Durham confirmed as County Championship Division Two champions

Promotion had been clinched when Leicestershire failed to secure a batting point against Sussex at Hove, so Ryan Campbell's charges required a maximum of five points heading into this game to confirm top spot

Durham have won Division Two of the County Championship, a week after their promotion back to the top flight was secured without them even having to take the field.

Promotion had been clinched when Leicestershire failed to secure a batting point against Sussex at Hove, so Ryan Campbell's charges required a maximum of five points heading into this game to confirm top spot.

The three bowling points they obtained for dismissing Worcestershire for 313, plus the batting points left untaken by the home side – Durham's nearest challengers – were enough to put the finishing touches to a memorable campaign.

^{Durham have been the best team in the division, with Ollie Robinson describing the group as "good people with a good team ethos" [Stu Forster/Getty Images]}

^{Alex Lees and Ben Raine top the Division Two batting and bowling charts, respectively [Stu Forster/Getty Images]}

Durham will be back in Division One for the first time since 2016 when they were relegated over financial issues. Scott Borthwick was a member of that Durham side and is now the captain on their return to the top tier.

They were by a distance the best team in the division, with Ben Stokes' county embracing the aggressive approach taken by England's Test team. One of the first things that Campbell said on his arrival was that he had little time for draws, and it is no coincidence that no team in the division has won as many games.

They picked up 46 batting points – 16 more than anyone else – and lost just once, in a tight finish at Hove against Sussex. They have passed the 200-point mark in the process.

"People can be themselves and people are being backed," wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson told The Cricketer earlier this summer.

"There is no real pressure to do anything, but a lot of the boys have played together for years, which helps, and then the people who have just come in have been able to fit in seamlessly just from being nice people really.

"Good people with a good team ethos: there are no real big characters who upset anything. So, it's a combination of a few things, and it seems to be working."

Related Topics

• County Championship Division Two roundup: Durham wrap up Division Two title