County cricket finale: Lancashire v Hampshire and four-way title fight – live!

A mighty rumble from the ice-cream van and Hampshire slip to 48-4, as now Weatherley can’t resist the charms of Balderson, edging him behind. This is moving more swiftly than I expected.

Ali on that ECB decision on Pakistan. The optics stink.

Some great reading around the topic from this by George Dobell to Peter Oborne on Sky.

I hear that they’ve pulled in the boundary rope at Edgbaston, in the knowledge that Warwicks will need batting points. And they’ve picked up some steam too, Sibley and Rhodes, three boundaries apiece. Warwicks 50-1.

And another! Hampshire 43-3 as Gubbins follows Alsop, without scoring, a slow walk back, eyes firmly on the grass in front of his nose. Did I mention that it was ten years since Lancashire last won the Championship?

As the sun comes out, Tom Alsop hangs out his bat and the ball sails into waiting grasp of Danny Lamb at second slip, off Balderson. Hampshire 43-2.

Liverpool have very kindly given us some packed lunch. Delayed gratification is over-rated. A couple of enthusiastic appeals from Balderson and Wood but Hampshire moseying on: 43-1.

An hour in: Dom Sibley has scored a run. (Warwicks 12-1); Slater and Hameed zipping along (37-0),

Division Two: a couple of wickets for Jamie Porter and one for Sam Cook (Northants 26-3); Lees and Jones for untroubled (Durham 24-0); Rutherford and Lloyd in white-ball mode for Glamorgan (56-0).

Division Three: Robson (out) and Stoneman (still there) in frisky mood (Middlesex 34-1); Sussex’s bowlers in for another thrashing (Derby 73-0); and Leicestershire also galloping ahead (43-1).

Apologies for the delay, I’ve just spilt coffee on Ken Grime, disabling his mouse. If anyone in the Aigburth area happens to have a spare one, drop me a line…Hampshire currently 17-1.

The other title contenders, Warwickshire and Notts, are also batting. And at Edgbaston, young Rob Yates has been caught off Davey for 3. Warwicks 3-1. Nottinghamshire, meanwhile, are 9-0, HH has squeaked a boundary.

Hampshire 1-1. Ian Holland caught off Tom Bailey at bat-pad for one.And a ripple of a roar skims across Aigburth.

The green benches are filling up and there’s a queue for the coffee van . Lancashire won the toss and will bowl. Parky is playing and Luke Wood has come in for Rob Jones. There was a moment on the public address when Kyle Abbot was announced in the Hampshire team, only to be amended 30 seconds later for Mason Crane.

Division One

Aigburth: Lancashire v Hampshire

Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Somerset

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire

Division Two

Chelmsford: Essex v Northants

Bristol: Gloucestershire v Durham

The Oval: Surrey v Glamorgan

Division Three

Canterbury: Kent v Middlesex

Hove: Sussex v Derbyshire

New Road: Worcestershire v Leicestershire

Hampshire are in front of our noses doing various stretching exercises with rubber bands as music blasts out from a speaker. We think it is UK garage…

So, here we are. The last round of Championship matches of the year and as my train zips towards Aigburth, autumn chases. The sky is scribble grey and the leaves on the silver birch trees growing up the embankment are starting to rust. We’ll start at 10.30am round the country, the sun sets at 7.13 this evening in Liverpool.

There are four horses in this Championship race: Hampshire, Warwickshire, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire – in that order. Your money?