So when the music stopped it was Middlesex who were left without a seat at the first division table next season. From champions yesterday they were rolled over in fairly short time at Taunton and then endured a five hour wait while the wooden spoonists tried to bowl out Hampshire. Shortly after lunch, when Hampshire lost three quick wickets, their hopes of survival must have been raised but obdurate defence from Vince and Dawson saw Hants almost to safety, safety ensured by Holland and Berg. By 5:
30 Middlesex knew they could look forward to trips to Derby, Chester le Street and Grace Road next year and could rue even more the loss of two points for a slow over rate in the match abandoned when Kennington's answer to William Tell decided to take a hand.
Not only Middlesex could look back and lament that the season had been at the mercy of such narrow margins. Yorkshire who sighed with relief as early as Monday, a sigh so deep it left them without the breath to stand up to the Essex attack on Wednesday afternoon , can look back more than three months to June and their victory by three runs over Somerset, three months in which they have won just one championship match, last week's nerve jangler against Warwickshire. On that Monday afternoon Ballance's persistence with Lyth's spin finally paid off when Jamie Overton miscued to Carver at mid wicket and the white rose men trousered 16 points. If Overton had middled that delivery Yorkshire would have lost and finished the season with 132 points thus keeping the bears company in the bottom two.
Such has been the competition to avoid relegation in the last month that all the sides involved, and third placed Surrey were not safe until last week, could probably point to some turning point, inclement weather, a bad lbw decision, five penalty points for the ball hitting the helmet,etc etc which might have gone for or against them and when two points cover four teams such events can make or mar a season. Thus Hampshire survive again, this year by two points, last year by courtesy of the ECB and in 2105 again by two points. It is nine years since they finished above sixth in Division 1.
In the second division Notts, another 'tomb raider' club, finally overcome their jitters thanks to a partnership between the retiring Chris Read and Root the younger and left Northants in third place. Leicestershire held on to the wooden spoon and Durham handicapped by a 48 point deduction could do little better. The season at The Riverside has seen its share of exciting finishes and the loss of Coughlin, Onions and Jennings has been to some extent offset by the emergence of Steel at the top of the order and in the last few weeks signs that Clark might be fulfilling his potential. The return of Will Smith, who has been kept out of the Hampshire side by Kolpaks, has amongst a small number of members I have canvassed received a lukewarm reception.
My season is not quite over but a weekend away rules out my attendance at Arthington until Saturday week at the earliest so my next posting will probably be an appropriate time to sum up my season's watching.
Dashing off to Teesdale, will caption this photo on return.
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