One of Somerset, Hampshire and Middlesex to drop on final day
Wednesday 27 September 2017 20:31, UK
Essex celebrated their Specsavers County Championship title in style by beating Yorkshire by 376 runs with a day to spare in Chelmsford.
Sam Cook took 5-20 to help skittle Yorkshire for 74 in their second innings as the champions finished the season unbeaten - Ryan ten Doeschate's men winning 10 of their 14 games as they scooped the trophy for the first time in 25 years.
Yorkshire secured their Division One safety on day one, but their total was their lowest since 1999 as they succumbed in just 29 second-innings overs.
Somerset's charge towards Division One safety was halted by rain in their relegation clash with Middlesex at Taunton.
The visitors had struggled to 40-3 in their second innings, chasing an unlikely target of 345 - James Hildreth earlier completed his 41st first-class century as Somerset extended their second innings to 250-9 before declaring.
With the forecast for Thursday dry, Somerset will hope to secure the win that keeps them in the top flight.
If Somerset triumph, Hampshire will need to avoid defeat to stay up and they face a tense final day after closing on 20-1 at Edgbaston, requiring 259 to beat Warwickshire.
Liam Livingstone took six wickets and notched a half-century as Lancashire closed in on victory in their clash with Surrey at Old Trafford.
Surrey collapsed from 154-0 to 242 all out to leave Lancashire with a victory target of 176 - after bad light stopped play, Lancashire will resume on 132-3 in their bid to finish second in the table.
Surrey batsman Kumar Sangakkara, playing in his last first-class game, received a guard of honour from Lancashire's players on his arrival and finished unbeaten on 35.
