A few weeks ago Somerset fans might have been daring to dream that 2026 would finally be the year their team would turn from nearly men into County Championship winners.

With two games to go, Somerset were top of the table by four points. Destiny was in their hands as they sought to win their first-ever Championship trophy.

But a second defeat of the season at the hands of Yorkshire, this time at Headingley, in their penultimate game was like a sledgehammer to the heart of fans and meant Somerset handed over control to eventual winners Warwickshire to clinch glory in the final match on Saturday.

Somerset stay as cricket’s perennial runners-up for another 12 months, with this their sixth second-place finish in the Championship since 2010 as they remain one of just three counties to never lift the trophy.

While the Yorkshire defeat on 18 September sealed their fate, senior figures in the club pointed instead to a lack of ruthlessness earlier in the campaign when citing the moments where the trophy slipped through their fingers.

“Two weeks ago we were in a great place to win the thing that we’ve been trying hard to do for a very long time,” captain Lewis Gregory told BBC Radio Somerset.

“But it’s probably a couple of games in the middle of the year that are the defining moments.

“There were two games we were in a really good spot – probably didn’t show the ruthlessness that we needed, to put us in a position where we were the only team that could win.”

Forest Green Rovers have given manager Robbie Savage permission to speak to another club, amid speculation linking him to the vacant role at Peterborough United.

The National League side added that Savage would not be in the dugout for Tuesday night’s game at home to Wealdstone.

Asked on Saturday whether he had any contact from Posh, Savage did not deny the speculation but said he did not know if there had been contact from the club.

“I don’t know, I’ve got a game to prepare for and I’m really excited to watch my team,” he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

Former Wales international Savage was appointed at Forest Green on 1 July 2025, having previously managed non-league Macclesfield Town.

The 51-year-old, who played as a midfielder for clubs including Derby County, Birmingham City, Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers, guided Forest Green to seventh in the table last season but they were beaten in the play-off eliminators.

This season they sit 12th after 10 matches, with four wins, two draws and four defeats.

Peterborough are looking for a new manager after sacking Luke Williams on 19 September following a poor start to the season.

They are currently 23rd in League One with just one win in eight league games.