Nottinghamshire were docked one point hours after their thrilling victory over County Championship title rivals Surrey.
Notts receive points penalty after thrilling Surrey win
On day one of the penultimate round of the County Championship, Notts were put in to bat at The Oval. They were bowled out for 231, courtesy of Matt Fisher (5-61) and Gus Atkinson (4-41), but hit back with a team effort to knock Surrey over for 173 in just over 50 overs.
Match 111, Surrey vs Nottinghamshire
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Notts made it to 256 in their second dig, thanks to Liam Patterson-White's 58, setting Surrey 315 for victory. The defending champions knocked off 66 of those by the end of day three, without losing a wicket.
They lost Rory Burns early on the final day, and Notts then struck with regularity to stay in the game. They eventually pulled off a 21-run win in dramatic fashion, England Test quick Josh Tongue starring with 5-100.
The win gave Notts a 15-point lead over Surrey at the top of the Division One table heading into the final round of matches, but just hours after the result, they were hit with a one-point penalty for maintaining a slow over-rate.
What does this mean for the last round of Championship matches?
Before the penalty, Notts needed to earn 10 points from their final game to secure the Division One title even if Surrey won their game and took the full 24 points with a win and maximum bonus points. This would be achievable by drawing the match (eight points) and earning two batting/bowling bonus points in the first 110 overs of their first innings (achieved by scoring 250-299 runs and taking 3-5 wickets, or scoring 300-349 runs, or taking 6-8 wickets).
After the penalty, Notts need to score 11 points, meaning that in addition to drawing the match, they would need at least three bonus points. They would therefore need to score over 350, or bowl their opponents (Warwickshire) out inside 110 overs in the first innings.
All these equations, of course, are valid only if the match ends in a draw. If Notts win outright, they will gain 16 points even without any bonuses – that would guarantee them the title as well.
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