As the final round of fixtures gets into full swing, there is still plenty to play for for many teams as the County Championship comes to a close for the season.
Champions Crowned
Surrey have been crowned county champions with a game to spare, as they beat Durham by 10 wickets last Thursday, securing their top spot for the season. They had a helping hand from Lancashire as they beat Somerset by 168 runs, ending Somerset’s title hopes.
Somerset will now hope they can still finish strong, as a victory against Hampshire, who sit 2 points ahead, will see the sides swap league places and take home a respectable second place.
Relegation Risks
Despite ending Somerset’s hopes, it is anything but over for Lancashire as they could still find themselves relegated for the first time since 2018 come Sunday. The victory kept their season alive going into the final fixture, a must-win against Worcestershire. Still, they have a lot of work to do as they find themselves 15 points behind fellow relegation threats Nottinghamshire.
The biggest pressure fixture will feature Nottingham as they face off against Warwickshire, who sit just 5 points in front. This contest will be crucial for both sides to pick up points as Lancashire scoring the maximum, 24 points, against Worcestershire will create a huge amount of pressure. Warwickshire needs at least 5 points to ensure Lancashire cannot leap-frog above them, and Nottinghamshire will need 10 points to guarantee their safety.
Unfortunately for Kent, last week’s defeat against Nottinghamshire confirmed their relegation, meaning they will compete in Division 2 next season.
Pushing For Promotion
Division 2 sees an exciting battle for promotion as the title race is not over yet. League leaders Sussex need just 5 points to clinch the title; in their way, however, is 3rd place Middlesex. They trail Yorkshire by 15 points, who sit in 2nd, making the fixture a crucial one as a win will see them promoted as runners-up if Yorkshire lose their fixture.
Yorkshire face-off against Northants, and picking up 10 points in this fixture will be enough to gain promotion, making a return to the first Division after two years.