By ECB Reporters Network
Surrey secured back-to-back LV= Insurance County Championship titles after nearest rivals Essex were bowled out cheaply by already-relegated Northamptonshire.
Essex began the third day of the final round needing to reach 400 in their first innings at Wantage Road if they were to achieve enough bonus points to keep their title hopes alive.
Essex could, however, only muster 211 – giving up a first-innings lead of 158 runs in the process – as they lost 86 for six in the morning session.
It meant that Surrey, who themselves gave up a first-innings lead at Hampshire, were officially crowned Division One champions for a second successive year.
Surrey had been bowled out for 207 on a rain-interrupted third morning at The Ageas to trail Hampshire by 12 runs and give Essex the slightest hope of overhauling the 20-point deficit they started the round with.
But any lingering Essex ambition was quickly extinguished by the economical Ben Sanderson and Luke Procter, who claimed three wickets apiece, before Tom Taylor bowled last a Jamie Porter to hand the title to Surrey.
Essex were then asked to follow on with former England captain Alastair Cook opening the innings in what could be his last professional match. Cook’s Essex contract expires at the end of the season, albeit England Men’s record Test run-scorer has made no announcement on his future.
