HAVING gone into this week’s final round of matches leading second-placed Essex by 20 points, Surrey knew they could get the job done with five points from their game with Hampshire.

They got three bowling bonus points but no batting points after being bowled out for 207, before their 21st title triumph was secured as Essex also failed to pick up any batting points from their game with Northamptonshire.

Essex were all out for 211 at Wantage Road, Tom Taylor taking the wicket of Jamie Porter that confirmed Surrey as champions shortly before lunch on day three.
Essex then collapsed to 119 all out after being asked to follow-on, to lose by an innings and 39 runs.

Having lost just once in their 13 games to date, at home to Lancashire in June, Surrey become the first side to retain the county title since Yorkshire, who won back to back in 2014 and 2015.

Yorkshire remain the side with the most county titles (33) since the competition began in 1890, but Surrey’s 21 titles – including the joint title victory with Lancashire in 1950 – puts them a comfortable second.

Excepting the Covid-hit seasons of 2020 and 2021, it is also effectively Surrey’s third Championship title win out of the last four, having also won it in 2018.
And, having also won it back in both 2000 and 2002, it gives them their fifth title triumph since two-division cricket began 23 years ago, taking them further clear of Sussex, Yorkshire and Durham – who have three each.

‘Surrey should be proud of their efforts’
So Surrey retain their title and they are worthy champions.
A second successive triumph that has been built around a solid squad, a pace attack of bowlers who complement each other and can take 20 wickets, and a batting line-up that goes all the way to number 11.

They have played some fantastic cricket this season.
Seven of their eight victories have come when they have had to bat last and chase down a total.
Three Championship titles since 2018 is a fine achievement and back-to-back wins is special.
They thoroughly deserve the Championship this season and should be extremely proud of their efforts.
And especially head coach Gareth Batty too. A year ago, when they won it, his title was still actually ‘acting interim coach’ and it was said at the time that winning the title in 2022 must have been the best ‘job interview’ ever.

Surrey assistant coach Jade Dernbach told BBC Radio Five:
“It’s a surreal feeling in terms of how it’s all come about. We’ve played well all year but the boys are really concerned with finishing the season with a win. That is their steely mentality.
“We were trying very hard not to look. We thought it was important that the guys stayed focused on the game we’re in.
“But it was very difficult to stay away from as there were a lot of travelling fans here and they were letting us know what was going on at Chelmsford at every opportunity. And we certainly knew when that final Essex wicket went down.

“The hard work and dedication that these lads have put in all year has been amazing – and I’m so glad they’ve been rewarded.
“With any Surrey team there is always an amount of responsibility and pressure that comes with being at the biggest county in the country.
“We knew that, having won the title last year, there would be teams hot on our heels trying to chase us. It wasn’t a case of just defending the title, it was a case of retaining it – and we always had that positive mindset.”

Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart:
“We showed in 2018, when we won it, that come 2019 we didn’t go about defending it as well as we could or should have done. And, back in March I used the term, ‘we want to attack this year not defend it’.

“My dad [Surrey great Mickey Stewart] still goes on about being part of the team that won it seven times on the trot. We have now won it back-to-back. And adding Dan Lawrence for next year gives us another top-class-player and gives us more appetite to win it again.

“We still haven’t won the T20, so there are still plenty of challenges ahead. It isn’t a case of having two trophies in the bank and that’s it. If we do that then we’ll be in big trouble.
“Rory Burns is outstanding. Tactically he is very good. He is a good leader. He is a man of few words. In the dressing room when he speaks you listen. He leads by example.”(BBC Sport).