It was the longest Championship season-stretching from 5 April to 29 September - finishing with Surrey easing to victory with one round to go and Sussex winning Division Two on the final day.
But how quickly things move on. Rod Bransgrove announced the sale of Hampshire to the Delhi Capitals co-owners before the Spin had time to pull the season's trophies out of the Guardian cabinet where they have been gathering dust since last year. So belatedly, and somewhat overshadowed by powerbrokers in important shoes rustling papers in mahogany boardrooms, here are the summer's County Championship awards.
The Mortimer and Whitehouse award for catch of the season
To James Bracey. An incredible match at Cheltenham College in early July finished on a pitch-perfect note as Glamorgan, chasing a world record of 593 to win, faced the last ball with a single needed for victory. The No 11, Jamie McIlroy, had a frantic swing at Ajeet Singh Dale and Bracey, with ungloved hand, leapt like a firecracker behind the stumps and held on before sprinting 50 yards to the boundary in celebration, his teammates a-leaping and a-hollering behind him. The most memorable tie in years.
The Harry Brook award for taking Test cricket in your stride
This story is from the October 03, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 03, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Durán catches Bayern cold as lightning strikes twice
As returns to the biggest club stage go, Aston Villa's went rather swimmingly, the substitute Jhon Durán nonchalantly putting Bayern Munich to bed with a stunning, off-the-cuff left-foot lob.
Mac Allister and Salah apply Liverpool's finishing touches
There will be tougher tests to come, as Arne Slot frequently likes to remind Liverpool, but there is no disputing the confidence, quality and momentum that is surging through this team under the guidance of its new head coach.
"The reaction was: what's going on here? It is an amazing David v Goliath'
The New Saints, Cymru Premier champions, break new ground for Wales when they visit Fiorentina tonight
England lose data edge but maintain aggressive intent
Late change of hosts to UAE sent a year's planning down the drain, so Heather Knight's team step into the unknown
The county awards Final word on a 2024 season of wild highs, absurd lows and one illegally oversized bat
The County Championship season dribbled to an end on Sunday afternoon, handshakes taken as early as was polite, while the autumn roared in.
Sweden's green hope Battery manufacturer's future in balance after huge losses
Just three years ago, Sweden's then prime minister, Stefan Löfven, visited Northvolt's base near the Arctic Circle in Skellefteå to see Europe's first homegrown battery gigafactory and declared the city \"the future\" in the fight against global heating. Its work had huge significance for Sweden and the world, the Social Democrat said.
Game on: shrine to all things Nintendo opens in Kyoto
Traditionally, visitors to Kyoto in October come for momijigari, the turning of the autumn leaves in the city's picturesque parks. This autumn, however, there is a new draw: a Nintendo museum.
'We are killing ourselves' Vast fires rage across South America
'Blue, our sky is for ever blue!\" effuses the official anthem of Rondônia, a UK-sized chunk of the Amazon in the western reaches of Brazil. But the \"pure crystalline\" heavens celebrated by those lyrics have vanished in recent months.
'Everything will be Russia': eastern city of Vuhledar falls as Ukrainian forces withdraw
Ukraine has said its forces have withdrawn from the eastern city of Vuhledar, a defensive bastion that had resisted repeated Russian attacks since Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of 2022.
'He came to do a job': pioneer of Windrush generation dies at 98
Alford Gardner, one of the last remaining Windrush passengers who once said he \"didn't expect to be a part of history\", has died. He was 98.
