County Cricket

Northamptonshire secured their promotion to the top-flight for 2014 as Essex flopped miserably at Southampton.

The opening day of the final round of matches in this season's LV= County Championship saw relegation candidates Derbyshire hold their own against Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire take the upper hand in their key match against Somerset.

The final round of the LV= County Championship is set to get underway tomorrow to bring the 2013 season to a close.

Nottinghamshire were crowned Yorkshire Bank 40 champions at Lord's by beating underdogs Glamorgan by 87 runs in the final.

The final day of matches in the penultimate round of this season's LV= County Championship saw much decided, with Surrey relegated, Yorkshire securing second, Lancashire crowned Division Two champions and Northamptonshire within spitting distance of promotion.

Durham were crowned County Champions amidst the showers on another rain-hit day in the LV= County Championship's 19th round. Elsewhere, Northamptonshire and Essex advanced their promotion hopes, while Surrey contrived to set up a run chase at Edgbaston.

The top of Division One of the LV= County Championship went a long way towards being settled today, with the likely finishing order now Durham, Yorkshire and Middlesex. The former are probably about 90 minutes away from securing the title, while Yorkshire have taken control over Middlesex. Elsewhere, Essex, Hampshire and Surrey enjoyed good days, while promotion hopefuls Northamptonshire struggled against Kent.

Rain ruined much of the opening day action in round 19 of the LV= County Championship, but it wasn't able to prevent Durham's inexorable march towards the title.

We preview the penultimate round of LV= County Championship games in which leaders Durham host relegation-threatened Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire host Middlesex.

Despite the 18th round of the LV= County Championship being somewhat rain-affected, it still managed to produce several results that could prove critical come the end of the season.

Matches in the LV= County Championship were again heavily affected by the English autumnal weather, with day three of the fixture at Lord’s between Middlesex and Nottinghamshire seeing no play at all due to rain.

Essex, Lancashire, Hampshire, Yorkshire, Somerset and Nottinghamshire all enjoyed good second days to their eighteenth round LV= County Championship matches as the rain largely stayed away to allow more play than was the case on day one.

Rain affected every single one of the day's LV= County Championship matches to some degree. What play there was saw the batsmen struggle for fluency for the most part, with Surrey finding it particularly hard going in their relegation clash at Taunton.

Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale tells us in this cricket video how proud he is to play for the White Rose county and to captain the side.

A preview of tomorrow's games in the LV= County Championship.

Nottinghamshire's seamers made the most of some good bowling conditions and some poor Somerset batting to ease their side into the Yorkshire Bank 40 final.

Former England captain and Middlesex batsman Andrew Strauss says that his former county are now a force to be reckoned with following an excellent 2013 county campaign.

Using the latest stats from Opta, see if you can beat the bookies and make a winning bet on the penultimate round of the LV= County Championship fixtures.

Former Yorkshire batsman and international umpire Dickie Bird confidently predicts that the White Rose county will win this year's LV= County Championship.

Derbyshire once again lifted themselves out of the LV= County Championship Division One relegation zone; this time following a thrilling win over Somerset at Taunton.