Palmer won’t duck fight

Brathwaite only now finding form after T20 heroics against Stokes

ESSEX are celebrating their County Championship title as if they had won the World Cup – and after 25 years who can blame them?

Final confirmation of their crown came when Somerset beat Lancashire yesterday, but Essex skipper Ryan ten Doeschate admitted the players (left) already knew the job was done after Thursday’s win over Warwickshire so the coach trip home from Birmingham was subdued.

But the party started again at Chelmsford with supporters turning out to welcome their heroes home. “It’s the proudest moment of my career,” said Ten Doeschate. “And you look at someone like James Foster who’s been here even longer. This makes up for all the years of struggle and nearly-beens.

“This is a small club with limited resources so I don’t care how other people value it I just know what it means to me.

“For us, it feels like a World Cup. You won’t have a better feeling than this.” BRITISH driver Jolyon Palmer is facing a fight to save his Formula One career after it was confirmed that he will be replaced by Carlos Sainz at Renault next season.

There are reports Palmer could be ousted within weeks, but he said: “This is nothing new for me. It is water off a duck’s back.”