We are set for one of the closest title races in the recent history of the Rothesay County Championship with the top six teams in Division One separate by just 11 points, while Surrey and Yorkshire – with their proud histories – still retaining hope of a late run with six rounds to play.
There’s plenty of interest in Division Two as well where, while Durham have opened up a gap at the top, there is a five-team battle behind them for the second promotion place - just 22 points separate those teams.
It’s one of the most unpredictable seasons with every chance a county makes an unexpected late run so, rather than try and look all the way to the end of the season, we’ve highlighted 10 games in the next three rounds that loom as pivotal in the title and promotion races. Ahead of the final three rounds we’ll assess again as excitement builds around what promises to be a season to remember.
August 20-23: Somerset v Essex @ Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Could this be the season that Somerset finally break through for an historic first Rothesay County Championship title? They sit second heading into the final six rounds, albeit their only win in their past five games was against champions Nottinghamshire. Essex are a team in form, having won three of the past four, but will definitely be without Jordan Cox on England duty. Sam Cook will also be with the national team at Headingley, although his place in the starting XI is not yet confirmed. Somerset welcome Tom Abell, Division One’s third-leading runscorer, back from the hand injury that ruled him out of the two mid-summer rounds, but they are set to be without Alfie Ogborne (back) and Thomas Rew (ankle) for the remainder of the season while Tom Banton (thigh) is unlikely to play before England white-ball duty. Somerset fans will well remember the final-round rain-affected draw with Essex at home that decide the 2019 title and this game looms as similarly pivotal.
August 20-23: Surrey v Nottinghamshire @ The Kia Oval
Last year this game was pretty much the title-decider as Notts won a thriller by 20 runs on the back of Josh Tongue’s eight wickets. Tongue is now very much an England regular and anything but a win for Surrey would complicate their title ambitions as they sit 25 points behind table-toppers Notts. Surrey aren’t helped by England call-ups with Matthew Fisher, Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson and Dan Lawrence in the squad for first two Rothesay Tests against Pakistan. Add to that England’s desire to give Sam Curan opportunity when fit and this really looms as a must-win for Surrey. Notts won by an innings over Essex last time out with spinner Liam Patterson-White claiming nine wickets – it will be interesting to see how much a factor spin is after a dry summer during the run-in. Notts have the attack to keep taking 20 wickets despite Fergus O’Neill’s return to Australia.
August 2023: Warwickshire v Sussex @ Edgbaston
With six of the top seven teams all playing each other in the first round back, this clash at Edgbaston is another hugely important match to set the tone for the run-in. The Bears have lost just once all season way back in April but that was that was at the hands of Sussex by five wickets on the south coast. New signings Jack Leaning and Tom Price were the match-winners as they shared an unbroken 144-run partnership to get Sussex to a victory target of 328. India spinner Manav Suthar will still be in Test duty in Sri Lanka for the Bears who have drawn four of their past five. Sussex lost to south-coast rivals Hampshire last time out when they were bowled out cheaply in both innings.
August 20-23: Middlesex v Kent @ Merchant Taylors’ School
Kent are the form team of the Rothesay County Championship with four wins from their past five games since suffering their only defeat of the season by an innings at New Road. The most recent of those was a 49-run win over Middlesex who are 18 points behind and know they can ill afford to lose to the south-west county again. Matt Milnes’ five wickets bowled them to victory in Canterbury, as Middlesex managed only 181 in the fourth innings, after Max Holden had himself hit 182 in their first innings.
August 27-30: Northamptonshire v Kent @ cinch County Ground, Northampton
Northamptonshire’s hopes of a return to Division One could rest heavily on their performances in a two-week block when they host Kent and Durham – the two counties above them. Darren Lehmann’s team started the season with three draws, but they’ve had results in their past five since – including three wins. Two of those were against last-placed Gloucestershire so a statement win against a high-profile rival in that fortnight would be massive. Kent on the other hand can set their promotion push up knowing their final four games after this one are against the four counties in the final four places on the Rothesay County Championship table.
August 27-30: Warwickshire v Nottingham @ Edgbaston
When these two sides met earlier this season Nottinghamshire racked up 537 for seven after being asked to follow-on. It was the type of backs-to-the-wall performances that titles are built upon as skipper Haseeb Hameed and Kyle Verreynne both made centuries. Warwickshire sit just five points behind and can point to four draws from their past five games and know getting full points more often during the run-in will be vital. The fitness of Sam Hain, who dug in for a draw at Scarborough in June, will be important after he was ruled out of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with an injury suffered in their opening game.
August 27-30: Glamorgan v Hampshire @ Sophia Gardens
Glamorgan are the form team of Division One having won three of their past five games. They begin the run-in with matches against relegation-threatened Leicestershire and then this home clash with Hampshire – when two wins could further belief they are capable of winning the title in their first season back in the top-flight after two decades. They will be without teen sensation Tom Norton who suffered a back injury but are ably led by Kiran Carlson who has led them to a couple of Metro Bank One-Day Cup titles. Hampshire are unbeaten in their past three and last time out beat south-coast rivals Sussex. Veteran seamer Kyle Abbott is their key man having claimed 19 wickets in their two wins this season.
August 27-30: Derbyshire v Middlesex @ OurCoop County Ground, Derby
Derbyshire have won three of their past four and, as they look to maintain that promotion form, host both Durham and Middlesex in their first two games of the run-in. With an 18-point gap behind second-placed Kent they know the importance of these two fixtures if not just to keep in touch with the promotion race. Ben Aitchison has been a revelation this season highlighted by a debut first-class century and a career-best eight-wicket haul when these sides met at Lord’s in May – which earned him the Player of the Round honour. Middlesex’s three wins this season have come against Worcestershire, Lancashire and Gloucestershire – the bottom three – but start the run-in level with Derbyshire on 99 points. Skipper and former Derbyshire batter Leus du Plooy is the second leading runscorer in Division Two while teenager Caleb Falconer showed his quality with a half-century in both innings for the PCC Select XI against Pakistan earlier this month.
September 2-5: Somerset v Glamorgan @ Cooper Associate County Ground, Taunton
This was arguably the game of the season so far when these two met in Cardiff earlier this summer. Norton, then 18, became the youngest ever first-class debutant to claim a hat-trick before nightwatchman Ryan Hadley faced 231 balls for his maiden half-century as Glamorgan snuck home by two wickets chasing 285. Former Somerset batter Sean Dickson also added a valuable 76. If either county was to lift the title this summer it would be a story for the ages and this match looms as critical to both their hopes. Somerset go to relegation-threatened Leicestershire and Yorkshire in their two matches after this one, before hosting Surrey in the final round as they seek that elusive first title. Glamorgan have looked assured on their return to Division One under Richard Dawson but will be without their two heroes from the reverse fixture in Norton (back) and Hadley (return to Australia) for the last block of games.
September 2-5: Northamptonshire v Durham @ cinch County Ground, Northampton
Durham are the runaway leaders in Division Two with a 32-point gap ahead of second-placed Kent (Northants are two points further back). The Division Two title looks to be heading to the north-east with Durham the only unbeaten county in the Rothesay County Championship. Despite that there is no sign of complacency from coach Ryan Campbell’s team as they aim to get back to where a squad of their calibre should be in the top-flight. Matthew Potts and Ben Raine both sit top of the wicket-taker’s list with 41 each while David Bedingham is the leading runscorer in Division Two. Bedingham struck a century as Durham beat Northants by six wickets last time out, when a certain Ben Stokes was also on hand as he hit 95. Northants opener Ricardo Vasconcelos had hit 187 to initially give his side the advantage in that match and they will be boasted by India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal for the run-in.