Somerset will meet Essex in a repeat of last year’s Championship decider when Lord’s hosts the climax of the county red-ball season with the Bob Willis Trophy final.
The best two county teams in the country will contest a five-day final, starting on Sept 23, after emerging with the most points from the three-conference system that was introduced as a substitute for the Championship in this pandemic-hit season.
Somerset, still without a Championship success in their long history, earned their Lord’s place on Wednesday when they defeated Worcestershire, their closest rivals in the central group, by 60 runs at New Road.
Somerset reached the final of the Bob Willis Trophy after beating Worcestershire by 40 runs
They will fave another showdown against Essex after they defeated Middlesex on Tuesday
They will now face Essex, who defeated Middlesex on Tuesday, after Derbyshire’s unlikely challenge for a final place ended with defeat by Lancashire.
It is a fitting finale to a conference system that has proved a big success in difficult circumstances and will almost certainly be introduced permanently next season in place of the two division County Championship.
Both Essex and Somerset, who have lost two key players in recent weeks in Jamie Overton to Surrey and Dom Bess to Yorkshire, won four of their five matches and drew the other, making them worthy finalists.
Last year they met in the decisive climax to the county season at Taunton when Essex emerged from a rain-hit draw with their second Championship title in three seasons.
The showpiece at Lords will be a repeat of last year's Championship final which Essex won
