County finale should provide the very best of cut-and-thrust cricket | Mike Selvey
Middlesex, Yorkshire and Somerset all have title hopes in the tightest race for years and it may yet be one decided on bonus pointsForty-eight years ago, your correspondent was at the non-striker’s end when Surrey’s Arnold Long edged a ball from the seamer Tony Nicholson to Long’s opposite number, Jimmy Binks, standing up to the stumps, to complete a hat-trick of County Championship titles for Yorkshire. Since then, seven other counties have tried to emulate the feat and fallen short (Middlesex, who won in 1976 and tied in 1977; Essex, champions in 1983 and 1984 and again in 1991 and 92; Worcestershire, 1988 and 89; Warwickshire, 1994 and 95; Surrey, 2002 and 03; Sussex, 2006 and 07; and Durham 2008...