Sunday 25 September 2016 16:03, UK
After a thrilling conclusion to the campaign, Rob Key picks his County Championship team of the season.
Middlesex emerged triumphant from the the tightest of title battles with Yorkshire and Somerset also playing their part in the summer's dramatic finale. But which players from those three counties get the nod?
Read on to see who the makes the cut...
"I think Ben Duckett is such a talent. Whenever someone gets picked for England, you never know whether they have the mental makeup and all of that stuff so you go on their cricketing ability. I played against him a couple of years ago and he got a hundred. When he got to his hundred, I remember thinking 'we've not bowled that badly at him' and he'd smashed us - cut and pulled and just destroyed us.
"He dominates bowling without having to try, that's the big thing. Some batsmen go out thinking they have to be positive and look to smash it but that is just the way he plays. Of all the winter squads I think he is the most exciting pick. If he does well, not only are we going to have a fine player but we're going to have a great player to watch."
"It's the future, isn't? These two at the top of the order. You have Duckett with the way he plays which is a bit more attacking and then Hameed who is more 'your wicket is your life, I'm just here to score runs' player - he is an out and out run-scorer. He just looks like he has been put on this earth to score runs and play for England. Again, if he can deal with the pressures of international cricket then he will be a very, very good run-scorer for England for a very long time."
"Keaton Jennings has outscored all of them and you could have any two of this top three opening the batting. Jennings deserves to be in this side just because of the weight of runs that he has scored. It wasn't so long ago that you would get maybe one or two people scoring 1,000 runs but this guy is top of tree in Division One and up at Durham, which isn't always the easiest place to bat - against the new ball in particular.
"He's a fantastic player. He's in the Lions squad and he could argue - and have a strong case - that he should have been in the full England side in Test cricket."
"Someone I obviously know pretty well. I've got him down as captain as well because I think he is an outstanding captain - he must have had a decent mentor teaching him the ropes, I'd imagine he's learnt from the best which helps! I always find it amazing really that he isn't talked about to play for England. In the last couple of years he's been right up there in every format.
"Again he's an out and out run-scorer, he gets tough runs as well, big runs too. The only criticism I'd have of him this year is that he gets nervous in the 190s so that's not a bad problem to have - him and Tendulkar. Northeast, for me, should be very close to the England squad and in the Lions at the very least, which he isn't.
"The fact that he is playing in Division Two has to be the reason. I can't think of any other reason. But then you would say that Duckett is in there and he is also a Division Two player. Daniel Bell-Drummond is in the Lions squad, he's another fine player so whatever the reason is, I find it strange that Northeast isn't talked about for England, let alone the Lions."
"He's another one that is good to watch, hits a decent ball and he plays every format. I think at Lancashire next year he should be coming up the order a little bit. You see him play and sometimes you get players like this - Joe Root was one, Ben Duckett the same - and they might only get 10 runs but you just think that they've got something special. Livingstone is that for me and I like the fact that he's got a bit about him, he's not shy on the field, it doesn't matter who it is, he's willing to have a pop at you. For me, that shows character and confidence so I like him a lot as a player."
"Just on numbers, really. He doesn't bowl as much now, Tregs. I played with him at Kent, a long time ago now, but this year he has got over 1,000 runs. Taunton hasn't had the same flat, belters they're known for and he can bowl as well. He's not bowled as much but he'd be my fourth seamer and he is in there on sheer weight of runs in a side that has done very well."
"It might be slightly one-eyed picking Kent players, I always feel bad picking mates but Billings is a match-winner. He's a very good 'keeper and is getting better and I think he is just starting to come of age in red ball cricket. He hasn't played that much red ball cricket this year but he has batted five at Kent, which is a good thing. I think there is a massive return on him so I'd have him in my team of the championship because on big occasions he would be the man for me.
"I've not gone for England players because otherwise you'd have Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root, people like that. But of the players who haven't played Test cricket this summer, I'd have Sam Billings. Ben Foakes could also argue he could be in there too."
"Eight is arguably far too low for him, really. He could be batting five, six or wherever. I thought he was an underrated cricketer when he played for England. He was often the undercard to Anderson and Broad - as you would be, they're two of the best bowlers England have ever had - but what a player.
"We've seen him stand up in the most pressure and on the biggest occasion you can get in domestic cricket. He's an outstanding cricketer: an outstanding fielder, an outstanding bowler and he's an even better batsman these days. You could arguably swap him and Tregs - what a player he is."
"I think it always helps having a left-arm spinner because they can chuck it up over the wicket on flat pitches, beat the outside edge of right-handers. Most teams predominantly have right handers so you want someone with that angle. He's had an outstanding season and it's a no-brainer really. I'd imagine anyone who picks a championship team of the year would pick him."
"He's just a very, very good bowler. When you see people who don't bowl 90mph or aren't 7ft, you can think that they're a bit one-dimensional and can only bowling on wickets that are nipping around a bit. But he looks like he's a very good bowler on any surface. I like the fact that he bowls a good length but isn't afraid to throw in the odd bumper and hooping in-ducking Yorker. He's serious bowler."
"The best bowler I have seen this year has been Mark Wood, all day long - he's been unbelievable. But I count him as a full England player and he only came out of that because of injury. He would clearly be in that side for me but he's in the Test side so I've gone for Jake Ball.
"He's similar to Roland-Jones, a similar type of bowler but they both deserve to be in the side. Ball has had an outstanding year, he and Roland-Jones are as good bowlers as you have in English domestic cricket at the moment and deserve to be around that England side.
"Without question, if Broad and Anderson aren't there then Ball and Roland-Jones can come in and do that type of role. The problem is that they have two of England's best ever bowlers ahead of them. There was a time when they'd both be playing now but England have got an abundance of riches with the ball."
