The final round of matches in the Vitality County Championship get underway on Thursday and while we know who has won the title and one of the promoted teams but there is still plenty to be determined before we close off the campaign.
The ODI series is taking up the TV coverage so disappointingly there isn’t a televised match among this final round of games. The good thing is the home county offers up a perfectly watchable stream to follow the action on.
Division One
We already know that Surrey are the champions for a third season in succession and they begin their title celebrations at Chelmsford where they face Essex. The battle for second place is yet to be decided though with Hampshire two points ahead of Somerset and as luck would have it they meet at Taunton. At the other end of the table we know Kent will be playing Division Two cricket next season and they round off their season away to Durham. Lancashire are currently massive favourites to join them. They have to win away to Worcestershire and hope that it is enough to stay up. That might be unlikely though because the other two teams in the relegation mix are Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire and they meet at Trent Bridge in a contest where a draw is likely to keep both in the top flight.
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Division Two
Sussex are promoted to Division One and they will look to claim the title on home soil this week when they take on Middlesex at Hove knowing that they need just five points to win the Division Two crown. Middlesex begin the week 15 points behind Yorkshire in the race for second spot so they will be eyeing up maximum points from that contest. Yorkshire start the week knowing that 10 points is the magic figure for them to return to the top flight. Their final game is at home to Northamptonshire at Headingley. The other two matches are effectively dead rubbers as the One Day Cup winners Glamorgan host Gloucestershire while Leicestershire meet Derbyshire in the other game.
Betting
Middlesex feel like a big price this week. Sussex only need five points to win the Division Two title and when they have got them you would imagine they will go into full blown party mode and if they don’t get them then Middlesex must have done a bit of a job on them. I guess the one thing which goes against Middlesex is that they have to chase a win and if the weather hinders them they could leave themselves exposed in a situation where they try and set a win up.
Sussex might not care by that point though. They will be delighted to get their hands on the trophy and won’t really care whether they win or lose to get there after the better part of six months of toil. The fact that Middlesex have to win will at least ensure they go hard right until the final ball of this match and if their opponents reel it in among the title celebrations then this Middlesex side should be good enough to take advantage. At 13/10 they feel too big here.
Tips
Back Middlesex to beat Sussex for a 3/10 stake at 2.30 with Boylesports
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