RYAN ten Doeschate is experienced enough to know that the County Championship table does not lie.
His Essex side enter the final round of Group One games this week sitting in fourth place. The only way they can qualify for the leading division later in the season is by winning at Derbyshire and having other results go their way.
As it stands, the redball champions of 2017, 2019 and 2020 are likely to be also-rans in 2021.
“The table is probably a fair reflection of how we have played so far and we’ll need a bit of luck to finish in the top two,” ten Doeschate told TCP. “It is complicated ...