Franklin criticised

Middlesex captain James Franklin defended the contrived declaration which helped his side beat Yorkshire to win the English Country Championship. With the winners taking the title and a draw handing the championship to Somerset, the match at Lord’s seemed headed for a stalemate before Franklin and his Yorkshire counterpart Andrew Gale left the field to negotiate a deal. As a result, Middlesex smashed 120 in 8.5 overs to set their rivals a target of 240 off 40 overs. They then bowled Yorkshire out for 178. The captain’s agreement was criticised by some, however, Franklin insisted it was made in the spirit of the game.