Embed from Getty Images
Middlesex have been relegated from Division One of the County Championship – 12 months after winning the title.
Their sudden fall from grace was confirmed when they lost by 231 runs at Somerset and Hampshire drew with Warwickshire, both teams leapfrogging them in the process.
Middlesex were reliant on other results once Steven Finn was last man out at Taunton shortly before the scheduled lunch break.
Resuming the final day on 40-3, chasing an unlikely 345 to salvage their season themselves, they collapsed for the second time in the match, losing their final seven wickets for 70 runs.
John Simpson top scored with 19 as Somerset’s spinners once again took control on a pitch which turned from ball one, and was later rated as ‘below average’ by inspectors.
Middlesex now face their first season in the second tier since winning promotion in 2011.
Afterwards, stand-in skipper Adam Voges said an internal review of the season would be carried out.
This post was last modified on 28/09/2017