Wednesday 9 September 2015 19:50, UK
Yorkshire have retained the LV= County Championship title after dismissing Middlesex for 106 on the opening day of their Division One match at Lord's.
Second-placed Middlesex needed to score 350 to maintain any hope of catching the runaway leaders and Yorkshire's success was confirmed when third-placed Nottinghamshire were bowled out for 204 in the first innings of their match against Durham.
Yorkshire's three bowling bonus points and the failure of Middlesex and Notts to pick up maximum batting points - they claimed zero and one respectively - therefore ensured they became the first side to retain the crown since Durham in 2009.
Yorkshire, who went into the game with a 43-point lead over Middlesex, made a sensational start at Lord's with Ryan Sidebottom capturing three wickets in his first over to reduce the hosts to 0-3 and also taking him past the milestone of 700 first-class wickets.
The veteran left-arm seamer trapped Paul Stirling with his third ball before having Nick Compton caught behind by Andy Hodd two balls later.
Dawid Malan's off stump was uprooted with the final delivery of the over as he became the third batsman to fail to trouble the scorers and, although Sidebottom was unable to complete his hat-trick, he then dismissed debutant Stevie Eskinazi for four in his third over with Adam Lyth taking the catch at second slip.
Neil Dexter and Sam Robson briefly repelled the onslaught by adding 30 for the fifth wicket before Tim Bresnan made his mark by removing both of them, Dexter caught by Hodd for 18 and Alex Lees pouching Robson at first slip for 26 to leave Middlesex on 55-6.
Skipper James Franklin and John Simpson were able to add a further 37 for the seventh wicket, but the latter's resistance - he hit a quickfire 28 from 22 balls - was ended by spinner James Middlebrook with the final ball before lunch with Hodd taking his third catch behind the stumps.
Franklin was unbeaten on 12 at the interval but he failed to add to his score when play resumed as Bresnan struck again when the New Zealander was caught by Jack Leaning.
Toby Roland-Jones followed his captain back to the pavilion three balls later, leg before to Bresnan to give the all-rounder figures of 4-30.
It was left to Sidebottom to finish off the Middlesex innings, completing his five-for (5-18) by demolishing the stumps of Tim Murtagh (three) to secure Yorkshire their three bowling points and leave Middlesex without any batting points.
Yorkshire closed on 238-9 in reply for a lead of 132, although they had looked set for a much higher total at 129-2.
That was when Lees and skipper Andrew Gale were going well but the former's dismissal, lbw to Stirling (1-11), checked their charge and the remaining batsmen were unable to get going.
Gale, who was denied lifting the trophy last year owing to a two-game ban, held the innings together, though, before falling just two short of a century when he was caught by Robson at second slip off the bowling of Dexter after a 110-ball knock which featured 10 fours.
Dexter led the way for the home attack with 3-24, while Roland-Jones took 3-70 and Murtagh 2-65.
Graham Onions, on his 33rd birthday, was the chief destroyer for Durham against Notts at Trent Bridge with figures of 5-56, while Chris Rushworth (2-15) and Barry McCarthy (2-51) both picked up two wickets apiece.
The hosts slumped to 73-7 just after lunch but an eighth-wicket partnership of 92 between Steven Mullaney (63) and Luke Wood (65 not out) gave their final total of 204 some respectability.
Durham, however, found batting much easier and closed on 174-2 following half-centuries from Mark Stoneman (62) and Scott Borthwick (56no).
Stoneman put on 78 for the first wicket with Jack Burnham before the 18-year-old was run out for 31 by a direct hit from Wood after he had slipped over.
Somerset captain Marcus Trescothick celebrated his new one-year contract with the county with an unbeaten 67 to put his side in a strong position in their crucial relegation clash with Hampshire at Taunton.
The visitors, who started the day five points adrift of seventh-placed Somerset, made a decent start after being put in with Michael Carberry (59) and James Vince (60) guiding them to 117-1 after Jimmy Adams was run out for seven.
However, the former's dismissal by Jamie Overton, caught behind by Luke Ronchi, sparked a steady stream of batsmen back to the pavilion as Hampshire slumped to 240 all out.
Liam Dawson did make a defiant 48 before he was last man out when he was bowled by Overton who finished with figures of 4-37, while Jim Allenby took 3-54.
However, the headline of the innings for Somerset was the seven catches taken by Ronchi which equalled a record for the county.
The only previous Somerset wicketkeeper to have claimed seven victims in a first-class innings was Rob Turner against Northamptonshire at Taunton in 2001.
Trescothick and opening partner Tom Abell (70 not out) then turned the screw for the home side in the final session with an unbroken century partnership as they closed on 147-0, just 93 behind.
