County pride and England chaos relegated Hundred to summer undercard | Ali Martin

Franchise tournament remains an enigma after an unexpectedly dramatic men’s international summer and a thrilling Championship title race

After pumping astronomical sums of money into English cricket, the headline act of the summer should probably have been the Hundred’s rebirth under private ownership. After all, the decks were relatively clear.

There was no Ashes series or Indian arm-wrestle in Test cricket to hog the limelight, rather a small-plates menu of touring teams. The Women’s T20 World Cup was on home soil, but for all that it outdid its 50-over equivalent in 2017 by way of engagement, the men’s football World Cup dominated. Plus, folks kind of knew Nat Sciver-Brunt’s England side was not quite ready to derail the Australian machine.

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South Africa power to ODI series win as Australia’s middle order struggles again

  • Bavuma and Miller smash centuries in second ODI

  • Australia batters fall 32 runs short despite strong start

Temba Bavuma and David Miller both struck centuries as South Africa defeated Australia by 32 runs in the ⁠second one-day international in Johannesburg, securing victory in the three-match series with a game to spare.

Australia sent their hosts in to bat and South ⁠Africa amassed 365 for ⁠nine in their ​50 overs, before bowling the visitors out for 333 in 49.5 overs to win a high-scoring encounter. The Proteas continued their recent dominance over their rivals with a 19th ODI ⁠win in their last 25 meetings.

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Abell’s 307 offers solace for Somerset as season slips into sepia – as it happened

As Warwickshire celebrated the title, Tom Abell gave fans of the repeat runners-up something to cheer at Taunton

Caught at long on, aiming for the rope, and finishes one run short of Joe Clarke in the highest run-scorers of the year league. Handshakes from Pope and Worrall as he walks off with no fuss.

Somerset, 731 all out, have a first-innings lead of 301. Do Surrey have one last collapse in them?

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Warwickshire clinch County Championship title with victory over Leicestershire

  • Warwickshire beat Leicestershire by an innings & 79 runs

  • Ethan Bamber’s five-wicket haul seals title for Bears

Warwickshire were crowned County Championship champions after beating Leicestershire by an innings and 79 runs at Edgbaston on Saturday. They entered the third day needing seven wickets to clinch the title, while the visitors required 182 more runs to send them back in to bat.

Chris Woakes got the hosts off to the ideal start by bowling Sol Budinger for 47 and the former England all-rounder soon struck again when his delivery to Jonathan Tattersall was caught by Rob Yates at slip.

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Warwickshire clinch the title, Bairstow the hero for Yorkshire, and more: County Championship, third day – live

Updates from final round of county cricket games
Get in touch with Tanya on email or comment BTL

Wow – Ethan Bamber has bowled more overs than anyone else in Div One this year! And 66 wickets in his pocket to count for it. He takes the ball at the press box end.

In answer to the Leicestershire appeal question BTL, we think they have appealed everything but the only points likely to be overturned or semi overturned are eight points, which will make no difference to the relegation battle. If anyone thinks different, do drop me a line.

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‘There was a lot of method in my madness when I played’: Kevin Pietersen 2.0 on how he can help England

The appointment of England white-ball teams’ specialist mentor has divided opinion but the man himself says he is loving being back in the dressing room

Kevin Pietersen insisted he is a “completely different” person these days as he sat down at Headingley – the ground where he declared “it’s tough being me in this dressing room” 14 years earlier – and spoke at length about his role as the new “specialist mentor” to England’s white-ball teams.

In the aftermath of a 16-run loss to Sri Lanka that sends this late summer one-day series into an Oval decider on Sunday, Pietersen also revealed that while not full-time – “I’ll be in and out” – his input may not be restricted to the challenge of winning the 50-over World Cup in South Africa next year. A home Ashes comes before that, the series that launched his career back in 2005, and discussions with Stephen Fleming, the incoming Test coach, and Joe Root have already taken place.

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‘Outplayed’: Mitch Marsh rues Australia’s ODI capitulation to South Africa

  • South Africa 297-8; Australia 230 | South Africa win by 67 runs

  • Captain’s blistering 60 not enough to topple hosts in Durban

Mitch Marsh could not hide his dismay at how Australia capitulated tamely in their opening ODI in South Africa, succumbing to a 67-run defeat after a succession of cheap dismissals in a sorry run chase at Durban.

Stand-in skipper Marsh himself seemed to have laid the foundations for victory with his blistering opening knock of 60, but after he had perished needlessly to the spinning wiles of Kehav Maharaj, none of his team could cement the partnerships to get them anywhere near the hosts’ 298-run target.

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