Tanya"s county roundup Warwickshire kept their County Championship hopes alive as Yorkshire folded like an origami rabbit on a sunny morning at Headingley. The win makes Warwickshire one of four teams in with a shot of the title, with one game left. Only six and a half points separate Hampshire in top spot from Nottinghamshire in fourth, with Warwickshire and Lancashire squeezed between. Next Tuesday, Hampshire will take on Lancashire at Aigburth, Yorkshire hot-step it over to Trent Bridge while Somerset – bottom of Division One – trudge up to Edgbaston, giving Warwickshire, on paper, the easiest game. Much will hinge on the availability of England players. In particular Warwickshire’s Chris Woakes, who took six wickets against Yorkshire, and Lancashire’s Jimmy Anderson, who was supposedly looking forward to putting his feet up and encasing himself in a cocoon of billowing cotton wool. But the lure of the Championship is a powerful thing, 10 years after Lancashire last lifted the trophy. The issue will be thrashed out between the England and Wales Cricket Board and the players over the next few days, with the Warwickshire coach, Mark Robinson, saying: “Chris Woakes wants to play.” Superbly though Woakes bowled, he had his equal in the slip cordon. There Tim Bresnan devoured six catches, a Warwickshire mark beaten only by Rikki Clarke. Liam Norwell and Craig Miles, who pulled out an astonishing belly‑flop of a caught and bowled, also snaffled three wickets. Gloucestershire hoovered up Glamorgan’s remaining four wickets in just over an hour, leaving Glamorgan propping up Division Two; Middlesex were inspired by Ethan Bamber’s four for 28 to beat Worcestershire and notch up four consecutive Championship wins for the first time in 26 years. Better late than never. Another Derbyshire crumble gave a rejuvenated Kent their third win of the summer. Only a plucky eighth-wicket stand between Ben Aitchison and Anuj Dal delayed proceedings. James Sales made a maiden first-class fifty to help Northamptonshire draw against Durham. The master of the rearguard, Hashim Amla, bolted together yet another to resist Essex on the charge. He batted through nearly 40 overs at the start of the day for 84 before, as Surrey followed on, finishing 34 not out off 72 balls. Alastair Cook bowled the last over of the game. Sussex lost six wickets for 11 runs to lose against Leicestershire with 16 balls remaining. And that really is it from me. Thanks for all the messages BTL and to Geoff for commentating from a million miles away on days 2 and 3.See you back here on Tuesday for what promises to be a fair-dinkum hum-dinger of a final round. Good night! Leicestershire beat Sussex by an innings and five runs! Leicestershire 492-4dec BEAT Sussex 359-9 and 128-9 by an innings and five runs Sussex lose 6 for 11 and, because the injured Fynn Hudson-Prentice can’t bat, that is that. Collapse of the round, I’d say. Mike 4-34 and captain Callum Parkinson 4-18. Now this IS interesting... Northants draw with Durham Northants 183 and 231-9 DRAW with Durham 400 Simon Kerrigan not out 28. Chapeau! And then there was one.... Sussex 123-8 need 11 to make Leicestershire bat again, with seven overs remaining. Ten years to the day after Simon Kerrigan helped Lancashire win the Championship, he is stonewalling for Northants, now over two hours and 109 balls of keeping the Durham wolves at bay. Northants 216-8, one run behind Durham’s first innings total. Surrey draw with Essex Cook was the last knockings of a dying match. Surrey 161 and 113-2 DRAW with Essex 439 Essex admit defeat: Alastair Cook is bowling. The immovable object up against the un-sweatable force. Surrey 113-2 (Amla 34, Pope 27) A small flurry of wickets: Tom Haines joins Ali Orr and Ben Brown back in the pavilion. Sussex 84-3. And Sales gone for 53, a fourth for Potts. Northants 197-8, 20 behind. Fifty for James Sales! Take a bow, now 53 not out in just his second CC match. Nine fours, and a steady hand. Northants now in sight of safety, well into the final session, 22 behind, 3 wickets left. The new ball, however, is being taken by Durham. Northants 195-7. Kent beat Derbyshire by 130 runs Kent 285 and 211-2dec BEAT Derbyshire 156 and 210 by 130 runs After much pluck, Derbyshire finally subside in the first over after tea. For Kent, a late-season roar; for Derbyshire, the wooden spoon. ECB Grass Roots Awards Huge congratulations to all the noble people whose voluntary work keeps local cricket clubs alive. This years winners: · Des O’Dell (Sussex) – ‘Connecting Communities’ · Shana Thomas (Wales) – ‘Inspired to Play’ · Oliver Sebire-Harris (Sussex) – ‘Rising Star’ · Mollie Rathbourne (Staffordshire) – ‘Rising Star’ · Don Winspear (Yorkshire) – ‘Unsung Hero’ · David and Lucy Lyle (Surrey) – ‘Growing the Game’ · Tom Howorth (Lancashire) – ‘Lifetime Achiever’ · Luke Brooksby (Yorkshire) – ‘Cricket Innovators’ · Harry Boyle (Lancashire) – ‘Game Changer’ One of many fantastic stories: Mollie Rathbone, 16, volunteers huge amounts of time: scoring for both the second team on a Saturday and the Sunday XI, helping with the junior section - in particular the under 8 girls, helping at summer camps and organising the girl’s section of an open day. “For someone so young she is committed, enthusiastic and a brilliant role model for young girls coming down to the club.” So Derbyshire survived long enough to take tea, with a feisty little unbeaten ninth wicket stand of 35 between Conners (7) and a free-flowing Dal (58). Time for a quick cup of tea while Kent rub their palms close yet further in on Derbyshire. Teatime scores Division One Southampton: Hampshire 226 and 178 BEAT Notts 155 and 127 by 122 runs Taunton: Lancashire 373 and 32-0 BEAT Somerset 90 and 314 by 10 wickets Headingley: Warwickshire 155 and 176 BEAT Yorkshire 108 and 117 by 106 runs Division Two Sophia Gardens: Gloucestershire 419 and 15-0 BEAT Glamorgan 309 and 124 by 10 wickets County Ground: Northants 183 and 156-7 v Durham 400 all out The Oval: Surrey 161 and 60-1 v Essex 439 Division Three Derby: Derbyshire 156 and 187-9 v Kent 285 and 211-2 dec Derbys need 154 to win NOT TEA Grace Road: Leicestershire 492-4dec v Sussex 359-9 and 58-1 Middlesex 114 and 247 BEAT Worcestershire 171 and 119 by 101 runs. All falling in a heap at Derby too: nine down, No.11 Sam Conners batting with a runner. Middlesex beat Worcestershire by 101 runs Middlesex 114 and 247 BEAT Worcestershire 171 and 119 by 101 runs. The post-lunch digestion rather a tasteless disappointment for Worcestershire, losing 7-73 in less than a session. Ethan Bamber 4-28 as Middlesex finish the season with rather a spring - this is their fourth win in a row. Four slips standing close enough to scratch each other’s backsides at The Oval. Skater’s mullet should be worn with snow-washed jeans. I see CDG’s has gone. Surrey 48-1 following on. Harmer harmers. Surrey 28-1. Enter Hashim Amla... What’s happening at Lord’s? Roderick still there on 41, but Bamber has just struck twice which, if you look at the scorecard, you’ll see is obligatory. Two wickets left for Worcestershire, 106 needed. This, my friends, is over. Aha! Warwickshire’s coach Mark Robinson on Chris Woakes: “Chris Woakes wants to play. We hope the ECB will allow a person who is a Bear through and through and hasn’t played a lot of cricket to have the opportunity of helping his team win a Championship. Those opportunities don’t come around very often.” Kimber (32) and Swindells (45) in and looking good on the Grace Road velvet carpet. Leicestershire 440-4. And Roderick and Barnard giving Worcestershire a shot against Middlesex. 93-4, need another 128 to win. Bit slow off the mark there, Surrey now all out and to follow on. Northants 111-6, as Gouldstone can’t resist Rushworth. Derbyshire are six down, and Guest and Dal a long afternoon ahead of them. It cannot be. Hashim Amla is out after a 209 balls of defiance for 84. LBW Harmer. Surrey 161-9. Surely Essex can’tget past him again though. Right? This is a draw. Rossington follows Zaib back to the pavilion, lunch not Northamptonshire’s friend. Now 109-5 and just five wickets away from innings defeat to mighty Durham. Ten years ago today... Just for you Lankies... I’m a big fan of September sunshine: half an hour basking on a bench and I don’t look like a radish. Two bits of housekeeping from Headingley thanks to Graham: Yorkshire can still qualify for the Bob Willis Trophy final with a nudge and some elbow grease (calculations to follow) and Tim Bresnan became only the third Warwickshire player to take six slip catches in an innings, alongside Rikki Clarke with seven and MJK Smith six. Time for a coffee and a whatnot in the sun, back in half an hour! Lunchtime scores Division One Southampton: Hampshire 226 and 178 BEAT Notts 155 and 127 by 122 runs Taunton: Lancashire 373 and 32-0 BEAT Somerset 90 and 314 by 10 wickets Headingley: Warwickshire 155 and 176 BEAT Yorkshire 108 and 117 by 106 runs Division Two Sophia Gardens: Gloucestershire 419 and 15-0 BEAT Glamorgan 309 and 124 by 10 wickets County Ground: Northants 183 and 97-3 v Durham 400 all out The Oval: Surrey 151-8 v Essex 439 Division Three Derby: Derbyshire 156 and 67-4 v Kent 285 and 211-2 dec Derbys need 274 to win Grace Road: Leicestershire 375-4 v Sussex 359-9 Lord’s: Middlesex 144 and 247 v Worcestershire 171 and 46-3 Worcs need 175 to win Division One table Hampshire 58.5 Warwickshire 55 Lancashire 54.5 Nottinghamshire 52 ********** Yorkshire 41.5 Somerset 26.5 In the final round of Division One games which start on Tuesday September 21st, Hampshire travel to Aighburth to play Lancashire; Somerset trudge up to Edgbaston to take on today’s victors Warwickshire, and Yorkshire zip down to Trent Bridge where Nottinghamshire will be waiting. Warwickshire have beaten Yorkshire by 106 runs! A third wicket for Norwell, six catches for Bresnan at first slip and victory before lunch at Headingley. Clouds billow up and around the Emerald stand, the sun is still out, but Yorkshire’s title hopes have gone. So the title will be decided next week between Hampshire, Lancashire, Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire. Right, lets try around the grounds again: Division Two Northants have lost Vasconcelos and Gay this morning; Procter and Keogh aiming to stout it out till lunch. They still trail Durham’s first innings by 138. 79-2 At The Oval, it’s a Hashim Amla go slow, we’ve seen one of these before. From 107-7 to 141-7, James Taylor, his doughty partner. Division Three Events at Derby! Kent declare on 211-2 and Derbyshire are 43-2, needing a nominal 289 or to bat two sessions. At Grace Road, Azad and Hill both have 147! Doing a Middlesex against Sussex. 356-2. Speaking of Middlesex, Worcestershire have made a duly terrible start to their chase of 221 at Lord’s. A wicket for Murtagh and Bamber, 27-2. Right, elsewhere round the grounds: Gloucestershire 419 and 15-0 have beaten Glamorgan 309 and 124 by 10 wickets. Khan 0-47 in the first innings, 6-43 in the second. And its down and almost out at Headingley!! After 82 minutes Thompson has a flamboyant slash and toe ends the ball to Bressielad at slip who gobbles it up. Yorkshire slip to 105-8. Yorkshire having a little flurry, 95-6, three fours in the over, but lo! A fabulous catch by a Craig Miles as he flops and skids on his follow-through to pick up a leading edge from Harry Duke who was squared up. Make that 95-7. And back to the Division Two and Three games where Andrew Benton has his eye on events at Sophia Gardens “Glamorgan are down to their last wicket! Seven runs to go before Gloucs must bat again. Now that’s gripping !” Even better, scores are now level. van der Gugten and Hogan hoping to make Gloucestershire bat again, just because. Khan 5-31. A tart point from Kevin Howells. Will Chris Woakes play for Warwickshire next week? Might Jimmy Anderson peel off the cotton-wool and put in one more shift for Lancashire at Aigburth? Remember whoever wins at Headingley, will go second, tucking in behind Hampshire. Eyes drawn away from Headingley, what else is happening: Play will begin in ten minutes at Grace Road, with centurions Hassan Azad and Lewis Hill ready to restart their gloriousness.... and ANOTHER WICKET AT HEADINGLEY! Big Tim Bresnan gets a big fat wicket and Dom Bess must go! Yorkshire 82-6 and down to scrapping in the dirt. A huge opportunity for Harry Duke. DIVISION ONE TABLE As of this morning.... Hampshire 58.5 Lancashire 54.5 Nottinghamshire 52 Yorkshire 41.5 Warwickshire 39 Somerset 26.5 He does! Woakes flexing his Test match muscles and plonking his bum on that Ashes plane. Brook has to slouch off for 9. A fourth catch at first slip. Yorkshire 69-5 The stream works! Thank you buginabreeze BTL, here tis for anyone else who wants it. Just in time to see a rather classy pick off the toes by Jordan Thompson for four. The fielders are in short sleeves and the sun is warming the pitch.A square drive by Harry Brook picks up another four ...oooof.... and Brook squeezes a catch to slip where Tim Bresnan takes it... or does he? There will be an inspection at Grace Road at 11.10. It looks soggy. An email wafts in from Stephen Connor. I know the Championship format has been debated to death. But looking at the Div 1 table now, depending what happens with Yorkshire-Warks, it looks like there will be 4 or 5 teams able to win the Championship in the final round - which seems very exciting. Although scheduling in late September means we might be struggling against the weather. I’ve been up and down with regards to the merit of the division structure. I was a big fan at first, with everyone starting equal. Then I was against it once it dawned how many dead rubbers there would be after the break. But it does look like it might have manufactured a dramatic finish. So true! If nothing else, the ECB have stumbled on a grand finale! While I struggle to make the stream work, a wicket falls, and with it the Ballance of the game (boom, boom). Caught at second slip off that man Woakes, to the third ball of the day, and Yorkshire are 50-4. Scores on the doors Division One Southampton: Hampshire 226 and 178 BEAT Notts 155 and 127 by 122 runs Taunton: Lancashire 373 and 32-0 BEAT Somerset 90 and 314 by 10 wickets Headingley: Yorkshire 108 and 50-3 v Warwickshire 155 and 176 No play Tuesday, rain Division Two Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 309 and 57-6 v Gloucestershire 419 County Ground: Northants 183 and 10-0 v Durham 400 all out No play Tuesday, rain The Oval: Surrey 107-7 v Essex 439 No play Tuesday, rain Division Three Derby: Derbyshire 156 v Kent 285 and 147-1 No play Tuesday, rain Grace Road: Leicestershire 291-2 v Sussex 359-9 No play Tuesday, rain Lord’s: Middlesex 144 and 233-6 v Worcestershire 171 No play Tuesday, rain Geoff Lemon"s Tuesday round-up Rain washed out day three of the penultimate round of the county championship across Leeds, London and the Midlands but two matches shaping Division One were completed. Lancashire jumped to top spot when they beat Somerset by 10 wickets at Taunton before Hampshire supplanted them in beating Nottinghamshire by 122 runs. Having followed on, Somerset began 57 behind with six wickets in hand, hoping to build a lead. But Tom Bailey removed the overnight pair James Hildreth for 26 and Lewis Goldsworthy for 22, before George Balderson and Jack Blatherwick wrapped up Somerset for 314. A chase of 32 was completed without fuss. Southampton’s wet field delayed play until after lunch, when Hampshire’s three wickets in hand took them from 133 to 178 all out. Keith Barker’s 29 runs were important after his seven wickets on day two. That set Nottinghamshire 250 to win, which looked a chance at 64 for one while Ben Duckett reverse-swept a brisk 33. After he unwisely picked a fight with the Pakistan seam maestro Mohammad Abbas, Hampshire’s spinners took over, Liam Dawson finishing with five for 45 and Felix Organ three for 22 on a pitch that increasingly offered turn. Notts registered eight scores in single figures on the way to 127 all out.In Division Two, Gloucestershire made 419 in Cardiff, then reduced Glamorgan to 67 for six in the third innings. The home side need 54 to avoid an innings defeat. No play was possible for Yorkshire hosting Warwickshire, Surrey at home to Essex, Northamptonshire hosting Durham, Middlesex v Worcestershire, Leicestershire v Sussex, or Derbyshire hosting Kent. Preamble Good morning! I thought today would be sweeping up the bits after the party, but rain swished through the country yesterday, wiping out games hither and thither. There were two results, big ones in Division One: Lancashire’s thrashing of Somerset and Hampshire’s boot up the backside of Notts. All eyes now turn to Headingley.