Gareth Batty, Surrey's head coach, dedicated his team's third consecutive County Championship title to the outgoing director of cricket, Alec Stewart, describing him as "irreplaceable" and adding that it was "delusional" to think that anyone could emulate the influence he has wielded across his five decades at the Kia Oval.

Surrey have won a third straight County Championship title after Somerset lost at Lancashire. Somerset had to win at Old Trafford to keep their hopes of a first ever county title alive heading into the last round of games, but they suffered a 168-run defeat on the final morning.

Surrey has become the first team to win three straight English County Championship cricket titles since the 1960s when closest challenger Somerset fell to defeat.