With Surrey confirmed as the 2024 county champions, Kent relegated from Division One, and Sussex promoted to take their spot, one round of Championship fixtures remains?
Despite Somerset's defeat ending their title ambitions, Lancashire are still fighting to avoid their first relegation to Division Two since 2018. They head to New Road with the challenging task of closing a 15-point gap on Nottinghamshire, currently third from the bottom. Meanwhile, Warwickshire, sitting seventh, may find themselves at risk if they repeat last week’s poor performance, where they collapsed in just two days against Essex.
Warwickshire head coach Mark Robinson shared with BBC WM that his team is feeling the disappointment of their recent loss, stating, "There is a lot of hurt in the dressing room after letting people down. We need to pick ourselves up and prepare." Warwickshire need at least five points against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge to prevent Lancashire from overtaking them, even if the Red Rose county secures the maximum 24 points against Worcestershire.
At the top of the table, Somerset, currently third, will need to shake off their recent setback as they host Hampshire, who are two points ahead. A lucrative runners-up position is still up for grabs in this clash.
In Division Two, Sussex require only five points from their home game against Middlesex to officially be crowned champions. However, Middlesex, fresh off a victory over Derbyshire where skipper Toby Roland-Jones took 10 wickets, are eager to continue their winning streak. They have a 15-point deficit to overcome if they hope to snatch the second promotion spot from Yorkshire, who will be facing Northamptonshire.
Roland-Jones, reflecting on his form, mentioned that feeling fresh after playing less cricket during white-ball periods has benefited him in the red-ball matches. “We’ll head to Hove with the same mindset we’ve had all season—focused on winning,” he shared.
Yorkshire, meanwhile, are awaiting confirmation on whether captain Shan Masood will return from Pakistan in time for Thursday’s match, which would be his first appearance in the Championship since June. Head coach Ottis Gibson remains optimistic, telling BBC West Yorkshire Sport, "Everything we aimed for at the start of the year is still within our grasp."