Bairstow's walk-off six sinks Nottinghamshire as Yorkshire end champions' title defence in thriller

Bairstow launches walk-off six as Yorkshire sink Nottinghamshire in final-week thriller

Nottinghamshire were in the County Championship title conversation to the very end, but two defeats in their last two matches have ended hopes of retaining their crown — the decisive blow struck by Yorkshire in the final week of the campaign, in a humdinger that could have gone either way.

Jonny Bairstow put Notts in to bat and Haseeb Hameed responded with old-fashioned grit, batting for more than four hours for his 71 on a track that yielded 42 maidens from the 100 overs sent down by the Yorkshire attack. None of the five pacers went at above three an over, with George Hill conceding at under two — a throwback to a previous century of Test-match attrition.

The benefit of that grafting with the bat came through when Olly Stone bagged a five-wicket haul, and Hameed returned to the crease for his second innings with a very handy lead of 72. But Notts still could not score at any kind of rate, and this time they lost wickets as well: Jack White matched Stone's haul of five and Ben Coad finished just one behind, leaving Yorkshire a target of 158.

Yorkshire looked on their way when 50 was crossed with the opening pair still at the crease, but Liam Patterson-White and Mo Ali got among them, with able support from Mitchell Hay's seven dismissals from behind the stumps. The feeling persisted that Nottinghamshire needed to get Bairstow out to win — and, with last man Jack White leaning on his bat at the other end, that feeling was borne out. Yorkshire's captain speared Ali into the stands for a walk-off six.

It was quite the punchline to the match — and to Yorkshire's season. Three straight wins ensured they finished fifth in the table, giving them much to build upon going into next year.