Salisbury earns Warwickshire promotion

Warwickshire secured promotion, and now need just four points to grab the Division Two title off Worcestershire, after a dramatic final-day, six-wicket victory charge against Essex at Chelmsford. The match appeared to be heading for a draw as John Maunders (107) and Ravi Bopara (133) added 241 for the second wicket. But Ian Salisbury sparked a rapid collapse as Essex lost nine for 69, leaving Warwickshire to knock off 144 in 45 overs. They cruised home with plenty of time to spare, Darren Maddy hitting 63 off 99 balls. However, their real final-day matchwinner was Salisbury, who turned the game on its head, with a spell of 6 for 27 in 11.4 overs. Maunders hit his first Championship hundred and Bopara continued the form he has shown most of the summer with his fourth century. Then Bopara was caught behind and Maunders soon followed, sweeping to Jim Troughton. Salisbury broke a 30-run stand between James Foster and Mark Pettini by having Foster caught and bowled, while Essex didn't help themselves as Pettini and Chris Wright were run out. Salisbury snapped up the final two wickets to complete his best figures for Warwickshire and his fifth five-wicket haul of the season. Tony Frost, who scored 242 in the first innings, added 71 with Maddy and the victory came with more than six overs to spare.

Graham Wagg completed match figures of 10 for 133 as he helped bowl Derbyshire to a 117-run victory against Gloucestershire at Derby. It was a tough ask for Gloucestershire heading into the final day, needing 280 more with eight wickets in hand, and it became even tougher when Hamish Marshall fell early to the swing of Charl Langeveldt. Alex Gidman, driving to point, also fell to Langeveldt and the major early resistance came from nightwatchman Steve Kirby. He took 111 balls over his 28 until being trapped in front by Langeveldt. Seam and spin then chipped through the lower order before Wagg rounded off his impressive game by bowling Anthony Ireland. Wagg became just the third Derbyshire player to take 10 wickets in a match and score 100 runs and the first since 1934.

Glamorgan claimed their third Championship win of the season with a 10-wicket success against Leicestershire despite a defiant century from Paul Nixon at Sophia Gardens. The visitors began the final day already four wickets down in the follow-on and soon lost Josh Cobb. Jim Allenby helped Nixon add 51 for the sixth wicket before being stumped off Robert Croft, but the tail didn't fold. Nixon reached his hundred off 196 balls with No. 11, Garnet Kruger, for company and shortly after Dean Cosker claimed his first wicket to leave Glamorgan needing 63. They completed the chase with ease, as Gareth Rees and David Hemp took 12.5 overs to knock off the runs.

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	Aban	Pts
Worcestershire	16	6	2	0	7	1	196
Warwickshire	15	4	0	0	11	0	193
Northamptonshire	15	3	2	0	10	0	165
Derbyshire	15	4	2	0	9	0	164
Essex	15	5	6	0	4	0	159
Middlesex	15	3	5	0	7	0	153
Glamorgan	15	3	4	0	7	1	133
Leicestershire	15	2	4	0	9	0	132
Gloucestershire	15	0	5	0	10	0	115

Durham will enter the final week of the season in third place while Sussex face a potential relegation decider against Yorkshire after their match at Chester-le-Street drifted to a draw. Durham will have to rely on results elsewhere if they are to secure their first Championship title and start the last round 10 points behind leaders Nottinghamshire. "We're still in with a chance, with just the last five days to go, of winning the championship. That's where you want to be," captain Dale Benkenstein told the Press Association. "We're happy with a good draw from this game, because it still gives us a chance of winning in the last round." The two sides appeared content to take what bonus points they could after the first day of this match was washed out and the home side wrapped up Sussex's first innings for 302 as they missed out a vital batting bonuses. Durham cautiously played out time with Michael Di Venuto reaching 61, passing 1000 runs for the season, while Shivnarine Chanderpaul further helped his average with an unbeaten 25 to go alongside his superb first-innings century.

Somerset and Yorkshire settled for a draw at Scarborough, leaving both with plenty to do in the final week of the season. John Ward watched the action.

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	Aban	Pts
Nottinghamshire	15	5	2	0	7	1	178
Somerset	15	3	1	0	11	0	170
Durham	15	5	3	0	6	1	168
Hampshire	15	4	4	0	7	0	160
Lancashire	15	4	2	0	8	1	152
Kent	15	4	5	0	6	0	151
Sussex	15	2	2	0	11	0	151
Yorkshire	15	2	5	0	8	0	147
Surrey	16	0	5	0	10	1	124