Hampshire seal 1st division spot for next season

London, Sept 18: Shane Warne is guaranteed top-flight English cricket next year after his new county team Hampshire secured their spot in the first division on Saturday.

Hampshire, who this week signed the Australian leg-spinner for next season, beat Derbyshire by two runs to make sure of a place in the top nine counties - next season's first division when the 18 clubs split into two divisions.

New English county champions Surrey could lose their first game of the season against Yorkshire side on the evidence of the first three days of their match at The Oval on Friday.

Yorkshire closed the third day 79 runs to the good with four second innings wickets in hand in a low-scoring game. England tour absentees Graham Thorpe and Chris Silverwood stood out from the quartet chosen to go to South Africa this winter.

Thorpe's unbeaten 58 from 63 balls for Surrey and a return of five for 28 for Yorkshire paceman Silverwood eclipsed anything Mark Butcher, Alec Stewart, Michael Vaughan and Gavin Hamilton could offer. Surrey followed the visitors' 115 with 128 before Yorkshire closed on 92 for six with Carl Greenidge, son of West Indies legend Gordon, returned championship debut figures of five for 60. But the Tykes will feel a lead of 150 could be enough.

Alan Wells scored his first hundred at Canterbury for more than two years as Kent all but made sure of a top-flight place against Gloucestershire. They finished on 272 for six, 78 runs behind Gloucestershire.

Middlesex openers Andrew Strauss and Ben Hutton completed two century partnerships which could still be a lost cause against Worcestershire at New Road.

The South African born left-handers added 61 in the morning to reach 117 together, only for the first innings to fold for 235. When Middlesex followed on 230 behind, they put on 103 and Strauss' second half-century of the match paved the way for a more resilient 153 for one.

Mark Ramprakash's term as Middlesex captain is now likely to end with an exchange of positions with Worcestershire among the sides condemned to the Second Division next season.

Nasser Hussain found a ray of sunlight at the end of a dismal summer with his unbeaten 109 leading a spirited Essex fight back against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

The England skipper shared in an unbroken stand of 221 with Paul Prichard (110 not out) in a total of 266 for one.