Somerset v Surrey, Warwickshire v Leics and more: County Championship title race goes to wire – live

Ethan Bamber bowls Sheridan Gumbs with the fourth ball of the day at Edgbaston! It’s a beauty that nips in a touch and beats the outside edge of Gumbs’ textbook forward defence to kiss the off bail! Bamber hares off in delight!

DingDingDingDing! For one last time this ‘summer’ whites clad county players take to the field. Let’s play!

Good news! The weather is set fair around the country with only a small chance of rain coming in a bit later on and only in a few places. That’s a very detailed forecast eh? Schafernaker is safe for now…

Permutations, dear boy, permutations:

Warwickshire have their destiny in their own hands, 14 points will see them crowned Division One Champs. They don’t even have to win outright either, a draw with six bonus points gets the job done.

Somerset are 11 points behind in second place and last year’s winners Nottinghamshire 15 behind.

At t’other end of Div one it is spicy too –

Hampshire are down already, Leicestershire (who are due to appeal their 27 point pitch infraction deduction, say that ten times fast) and Essex are battling to not be the other team relegated to Div 2.

Leics have to beat Warwickshire and scoop some bonus points to realistically have any chance of dropping down and Essex need to not lose to Glammy. It’s all much more complicated than that of course but you don’t need me to tell you that.

Division One

Cardiff: Glamorgan v Essex – Essex win the toss and bowl

Utilita Bowl: Hampshire v Sussex – Sussex win toss and bat first

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire – Yorks win toss and bowl

Taunton: Somerset v Surrey – Surrey win toss and bat first

Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Leicestershire – Leics win toss and bat

Division Two

Canterbury: Kent v Gloucestershire – Kent win toss and bowl

Old Trafford: Lancashire v Durham – Durham win toss and bat

Lord’s: Middlesex v Northamptonshire – Northants win the toss and bat

Worcester: Worcestershire v Derbyshire – Derybshire win toss and bowl

Hello and welcome to the final round of the 2026 County Championship.

Jim here, I’m stepping into Tanya’s red stillettos, yes they have a prominent Dukes seam circling around the toe, for the next two days. Be gentle won’t you?

I’m currently on the rattler up to Edgbaston to see if Warwickshire can get the job done against Leicestershire. A fair few folk in Somerset will be hoping the next few days take a different course.

That’s just at the top of Division One. We’ll have an eye on all of the action across the shires and the comments below the line will be open for your musings, frustrations and exultations.

Join us for all the end of season stories as they unfold. Play starts around the grounds at 10:30am. All aboard!

Helpfully, Tanya and Andy Bull have prepared these excellent scene setters: