Warwickshire clinch promotion and set up title decider with Kent
Warwickshire secured promotion back to the Specsavers County Championship Division One after drawing their penultimate match of the season against Sussex at Hove. They will now play Kent, who confirmed their place in the top flight on Thursday, in a title decider at Edgbaston next week. The two counties are level on points at the top of the Division Two table.
Warwickshire scored 440 in their first innings and Dominic Sibley made sure there would be no mishap on the last day when he scored his fifth first-class century.
The opener’s 144 not out, along with 90 from Sam Hain and 88 from Will Rhodes, saw the visitors progress to 381 for three before declaring their innings closed with a lead of 478, and the players subsequently shook hands for the draw.
“This result sets it up for a really intriguing game against Kent, when we might get some silverware,” Warwickshire coach Jim Troughton told the BBC. “Getting into Division One was one of our priorities this year. We should enjoy the moment while remembering we have a big game coming up.”
At Lord’s, Tim Murtagh took four for 55 as Middlesex ran through Derbyshire to secure a 117-run victory. Murtagh – who passed 750 first-class career in the process – finished the visitors off for 210 in the seventh over after tea, despite an unbeaten century from Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman.
Middlesex had declared on their overnight total of 199 for seven, setting the visitors a fourth-day target of 328.
Gloucestershire’s match with Northamptonshire was abandoned as a draw due to heavy storms. Gloucestershire began their second innings 48 runs behind and had reduced the deficit by six before rain set in at Bristol.
Champions Surrey were denied the chance of a 10th successive victory when their Division One match against Somerset was abandoned without a ball bowled on the final day. Overnight storms blew the covers off and rendered the pitch unplayable, leaving umpires Alex Wharf and Tim Robinson with no choice but to end the match.
The visitors, who clinched the title at Worcestershire last week, were well placed to continue their dominant form as Somerset had been due to resume their second innings on 168 for three, needing a further 171 to avoid an innings defeat.
Yorkshire are within touching distance of avoiding relegation following a weather-affected draw with Hampshire. Heavy rain on Thursday and overnight meant the outfield was unfit for play on day four. While Hampshire’s safety was secured earlier in the match, the eight-point haul gained by Yorkshire means they need a maximum of two points from next week’s final-round clash with bottom side Worcestershire.