Warwickshire close on title as Somerset hopes fade: county cricket final round, day two – as it happened

Key events

That’s maine done for today. Tanya volition beryllium backmost connected her rightful throne time to telephone the last destination of the 2026 title. Thanks for your institution and comments, it’s been large fun. Goodnight!

Warwickshire adjacent connected title, Kent pb promotion race

Warwickshire made serene advancement towards a ninth region title rubric connected a cloudy time astatine Edgbaston. A hold for autumnal mid-morning atrocious airy successful Birmingham curtailed their advancement concisely successful the archetypal league but skipper Ed Barnard and Sam Hain were arsenic unbothered by the lingering nimbus arsenic they were Leicestershire’s bowlers.

Barnard fell caught down for 88 but Hain was the past antheral retired for 142. Ethan Bamber and Chris Woakes struck successful fading airy to permission Leicestershire 55-3 and inactive adrift by 192 runs. A 3rd two-day triumph successful a enactment was kiboshed by aboriginal evening gloom but Saturday volition surely spot Warwickshire clinch the 2026 trophy.

Somerset’s slim rubric hopes fizzled similar level cider successful Taunton, their nonaccomplishment to instrumentality a 3rd bowling bonus constituent arsenic Surrey amassed 422 meant that Warwickshire tin gully and inactive instrumentality the spoils.

Last season’s winners Nottinghamshire reduced Yorkshire to 179 each retired successful their archetypal innings. Olly Stone sent Jonny Bairstow’s mediate stump for the benignant of cartwheel Simone Biles would beryllium arrogant of arsenic helium took 5 wickets astatine Trent Bridge. However, atrocious quality filtered done successful the day that Stone was injured – reportedly a hamstring – and it was superior capable for him to beryllium instantly withdrawn from the match.

Asa Tribe fell abbreviated of a treble period successful Cardiff but his 184 helped Glamorgan amass 505 successful their archetypal innings against Essex who past collapsed astatine the ft of the upland connected 100 for seven. Sussex are good connected apical of Hampshire astatine Southampton, Jaydev Unadkat’s 5 for 32 saw the location broadside skittled for 128 successful effect to 244.

In Division Two, a defiant period from Ben Compton astatine Canterbury kept Kent’s promotion prospects successful the equilibrium arsenic they made 353 and past took 2 Gloucestershire wickets to permission the visitors 63 runs shy.

Fellow promotion chasers Northamptonshire fought backmost to 249 for 7 against Middlesex but a slender pb of 97 runs volition request to thicken connected the hob if they are to acceptable a challenging chase.

Durham defied immoderate mizzly Manchester upwind and Lancashire’s bowlers to station 493 successful their archetypal innings. Worcestershire are successful power against Derbyshire, wherever a fourth-innings pursuit of implicit 300 already looks retired of reach.

End of Day Two Scores

Division One

Cardiff: Glamorgan 505 v Essex 100-7

Essex way by 405 with 3 wickets left

Utilita: Hampshire 128 v Sussex 244 & 216-5

Sussex pb by 332 with 5 wickets left

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 251 & 55-3 v Yorkshire 179

Nottinghamshire pb by 127 runs with 7 wickets left

Taunton: Somerset 222-3 v Surrey 422

Somerset way by 200 runs with 7 wickets near

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 372 v Leicestershire 125 & 55-3

Leicestershire way by 192 runs with 7 wickets left

Division Two

Canterbury: Kent 353 v Gloucestershire 229 & 61-2

Gloucestershire way by 63 runs with 8 wickets left

Old Trafford: Lancashire 10-0 v Durham 493

Lancashire way by 483 runs with 10 wickets left

Lord’s: Middlesex 255 v Northamptonshire 103 & 249-7

Northants pb by 97 with 3 wickets left

Worcester: Worcestershire 214 & 203-9 v Derbyshire 88

Worcestershire pb by 329 runs with 1 wicket left

Words filed, let’s person a look astatine the adjacent of play scores shall we?

Popping backmost to accidental they did popular backmost connected astatine Edgbaston and it was clip capable for Chris Woakes to pin Steve Eskinazi bang successful beforehand to permission Leicestershire 55-3 erstwhile the airy faded again and this clip it was final, the rubric volition beryllium decided tomorrow.

I’m going to commencement penning up for the 2nd variation present that the enactment has been curtailed here. Will beryllium backmost aboriginal connected for last knockings of time two. Do support chatting beneath the line.

That’s the extremity of the wickets flurry present astatine Edgbaston, the airy is precise atrocious and the umpires instrumentality them off. That could beryllium it for the day. The trophy remains conscionable retired scope for Warwickshire for 1 much night.

Exclusive: Ali Martin is present with maine and helium gets the intel that Olly Stone’s wounded is simply a hamstring. Hopefully it is not overmuch much than a twinge. He took his 50th wicket of the play contiguous and his 5th 5 wicket haul.

Gone and gone! In precise gloomy airy present astatine Edgbaston Ethan Bamber pins Sheridon Gumbs plum lbw and past does Rishi Patel with a ripper than is angled successful and nips distant to buss the disconnected bail. Two wickets successful 3 balls, they can’t bash it tonight, tin they? It mightiness beryllium the atrocious nighttime that puts the kibosh connected different 2 dayer.

Another antheral whose enactment successful Taunton is done, albeit for happier reasons, is Dan Lawrence.

He has been called into the England squad for Sunday’s ODI against Sri Lanka astatine the Oval, Nikhil Gorantla replaces him successful the Surrey side.

Surrey’s Rahul Chahar is sick and has been replaced by Ralphie Albert successful Taunton. Somerset are chipping distant astatine 202-3 with the 50 up for Tom Abell. They inactive way by 199 runs, mind.

Warwickshire person been a spot escaped with the caller shot truthful acold arsenic they hunt the wickets to triumph the title. Sol Budinger has climbed into 3 propulsion shots to abbreviated pitched balls and sent each 1 skittering to the fence.

Westley is gone successful Cardiff! Essex are present successful each sorts of fuss astatine 41-4!

Kent are each retired for 357 astatine Canterbury, they person a pb of 124 runs and request their bowlers to bash the needful to support them successful the hunt for promotion.

Gumbs and Budinger travel retired to unfastened for Leicestershire. Ethan Bamber starts with the caller Dukes… slings 1 down the limb broadside and each the Warwickshire players spell up for a caught down disconnected the archetypal ball! It isn’t out, settee down lads. Tricky batting conditions successful fading airy and the floodlights blaring.

Essex person slipped to 36-3 successful effect to Glammy’s mountainous full successful Cardiff. Zain ul Hassan has conscionable splattered Charlie Allison’s stumps to bring Matt Critchley to the middle.

Right then, Sam Hain is the past antheral retired for Warwickshire astatine Edgbaston. He walks disconnected with 142 runs to his sanction and gets a large manus from the fans and handshakes from the Leicestershire players too. A classy interaction from the visitors.

The pb is 247, present it is simply a lawsuit of wickets v fading light!

Bad News for Olly Stone:

Oh no. This is truthful unfortunate for a bowler who has battled backmost from wounded truthful galore times. Stone has pulled up with thing and it is serious/concerning capable to spot Nottinghamshire substitute him Tom Giles for the remainder of the match.

Tom Abell becomes the 3rd batter successful Div 1 to marque 1,000 runs aft Sam Hain (still going present astatine Edgbaston connected 133*) and Joe Clarke.

Ben Compton has fallen. Six hours and 244 balls aboriginal the opener is retired caught behind. Kent pb Gloucestershire by 97 runs.

Has Dean Elgar played his last innings for Essex? The South African is retiring astatine the extremity of this run and has conscionable fallen astatine Cardiff to Timm van der Gugten. Uh oh! Essex suffer Paul Walter excessively and are successful the mire astatine 6-2 and trailing by a whopping 498 runs.

At Taunton, the Toms Lammonby and Abell person enactment connected 50 runs to borderline Somerset to 147-3, inactive trailing Surrey by a hefty 275 runs.

Tea-time ish scores

Division One

Cardiff: Glamorgan 505 v Essex 2-0

Utilita Bowl: Hampshire 128 v Sussex 244 & 104-2

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 251 v Yorkshire 179

Taunton: Somerset 129-3 v Surrey 422

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 337-8 v Leicestershire 125

Division Two

Canterbury: Kent 326-7 v Gloucestershire 229

Old Trafford: Lancashire 2-0 v Durham 493

Lord’s: Middlesex 255 v Northamptonshire 103 & 165-4

Worcester: Worcestershire 214 & 137-8 v Derbyshire 88

Righto, I’m backmost aft filing for archetypal editions. The players person conscionable travel backmost connected astatine a gloomy again Edgbaston. Ethan Bamber plays a beauteous screen thrust connected the up and there’s much than a whiff of certainty successful the air. Warwickshire pb by 212 runs.

“Slow going” reports Guy Hornsby from Old Trafford.

“but Noman Ali has plugged distant astatine the Brian Statham extremity and bagged himself a five-fer with accurate, probing near limb spin. Rawalpindi it astir surely isn’t, but he’s worked hard today. If Lancashire tin prise retired the past mates here, they’ll get different spell astatine passing 200, thing they’ve lone managed erstwhile successful the past 5 rounds of Division 2 cricket. It’s the anticipation that kills you, etc etc.”

Steady accumulation present astatine Edgbaston arsenic Hain moves into the 90s and the pb is up to 149. I person to constitute an aboriginal study for the insubstantial but volition beryllium backmost aboriginal on. Look aft the spot for me.

Asa Tribe is inactive batting for Glamorgan and closing successful connected a treble century. 186* with the soon to beryllium retired Billy Root astatine the different extremity connected 59.

Jaydev Unadkat puts Sussex firmly successful bid successful Southampton, his 5-32 helps to trim Hampshire to 128 each retired and a shortage of 116 runs.

Barnard drives compactly crossed the Edgbaston turf, some helium and Hain are into the 8os and the pb is 112.

Dan Lawrence has spun the breakthrough astatine Surrey, Josh Thomas missing a consecutive 1 and thunked successful front, Somerset 31-1.

Away from the enactment for a moment. We person to inquire – has KP mellowed? It is casual being him nowadays? Ali has the latest from England’s caller coaching appointment:

The aboriginal signs are encouraging, however, with a acold much relaxed Pietersen said to present beryllium capable to laughter astatine himself erstwhile the piss-taking has flown successful this archetypal fortnight. Co-commentators during his occasional tv enactment accidental the same. And going by his chat with the written media – an manufacture helium precocious wrote disconnected and has not wholly trusted successful the past – helium sounds genuinely energised to signifier a broadside that, beyond Root and Jos Buttler, is learning 50-over cricket connected the job.

I’m 46 now. That worldly is truthful agelong gone,” helium said. “I’m a wholly antithetic idiosyncratic too. I unrecorded successful the countryside. I unrecorded successful South Africa. I emotion doing what I do. I’m conscionable present to assistance Brendon, archetypal and foremost, to assistance the players effort and go the champion versions of themselves.

I’ve been fortunate to person worn each T-shirt that an England cricketer tin wear: the good, the bad, and the unhappy. And truthful determination are parts to each of their careers which I deliberation that I could perchance assistance them to enactment distant from the unhappy.

Most of you guys covered a batch of my career. Morning to nighttime I was relentless successful my pursuit to beryllium the champion mentation of myself. Since that archetypal telephone [from McCullum] came successful I conscionable talked astir the non-negotiables of however I judge each idiosyncratic should unrecorded successful a dressing country and the afloat commitment. How I deliberation we tin get amended arsenic individuals, arsenic a team, and beryllium palmy and consistent.”

The Pears are bruising a small astatine New Road. Worcs person slipped to 62-5 and pb Derbyshire by 188, Abbas, Potts and Reece successful the wickets for the visitors.

Luke Procter has fallen aft luncheon astatine Lord’s – blasted the pigeon fricassee and roasted beetroot quenelles (?) – Northants 75-1

Sunshine peeping done present astatine Edgbaston arsenic Hain and Barnard marque dependable advancement and widen their pb to 75.

Dan Lawrence bowling and getting immoderate crook astatine Taunton. A speedy foray beneath the enactment suggests radical are into it, he’s specified a likeable and unsocial cricketer. I anticipation helium makes his people for England.

Good news! It has brightened up present astatine Edgbaston and the players are emerging from their aboriginal lunch. We’ll beryllium backmost underway pronto.

Someone who is astir apt enjoying their cucumber sandwich/protein shingle is Asa Tribe – he’s inactive connected a 172 reddish astatine Cardiff.

Northants are going good successful their 3rd excavation excessively – they inactive way by 77 runs astatine 75-0 but Vasconcelos and Procter are unbreached.

Lunchtime scores

Let’s instrumentality a whizz astir the grounds:

Division One

Cardiff: Glamorgan 422-4 v Essex

Utilita Bowl: Hampshire 117-8 v Sussex 244

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 251 v Yorkshire 67-3

Taunton: Somerset 1-0 v Surrey 422

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 181-4 v Leicestershire 125

Division Two

Canterbury: Kent 186-3 v Gloucestershire 229

Old Trafford: Lancashire v Durham 423-7

Lord’s: Middlesex 255 v Northamptonshire 103 & 75-0

Worcester: Worcestershire 214 & 50-3 v Derbyshire 88

Olly Stone besides has Adam Lyth successful his backmost pouch astatine Trent Bridge and Yorkshire are present 50-3.

Surrey person finished connected 422 astatine Taunton. Josh Thomas and Tom Lammonby stride retired to unfastened the batting for Somerset’s reply and they volition face… Dan Lawrence’s ‘judderman’ rotation successful the archetypal over!

We are inactive disconnected present astatine Edgbaston though it is brightening up a little. A gaggle of groundstaff loiter successful the mediate and look astatine the sky.

News:

Somerset didn’t get the 3rd bowling bonus constituent astatine Taunton which means that erstwhile if/when Warwikshire get to 250 they volition lone request a gully present to warrant the Championship title.

Bad airy stops play present astatine Edgbaston, I told you it was murky. The upwind forecast isn’t bedewed but determination is simply a awesome for acheronian clouds lurking passim the day. Hmmm. Hopefully it blows implicit soon enough.

The resurgent Olly Stone has nicked disconnected Will Luxton astatine Trent Bridge – Yorkshire 21-1 and 230 down Notts.

Surrey are 378-8 successful Taunton with the non bat owning Dan Worrall astatine the crease alongside Adam Thomas. Lofty heights.

Worrall does ain a guitar though, I saw immoderate clips of him strumming distant connected the bound borderline yesterday with conscionable a hint of David Brent/gap twelvemonth campfire energy...

‘Pretty gurrl connected the hood of a cadillac yeh…’

Grey clouds present astatine Edgbaston and the floodlights are beaming down. Barnard and Hain are untroubled though and person built the pb to an already tricksy 41. A important archetypal innings pb and my moolah could beryllium drifting towards this finishing today…

Hampshire are staring down a important tube astatine the Utilita, Eddie Jack has conscionable been castled by Jaydev Unadkat to permission them 69-6 and trailing Sussex by a whopping 175 runs.

This is bully penetration into Leicestershire’s predicament from BBC Leicester’s Adam Whitty:

Talking to adjunct manager James Taylor past night, what I recovered absorbing was that the Foxes’ relegation (as it stands) was fundamentally ignored - it was arsenic if it hadn’t happened.

They privation to decorativeness successful benignant but are besides assured their entreaty against their 27-point deduction tin beryllium successful. Had they not had that hit, they would beryllium 8 points wide of Essex, and, with 1 bowling constituent each truthful far, inactive would be.

So that volition beryllium their aim. A hammering present and the deduction won’t matter.”

“Hi James”

Well, Procter and Vasconcelos person made dependable advancement to 18-0 … luncheon is inactive a portion disconnected though!

Josh Hull is summoned astatine Edgbaston and helium precise nearly cleans up Barnard with his archetypal transportation that hoops backmost and passes the disconnected stump by the width of a gnat’s eyebrow. Two types of permission arsenic they accidental and that indispensable spell down arsenic a ‘good one’ from the Bears captain.

Nerves successful the Garden? Kent request a minimum of 15 points to summation promotion and person 3 batting points successful the container already. Hang connected though, Langridge gets escaped of Sam Northeast with his archetypal ball!

Muyeye is backmost successful the hutch present excessively arsenic Langridge gets his 3rd wicket!

Kent 97-3 and way Gloucs by 132 runs.

Sam Hain clips disconnected his legs to bring up the 50 concern with his skipper Ed Barnard. Warwickshire’s pb is up to 14 runs.

Elsewhere, Notts are each retired for 251 against Yorkshire.

Dan Lawrence is inactive whipping the boundaries astatine Taunton but Ben Foakes has been pinned LBW by COverton.

Apologies I was conscionable grappling with the Edgbaston media centre wifi. A conflict I tin proudly accidental I person present won. For now.

It’s a murky time successful Birmingham, bowling conditions you’d think, Leicestershire request wickets to halt this pb getting excessively chunky.

Play begins astir the grounds connected time 2 – present are the adjacent of play scores from yesterday:

Division One

Cardiff: Glamorgan 318-3 v Essex

Utilita Bowl: Hampshire 55-4 v Sussex 244

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 242-9 v Yorkshire

Taunton: Somerset v Surrey 327-4

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 130-4 v Leicestershire 125

Division Two

Canterbury: Kent 71-1 v Gloucestershire 229

Old Trafford: Lancashire v Durham 355-5

Lord’s: Middlesex 255 v Northamptonshire 103

Worcester: Worcestershire 214 & 5-0 v Derbyshire 88

Preamble

Hello and invited to time 2 of the last circular of the 2026 County Championship. I’m connected the mode to Edgbaston wherever determination is simply a accidental Warwickshire are crowned today… oregon this being cricket, thing wholly antithetic happens. That’s wherefore we emotion it.

Catch up connected a circular up of yesterday’s enactment below. I’ll station the scores connected the doors and we’ll get into each the talking points.

Please bash get successful interaction and chat distant beneath the line, bask yourselves, it’s aboriginal than you think.

Day One Report:

The champagne is connected crystal successful Warwickshire but astir apt not for overmuch longer. Fourteen wickets fell connected the opening time astatine Edgbaston and 10 of them belonged to relegation scufflers Leicestershire who won the flip successful precocious September sunshine and decided to bat first.

A mates of hours aboriginal and the Foxes were bowled retired for conscionable 125. Baby-faced assassin Ethan Bamber continued his good play with the ball, the 27-year-old took 4 for 42 to spell level with Hampshire’s Kyle Abbott arsenic the starring wicket-taker successful Division One this year. It was the seventh innings successful succession that the Bears person routed their opponents for nether 200. They finished the time 5 runs up with six wickets successful manus and person astatine slightest a fewer digits connected the trophy.

Asa Tribe scored his 2nd period successful successive innings arsenic Glamorgan reached 318 for 3 against Essex successful Cardiff. The bowling constituent Essex picked up is apt capable to spot Leicestershire relegated. An asterisk comes successful the signifier of the entreaty the main enforcement Emma White confirmed the Midlands nine had lodged with the autarkic Cricket Discipline Panel aft they were handed a 27-point deduction for a mediocre transportation successful their lucifer against Glamorgan successful the ninth round.

Any accidental of a Mexican standoff successful the contention for the rubric was de-escalated by Surrey racking up 327 for 4 against second-placed Somerset. Dan Lawrence going to his sixth period of the run with a howitzer six into the stands disconnected Jack Leach. The prima mounting on with Somerset’s hopes of a hoodoo breaking Championship rubric precocious successful the time astatine Taunton.

At Trent Bridge, third-placed Nottinghamshire slipped from a well-placed 172 for 4 to decorativeness connected 242for 9 against Yorkshire and successful the conflict of the southbound seashore Hampshire slipped to 55for 4 successful reply to Sussex’s 244.

In Division Two, Northamptonshire’s hopes of promotion were dashed by the determination to bat archetypal astatine Lord’s, Middlesex’s Ryan Higgins taking 4 for 30 with the shot to skittle the visitors for 103 and past scoring 115 disconnected 124 balls arsenic the location broadside posted 255 successful response.

Kent started the time successful the container spot for the 2nd promotion spot down champions Durham and are 77 for 1 replying to Gloucestershire’s 229 astatine Canterbury.

Emilio Gay scored his 4th ton of the play for Durham arsenic they cruised to 355 for 5 against a beleaguered Lancashire astatine Old Trafford. Worcestershire pb Derbyshire by 131 runs, Ben Allison pocketing 5 for 22 to raze Wayne Madsen’s broadside for 88 successful their archetypal innings.