Image source, Rex Features

So that's it for the 2018 county season and what a thrilling way to finish it off - even more thrilling than The Bodyguard, perhaps.

It was a sizzling summer for the most part and Surrey are deserving champions for the first time since 2002 after winning 10 of their 14 games.

They came so close to setting a new record by beating Essex, having trailed by 410 runs on first innings at The Oval, but it wasn't to be as Ryan ten Doeschate held his nerve to see last summer's title winners home.

Thanks for your company throughout the season. We'll be here next April when it all starts again.

Image source, Rex Features

Surrey coach Michael Di Venuto told BBC 5 live sports extra:

"It's a very proud moment. We won it a couple of weeks ago, but to finally get the trophy is pretty special.

"The boys are obviously delighted, they've been brilliant, we've played some serious cricket throughout the whole year.

"As a coach there's a lot of planning and work behind the scenes, but once the game starts there's not a lot you can do about it.

"To see it all come together, to see the young players step up - we know we have good senior players - at all stages throughout the year and have their moment, it's really pleasing as a coach."

Image source, Rex Features

Surrey paceman Jade Dernbach told BBC 5 live sports extra:

"It wasn't the ideal finish, but i like to think we gave the crowd their money's worth.

"It's so special to get our hands on that cup, it's the one thing I've wanted to do in my career.

"The support's been amazing home and away and it's a really proud moment to lift this trophy in front of these guys.

"We've been through some tough times here, but we've worked our socks off, kept believing and we've done it."

Image source, Rex Features

Surrey and South Africa fast bowler Morne Morkel told BBC 5 live sports extra:

"It's a special day for me, we've really worked so hard to come so close today.

"It really shows the quality of this team to show fight at this stage in the season

"The number one goal for me was to win a trophy this season and contribute to that.

"Some people said I was on the wrong side of 30, but I wanted to prove I had a lot of fuel left in the tank and I'm so glad things went our way this season."

Image source, Getty Images

Most runs

• Rory Burns (Surrey) - 1359 (average 64.71)
• James Hildreth (Somerset) - 1089 (average 45.37)
• Ollie Pope (Surrey) - 986 (average 70.42)
• James Vince (Hampshire) - 962 (average 40.08)
• Daryl Mitchell (Worcestershire) - 957 (average 36.80)

Most wickets

• Tom Bailey (Lancashire) - 64 (average 19.65)
• Morne Morkel (Surrey) - 59 (average 14.32)
• Jamie Porter (Essex) - 58 (average 24.63)
• Graham Onions (Lancashire) - 57 (average 21.77)
• Simon Harmer (Essex) - 57 (average 24.45)

Most wicketkeeping dismissals

• Dane Vilas (Lancashire) - 46
• Steven Davies (Somerset) - 41
• Tom Moores (Nottinghamshire) 39

Image source, Getty Images

Most runs

• Ian Bell (Warwickshire) - 1027 (average 54.05)
• Wayne Madsen (Derbyshire) - 1016 (average 37.62)
• Will Rhodes (Warwickshire) - 972 (average 44.18)
• Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire) - 935 (average 46.75)
• Ben Brown (Sussex) - 912 (average 43.42)

Most wickets

• Matt Henry (Kent) - 75 (average 15.48)
• Ollie Robinson (Sussex) - 74 (average 18.66)
• James Harris (Middlesex) - 61 (average 20.54)
• Ben Sanderson (Northamptonshire) - 60 (average 16.70)
• Chris Rushworth (Durham) - 60 (average 20.01)

Most wicketkeeping dismissals

• Tim Ambrose (Warwickshire) - 57
• Ben Brown (Sussex) - 53
• Gareth Roderick (Gloucestershire) - 48)

Surrey all-rounder Rikki Clarke on BBC 5 live sports extra:

"A couple of games to go we won it and we felt we owed it to really put in a performance here what a game it was.

"Credit to Essex, they played really well and got over the line but we want to lift the trophy now.

"It’s an amazing achievement and a long time coming, so we're going to enjoy it."

Paul Newton
BBC Essex sport commentator

"Last season Essex were unbeaten and Surrey wanted to emulate that.

"Essex wanted to make sure that would be very hard to replicate.

"In racing, the shortest winning distance is a nose, in Championship cricket this is a win by a nose rather than a short head."

Surrey captain Rory Burns told BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

"I don't think after 67 (all out) in our first innings we could get it that close, but that's a real show of our character.

"To get it as close as we did it was an unbelievable effort.

"That was a great advertisement for county cricket and the County Championship.

"I'm so pleased with the character we've shown here it still feels like we've ended on a high after that first innings, it's an unbelievable finish."

from Andy Quinn: "Anyone who thinks that 4 day cricket is dead, needs to have watched that #SURvESS, external match. @ECB_cricket, external need to ensure that they properly nurture this. Its fabulous #BBCCricket, external"

from Dave Mason: "So 2 innings manage 201-19 and the other two 1018-18.....how on earth does that happen!? #bbccricket, external"

from Richard Vaughan: "I think we can all agree it would have been more exciting if it had only been 100 balls each. Right? #bbccricket, external"

• Surrey W10 L1 D3 - 254 pts
• Somerset W7 L2 D4 - 208
• Essex W7 L4 D3 - 187
• Yorkshire W5 L5 D4 - 158
• Hampshire W4 L5 D5 - 144
• Nottinghamshire W4 L8 D2 - 133
• Lancashire W3 L7 D3 - 133
• Worcestershire W2 L10 D2 - 104

Table in full

Image source, Rex Features

Game over as Essex skipper Ryan ten Doeschate flicks Jade Dernbach off his hip for four.

He finishes with 53 not out - but what an effort by Surrey, who trailed by 410 on first innings.

It may be the end of their unbeaten record, but they showed exactly why they are the 2018 county champions.

Fast bowler Morne Morkel takes 4-28 and ends the season with 59 wickets, second only to Lancashire's Tom Bailey (64) in Division One - but from four fewer games.

Essex, the champions 12 months ago, finish third this time.

Jade Dernbach is down to leg-side. Keeper Ben Foakes claims a catch. The umpire says there was no contact with Ryan ten Doeschate's bat.

Another short one from Morne Morkel, it strikes Matt Quinn on the arm but falls short of the fielder at forward short leg.

Quinn survives. but that's the end of the over. He's done his job. Brave man.

The action resumes. Matt Quinn plays Morne Morkel away square, but there's no run.

Postpublished at 15:34 BST 27 September 2018

15:34 BST 27 September 2018

Essex 130-9 - target 132

A helmet is brought on as Will Jacks is positioned at short leg. Will this be a short one?

Morne Morkel in to Matt Quinn and he turns his back on the ball, which hits him on the rear of the helmet.

Just imagine if he now has to retire under concussion protocols! But he looks ok.

Ryan ten Doeschate whips the ball down to long leg, but Amar Virdi's throw is good enough to keep him to a single. Matt Quinn will face the next one.

Morne Morkel pitches the next one up. Ryan ten Doeschate does't make perfect contact, but there are two runs through the leg-side from the inside half of the bat.

Three to win, two to tie.

Morne Morkel in, Ryan ten Doeschate drives. It beats the bowler and goes down to long-off, but the Essex skipper rejects a single.

Advantage Essex?

Jade Dernbach digs his final delivery in and Ryan ten Doeschate gloves it down before sprinting through for one. He'll be on strike for the next over.

There was a collision between Jade Dernbach and Matt Quinn but no harm done.