Nottinghamshire head into the last round of the County Championship knowing a maximum of ten points will secure a first Division One crown since 2010, yet skipper Haseeb Hameed is doing his best to keep feet on the ground.
“We have to go into the game with that mindset and focus because Warwickshire are a really good team,” he said in the wake of last week’s 20-run win at Surrey, before repeating the message that has followed the squad all season: “There are no easy wins in this division and we go into the final round knowing we have to play four more days of quality cricket.”
That success at the Kia Oval, sealed late on the fourth evening, knocked the three-time defending champions off top spot and sparked a fair bit of east-Midlands chatter. A return of ten points – the equivalent of, say, a draw with maximum batting and bowling bonus points – would be enough at Trent Bridge, regardless of what happens elsewhere.
Surrey, meanwhile, are in must-win territory at Hampshire if they are to emulate the Kennington legends of the 1950s by bagging a fourth straight title. Rory Burns’ men have not quite clicked this summer – the middle order has been patchy, while the attack has looked just a tad tired – yet the culture of winning still underpins the dressing-room. A positive result is required and, even then, they need a favour from Warwickshire.
For the Bears, the trip north is about pride more than prizes. They cannot go down, nor can they pinch first place, but a decent performance would cap a season that has seen promising growth from the younger batters. They will, in quieter moments, also note notions of mischief: spoiling Notts’ party is a small motivational carrot.
The relegation picture is equally congested. Only Worcestershire are already doomed. Above them, five counties are separated by ten points. Hampshire, currently seventh, are just two clear of Durham, who occupy the second drop slot. Liam Dawson could be available after England duty; his left-arm spin and lower-order runs would be timely on what is usually a later-season Ageas Bowl surface offering a bit of grip.
Durham control their own destiny. A1 traffic permitting, they face a Yorkshire side needing ten points to be mathematically safe. The White Rose have been streaky, the bowling operating in bursts, and the feeling inside the camp is that they are due a good week. Whether that arrives under late-September skies remains to be seen.
Sussex and Essex, level on 150 points, both know that simply avoiding defeat will secure survival. Worcestershire, already packing for Division Two, may provide Sussex with that cushion at Hove. Essex’s task looks tougher: Somerset, sitting third, still harbour faint title hopes of their own and rarely go through the motions.
“At the start of the season the goal of every team would be to put themselves in the position we’re in heading into the final round,” Hameed reflected. “It’s a great position to be in, but there’s work still to be done and that’s the focus. There is going to be a bit of noise around and there will be some excitement I’m sure across the four days with everything that is going on at the top of the bottom of the division.”
Such pragmatism has served Hameed well since his move from Lancashire in 2020. The 28-year-old’s own batting has steadied – over 900 Division One runs this term – and his leadership has impressed observers. He is not prepared to indulge in hypotheticals about lifting the silverware just yet. “We just have to be ready to go on Wednesday morning and focus on doing what we’ve done in the 13 matches so far.”
Simple message, hard job: four more days, hold your nerve, grab the line.
