Championship decider

[greg]

Looks like Lancashire have blown it against Surrey,Surrey got 427-9dec with Ramps getting yet another ton ending up on 196 and Lancs have been skittled for 234.Surrey haven't enforced the follow on but a defeat for Lancashire looks likely.

Sussex amassed 532 against Worcestershire who are 96-2 at close of play on day 2.

Durham could sneak up on the rails to snatch it and they are well placed against Kent, Kent 212 & 99-3 Durham 321.

A win for Sussex or Durham will see them finish above Lancashire who will surely not win from the position they are in.The chokers have struck again.

[greg]

Durham have beaten Kent,they now want the weather to close in to deny Sussex the chance of the title and it will be theirs to cap a brilliant season for them.

[adamberry]

To be fair to Durham, they've deserved it. The bowling attack on display yesterday was top notch (okay - so Plunkett's still a bit of a pratt, bowling bouncers in bad light). Gibson looked sharp despite his age, leaving a dent in van Jaarsveld's helmet on one occasion. Davies I can now see is a fine bowler, a extra yard of pace and he'd be an England bowler. Onions is pretty good too.

They made the most of the conditions, timing their batting perfectly so that they were all out just as it was clouding over again... and showed a lot of team spirit. My congrats to them, even if the season ended as a bit of a joke to Kent.

And in case you don't know - Durham, requiring 51 to win, faced a bowling attack of, erm... Walker, Key and Geraint Jones, who kept bowling down the leg-side. God knows what Saggers (keeping wicket ) must have felt...

[Moss]

Why the hell were Key and Jones bowling? That just takes the mickey out of the competition. If you're not going to fight to the bitter end with your best bowlers, why bother? Grr.

Anyway, good luck to Sussex, although I do sometimes wonder whether we would get anywhere without Mushy...

[adamberry]

Erm... Key wanted it over and done with by lunchtime?

To be honest I don't believe the result would have been any different, and only one of our bowlers was actually fully-fit coming into this match. And that was Saggers, which makes a change.

As long as Lancashire don't win the title I'm happy. Christmas card is in the post Mr Ramprakash.

[darksideofthemoon]

I don't think Lancs have a chance. I hope Durham win it rather than Sussex.

[Moss]

Good on Lancs giving it a go - Cork looked utterly dejected after his wicket fell.
Hurrah, we won!

And Australia went out of the world cup too, so happy, happy, happy.

[greg]

Cracking effort by Lancs to be fair.

Well done Sussex on winning it.

[engssmoothcriminal]

It's just a shame it takes until the final day of the season for Lancashire to show some ambition. Had they shown similar adventure throughout the season and attempted to turn draws into wins then the long wait for the title may well have ended. They really are not going to win anything under someone as conservative as Chilton.

Still fair play to Sussex on overcoming such a dismal start and like all champion sides coming good at the business end of the season with the indefatigable Mushy to the fore. It'll be very interesting to see how they overcome the loss of the unsung heroes Rana and Montgomery next season.

(So for the second successive year Warwickshire are unbeaten against the county champion. Come back Mark all is forgiven )

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by greg

Cracking effort by Lancs to be fair.

Well done Sussex on winning it.

Yes Sussex deserve the title - it was a good effort by Lanc's - I listened to the Oval match on Radio, and I never thought it would have gone to the wire, a good days cricket that I enjoyed.
Full marks to the Surrey bowlers for sticking at it - at one point it looked like Lanc's would get there, good cricket by both teams.

Well done to the Sussex captain - I wonder if there is a place for him in the England team.(seriously)