Middlesex claim County Championship title with thrilling victory over Yorkshire at Lord's

Top of the pile: Middlesex are Division One champions
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Standard Sport23 September 2016

Toby Roland-Jones finished the match with a hat-trick as Middlesex pulled off their first county championship title in 23 years in a thrilling 61-run victory over Yorkshire at Lord's.

The Londoners had to hold their nerve to clinch the Specsavers Division One title, as back-to-back champions Yorkshire were bowled out for 178 in pursuit of 240 in 40 overs.

Roland Jones finished with 10 wickets in the match, and took the final one when he bowled number 11 Ryan Sidebottom round his legs.

Middlesex's triumph came amid much disquiet in the west country, where Somerset needed a draw at HQ for a first title in their 125-year history and were seething over the declaration bowling which set up Yorkshire's target.

But at Lord's, the home cheers drowned out any qualms being voiced 150 miles away in Taunton.

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Roland-Jones told Sky Sports 1 following the win: "It's an unbelievable feeling.

"I think we set them a pretty good chase, at different stages they looked like they were going well and to finish like that, yeah an unbelievable feeling.

"We've played Twenty20s in front of a packed house here but it was pretty special here today. I'm sure that will remain long in the memory."

He added: "There's been so much hard work that's gone in over the last five years, barring one dip we should have been on an upward curve, so to finish it off like this...I'm sure we'll enjoy it tonight."

Middlesex prevailed despite Tim Bresnan's brilliant match for Yorkshire, Roland-Jones (six for 54) and Steven Finn bowling with great discipline.

Dawid Malan (116) earlier had to earn his 203-ball hundred in a second-wicket stand of 198 with first-innings centurion Nick Gubbins (93), before others' runs came cheaply when Yorkshire resorted to declaration bowling to achieve the agreed target.

Middlesex's 359 for six left the visitors a six-an-over run chase - and although Bresnan (55) augmented his own first-innings hundred, it proved too much.

Elsewhere on the last day of the season, Hampshire's bid for a second successive great escape from relegation failed.

Victory over Durham would have saved Hampshire, who stayed up so narrowly last summer, and send down Lancashire instead after the Red Rose's defeat against Warwickshire.

But it was not to be, as Durham won by six wickets after Hampshire declared on 245 for nine at the Ageas Bowl.

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