy cuts Ajaz Patel away and the ball skims through the turf to the point boundary for four.

A rare loose ball from the left arm spinner.

As expected, the players will not reappear this evening.

Middlesex will return fresh tomorrow morning hunting six wickets as they push for promotion.

Tom Abell sweeps two successive deliveries from Rob Keogh for four and he is just one run short of 1,000 for the season. The Somerset lead passes 350.

Salter bowls and Du Plooy aborts a run at what feels like the 59th minute of the 11th hour.

The off spinner bowls round the wicket and Du Plooy takes a single through extra cover.

Madsen defends back down the pitch. Four overs left tonight.

Emilio Gay is the seventh bowler tried by Northants in this innings and it isn't a bad start as his first over only costs him three runs.

Tom Lammonby is 81 not out, Tom Abell has 77 and there are another eight overs scheduled before the end of day three.

Du Plooy is back and across to drive Patel through the covers for four runs, which takes the visitors past 100.

Two more runs are punched into the off side.

The umpires are having a chat...and we're going to carry on.

Light meters remain out of sight. Ajaz Patel to bowl.

Saif Zaib in for another over and this time it's the reverse sweep that brings Tom Abell his latest boundary.

The Somerset captain is scoring at better than a run per ball and their lead is now up to 339.

Ajaz Patel bowls down the leg side and Madsen leaves.

He gets a leading edge out into the off side and runs a single as the ball drops short of Tom Bevan.

Madsen blocks Salter at the other end and the ball runs just past short leg. He takes a single to mid-wicket and Du Plooy drives to the off side for one more.