2005 english cricket season : definition of 2005 english cricket season and synonyms of 2005 english cricket season (English) 2006 → Before the beginning of the 2005 English cricket season began, a resurgent English cricket team had won four Test series in a row, going unbeaten through the 2004 calendar year. The start of the international season saw England defeat Bangladesh 2–0 in their two-match series, winning both Tests by an innings. This was followed by a tri-nations one-day tournament that also featured Australia . However, all eyes were on the Ashes . Australia still started as favourites, but England, for the first time in years, were expected to put up a real challenge to Aussie supremacy. Indeed, so they did, despite losing the first Test by 239 runs. England came back to win the second and fourth Tests, and draw the third and fifth, to win the Ashes for the first time since 1986–87 .

Andrew Flintoff dominated with both bat and ball for England, scoring 402 runs – more than any Australian – and taking 24 wickets – more than any Australian bar Shane Warne . Warne also had a spectacular series, with 40 wickets at a bowling average of 19.92, and 249 runs, but most of his efforts came in losing causes – such as making 42 with the bat in the second innings of the second Test. In domestic cricket, Nottinghamshire won the County Championship , for the first time since 1987 , and Durham enjoyed promotion in both the shorter and the longer form of the game. Surrey , the 2000 and 2002 Championship winners, were relegated in the Championship, and played in Division Two in both the Championship and the National League in 2006 . Hampshire Hawks won the 50-over knock-out C&G Trophy , but were relegated in the National League , which Essex Eagles won in emphatic fashion, as they lost only one game and had a 14-point gap to the runners-up, Middlesex Crusaders .

The Australian women also toured England at the same time as the men, and England won the Women's Ashes 1–0 after two Tests. However, the Australian women won the ODI series 3–2. To round off the season, investors in partnership with Leicestershire arranged an International 20:20 Club Championship , which Pakistani side Faisalabad Wolves won. Contents April Heath Streak of Warwickshire about to bowl to Cook on 10 April. The cricket season started early, on 8 April, with MCC playing the Champion County, or at least it would have done if the rain had not delayed the start till the next day. The other games played were all between the first-class counties and university sides. The first matches showed a bumper crop of centuries, with little joy for bowlers, but there were no surprises. The MCC ended up beating Warwickshire . Away from the cricket field, on 8 April the ECB announced that triangular One Day International tournaments would no longer be played in England.

On 11 April Kevin Pietersen , England's South African-born all-rounder was reported to have a foot injury that could see him miss the start of the season, and Chris Schofield began his case for unfair dismissal against Lancashire , which he eventually won. The first round of the Frizzell County Championship saw Warwickshire gain maximum points, with Hampshire also winning in Division One. Durham replicated Warwickshire's feat in Division Two, where Worcestershire also won. The first round of the totesport National Cricket League was held on 17 April, though most of the games were affected by the rain. 5 results were possible in the 8 matches. Rain continued to bedevil the second round of the County Championship, with only Yorkshire and Durham securing wins. In the MCC University matches, Bradford/Leeds UCCE shocked an injury-weakened Surrey by beating them at the Oval . Bradford/Leeds UCCE celebrate after beating Surrey The second round of the totesport League saw a heavy defeat for Surrey away to Durham , with other wins for Northamptonshire , Middlesex , Kent and Sussex , which left Middlesex and Durham at the top of the tables at the end of April.

In the third round of the Championship, Surrey thrashed what already appear to be Division One whipping boys Glamorgan to go third, with Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire also recording big wins to go second and first respectively. In the second division, Essex and Lancashire beat Somerset and Worcestershire respectively. However, Durham , who sat this round out, led the table at the end of April, from Essex and Worcestershire, with Derbyshire and Leicestershire propping the table up. May England set a very attacking field against Bangladesh on the third day of the first Test. England won comfortably by an innings and 261 runs May started with one-day games played on 1 and 2 May. Middlesex established themselves at the top of Division One after winning their first three matches. Yorkshire and Durham were the unbeaten sides in the Second Division. This was followed by the first round of the C&G Trophy , which for the last time included the minor counties and Scotland , Holland , Denmark and Ireland . However, there were no upsets. Durham lost to Derbyshire by 1 wicket, and Leicestershire beat Somerset by 3 wickets in the only all first-class county fixtures.

The fourth round of the Championship saw Gloucestershire sent Glamorgan down for another heavy defeat., as title contenders Hampshire and Nottinghamshire win against Middlesex and Surrey respectively. Surrey were found guilty of ball-tampering in this match, which later led to all their cricketers being fined by Surrey, and to the loss of 8 Championship points. The Second Division saw wins for Durham , Essex , Lancashire and Yorkshire . Whilst these games were being played Loughborough UCCE chalked up the second victory for a UCCE side this season by thrashing Worcestershire by 8 wickets in a game the students dominated in throughout. On 10 May the Bangladeshis got their tour off with a three-day game against the British Universities, which was drawn. The fifth round of the Championship saw Surrey dish out another defeat to Glamorgan as Middlesex and Sussex won. The Second Division saw Durham maintaining their lead at the top with a 9 wicket win against Lancashire . Worcestershire overcame bottom club Derbyshire , with Yorkshire beating Leicestershire in the only other decided game.

Essex, Lancashire, Hampshire, Worcestershire and Durham all won their totesport games on 15 May, with Leicestershire beating Surrey to continue Surrey's dismal form. The quarter-finals of the C&G Trophy followed, as did a tour match between the Bangladeshi's and Sussex in which the tourists lost by an innings and 226 runs, boding ill for the impending Test series. On 20 May Surrey finally won a totesport League game, beating fellow wooden spoon candidates, Scotland, in Edinburgh by five wickets. 20 May saw the start of another Championship round. Glamorgan lost yet again, this time to Hampshire, and in the other first division tie, Kent beat Nottinghamshire by 196 runs. Division Two saw Worcestershire beat Essex, as first-placed Durham drew with second-placed Yorkshire, and Lancashire drew at Somerset. At the same time, Bangladesh put up a stronger performance in Northampton in a match severely hampered by rain. The last round of the County Championship in May saw Nottinghamshire beat Gloucestershire to finish may top of Division One.

Warwickshire beat Hampshire by ten wickets to leave them third and second in the table respectively, as Kent and Surrey drew to keep them in fourth and fifth. The table remains propped up by Glamorgan, who are strong favourites for relegation, with Sussex, Middlesex and Gloucestershire in places six to eight. Durham did not play in this round of the Championship, but remained in first place in Division Two, with Yorkshire missing a chance of taking over as leaders when they drew with Essex. Also in the round Somerset beat Northamptonshire and eighth placed Leicestershire beat ninth- (and bottom-) placed Derbyshire. The Test match season finally started on 26 May, with Bangladesh completely overwhelmed in just over two days. After being dismissed for 108, Bangladesh could only watch as England made 528 for 3 declared, Marcus Trescothick top-scoring with 194. In their second innings, the tourists could only muster 159 as they went down by a mammoth innings and 261 runs. The one-day league games played over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend left Middlesex top of Division One, with Essex one win behind them with two games in hand.

Gloucestershire, Hampshire and Nottinghamshire (who had not won a game by the end of May) were in the relegation spots. As with the County Championship, Durham led the Second Division from Yorkshire, with Derbyshire, Scotland and Leicestershire occupying the bottom three places. June The eighth round of the Championship saw Hampshire beat title rivals Nottinghamshire and Kent beat Gloucestershire, and then lose 8 points for the poor quality of the Maidstone pitch. The other First Division matches were draws, with Glamorgan avoiding defeat after following-on against Sussex. The Second Division saw four draws. Meanwhile, the students of Cambridge UCCE edged past Middlesex by 2 wickets. The Second Test against Bangladesh at Chester-le-Street was another one-sided affair. 5 wickets from Stephen Harmison , on his home ground, helped dismiss the Bangladeshis for 104. Trescothick's 151, Ian Bell 's 162* and Graham Thorpe 's 66* saw England to 447 for 3 declared. Although Bangladesh did better in their second innings, their 316 saw them lose by an innings and 27 runs.

After another totesport League round, the top division of the Championship continued with Kent thrashing Glamorgan, Warwickshire thrashing Gloucestershire and local rivals Surrey and Middlesex drawing. In the Second Division, Durham pulled away further at the top with another win, this time against Essex, with Worcestershire also scoring a win against Somerset. However, the main focus was on the warm-up games for the NatWest Series and the first ever Twenty20 International between England and Australia. The only surprise in the warm-ups was a welcome win for Bangladesh over Worcestershire, which provided a welcome confidence boost to the Bangladeshis before they took on England and Australia in the NatWest Series. The Twenty20 International on 13 June saw England score 179 for 8, a total probably 20 above the par score at the Rose Bowl . The Australian innings was a dream for Darren Gough (3 wickets), Jon Lewis (4 wickets) and all Englishmen as the Aussies were reduced to 31 for 7. Ultimately they were dismissed for 79 – first blood to England by 100 runs.

Lord's hosted a 50-over match between the next day as part of the World Cricket Tsunami Appeal to raise funds to help countries hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December. An MCC side including Shaun Pollock , Sourav Ganguly and Stephen Fleming beat an International XI that included Brian Lara , Rahul Dravid , Shane Warne and Graeme Smith by 112 runs. Then on 15 June came another surprise – Australia were beaten in their final NatWest Series warm-up match by Somerset, or more specifically Graeme Smith and Sanath Jayasuriya , who put on 197 for Somerset's first wicket. The first NatWest series match saw England easily defeat Bangladesh at the Oval by 10 wickets. The last County Championship round before the mid-season Twenty20 break saw Surrey beat Hampshire, Middlesex beat Glamorgan, Kent beat Warwickshire and Sussex and Nottinghamshire draw to leave Kent top, and Glamorgan bottom of the first division. In the second division, Lancashire beat Derbyshire, who remain bottom; Leicestershire beat second-placed Worcestershire; and leaders Durham drew with Northamptonshire.

The last round of the totesport League before the break left Essex and Middlesex at the top of Division One, with Nottinghamshire and Gloucestershire propping them up. Durham held top place in Division Two, with Surrey languishing one place below Scotland at the bottom. Andrew Strauss batting for England during the NatWest Series The second NatWest match on 18 June saw what many described as the biggest-ever upset in one-day cricket, and wild celebrations in Dhaka as Bangladesh restricted World Champions Australia to 249 for 5, before Mohammed Ashraful 's 100 assisted the Bangladeshis in reaching their target with four balls and five wickets spare. With England scoring a narrow three wicket victory against Australia, the Aussies finished the weekend bottom of the NatWest table, with England well on top. 20 June saw the second tsunami appeal match of the season, this time a Twenty20 affair at the Oval . An Asian XI including Dravid, Muralitharan and Harbhajan Singh scored 157 in an innings finished with a hat-trick from Adam Hollioake .

The total was easily surpassed with Greg Blewett 's 91 meaning that Stephen Fleming 's duck and Brian Lara 's 9 could not prevent the International XI winning by 6 wickets with 11 balls left. The fourth NatWest Series match saw normal service resumed, with England beating Bangladesh by 168 runs after the hosts put on 391 for 4, the second-highest score in ODIs. The 2005 Twenty20 Cup started on 22 June, again with large audiences, and with last year's winners, Leicestershire, and runners-up, Surrey, both scoring wins. The fifth ODI allowed Australia back in, with a comfortable 57 win against England. Any anticipation over the next Australia v Bangladesh tie was easily brushed aside by the Aussies, who struck out Bangladesh for 139, and then reached their target in 19 overs without losing a wicket. Bangladesh were eliminated from the Series in the seventh ODI, when England beat them by five wickets. The eighth match should have been a rehearsal for the final, and Australia's 261 for 9 set the stage well.

But rain was always expected and the contest was rained off as a "no result" with England 37 for 1 off 6 overs in their reply. Bangladesh's tour of England ended with a creditable performance against Australia in the ninth ODI, although their 250 for 8 was ultimately overcome by the Aussie with six wickets and eleven balls left after they had wobbled earlier in the innings. At the same time, the Twenty20 Cup was continuing apace, and Oxford University (610 for 5 declared) beat Cambridge University (129 and 268), with Salil Oberoi 's 247 gaining positive comment in his native India . July July began with Twenty20 Cup group games, before England tied the final of the NatWest Series after coming back from 33 for 5 to post 196 for 9 – the same as Australia – on 2 July. Two days later, Lancashire became the first team to qualify for the Twenty20 Cup quarter-finals, and the following day Northamptonshire and Surrey joined them. The final round of the group stage of the Twenty20 Cup was played on 6 July.

Middlesex made it through from the South Division despite loss – while Sussex, Middlesex' conquerors, were knocked out. Warwickshire and Somerset qualified from the Midlands/Wales/West Division thanks to wins over Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire respectively, while Derbyshire sneaked through from the North Division after a win over Nottinghamshire, and Leicestershire defeated Yorkshire to join them. In the NatWest Challenge, a three-ODI series played over five days, England won the first ODI but lost the next two to lose the series 1–2, their only tournament loss in the entire season. In the County Championship, Nottinghamshire enjoyed the lead in Division One for a couple of days after beating Glamorgan by ten wickets – Glamorgan's eighth loss – but Kent, whose match started on 10 July took it back despite losing to Sussex, the six bonus points being enough to take the lead. In Division Two of the Championship, Durham's lead was closed from 21 points to 11 after losing to Lancashire by an innings and 228 runs, the highest margin of victory thus far in the season.

The following day, Surrey got off the last place in Division Two of the totesport League thanks to a three-run victory over Yorkshire, but Surrey were knocked out of the C&G Trophy on 15 July – Hampshire, Lancashire, Warwickshire and Yorkshire reached the semi-finals. Three days later, the quarter-finals of the Twenty20 Cup were held, and Lancashire, Leicestershire, Somerset and Surrey proceeded to the semi-finals at The Oval on 30 July. In the National League, Essex Eagles beat Lancashire Lightning by eight wickets on 19 July to extend their lead in the first division to eight points with one game in hand. The next round of Championship matches saw Hampshire, Kent, Nottinghamshire and Middlesex record victories to form the top four on 23 July. In Division Two, Northamptonshire and Yorkshire recorded wins, while the top sides Durham and Lancashire drew to remain on top. However, the eyes of most cricket fans were on Lord's , where England took on Australia .

Glenn McGrath worried the English batsmen to end with nine wickets for 82, and Australia recorded their highest team score of the entire series with their second-innings 384 as they completed a 239-run victory on the fourth day of the Test. England Under-19s began their three-ODI series with Sri Lanka Under-19s on 26 July, with a win, before they travelled to Old Trafford where they played out a no-result and a win to take the series 2–0. In the County Championship, there were four draws in five matches, as rain thwarted play on the first three days of the round from 26 to 29 July. Division Two leaders Durham were the only team to win after beating Somerset at the Riverside . The month was rounded off with the finals day of the Twenty20 Cup on 30 July, where Lancashire Lightning beat Surrey Lions in the first match, amassing 217 for 4 to win by 20 runs, before Somerset Sabres eked through in the second semi-final after a four-run victory.

In the final, however, Graeme Smith hit 64 not out for the Sabres, and Somerset won by four wickets to take their first Twenty20 Cup win. August August began with the Australian tourists completing a draw against Worcestershire in a three-day tour match, while Sussex Sharks kept up their good National League run with a win over Somerset Sabres, their seventh win in succession. Six matches in the Championship started on 3 August, with Kent , Sussex , Warwickshire and Hampshire recording victories. In Division Two, Lancashire used their victory at Grace Road in Leicestershire to exploit a rare slip-up from Durham and grab 16 points in the title-battle, closing the gap to 18 with a game in hand. However, the Championship matches came in the background due to the second Ashes Test, where England took on Australia at Edgbaston Cricket Ground for the second Test of the five-match series. England carried a 0–1 series deficit into Edgbaston, and after three days of cricket England led by 106 with two Australian wickets left to grab.

Shane Warne , Brett Lee (Australia's top-scorer with 43 not out) and Michael Kasprowicz cut 104 of those runs off the target, but Kasprowicz gloved Steve Harmison behind to Geraint Jones , to leave England 2-run winners and the series tied at one-all. The English youth team were the first English representative team to record a Test victory this summer, however, beating Sri Lanka by 220 runs in an Under-19 Test two days before England seniors defeated Australia. On 6 August, Essex Eagles took control of Division One of the National League after eking out a four-run win over Middlesex Crusaders, and three days later the second Under-19 Test and the first women's Test began – the first ended in an England win, almost as convincing as the first Test, while Arran Brindle scored a maiden Test century to save the draw for England Women . The Ashes battle recommenced on 11 August, and after two English centuries – 166 from Michael Vaughan and a second-innings 106 from Andrew Strauss – Ricky Ponting played a rearguard 156 to save the draw.

There were also matches in the Championship during the Test – rain played a major part, however, and four of seven matches ended in draws, including the top of the table battle in Division One between Kent and Hampshire . Kent gained two bonus points over Hampshire, however, and now led by 17 points. Another National League round on 15 August saw the table-toppers in Division 1, Essex Eagles, fell to 122 and a 60-run loss against Gloucestershire Gladiators , while Sussex Sharks suffered their second successive loss in Division Two. England's youth team also completed their series, whitewashing Sri Lanka with a 173-run win in the final Test. The following day, five Championship matches began, including a drawn Roses match between Lancashire and Yorkshire, while Sussex went top of Division One after beating Middlesex inside two days. On 18 August, Australia were scheduled to play Scotland in a match that was to be broadcast on BBC – however, the match was rained off, giving the Australians even less time to warm up. Two days later, they began a drawn two-day friendly game with Northamptonshire , on the same day as the C&G Trophy semi-finals.

Warwickshire and Hampshire took convincing victories to reach the final. Meanwhile, in the Midlands , Australia's women played two ODIs with England on 19 August and 21 August, winning the first after bowling England out for 128 to go 2–0 up in the series, but losing the second by a two-run margin. There were also a total of ten National League matches from 21 August to 24 August – three were rained off, while the Sharks took a four-point lead in Division Two despite losing their first match with Leicestershire Foxes . County Championship cricket began again on 24 August, with eight matches played in this period. Four were drawn, but Division One table-toppers Sussex fell to a 101-run defeat against Warwickshire as their Pakistani overseas player Rana Naved-ul-Hasan went wicketless in the first innings. Lancashire also recorded a win to go second in Division Two, six points off leaders Durham with a game in hand. Andrew Strauss plays forward to Shane Warne in the fourth Ashes Test.

On the international stage, England and Australia began their battle for the Ashes once again on 25 August, where England chased 129 to win with seven wickets down after earning a 259-run lead on first innings and becoming the first team to ask Australia to follow on in 17 years. The men's win got much more media coverage than the women's first Ashes victory since 1963, achieved through a six-wicket victory in the second and final Test inspired by the all-round efforts of Katherine Brunt (who took nine wickets and made 52 runs in her only innings). More National League games followed, with Essex Eagles securing the title thanks to a 12-run win over C&G Trophy finalists Hampshire Hawks , while Sussex Sharks ended the month with wins over Scottish Saltires and Surrey Lions to take a ten-point lead in Division Two, though with second-placed Durham Dynamos having two games in hand. The County Championship also moved towards its conclusion, with Nottinghamshire and Hampshire recording wins on the matches that started on 30 August to take the top two spots in the Division One table.

In Division Two, Derbyshire came close to breaking their winless streak when they finished three runs short of a winning total against Durham , and had to settle for a draw; runners-up Lancashire lost further ground in the title battle through a 285-run defeat at the hands of Northamptonshire. September September began with Australia's women recording a four-run win in the final ODI of the five-match series – Clare Connor out as last woman when England needed five to win off the last over. Karen Rolton then hit 96 not out in the second women's Twenty20 international ever to be played, as Australia won by seven wickets. On 3 September, Hampshire batted first to make 290 in the C&G Trophy final, and Andy Bichel , Shane Watson and Chris Tremlett combined to bowl their final opponents Warwickshire out for 272 to win the Trophy, becoming the third club to win a major trophy in England this season. Meanwhile, former England Under-19 player Alastair Cook took the Australian bowlers on for 270 in a drawn non- first class tour match.

There were National League games from 4 September to 6 September, and Sussex Sharks became the first team to promote from Division Two, despite not even playing. In the Championship, Nottinghamshire began their match two days early, and completed an innings defeat inside two days to take a 23.5-point lead over second-placed Hampshire . Hampshire had a bye, however, so Sussex took the opportunity to go second with a two-day victory over Glamorgan . Nottinghamshire had a game in hand and 10 points on Sussex, however, and their only challenge looked to come from Kent , who drew their match with Middlesex to be third in the table, trailing by 19.5 points with the same amount of games as Nottinghamshire. The final Test match of the season started on 8 September with England needing a draw or better to win back the Ashes after 16 years of Australian domination. England opener Andrew Strauss made a first-innings century , which was matched by his Australian counterpart Matthew Hayden , who ground out his hundred from 218 balls and went on to top score with 138.

However, Andrew Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard grabbed the last nine wickets for 103 runs as Australia were bowled out six overs into the fourth day afternoon. Going into the second innings with a 4-run lead, England fell to 199 for 7, but Ashley Giles held out for his fourth Test half-century and a 109-run stand with Kevin Pietersen – who made the series' second-highest score with 158 to give England a total of 335. Australia walked off after three minutes in their second innings, to give England the draw and the 2–1 series victory. Meanwhile, in the County Championship, Lancashire assumed the ascendancy of Division Two with an eight-wicket win over Essex which also secured their return to Division One after only one season on the lowest rung of the Championship ladder. National League losses for Worcestershire Royals and Hampshire Hawks then left four teams on 22 points in the bottom of Division One – three of them would have to go down. Nottinghamshire and Kent then faced off for the match that would decide the County Championship title, with Kent trailing by 19.5 points before the match at Trent Bridge .

Kent failed to chase 420 in five hours, and Nottinghamshire recorded a 214-run win to take the Championship title. Durham and Yorkshire also secured Championship promotion with draws, while the first International 20:20 Club Championship was won by Faisalabad Wolves after a five-wicket win over Chilaw Marians in the final. In the National League, Warwickshire Bears won three matches in seven days to go third in the Division Two table before the final round, with Derbyshire Phantoms the only team that had a theoretical possibility of catching the Bears. Lancashire Lightning and Worcestershire Royals both lost in Division One, leaving them tied on points with two other teams at the bottom of the table. The final round of the Championship saw Hampshire beat the newly-crowned county champions Nottinghamshire by an innings and 188 runs, their second win over Nottinghamshire in the Championship this year, but they still finished 2.5 points behind. Surrey were relegated after conceding too many bonus points to Middlesex, and a total of four innings victories were registered on the final matchday.

The season ended with nine National League matches – Lancashire Lightning survived in Division One after beating Worcestershire Royals , while Gloucestershire Gladiators were relegated despite a win. Warwickshire Bears confirmed promotion, despite losing to Durham Dynamos , while Scottish Saltires played their last National League game, losing by eight wickets. See also Warwickshire v Yorkshire: Yorkshire face relegation after draw | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo Warwickshire v Yorkshire, Edgbaston, 4th day September 3, 2011 Yorkshire face relegation after draw Jon Culley at Edgbaston Scorecard Joe Sayers has all but conceded that Yorkshire will be relegation © Getty Images Yorkshire look all but doomed to relegation after bad light ultimately put paid to their slim hopes of forcing the win against Warwickshire that would have kept them in with a realistic chance of escaping from the bottom two with only one match remaining.

After the two camps had hatched an agreement under which Warwickshire, who needed 349 to win from 78 overs when Yorkshire declared at midday, would commit themselves to chasing runs in the final session, umpires Peter Hartley and Jeff Evans had little option but to call a halt just before five o'clock in conditions so gloomy that fielding was becoming a problem, let alone facing quick bowling. Given that they finished only 11 points behind champions Nottinghamshire last year, it is a huge disappointment not least for their stricken captain, Andrew Gale, who has been unable to play any part since breaking an arm almost three weeks ago. Worcestershire's two-day win over Lancashire at New Road, while ensuring that the race for the title remains intriguingly tight, also opened up a gap between themselves and Yorkshire that now stands at 14 points. With Jacques Rudolph unavailable because of international commitments, Joe Sayers led Yorkshire here and he conceded that the result means that effectively they have one foot in the Second Division already, with survival unlikely even if the match against Somerset at Headingley next week goes their way.

"Mathematically it is still possible for us to stay up but it is going to be very difficult now to pull it out of the bag," Sayers said. "All we can do is apply ourselves against Somerset in the same way we applied ourselves in this match. "It was a sorry end to what had been a good game of four-day cricket in which we had played well, all the more disappointing because if we had played as well for the duration of the summer we would have been in a decent position in the table. "The one positive we can take is that the way we have played in this game establishes a template for the way we want to play cricket in terms of style and attitude." Sayers said that Yorkshire had no quibble with the umpires' decision to take the players off, despite the consequences for the county's future of denying them even the opportunity to secure a potentially vital win. "It was the right decision," he said. "The light was not good, especially for batting and indeed even for fielding.

It was becoming difficult to pick up the ball." Warwickshire were satisfied ultimately with three points for a draw, despite Durham's win at Hove, given that they have two matches left in which to overturn a seven-point deficit, while the new leaders have only one. Yet Ashley Giles, the county's director of cricket, was slightly more outspoken about the circumstances in which the game ended. "The umpires have to go with what the regulations say and today I feel they were right to come off but there are issues that need to be looked at," he said. "Not using light meters, using the naked eye -- this is a professional game and surely there has to be a system that says that the light is too bad, this what the reading is, and you don't go out again until it improves." However, regardless of how the contest fizzled out, there was a feeling perhaps that Yorkshire had set Warwickshire a target that was too high anyway on a day when they would have been no worse off losing.

The target of 349 meant that Warwickshire were almost certain to be chasing runs at five or six an over for a long period even if it went well for them, while 78 overs on a pitch that had flattened out was not a long span in which to take 10 wickets, especially given that one of them would almost certainly have to be that of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the same Shivnarine Chanderpaul who they had taken seven-and-a-quarter hours to get out at Headingley last week and a further four-and-a-half to see off in the first innings here. Yet even after Gary Ballance had completed a fine maiden Championship century, Yorkshire batted on until noon, adding 66 to their overnight 319 for 5. Ballance eventually chipped a ball from Chris Woakes to mid-on where Jim Troughton took a considerably easier catch than the one he was to bring off shortly afterwards, one-handed on the run on the long-off boundary as Adil Rashid fell after making an attractive and important 82. What followed next was immaterial in the broader scheme and merely denied the bowlers time to get at the Warwickshire batting.

In the event, they got through 12 overs to lunch for the loss of only one wicket, when Varun Chopra was caught behind driving at Ajmal Shahzad. In the afternoon, it became increasingly clear that Warwickshire's first priority was not to lose. They lost Ian Westwood, leg before on the back foot to Rashid, and Will Porterfield, who wasted a chance for a half-century by edging the deserving Steve Patterson to be caught behind. Chanderpaul, never in a particular hurry, should have been out on three, but Adam Lyth missed a sharp chance at slip off Patterson.

At tea, Warwickshire were 134 for 3, needing a further 215 for victory from 34 overs, and behind the scenes it emerged that Giles and his opposite number, Martyn Moxon, were cooking up a plan, one which became evident to the paying public when, at 173 for three, Sayers and Anthony McGrath engaged Troughton and Chanderpaul in conversation at the crease, after which Lyth and Joe Root tossed up a succession of easy deliveries, which were despatched with little fuss to bring the target down to 150 from 23 overs. By now, however, the light was fading fast and while the Yorkshire players got together for a team meeting on the field -- a game-stopping move that would have demanded the captain called 'time out' had it been basketball or American football -- the umpires were exchanging opinions on matters of safety. Indeed, it took only a couple of overs from Ryan Sidebottom for them to make up their minds and bring proceedings to an end that, for Yorkshire at any rate, will probably be somewhat momentous. © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

County cricket – as it happened | Sport | The Guardian County cricket – as it happened Vic Marks in Taunton, Richard Gibson at Headingley and Ali Martin at the Oval Monday 27 April 2015 12.25 EDT First published on Monday 27 April 2015 05.22 EDT 12:25 Richard Gibson reports from Headingley Controversy at Headingley where Warwickshire’s reserve wicketkeeper Pete McKay scooped up an edge offered by Cheteshwar Pujara from Boyd Rankin’s second delivery from the Rugby Stand End. Rankin stifled his appeal in the belief that McKay had fluffed the opportunity but the visitors claimed the dismissal after Tim Ambrose’s deputy grabbed the rebound low down. Umpires Steve Garratt and Jeremy Lloyds conversed for some time - while Warwickshire captain Varun Chopra conversed with opposite number Andrew Gale at the non-striker’s end - before Garratt raised the finger to a crescendo of boos. It was the second wicket Yorkshire lost on 88, following Will Rhodes’ mishit to mid-on off Jeetan Patel.

Ali Martin Ali Martin reports from The Oval Greeting from the Oval, somewhat belatedly, where Essex are going great guns on day two. Their openers are still standing, with Nick Browne on 82, Jaik Mickelburgh on 59 and the score 151 for no loss. Surrey were earlier skittled for 340, losing their last three wickets for nowt. But then you knew that, right? Essex’s Jaik Mickleburgh on his way to a half century at the Kia Oval. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Updated Richard Gibson Richard Gibson reports A player with the career longevity of Tim Bresnan should probably have more five-wicket hauls than the seven he has managed in first-class cricket. The seventh came up shortly after lunch on day two when Jeetan Patel’s cameo came to an end via a bunt to deep mid-off. There was also a career milestone for James Middlebrook, who claimed his 50th scalp for Yorkshire in dismissing Ian Westwood for 196.

Bresnan finished with 30-10-85-5, arguably his best bowling performance since losing his England Test place, while Middlebrook’s moonlighting was worth three for 96. Warwickshire made 435. Warwickshire’s Keith Barker is bowled by James Middlebrook of Yorkshire at Headingley. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Updated Vic Marks So much for the rejected England openers... Sam Robson edged the second ball of the day into the slip cordon; Nick Compton, having looked in princely form, was given out caught behind. He really did not want to go, standing statuesque and disbelieving, before finally returning to the pavilion. Umpire Alex Wharf had spied an inside edge. Middlesex batsman Nick Compton looks to the heavens as Somerset’s Lewis Gregory celebrates taking his wicket. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty The wicket-taker on both occasions was Lewis Gregory, who has a tendency to take more wickets than bowl maidens, which makes him a bowler worth watching.

He is being seriously considered for England’s squad to play against Ireland on May 8th – even though most of his success in the last twelve months has come with a red ball. For Middlesex Nick Gubbins is having a better day. He dropped a sitter yesterday when Hildreth was batting. But he has looked impressive today, a composed no-nonsense left-hander. His route to the Middlesex first team has a familiar feel; it is via Radley College (like Andrew Strauss, Ben Hutton and Jamie Dalrymple). He has just posted his half-century with a sweet drive against Peter Trego. Herewith ends an early lunchtime report. This is the day when I allow myself the carvery, which has earnt a glowing reputation on the county circuit. And it pays to get down there promptly. Will be back shortly if there’s a hatrick. Otherwise see you after lunch. Updated Richard Gibson Richard Gibson reports from Headingley Ian Westwood has his career-best score in Warwickshire’s 350-5 at Headingley, and needs only a further nine runs for a maiden double hundred. The left-hander’s progress this morning has been at a similar pace to that of day one.

Pete McKay, his overnight partner, perished without adding to his total when Tim Bresnan curved one back into the left-hander but with wickets difficult to collect Yorkshire squandered a second bowling point courtesy of Alex Lees flooring a low chance at first slip created by teenage seamer Matthew Fisher. Rikki Clarke had just a dozen at that stage; he is now into the 30s. Warwickshire’s Ian Westwood of Warwickshire on his way to a career-best score during day two at Headingley. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Updated 06:43 Gary Naylor Some late-morning reading from Gary Naylor , who has six talking points from last week’s matches in the County Championship: Ball one: Ajmal Shahzad is the hero for Sussex Ball two: Yorkshire needs Adil Rashid and Rashid needs cricket Ball three: Warwickshire’s old pros raise old questions Ball four: Is Steven Davies about to show us what he can do? Ball five: Glen Chapple sits back as Kyle Jarvis sends Lancashire top Ball six: There’s room for the match report as essay Updated 06:09 Vic Marks Expecting a more serene day today after yesterday’s fireworks.

There is the prospect of two recent England opening batsmen demonstrating that they should not have been rejected. Sam Robson is at the crease, Nick Compton has his pads on in the pavilion. Yesterday’s technicolour action has brought a good crowd in. There is sunshine alongside a chill wind and an intriguing day awaits. I was going to meander gently through the prospects but Lewis Gregory has just bowled Robson with his second ball. Enter Compo! In the committee room there is Harry Latchman, the Middlesex president, and Allan Arthur Jones, the former umpire, has popped in. Who could he be supporting? Middlesex , Somerset? After all he played for both counties, plus Glamorgan and Sussex (I think that’s the lot) Anyway Compo has started to dig in… Richard Gibson Richard Gibson sets up the day from Headlingley Top of the morning to you all, on a glorious morning in Leeds. It was a lovely drive in this morning and the addition of four rose-shaped floodlights means I can now see the ground as I drop down into Meanwood on my journey.

I am back to take in the second day of the contest between the top two from 2014 , although due to England calls and injuries these are quite different looking teams. Yorkshire are without seven first-choice players while Warwickshire are missing four with a strained buttock muscle accounting for Tim Ambrose, leaving him on the sidelines along with another injury victim Chris Woakes. Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott are on the Test tour of the Caribbean, of course. On first-day evidence this is an excruciatingly flat pitch and Ian Westwood cashed in with only his second Championship hundred since August 2012. Yorkshire bowled with purpose but the lack of pace in the surface made prising batsmen out hard work. Tim Bresnan, with a realigned position on the bowling crease (no jumping in from wide any more), was the pick with three of the four wickets to fall in 270-4. Elsewhere, Vic Marks returns to Somerset v Middlesex , where he is no doubt hoping for a mundane follow-up to yesterday’s mania, if only to have some time to reflect.

In case, you missed it, Somerset appeared set for an opening day score pushing 500 when Marcus Trescothick and James Hildreth were in tandem, only for a spectacular nosedive which incorporated seven wickets going down for 31 runs to see them dismissed for 408 by Middlesex. And Ali Martin is at the Kia Oval , where that scourge of international batsmen Jesse Ryder was at it again yesterday. His culling of innings by Kev and Kumar in a three-wicket display taking his first-class bowling record in English conditions to 53 victims at 17.97 runs apiece. 05:21 Morning all, Today we have Vic Marks at Somerset v Middlesex, Richard Gibson at Yorkshire v Warwickshire and Ali Martin at Surrey v Essex. Here are the reports from yesterday: Somerset v Middlesex Somerset leave Middlesex sweating after Marcus Trescothick’s 140 The scorecard suggests an extraordinary day’s play and it does not lie. There were two big hundreds for Marcus Trescothick and James Hildreth, five ducks leaving an unhappy quintet of Somerset batsmen contemplating a pair and a flurry of wickets for James Harris.

Two batsmen plus extras contributed 360 runs, the other nine 48 runs. Championship cricket dull? Not if you asked any of a good, anoraked crowd at Taunton, where Somerset flogged the visiting bowlers for five hours before subsiding from 377-3 to 408 all out in the final session. Yorkshire v Warwickshire Yorkshire on back foot as Ian Westwood hits 151 not out James Middlebrook’s shock return to Yorkshire colours mirrored the statistical yield of his previous County Championship appearance for them at Headingley. Middlebrook, a 37-year-old free agent released by relegated Northamptonshire seven months ago, was drafted in by the reigning champions after their request for Adil Rashid to be released from England’s Test tour of the Caribbean was declined. Wicketless against Kent on his farewell during the club’s previous Division One-winning season in 2001, he failed to claim the single victim required to take his first-class tally for Yorkshire to 50.

Surrey v Essex Surrey make strong start but Kevin Pietersen out for only 32 From the most pedestrian of run-ups and the loosest of actions, the gentle medium pace of Jesse Ryder can be devastating. Just ask Kevin Pietersen, who was the first of two wickets in three balls for the New Zealander as Essex tried desperately to wrest control from Surrey on day one at the Kia Oval. Ryder, who is 15 months into a self-imposed hiatus from international cricket, claimed three for 52 from 18 overs as the hosts reached an impressive 293 for five by stumps, despite losing the toss and being put in on a day when overcast conditions necessitated the use of floodlights. Enjoy the cricket. Somerset: Always the bridesmaids of the County Championship | The Independent Cricket Somerset: Always the bridesmaids of the County Championship Taunton team aims to swap second place for some silverware as season starts. They have the ability but do they have the bottle?

Tuesday 9 April 2013 20:47 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Somerset's inspirational captain Marcus Trescothick PA Dave Nosworthy has one of the hardest jobs in cricket and his first examination begins on Wednesday: can he teach Somerset how to win? Ever since their last trophy, the Twenty20 Cup in 2005, Somerset have routinely and painfully come within a stump's width of glory, in all forms of the game. They have nearly regained their Twenty20 title, losing the final in 2009, 2010 and 2011, before going out at the semi-final stage last year. They came second in the NatWest Pro40 in 2009, and were runners-up in the Clydesdale Bank 40 in 2010 and 2011. And then, of course, there is the County Championship, in which they were runners-up last year and in 2010, and have finished in the top four for the last five years. They begin their First Division campaign away at Durham, hoping to finally go one better.

Somerset, clearly, are the best nearly men in cricket, a team always on the very brink of success but never quite able to complete the job. The issue cannot be technical – their cricket must be good for them to get that close that often – but psychological instead. So Nosworthy, their new director of cricket, knows exactly what he has to do at Taunton. "That is one of the areas we have discussed most – how to get across that line," said the South African soon after his winter appointment. "Unfortunately, it hasn't been achieved in recent seasons, so it is definitely a goal for all of us – to get across that line and get a few trophies in the cabinet." Last year's failure to clinch the County Championship was particularly frustrating, as Somerset are still to win the title and there seems to be some psychological block, which Nosworthy must eliminate. "The County Championship is obviously a big one for everyone, because it has never been done by the club before," he explained. "Focusing too much on that can lead to you under-performing, so it's important to follow the processes and allow the players to play with freedom and get on with the job.

If you focus on doing that, more often than not, you will end up being successful." Somerset will hope to produce the same weight of runs that was so important to them last season. They had the two top-scoring batsmen in first-class cricket, in Nick Compton (1,494) and James Hildreth (1,214). Compton is now an England Test opener and while he should be available for three of Somerset's first four games, they will start to miss him when New Zealand and Australia begin their respective Test series this summer. Alviro Petersen, their overseas player, will not arrive in time for the game but eventually should be a good like-for-like replacement for Compton. And then, of course, there is Marcus Trescothick, their 37-year-old inspiration, who is returning from winter ankle surgery and scored 106 in a warm-up game against Derbyshire last week. If that is not enough firepower they have Craig Kieswetter and Jos Buttler further down the order, depending on commitments to the England one-day set-up. If they all combine successfully, Somerset will score a lot of runs very quickly.

What might be harder, along with the obvious mental issues, is taking 20 wickets. Their attack leaders, Steve Kirby and Alfonso Thomas – who did turn down a lucrative IPL season with Pune this year – are 35 and 36 respectively and at risk of picking up injuries. Peter Trego took 50 first-class wickets last season but cannot be guaranteed to do so again this year. Gemaal Hussain has done not very much at all in his two years at Somerset and needs to do far more in 2013. So Somerset may have to look to their younger bowlers as they attempt to assemble an attack which can win them enough games through what may be a weather-afflicted season. George Dockrell, the 20-year-old Irish slow left-armer who has played 30 ODIs and 19 T20 internationals, will certainly be called upon, as will the thrilling Overton twins, both of whom turn 19 on Wednesday. Jamie is an opening bowler and Craig is an all-rounder – they are both 6ft 6in boys from Devon, for whom the word "strapping" was invented.

They have both played for England Under-19s and Craig played in Australia for England Lions earlier this year. There is a lot of excitement around the pair. For Somerset to convert their talent to trophies they will have to beat champions Warwickshire, taught to win by Ashley Giles, who is now with England. Angus Fraser is also building something impressive at Middlesex and has signed up the promising bowler James Harris, while Nottinghamshire will challenge once again. Surrey, the galacticos of the First Division, should be in a position to improve on last year's painful season and challenge for the title now South Africa captain Graeme Smith is at the helm. However, all the ingredients are nearly there for Somerset, who open up against Durham at Chester-le-Street. Trouble is, "nearly" is not a word Somerset like very much. FIRST DIVISION Warwickshire Last year's champions are favourites to retain the title despite losing director of cricket Ashley Giles to England. Dougie Brown is in charge with the same talent, including Rikki Clarke, Chris Woakes, Keith Barker and Varun Chopra.

Captain Jim Troughton BBC SPORT | Cricket | Counties | End of term report End of term report By Oliver Brett BBC Sport assesses the efforts of the 18 county sides during the 2006 season and suggests some areas in which they could improve next year. COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP Winners: Leicestershire Runners-up: Nottinghamshire Derbyshire: By finishing mid-table rather than towards the bottom of Division Two in the County Championship, Derbyshire are getting better, though progress remains slow. They will not be helped in 2007 by losing their leading bowler this season, Steffan Jones (who returns to Somerset), and the long-term mainstay of their batting, Michael Di Venuto. Durham: Clung onto their Division One status in the Championship despite a bad run of injuries and supplying England with three pace bowlers - though Graham Onions never made an international appearance. A bit of a mixed bag in one-day cricket, the highlight a near-appearance in the C&G Final - amid general suspicions that they never quite settled on an ideal side for either format of the game.

Essex: By adding the Pro40 title to its predecessor, the Totesport League, Essex have established themselves as the best team in the country at anything less than 50-overs-per-side and more than 20. They also seemed destined for promotion in the Championship until the final day of the season, when Worcestershire conjured a fine win at Northampton. No Essex bowler took 40 wickets, and that's a problem. Glamorgan: Last season, they lost 14 out of 16 matches in Division One of the Championship and they found Division Two no easier, with just two wins. They were also knocked out of the top tier of the Pro40 league, and according to reports new captain David Hemp may have to contend without overseas players until 2009. Gloucestershire: Any hopes of an immediate bounce back to Division One were confounded by a slow start to the season, and they never picked up any momentum. But they did finish on top of Division Two in the Pro40 to remind people they can play one-day cricket. A squad shake-up is already under way with James Averis, Matt Windows and Phil Weston all leaving.

Hampshire: On the last day of the season, Hampshire won a play-off to earn promotion into Division One of the Pro40, but generally it's been a season of frustration for a club eager for silverware. Importantly, though, the young batsmen in whom much has been invested - Jimmy Adams and Chris Benham - both came through with the goods this season, so 2007 promises much. Kent: A season in which their captain Rob Key barely averaged in the 30s underlines a moderate year for the men from Canterbury, when they finished mid-table in every competition. Next season could be interesting, though. Joe Denly is a bright prospect with the bat, and two international all-rounders in Andrew Hall and new signing Yasir Arafat have much to offer. Lancashire: Hopes were high that the 56-year Championship drought could finally be ended. But Sussex, having already snatched the C&G Trophy from Lancashire's grasp, also condemned them to second place in the main competition. At least the Red Rose county are challenging for top honours now, something they should have been doing for some time. A shrewd overseas signing will keep them competitive.

Leicestershire: A second Twenty20 Cup in three years, albeit after a controversial conclusion on finals night, kept the trophy cabinet-duster in occupation. But there were not enough good bowling performances to sustain a promotion run in the Championship and next year they might see a lot less of Stuart Broad. Middlesex: Their season went into freefall after they narrowly missed making the C&G Final and they ended up with just one win in the Championship to plummet into Division Two. Their bowling has never really convinced in recent seasons, although Chris Silverwood strove manfully for 61 Championship wickets, and they need to strengthen their attack to give themselves a decent stab at promotion in 2007. Northamptonshire: Lance Klusener and Chris Rogers proved terrific signings and whenever Monty Panesar was available, they were quite a handful. But Panesar's appearances will become increasingly infrequent, and for all the signs of recovery they only managed three wins in Championship Division Two. New coach David Capel still has much to do. Nottinghamshire: Director of cricket Mick Newell was furious when two tame defeats saw them crash back to Division Two one year after lifting the Championship trophy.

Amid the post-mortem, and inevitable complaints that too many of the squad are too old, Charlie Shreck has emerged as an exciting fast-bowling prospect. Somerset: Take out Justin Langer's all-too-brief cameo in the middle of the season and a fine haul of runs from another Australian, Cameron White, and there was not much for Somerset to write home about. But with seamer Steffan Jones returning to help out veteran Andy Caddick and Kolpakker Charl Willoughby, they may at least avoid the wooden spoon in Division Two in 2007. Surrey: They are a much happier side with Alan Butcher, as coach, and Mark Ramprakash's hunger for runs took them to the Division Two title well before the end of the season. They remain indifferent in one-day cricket, however. A semi-final appearance in the Twenty20 Cup was the height of their achievements. Sussex: What more remains to be said? Mushtaq Ahmed ended the season with some stunning performances to ensure a second Championship pennant in four years for Chris Adams's men.

With a thrilling win in a low-scoring C&G Final at Lord's to boot, it really was a case of 'Good Old Sussex By The Sea'. Warwickshire: The last season of Nick Knight's playing career and the first with Mark Greatbatch as coach was not a good one for the Bears. They did OK in the Championship, but produced nothing in the one-day competitions and with some indifferent batting creeping in, they may struggle to replace Knight. Worcestershire: The Black Pears' promotion ambitions were seemingly in tatters last Saturday morning before Gareth Batty and Ray Price triggered a Northants collapse and the batsmen achieved a tricky target. Now they're up, they need to stay up. Another season of Zaheer Khan's excellent bowling will help them achieve that target, but India may want him in their touring Test squad. Yorkshire: With only three Championship victories all season, Yorkshire could be considered a little bit lucky to avoid relegation. On the other hand, they should take great credit for introducing two leg-spinners in Adil Rashid and Mark Lawson - and winning matches with them. County Championship: Hampshire v Warwickshire - Live - BBC Sport Hampshire v Warwickshire Full scorecard available here Got a TV Licence?

You need one to watch live TV on any channel or device, and BBC programmes on iPlayer. It’s the law. Use audio icon to listen Live Reporting All times stated are UK Get involved Stumps - week one Posted at 18:08 13 Apr So there we have it - the opening round of the 2016 County Championship season is over. Despite rain ruining some of the matches, there's still been plenty for us cricket lovers to get our teeth into. We'll be back on Sunday from 10:45 BST with live text updates and ball-by-ball radio commentary as another six matches get under way. Plenty of eyes will be on County Champions Yorkshire, who get their title defence started against Hampshire at Headingley. Until then, goodbye. Posted at 18:03 13 Apr Here's a quick reminder of how things have gone over the last four days.

Division One: Nottinghamshire 446 & 172-7 v Surrey 225 & 389 - Notts won by three wickets Hampshire 202 & 185-5 v Warwickshire 360 - Match Drawn Durham 256 & 223-4 v Somerset 179 - Match Drawn Division Two: Worcestershire v Kent - Match Drawn Northants 481-7 v Sussex - Match Drawn Essex 385 & 94-0 v Gloucestershire 262 & 215 - Essex won by 10 wickets HAMPSHIRE V WARWICKSHIRE - MATCH DRAWN Hampshire 202 & 185-5 v Warwickshire 360 Posted at 17:58 13 Apr The captains shake hands after Liam Dawson reaches his half-century as Hampshire hold on for a draw. It was a fine effort from Dawson and Adam Wheater who shared an unbroken stand of 73 to see out the majority of the evening session. And that my friends, is the first round of the County Championship season finished.

Share Notts beat Surrey by three wickets Posted at 17:53 13 Apr Surrey skipper Gareth Batty told BBC Radio London: "We made it very difficult for ourselves in the first four or five sessions of the game. "Notts are a good, proven team and we gave ourselves too big a hill to climb, but today was a pretty good effort to turn it around. "The three big fellas today were exceptional and showed what a potent attack we could be if we are patient enough and do it from the first ball of the game." Share Posted at 17:50 13 Apr The Durham opener made 116 and 105 not out in the drawn game against Somerset. Hampshire 177-5 & 202 v Warwickshire 360 Posted at 17:48 13 Apr Rikki Clarke is still giving it his all for Warwickshire, but there's only going to be one result now - a draw. Seven overs left, Hampshire's lead is 19 and Liam Dawson and Adam Wheater are both entrenched.

Getty Images Things drawing to a close Hampshire 202 & 168-5 v Warwickshire 360 Posted at 17:37 13 Apr Here's another sky/cricket ground picture. As you can probably tell, it's all gone a bit quiet at the Ageas Bowl. 10 overs left, Hampshire lead by nine with five wickets in hand. Liam Dawson is 43 not out and has probably saved the game for his side. Getty Images Nottinghamshire beat Surrey by three wickets Posted at 17:31 13 Apr Stuart Broad should be available for Nottinghamshire's game against Lancashire at Old Trafford on Sunday. Week two fixtures Posted at 17:28 13 Apr While we're waiting for the captains to shake hands at the Ageas Bowl (or five very quick wickets), here's a quick look at what's coming up on Sunday in the County Championship.

Division One: Lancashire v Nottinghamshire - Old Trafford Middlesex v Warwickshire - Lord's Gloucestershire v Derbyshire - Bristol Sussex v Essex - Hove The BBC will have live text updates and ball-by-ball commentary from all six matches from 10:45 BST on Sunday. Share Hampshire 202 & 153-5 v Warwickshire 360 Posted at 17:19 13 Apr There's a bit of an end-of-the-day feel about proceedings now. 16 overs to go at the Ageas Bowl, five wickets needed for Warwickshire. A tricky task. It's good to be back Liz. Share Nottinghamshire beat Surrey by three wickets Posted at 17:04 13 Apr BBC Sport's Elizabeth Ammon at Trent Bridge: "What an absolutely cracking season opener we have had here at Trent Bridge. Nottinghamshire got over the line to win by three wickets but not before a little wobble. "Surrey battled hard but the damage was done on the first two days.

It's been an enthralling game with high quality skilful cricket but a deserved win by Notts." Share NOTTINGHAMSHIRE BEAT SURREY BY THREE WICKETS Nottinghamshire 446 & v Surrey 225 & 389 Posted at 17:03 13 Apr Getty Images It was certainly a lot closer that it looked when Notts were 72-0 chasing 169 for victory, but Nottinghamshire have done it. Jake Ball hits Surrey paceman Mark Footitt to the boundary for the victory. Cracking game. Hampshire 202 & 129-5 v Warwickshire 360 Posted at 16:53 13 Apr Meanwhile at the Ageas Bowl, Hampshire are holding firm led by Liam Dawson's 25 off 74 balls. A minimum of 21 overs left in the game. Share I'd definitely be claiming the overtime for this one Sean!

Share WICKET Smith (c Foakes b T Curran 54) Nottinghamshire 446 & 152-7 v Surrey 225 & 389 Posted at 16:47 13 Apr I was just about to write Notts have victory in the bag, but we may have a late twist. Greg Smith edges Tom Curran behind to give the 21-year-old his fourth wicket. Nottinghamshire still need 17. Hope you feel better soon John. Fingers crossed by the time Yorkshire start their campaign at home to Hampshire on Sunday. Share Nottinghamshire 446 & 142-6 v Surrey 225 & 389 Posted at 16:34 13 Apr What an important innings by Notts opener Greg Smith. He's stayed calm while the other batsman have been losing their heads and moves to a 96-ball half-century. Notts within 27 runs of beating Surrey now.

Getty Images WICKET Read (lbw b Rampaul 22) Nottinghamshire 446 & 136-6 v Surrey 225 & 389 Posted at 16:28 13 Apr It had all gone a bit quiet at Trent Bridge, but Surrey have a sniff again as Notts captain Chris Read goes. Ravi Rampaul has three wickets in the innings and eight in the match. 33 still needed for victory with four wickets in hand. Tense. Share WICKET Ervine (c Ambrose b Barker 22) Hampshire 202 & 112-5 v Warwickshire 360 Posted at 16:24 13 Apr Big Keith Barker is in the wickets again for Warwickshire. Sean Ervine edges the left-armer behind and Hampshire are in a bit of trouble. They trail by 46. Quick recap Posted at 16:17 13 Apr With just two games in progress, you may be wondering what happened in the other four? At New Road between Worcestershire and Kent, not a lot. The game was abandoned without a ball bowled.

Essex beat Gloucestershire by 10 wickets in Division Two, while Durham and Somerset and Northants and Sussex had to settle for draws after day four washouts. Share Posted at 16:07 13 Apr Getty Images We're back under way in both our games for the final session of the opening round of the 2016 County Championship season. How are the odds looking? Notts v Surrey - Notts favourites Hampshire v Warwickshire - draw odds-on But this is cricket and anything can happen. Share 'Topley out for up to eight weeks' Hampshire bowler breaks hand Posted at 15:59 13 Apr BBC Radio Solent's Kevan James: "News is though that Reece Topley does not need an operation on his hand injury but will miss the next six to eight weeks. "Meanwhile Warwickshire failed to take a wicket in the last half an hour of the afternoon session as Liam Dawson (12*) and Sean Ervine (15*) attempt to diffuse a situation which saw Hants lose three wickets in half an hour.

"Odds on a draw, but another wicket or two in the first hour of the last session and with Topley presumably not batting, anything can still happen." Tea at the Ageas Bowl Hampshire 202 & 103-4 v Warwickshire 360 Posted at 15:56 13 Apr It's also been a better half an hour before tea for Hampshire with Liam Dawson and Sean Ervine steadying things. They trail Warwickshire by 55. More concerning perhaps is a bit of breaking news we have for you.... Share Nottinghamshire 446 & 116-5 v Surrey 225 & 389 Posted at 15:46 13 Apr Getty Images Notts opener Greg Smith (44 not out) and captain Chris Read have done well to see out the final 30 minutes before tea after that flurry of wickets. The hosts need 53 to win at Trent Bridge. Surrey require five wickets. Share What's the best County Championship innings you've seen?

Posted at 15:43 13 Apr Back to our question from earlier - here's a name which might not be familiar with some of our younger audience, but I've been told by one of my esteemed colleagues that Northants' Colin Milburn was indeed a fine batsman. He played nine Tests for England, but his international career was cut short in 1969 when he lost his left eye in a car accident. Read more about these links. Posted at 15:37 13 Apr I love a good sky/cricket ground picture! Here's a fairly ominous looking one from the Ageas Bowl - maybe the rain will save Hampshire? Getty Images Posted at 15:34 13 Apr Phew, things are a bit calmer now after all those wickets. Notts are 108-5 chasing 169 versus Surrey, and Hampshire 85-4 against Warwickshire - still 73 in arrears.

Share Hampshire 202 & 80-4 v Warwickshire 360 Posted at 15:25 13 Apr BBC Radio Solent's Kevan James at the Ageas Bowl: "Three wickets in the space of half an hour has got the Warwickshire tails up. "Tom Alsop (24) pushed Boyd Rankin to Sam Hain at short leg. Will Smith was lbw to Jeetan Patel, although whether was he playing a shot or not was difficult to tell, and then James Vince (21) fell lbw to Rikki Clarke. "Even with no Chris Woakes, who has a sore hamstring, the Bears are plugging away on this slow surface. "Hampshire are under pressure and desperately need a partnership otherwise we could be here for a long time." Getty Images Sussex relegation to Division Two after loss to champions Yorkshire Sussex relegation to Division Two after loss to champions Yorkshire 25 Sep 2015 18:31 Sussex's relegation from LV= County Championship Division One was confirmed with defeat at champions Yorkshire, helping Hampshire secure an unlikely reprieve.

A draw or win at Headingley would have been enough to save Sussex from dropping to Division Two, but the hosts rounded off their season with an emphatic 100-run victory. Yorkshire's win was a record 11th triumph by any side since the establishment of two divisions and allowed Hampshire to sneak survival. The southern county secured the victory they knew would keep their hopes alive after chasing down a target of 200 on the final day of the season at Nottinghamshire. Openers Jimmy Adams and Michael Carberry had laid the foundation for the win by putting on 89 together on the third evening, and after a watchful half hour they took their stand into three figures. The opening stand reached 129 and Carberry closed on 84 not out, with Will Smith unbeaten on 34, at the end as Nottinghamshire suffered their first loss in eight matches. It saw them finish third in the standings while Warwickshire finished fifth, three points ahead of Somerset despite losing to the west country side. Tom Cooper and Jack Leach took nine wickets between them to see the hosts to only their fourth win of the season at Taunton, where Warwickshire fell 17 runs short.

In Division Two, Surrey clinched the title but were unable to sign off with a victory against Northamptonshire. David Murphy and Adam Rossington hit hundreds in a hard-fought draw at the Kia Oval, with both wicketkeeper-batsmen recording career-best scores to help the visitors to a season's best 514 all out. Essex and Lancashire were left to settle for a draw in their final championship clash at Chelmsford after failing to agree on a target to bring about a positive result. England captain Alastair Cook again failed to make an impact for Essex, being dismissed for six in his second trip to the middle, as they finished third, while the visitors' 11 points saw them finish runners-up. In Bristol, unbeaten centuries from Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke batted Glamorgan to safety against Gloucestershire. By the time the players shook hands on a high-scoring draw at just before 4.20pm, the visitors had reached 365 for three in their second innings and led by 240. Finally, Derbyshire fell just short of what would have been a famous victory in a thrilling end to their match against Leicestershire.

Set 341 in 81 overs, 101 from Chesney Hughes plus half centuries from Billy Godleman, Ben Slater and skipper Wayne Madsen looked to have secured Derbyshire's first home championship win of the season. However, Wes Durston's dismissal with 14 needed sparked a collapse that saw four wickets fall for two runs and, with 10 needed off the last five balls, Derbyshire settled for a draw at 331 for 8.

Question: Which cricket county finished runners-up to champions Warwickshire this year, despite losing only one match all season in Division One?
Answer: SOMERSET