Surrey win County Championship for 21st time

LONDON : Surrey won the County Championship for the 21st time and with a game to spare after beating Yorkshire by 10 wickets at The Oval on Thursday.

The title was Surrey's first since 2018 and also the county's first under head coach Gareth Batty.

England batsman Ollie Pope scored 136 off 131 deliveries on the opening day with Surrey setting a first innings total of 333.

Yorkshire were then all out for 179, and 208 after the follow-on, before captain Rory Burns hit 30 from 16 balls as Surrey took just six overs to secure the 55 runs needed for victory.

The title was assured when rivals Hampshire lost by 77 runs at home to Kent, with Gloucestershire condemned to relegation.

Surrey are unbeaten in 13 County matches, winning eight.

They have won 20 championships outright, sharing the title with Lancashire in 1950.