Toby Roland-Jones' title-winning hat-trick continues our Christmas countdown
Thursday 22 December 2016 06:05, UK
It is a moment to savour for Middlesex fans as our Christmas countdown continues with Toby Roland-Jones sealing the county's first title in 23 years in fine style.
Going into the final round of fixtures in County Championship Division One, three teams remained in with a chance of topping the table and, with just seven overs to play, that was still the case.
Somerset, third in the table going in the last round of games, had already won their match against Nottinghamshire while the top two - Middlesex and Yorkshire - were doing battle at Lord's. If either could force a win, they would be crowned champions with a draw handing the title to Somerset.
It all came down to 42 balls. Yorkshire needed 68 to win, Middlesex needed four wickets and Somerset could only hope that neither were successful. Enter Roland-Jones.
The seamer had Azeem Rafiq caught behind with the final ball of a tight over and after Steven Finn bowled Steven Patterson with the last ball of the next, Middlesex had five overs to take two wickets.
Roland-Jones needed just two, first knocking back Andrew Hodd's off stump and then completing the hat-trick by bowling Ryan Sidebottom behind his legs.
Roland-Jones' three in three won out in the end but competition for the No 3 spot in our Christmas list was fierce with Jonny Bairstow's three Test tons and James Anderson, the third England player to get a king pair in a Test match, just missing out.
Enjoy a cracking Christmas with Sky Sports as we bring you continued live coverage of South Africa's Test series against Sri Lanka and the ODIs between New Zealand and Bangladesh with the white-ball leg of England's tour to India to follow in January.
