County Cricket

News of contract extensions for Chris Tremlett and four Worcestershire players, as well as the possibility of Niall O'Brien signing for Leicestershire.

Plus all the rest of the county news from the past week, including news of contract extensions for players at Kent, Surrey and Glamorgan.

We round-up all of the latest news from the county circuit in our regular County Cricket Round-Up feature.

Sussex's Scott Styris has rewritten the history books in sensational style in winning this year's Walter Lawrence Trophy, awarded for the fastest hundred of the season, with a 37-ball century. Styris smashed no fewer than 9 sixes and 5 fours in his unbeaten hundred against Gloucestershire in the Friends Life t20 quarter-final at Hove, making it the fastest ever century - from balls faced and non-contrived bowling - in the history of the competition.

It was Hampshire and not Warwickshire who won the county double in 2012 thanks to their thrilling last-ball win in the Clydesdale Bank 40 final at Lord's. Needing just seven to win from the final over, Warwickshire were favourites, even more so when Neil Carter - in his last match - hit the penultimate ball for four to bring the scores level. However, Kabir Ali delivered a low full-toss just outside off-stump which Carter missed and Michael Bates, who had kept superbly all day, whipped off the bails and yanked a stump out of the ground for good measure.

Derbyshire finally won their first silverware since 1993 by successfully chasing down the 196 that they needed to beat Hampshire to win the LV= County Championship Division Two title. Elsewhere, Warwickshire had to show all of the resolve that they had shown to win the LV= County Championship to hold off Nottinghamshire on the final day at Trent Bridge.

Glamorgan's win over Kent late on the third day at Cardiff means that it is Derbyshire and Yorkshire who will be replacing Lancashire and Worcestershire in Division One for next season. Worcestershire themselves, meanwhile, ended their disappointing season on a new low by slumping to an innings defeat at Taunton that secured Somerset second position in the Division One table.

There were differing fortunes for the three LV= County Championship promotion hopefuls on the second day of the final round of matches. Rain played a role at Derby, while Robert Croft was Kent's destroyer at Cardiff. At Taunton, Marcus Trescothick and Nick Compton ensured that Somerset more than capitalised on Abdur Rehman's first day heroics with a century apiece against Worcestershire.

All three of the sides vying for promotion to Division One of next year's LV= County Championship found the going relatively tricky on day one of the final round of matches in this year's competition. Elsewhere, there was a superb display of spin bowling from Abdur Rehman at Taunton.

The penultimate round of the LV= County Championship last week decided all of the main positions in Division One, with Warwickshire confirmed as champions and Lancashire and Worcestershire the two sides relegated. However, Kent's defeat of Derbyshire threw the race for Division Two promotion wide open, while Gloucestershire's win over Northamptonshire made the battle to avoid the wooden spoon a three-way one. We take a look at all of the permutations and team news ahead of the final round of matches.

Lancashire,s failure to chase down the 304 for that they needed to beat Middlesex, coupled with Surrey's win over Nottinghamshire, was enough to send the county champions down into Division Two for 2013 less than 12 months after they won their historic title.

Warwickshire were crowned LV= County Champions a little after lunch on third day at New Road as they bowled Worcestershire out for 209 in their second innings to win by an innings and 202 runs. Chris Wright took the last three wickets to fall to end with figures of four for 65, while Keith Barker and Boyd Rankin took two each today.

Warwickshire won their seventh ever County Championship title by bowling Worcestershire out for 209 in their second innings midway through the third day at New Road, to complete victory by an innings and 202 runs. Alan Richardson was bowled by Chris Wright to wrap up the win that had looked inevitable ever since Worcestershire were bowled out for just 60 early on day one.

Warwickshire need eight more wickets tomorrow to secure the 2012 Championship title with a round of matches still to play. They racked up 471 for eight before declaring on the second day at New Road to take a monumental first innings lead of 411 against Worcestershire.

Title favourites Warwickshire went a long way towards clinching the crown with a round of matches still to play by bowling out a hapless Worcestershire for just 60 on day one at New Road. Chris Wright and Keith Barker each ended with five wickets as the visitors needed just two bowlers to dismiss the home side for their lowest first-class core since 1971.

Sussex have announced that Zimbabwe-born batsman Murray Goodwin will not be returning to the club for the 2013 season. Goodwin has endured a disappointing 2012 season, with a return of just 267 runs from 13 matches at an average of 13.35 in the Championship. He has fared better in one-day cricket and averaged almost 33 in the Friends Life t20.

The penultimate round of the LV= County Championship will get underway tomorrow, with everything still to play for. Warwickshire could wrap up the title over the next four days if results in their match and elsewhere go their way, while the battle for promotion is hotting up in Division Two, with the three teams battling for the second promotion place separated by just six points. Full previews and team news for each fixture are below.

There were wins for both visiting teams in today's Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-finals at Hove and Old Trafford. Hampshire and Warwickshire both ran out comfortable winners and will meet in the final at Lord's on 15th September.

Warwickshire will go into the final two rounds of LV= County Championship matches with a 22-point lead over their nearest challengers Sussex following their draw against third-placed Nottinghamshire today. In Division Two, Yorkshire and Kent leapfrogged Hampshire after benefiting from declarations at Scarborough and Grace Road.

When people look back at this year's Championship battle in a couple of week's time they might pinpoint today as the day when Warwickshire secured the title. At Edgbaston, the Bears piled up 504 for six against their main rivals Nottinghamshire before declaring and reduced the visitors to 188 for four at stumps.