Lancashire win County Championship



Lancashire pipped Warwickshire to the LV= County Championship title with victory over Somerset at Taunton on a dramatic final day.

Openers Stephen Moore and Paul Horton made 71 and 55 respectively as the Red Rose County, needing 211 to win, reached 213 for two to victory by eight wickets.

Warwickshire continuing the day as favorites, needing just to match Lancashire's result to take the crown, but they were frustrated by Hampshire at the Rose Bowl as the match ended in a draw.

Meanwhile, Middlesex were promote from Division Two as champions after they won at Leicestershire.

Steven Croft, who hit an unbeaten 40, and Karl Brown, who made 33 not out, guided Lancashire home.

The visitors had a minor wobble when they lost both openers, who had put on a stand of 131, in successive overs, but by then the hard work had been done.

Lancashire, who last won the County Championship outright in 1934, had earlier dismissed Somerset for 310, Simon Kerrigan finally removing Peter Trego for 120.

Warwickshire started the day needing seven wickets to finish off the Hampshire innings, but following on the hosts reached 327 for seven when the match was declared a draw.

Michael Carberry and Neil McKenzie were the Bears' tormentors in chief as Carberry made 111 before falling lbw to Chris Woakes, while McKenzie hit a magnificent unbeaten 115.

Chris Metters removed Sean Ervine and Michael Bates in successive balls to reduce Hampshire from 316 for five to 316 for seven, but it was too little too late.

Elsewhere in the top flight, Sussex needed little more than an hour to wrap up victory over Nottinghamshire by an innings and five runs as the home side collapsed for the second time in the match.

Resuming on 103 for four and needing 74 runs at the start of the day to force Sussex to bat again, Nottinghamshire lost their last six wickets for 54 runs in 11.3 overs.

Seamer Naved Arif picked up a Championship-best four for 41 and, despite some lusty blows from tail-ender Luke Fletcher, who hit three sixes and three fours before he was last out for 39, the game was finished by 11.40.

Durham sealed a 151-run victory over Worcestershire after dismissing the visitors for 213 in their second innings as they chased an unlikely 365 for victory.

James Cameron was Worcestershire's top scorer with 47, while Scott Borthwick and Ian Blackwell took three wickets apiece for Durham.

Middlesex clinched the Second Division title with a five-wicket win over rock-bottom Leicestershire at Grace Road.

Chasing just 124 for victory, Middlesex made heavy weather of the pursuit before reaching 127 for five, England captain Andrew Strauss with 30 at the top of the order.


Glamorgan finished their campaign in Division Two on a high with an eight-wicket victory over Kent at Canterbury.

Kent had looked set for a heavy defeat at the start of play, when they resumed their second innings on 148 for five, still needing another 38 runs to make Glamorgan bat again.

They staged a recovery of sorts to reach 312 all out, but Alviro Petersen cracked an unbeaten 70 from just 54 balls as Glamorgan raced to their 127-run victory target, reaching 129 for two.

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