The final round of the 2025 County Championship Division One kicks off on Wednesday (September 24). There could be a thrilling conclusion to the season.
Which teams are competing for the Division One title?
The top two teams in the standings heading into the final round are Nottinghamshire and defending champions Surrey, separated by 14 points. The sides met at The Oval in the penultimate round, where a pulsating final-day win for Notts helped them leapfrog their hosts into top spot.
Notts had a 15-point lead, until news emerged just hours after their victory that the club had been docked one point for a slow over-rate, shaving that to 14 points.
Until Friday (September 19), third-placed Somerset also had an outside chance of winning the title, but they received a four-point deduction for a "below average" pitch at Taunton during their match against Durham in July. Now, they cannot win the Division One title without a further points deduction for Notts at the very least.
What do Notts need to win Division One?
As of now, Nottinghamshire's fate in their quest for a first title since 2010 remains in their own hands. They need 11 points from their final match against Warwickshire to ensure Surrey cannot overtake them. Before taking bonus points into account, a win will earn them 16, well above what they need.
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If Notts draw, they will depend on bonus points to get over that mark. Since a draw is worth eight points, they would need at least three bonus points. They can achieve this by doing the following in the first 110 overs of their respective first innings:
| Batting requirement | Bowling requirement | Batting bonus points | Bowling bonus points | Total bonus points |
| - | 9-10 wickets | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 250-299 runs | 6-8 wickets | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 300-349 runs | 3-5 wickets | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 350-399 runs | - | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Of course, doing better than these outcomes will earn them more bonus points. If Notts end up losing to Warwickshire, they will be dependent on Surrey's result to win the title, since they can earn a maximum of eight bonus points (five batting and three bowling).
What do Surrey need to win Division One?
Surrey's chances of winning a fourth consecutive title are currently quite grim. Irrespective of what they do, they depend on Notts dropping points in order to win. Naturally, they would give themselves the best chance by beating Hampshire (16 points for the result) and taking home all eight bonus points as well. Depending on the game situation, that could force Notts to push for a win, and risk a loss in the process.
The only way Surrey can overtake Notts without winning their final game is if they draw, and earn at least seven bonus points. Once again, they can achieve this by doing the following in the first 110 overs of their respective first innings:
| Batting requirement | Bowling requirement | Batting bonus points | Bowling bonus points | Total bonus points |
| 450+ runs | 6-8 wickets | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 400-449 runs | 9-10 wickets | 4 | 3 | 7 |
What happens if Notts and Surrey are tied on points?
There are two scenarios in which the two teams will be tied on points. The first is if Notts lose, but earn exactly one bonus point and Surrey draw along with seven bonus points (204 points each). The second is if Notts lose without any bonus points, and Surrey draw with six bonus points (203 points each).
The first tie-breaker when teams are level on points is the number of wins. If Notts and Surrey were to be tied on points, their number of wins this season would not change, meaning Notts would win the title as they have six wins, to Surrey's four.
Note: All calculations made without taking into account any potential points deductions.
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