Lancashire are champions: It's pain for Warwickshire (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Lancashire are champions: It's pain for Warwickshire

8:33am Friday 16th September 2011 in Lancashire CCC

Warwickshire captain Jim Troughton praised his side’s efforts as they came up agonisingly short in the battle for the County Championship.

A draw at Hampshire, coupled with Lancashire’s eight-wicket win at Somerset, saw Troughton’s men edged out by the Red Rose as the title battle went to the last day.

Troughton said: “We took the brave decision to bat first, which meant we’d have to bowl when the conditions were doing the least, but the effort over the four days was fantastic.”

Despite a frustrating final day, Troughton took the positives from a season.

“If you’d said at the start of the season we’d win nine games, you’d think that would be enough to win the Championship,” he said.

“Congratulations to Lancashire, with 10 wins they are deserving winners.”