Warwickshire were confirmed as 2026 County Championship winners on the final day of the season, sealing the title with an innings-and-79-run victory over Leicestershire at Edgbaston. Tom Abell scored a triple century for Somerset at Taunton, finishing on 307 as the season drew to a close.
Warwickshire seal the title
Warwickshire bowled out Leicestershire for 168 in their second innings after posting 372 in their first, completing victory by an innings and 79 runs to clinch the Championship. Chris Woakes and Ethan Bamber were pictured smiling as they held the County Championship trophy after the match.
Elsewhere in Division One, Yorkshire beat Nottinghamshire by one wicket at Trent Bridge, with Jonny Bairstow the hero. Sussex defeated Hampshire by 197 runs at Utilita, while Worcestershire beat Derbyshire by 175 runs at New Road.
Abell's triple century
Tom Abell scored a first triple century for Somerset at Taunton, hitting 30 fours and eight sixes from 402 balls across nearly nine hours of batting. He was dismissed for 307, caught at long on aiming for the rope, finishing one run short of Joe Clarke in the leading run-scorers list for the season.
Abell became the eighth Somerset cricketer to make 300 in an innings, after Justin Langer (twice), Tom Banton, Viv Richards, Jimmy Cook, Graeme Smith, Harold Gimblett and James Hildreth. In partnership with Lammonby and Pretorius, he set all-time Somerset records for the fourth and ninth wickets in the same innings.
Final day results
Glamorgan drew with Essex at Sophia Gardens after just 21 balls were possible on a damp day, with Glamorgan finishing sixth in their return to Division One. Essex survived a terrible end to the season to finish eighth, 25 points clear of Leicestershire, but will wait on the result of their relegation rivals' appeal against a pitch sanction that deducted 27 points.
Lancashire drew with Durham at Old Trafford, finishing second from bottom in Division Two, 36 points behind Derbyshire. Durham finished promoted with a lead of 47 points over Kent, who beat Gloucestershire by eight wickets at Canterbury to secure their own promotion. Middlesex beat Northamptonshire by seven wickets at Lord's.
