Surrey win County Championship for third year running

Surrey person won a 3rd consecutive County Championship title aft Somerset mislaid astatine Lancashire.

Somerset had to triumph astatine Old Trafford to support their hopes of a first ever region title live heading into nan past information of games, but they suffered a 168-run conclusion connected nan last morning.

Surrey, who go champions for nan 23rd clip overall, hit Durham by 10 wickets connected Thursday.

Lifting nan trophy successful 2022, 2023 and 2024 intends this group of Surrey players person etched their sanction into County Championship immortality.

They person go nan first squad since Yorkshire 56 years agone to triumph 3 titles successful succession.

Surrey won 7 successful a statement from 1952 to 1958 having besides won nan very first three, and 5 of nan first six, successful nan 1890s.

But they are still 10 short of Yorkshire, who person won 33 successful total.

As you mightiness expect from a squad packed pinch internationals, Surrey were without nan services of galore players astatine 1 constituent aliases different passim nan season.

They person utilized 23 players successful this campaign, pinch only skipper Rory Burns, chap opener Dom Sibley and all-rounder Jordan Clark playing each 13 matches.

Burns has led nan measurement pinch nan bat, scoring 3 hundreds of years and 1,057 runs – helped mostly by his career-best 227 successful a thumping triumph against Lancashire astatine The Oval successful August.

Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith catapulted his measurement into England's Test broadside pinch immoderate dazzling batting displays to mean northbound of 56 successful his 9 matches, while Dan Lawrence has averaged conscionable nether 50 pursuing his high-profile move from Essex.

More than a twelve bowlers picked up wickets crossed nan play - paceman Dan Worrall starring nan measurement pinch 52 astatine an mean of 16.15.

Clark showed why he is 1 of nan astir valuable assets successful region cricket, taking 38 wickets on pinch scoring 467 runs down nan order.

Cameron Steel group an unthinkable gait backmost successful nan spring, starring each bowlers successful nan first 3 rounds of nan Championship pinch 20 wickets – though nan leg-spinner has only picked up 3 since.

Next play will spot a immense alteration successful southbound London arsenic head of cricket and Surrey fable Alec Stewart is leaving nan domiciled astatine nan extremity of this campaign.

How large an effect that has connected specified a talented squad remains to beryllium seen.