Monty Panesar

[David Robertson]

If Hampshire collapse in the morning, I'll send you a fiver

My fresh assessment assumes a comfortable Lancs win. It also assumes that if Warks do win tomorrow, they'll deserve to be Champs; and if they don't, they won't. In other words, this looks like it will be a 'clean' finish with both contenders needing to prove themselves to the last. Will Warks win? Odds must favour it now, but not by much. If Hampshire bat for 96 overs, batting last, that will be some achievement. Of course they may need to bat for only a further 80 overs to set a target beyond Warks reach.

[Mick Norris]

Thankfully Lancs won't fail because of their point deduction for a slow over rate in June

Looks like they will beat Somerset, but can't see Hants hanging on

[Alex Holowczak]

Will Warks win? Odds must favour it now, but not by much. If Hampshire bat for 96 overs, batting last, that will be some achievement.

What's the weather forecast for tomorrow in Southampton? If it rains all day...

[Mick Norris]

Forecast is good for both venues - would be better if the weather didn't intervene

[Malcolm Clarke]

Weather where I live has been fine today with no showers, and none forecast for tomorrow at West End, Southampton where Rose Bowl is located.

Alex makes a good point about the money for unmder 26's, but I am not sure whether it is the only reason. It seems that Wood and Tomlinson (both left arm bowlers) have done quite well, meaning that Cork and Ali have been unable to get their places back, and there have been doubts about the fitness of Simon Jones. Similarly Michael Bates came in when Nick Pothas was injured, and has kept his place.

There can be no doubt as to the fact that Jimmy Adams has had a better record as captain in the county championship than Dominic Cork this season.

I have formed the impression that Alan Richardson and Vikram Solanki have been very consistent performers for Worcestershire this season, probably more consistent then any of the Hampshire players.

[Phil Neatherway]

I was wondering how much live first class cricket has been watched by forumites this season. My tally is:-

day 1 at Taunton, Somerset v India (Strauss got a few, Sachin dropped a sitter)

day 3 at Lord's England v Sri Lanka (our bowling was poor)
day 4 at Rose Bowl England v Sri lanka (Bell and Morgan batted well)

last Sunday's ODI at Lord's.

Only the day at the Rose Bowl escaped the rain.

[Alex Holowczak]

I have formed the impression that Alan Richardson and Vikram Solanki have been very consistent performers for Worcestershire this season, probably more consistent then any of the Hampshire players.

Solanki has 1,148 runs @ 42.51 this season. He has definitely been our best batsman. Otherwise the batting has been quite weak; only Moeen Ali is close to getting 1,000 runs this season, and no one else averages over 35. Solanki is the 11th leading run-scorer in first-class cricket this season.

Richardson has 73 wickets @ 24.42. Gareth Andrew has been fairly reliable, with 52 wickets @ 29.71. Apart from that though, the bowling has been iffy. Saeed Ajmal was good in the three games we had him. Richardson is 3rd in the leading wicket-takers this season, albeit many have better averages.

If anything, the Hampshire batting has been more consistent. There are three batsmen who've had 900+ runs in the season. Batting averages seem a bit healthier than the Worcestershire equivalents. Carberry for example averages 53, but has only played 9 games. Hampshire's bowling has been the big problem. No one has taken more than 40 wickets. The three best bowlers for Hampshire have been Wood, Tahir and Mascarenhas, and they've only managed 24 games between them. So I think injuries, lack of bowling depth, and Worcestershire having Solanki and Richardson to save them have been the key factors in Hampshire's relegation.

[Paul McKeown]

I will be delighted to hear that Middlesex have won Div. 2 later today: there is nothing quite like counting chickens! Great ninth wicket stand for Middx of 172 between Berg and Murtagh helped to take them past 500. Mind you, for a team completely out of touch at the bottom of the league, Leics. are doing their best not to just give it away. Middx. will still have some batting to do after they finally bowl Leics. out.

Ireland won by an innings a couple of days ago in the Intercontinental Cup against Canada, which given that more than half of their regulars are tied up in county matches, goes to show their depth, and the gulf that has developed between Ireland and the other Associates. All the batsmen down to nine got into double figures, including yet another rapid fire century from Paul Stirling. The Irish bowling was very decent with Albert van der Merwe taking five fer in the first innings and eight altogether.

[David Robertson]

I was wondering how much live first class cricket has been watched by forumites this season

Good question. I've been blessed this year, watching more 1st class cricket than I've managed in years. The reason? Lancashire have been playing at Aigburth (pronounced 'egg-buth') just down the road from me while Old Trafford is having its pitch rotated through 90 degrees. It's also made me realise what a shambles the fixture list has become, with June & July dominated by one-day/limited over dross. Oh, and it didn't used to bother me, watching cricket in the cold. Now it does Anyhow, my list (all at Aigburth):

April - four blissful days (in warm sun & fresh Spring leaves); Lancs trounced Zummerzet

May - my first-ever Roses match! Freezing cold & rainy; took a break from ongoing domestic calamities to catch the final day. My lucky break! Lancs won after a frenetic run-chase. Returned home to freezing house and mutinous family (our Aga had conked out and now the central heating boiler had broken too).

June - one day & half in the cold & damp watching Lancs lose to Durham in a drab match

August - the Big One! Long-awaited: all four days of Lancs v. Warwicks. Drawn in a tight finish, but not before I'd seen a world record equalled by Rikki Clarke (seven catches in one innings by an outfielder). A stand of 200 saved Lancs; a last ditch 60 by Ambrose saved Warwicks.

And that's it. Next year, it'll be back to one match per season if I'm lucky

[Kevin Williamson]

Two first class* matches for me this year.

29th June Northants Steelbacks v Worcestershire Royals t20 at Milton Keynes

10th August England v India 3rd Test, Day 1 at Edgbaston

*My companion at the t20 match, a fellow chess player and serious cricket follower may dispute this as a ‘first class’ form of the game. No doubt about the second though. The rain stayed away for (in my opinion) the best day’s play of the series, although Indian fans may not agree.

[Paul McKeown]

I see Middlesex are trying their best to make it look impossible to score 124 to win in the fourth innings. 94/5. Rubbish!

[David Robertson]

What a crazy last day this is becoming! As I write, Lancashire & Warwickshire are trying to out-choke each other. I'd given up on Warwicks at lunchtime, resigned to another Carberry ton and the fact that they simply weren't good enough at the last. But that assumed Lancashire were rolling over Somerset. They still might in a frantic run-chase. But it will be the stuff of legends if they do, after Trego & Kartik's rearguard defiance

[Alex Holowczak]

What a crazy last day this is becoming! As I write, Lancashire & Warwickshire are trying to out-choke each other. I'd given up on Warwicks at lunchtime, resigned to another Carberry ton and the fact that they simply weren't good enough at the last. But that assumed Lancashire were rolling over Somerset. They still might in a frantic run-chase. But it will be the stuff of legends if they do, after Trego & Kartik's rearguard defiance

Trego out for 120, though! Assuming they get the next wicket quickly, Lancashire will need 200 to win in about 1 hour 45 minutes + 15 overs. So that's about 41 overs. So they're still favourites to win the game.

Woakes dismissed Carberry for 111, and Hampshire are 234/4. They lead by 65, with 6 wickets remaining. Warwickshire really need to bowl them out by tea...

[Paul McKeown]

And so Middlesex stumble over the line: Division 2 champions.

[Paul McKeown]

Warks. look as if they are might only draw, who knows what Lancs. are going to do... they might even lose!