After A Season To Remember It's Comedown As A Shootout

AN emphatic victory against last year’s Cham- pions Surrey took Essex back to the top of the Division One table with just one match remaining – and what a mouth-watering prospect their final game promises to be.

- Paul Hiscock

Essex, who lifted the title in 2017, travel down to Taunton to face a Somerset outfit who will start the match 12 points adrift as they go in search of their first-ever County Championship title.

But has the West Country county’s dream been derailed or are we to witness yet more twists and turns in what has been an incredible 2019 domestic cricket season?

Before Somerset were demolished by Hampshire – and in particular Kyle Abbott – last week, the Cidermen held an eight-point lead.

But Essex leapfrogged Tom Abell’s charges by virtue of a 23-point haul from their match with Surrey at Chelmsford to give themselves a valuable 12point cushion going into this week’s eagerly-awaited final shootout.

And that means Essex now only need to avoid defeat this week to regain the Championship pennant once again and to leave Somerset’s dreams in tatters.

Essex skipper Ryan ten Doeschate assessed the situation going into the final game where the destiny of the title hangs in the balance.

“Our match against Surrey was a must-win game and to get the job done in such a terrific manner was really pleasing,” said ten Doeschate, who himself weighed in with a century in this week’s Surrey clash.

“It now means we have points in the bag just in case it does rain but if we do get enough cricket played at Taunton, we are going to have a very exciting conclusion to the season.”