Summary

  • Final round of the 2026 County Championship; nine games

  • Warwickshire will be champions if they take 14 or more points against Leicestershire

  • A win or a draw with at least six batting/bowling bonus points would be enough

  • They have three already after bowling out Leicestershire for 125 - Ethan Bamber takes 4-42

  • Dan Lawrence hits unbeaten 105 for Surrey against second-placed Somerset

  • England's Emilio Gay makes 141 for Durham against Lancashire

  • Kent need a minimum of 15 pts to win promotion after Northants all out for 103 against Middlesex

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Live Reporting

Phil Cartwright, Matthew Cresswell, Steve Mather and Paul Grunill

  1. Lancs v Durham 342-5

    The final two overs of play coming up in Manchester with Durham eight short of securing a third batting point.

    Ollie Robinson is on 28 and Kasey Aldridge four.

  2. wicket

    WICKET

    Hutton c Bairstow b White 3 (Notts 241-9 v Yorkshire)

    Yorkshire get the full haul of bowling bonus points! This has been a disappointing lower order collapse from Nottinghamshire on day one.

    Brett Hutton tries to flick a loose delivery from Jack White off his pads to the fine leg boundary but instead can only tickle it behind to Jonny Bairstow.

    White doesn't celebrate that one. Last man in for the defending champions, and we may not be saying that for too much longer, Mohammad Ali.

  3. Bears into the lead

    Warks 127-4 v Leics 125

    Sam Hain and Ed Barnard have steered Warwickshire into the lead late on day one against Leicestershire.

    They get their in strange circumstances, though - a Ben Green delivery keeps very low, goes through the batter and the wicketkeeper standing up to the stumps, and it hits a helmet placed on the ground by the fielding side.

    The Bears get five penalty runs for that.

  4. wicket

    WICKET

    Madsen c Singh b Taylor 40 (Worcs 214 v Derbys 87-9)

    Wayne Madsen chops Tom Taylor to third man for four.

    But the next ball takes the leading edge and Fateh Singh takes a lobbed catch.

    Madsen cannot believe what he has done - but he shouldn't feel too bad as one of only two Derbyshire batters to reach double figure sin this innings.

  5. Close of play at Utilita Bowl

    Hampshire 55-4 v Sussex 244

    Jack Leaning raises his batShutterstock

    Sussex will probably be the happier of the two sides at the end of day one against Hampshire.

    The visitors were 124-7 but Jack Leaning's aggressive 78 helped them to a total of 244.

    Jaydev Unadkat took two wickets early in Hampshire's reply and the hosts have reached 55-4 at the close. They trail by 189 runs.

  6. Kent 60-1 v Glos 229

    Are we going to see all of the final eight overs?

    The floodlights are on at the St Lawrence Ground now which suggests we might not.

    Sam Northeast tucks Matt Taylor away for a single and moves to 24 not out.

  7. 200 up for Middlesex

    Middx 200-6 v Northants 103

    A nice punch down the ground to the boundary by Ryan Higgins brings up Middlesex's 200.

  8. wicket

    WICKET

    James c Coad b Cliff 33 (Notts 239-8 v Yorkshire)

    A soft dismissal and an eighth wicket does fall for the home side. It's been a poor session for them.

    A fourth wicket for Ben Cliff. This one is a leading edge from Lyndon James and Ben Coad at midwicket certainly will not be dropping those.

  9. Great day for Higgins

    Middx 194-6 v Northants 103

    Middlesex all-rounder Ryan Higgins raising his batShutterstock

    It's been a day that has belonged to Ryan Higgins at Lord's.

    After picking up a four-fer in helping skittle Northamptonshire all out for 103, he is now 73* at the crease, meaning he has now surpassed 6,000 first-class runs.

    Congratulations to the all-rounder.

  10. Warks 111-4 v Leics 125

    Ed Barnard finds the cover boundary to reduce Warwickshire's deficit to 14, but Tom Scriven beats his outside edge with the next ball to show that Leicestershire can still pose a threat in the last few overs of the day.

  11. Get Involved

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    Nice to see Surrey finally remembering how to play cricket, too bad it's the last game.

    Gio, Exeter

  12. Division Two update

    Durham now seemingly content to play for the close at Old Trafford. They are 328-5 with six overs remaining following Emilio Gay's superb innings of 141.

    Ben Compton cuts Matt Taylor for four as Kent move on to 58-1 at Canterbury, replying to Gloucestershire's 229 all out.

  13. Latest from New Road

    Did that carry? The umpire says yes.

    Nick Potts edges Ben Allison to first slip and Ben Gibbon takes the low catch.

    Allison has 4-18 now and Derbyshire are 78-8, 136 in arrears with only two wickets left.

  14. Middx 193-6 v Northants 103

    Unorthodox, but effective.

    Ryan Higgins comes down the track to face Ben Sanderson under the floodlights at Lord's - brave or crazy?

    He flashes at one and gets a thick outside edge but it flies safe of gully region and eventually rolls for four backwards of square.

    Middlesex's lead is up to 90.

  15. 100 runs

    up for Warwickshire

    Warks 100-4 v Leics 125

    Ed Barnard sweeps Ajaz Patel for four and Warwickshire reach 100 in their first innings.

    They trail Leicestershire by 25 runs.

  16. Kent 42-1 v Glos 229

    Poor ball from Matt Taylor. Short. Wide. Ben Compton cuts for four.

  17. wicket

    WICKET

    Weatherley c Clark b Karvelas 15 (Hampshire 49-4 v Sussex 244)

    Hampshire lose their fourth wicket and Sussex might feel they're in the better position here, with about six overs of the day's play left to go.

    Earlier, Sussex posted 244 - having been 124-7 at one stage.

    Ari Karvelas, who starred in last week's win against Nottinghamshire, has his first wicket as Joe Weatherley edges to slip.

  18. Close of play at Sophia Gardens

    Glamorgan 318-3 Essex

    Luke Hemmings
    BBC Sport Wales

    Colin Ingram managed to find three boundaries on his way to 24 not out, while Asa Tribe progressed to an unbeaten 135 as Glamorgan claimed their second bonus point concluding the opening day's play in cruise control.

    Kiran Carlson earlier hit a wonderful 107 before falling to Matt Critchley.

    Essex's bonus point will be a welcome boost for the visitors who appear to be safe as they await the outcome of Leicestershire's appeal.

  19. Close of play at Taunton

    Somerset v Surrey 327-4

    Dan LawrenceGetty Images

    A tough day for Somerset who are not out of the title equation but it felt like their chances were diminishing with every over in that evening session as Dan Lawrence hit the ball to the four corners of Taunton.

    He finished unbeaten on 105, with Ben Foakes his batting partner on 64. Earlier on, Dom Sibley struck 72.

    Somerset have to keep the faith and come back with renewed energy in the morning but Surrey are batting ominously and look intent on putting a big total on the board.

  20. Pick your Championship team of the season

    Ricardo Vasconcelos, Joe Clarke, Craig Overton, Matthew PottsShutterstock

    At around this time every season we give you the chance to vote for your County Championship team of the season.

    The 2025 XI as chosen by you was Haseeb Hameed (Notts), Dom Sibley (Surrey), Tom Abell (Somerset), Marcus Harris (Lancashire), Saif Zaib (Northamptonshire), John Simpson (Sussex), Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), Kyle Abbott (Hampshire), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire), Tom Taylor (Worcestershire), Jack Leach (Somerset).

    But who will make this year's team?

    We opened up the voting page yesterday and if you haven't chosen your XI yet, you can do so by clicking here.

    The final XI will be announced on our website next week.