Notts maintain County Championship title push with nerve-jangling win

Nottinghamshire maintained their push for a first County Championship title since 2010 with a nerve-jangling, three-wicket win over rock-bottom Worcestershire ahead of their crunch clash against Surrey from Monday.

Second-placed Notts resumed on 40-1 in chase of 136 on the final morning at New Road and plummeted to 83-6 before a combination of Liam Patterson-White (23), Lyndon James (17no) and Josh Tongue (14no) edged the visitors over the line.

Tongue - set to be part of England's Ashes squad in Australia this winter - also took seven wickets in the match for Nottinghamshire as Worcestershire were bowled out for 182 and 160, while James bagged a second-innings five-for.

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Nottinghamshire travel to table toppers Surrey next week in the penultimate round of fixtures before concluding their campaign at home to Warwickshire from September 24 while Surrey visit Hampshire.

Surrey are aiming to become the first side to win four successive County Championship titles since themselves in the 1950s.

Hampshire hit with eight-point penalty, sign India's Washington

Also in Division One, Hampshire have been deducted eight points for producing a "below average pitch" during their game against Sussex in May, dropping the team from fifth to eighth in the table.

Hampshire lost that match against Sussex by nine wickets, on a surface reported for the unevenness of bounce and excessive turn.

The independent cricket discipline panel (CDP) said the home side had not intended to gain an unfair advantage but believed they had not taken all reasonable steps to produce a pitch of appropriate standard, an allegation Hampshire denied.

Hampshire - now one place above the relegation spots - have signed India all-rounder Washington Sundar for their final two games of the Championship season, against Somerset and Surrey.

Washington, 25, scored his maiden Test hundred this summer, against England at Emirates Old Trafford.

He also took seven wickets with his off-spin as India drew the five-match series 2-2.

County Championship scorecards - round 12

Division One

• Essex vs Durham
• Somerset vs Yorkshire
• Surrey vs Warwickshire
• Sussex vs Hampshire
• Worcestershire vs Nottinghamshire

Division Two

• Kent vs Lancashire
• Leicestershire vs Gloucestershire
• Middlesex vs Derbyshire
• Northants vs Glamorgan