Durham, who have only been a first-class county side since 1991, have become English champions for the first time. They beat Kent in the glorious sunshine of Canterbury yesterday, a result which also means that Kent are relegated down to Division 2.
Nottinghamshire needed to beat Hampshire at Trent Bridge to win the title. Instead they were defeated by 203 runs.
County Championship showdown
BBC Sport
Cook hails fantastic county win
COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Kent VS Durham, at Canterbury (day four):
VS
1st Innings
Durham: 500-8d
Kent: 225
2nd Innings
Kent: 204
Durham win by an innings and 71 runs. Durham are champions. Kent are relegated.
County Championship points: Durham 22, Kent 3
Kent: Denly, Key, van Jaarsveld, Stevens, Kemp, Jones, McLaren, Tredwell, Arafat, Saggers, Joseph
Durham: Di Venuto, B Harmison, Smith, Chanderpaul, Benkenstein, Breese, Mustard, Wiseman, Thorp, S Harmison, Davies
LIVERPOOL VICTORIA COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP, DIVISION ONE
Durham: 190 points (champions)
Nottinghamshire: 182
Hampshire: 178
Somerset: 174
Lancashire: 170
Sussex: 159
Yorkshire: 159
---------------------------
Kent: 154 (relegated)
Surrey: 124 (relegated)
LIVERPOOL VICTORIA COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP, DIVISION TWO
Warwickshire: 213 (promoted)
Worcestershire: 196 (promoted)
--------------------------------------
Middlesex: 175
Northamptonshire: 169
Essex: 168
Derbyshire: 167
Leicestershire: 150
Glamorgan: 136
Gloucestershire: 122
Steve Harmison captured the final two wickets in Durham's triumph
Durham captured their first Division One title after wrapping up an innings victory over Kent, who were relegated.
They needed only 16 overs on the final morning to clinch the win but had to wait until late afternoon to be crowned champions when Notts lost to Hampshire.
Callum Thorp claimed a career-best 7-88 and England's Steve Harmison took 3-58 despite a cracked bone in his wrist.
Harmison said: "It is an unbelievable achievement. It is only 16 years as a first-class county... wow."
Expected to be fit for England's multi-million dollar Stanford clash in Antigua on 1 November, Harmison added: "There are some young lads up there who don't realise what sort of achievement they've just had."
Ashington-born Harmison ended a memorable season with 60 Championship wickets.
Acknowledging that he has not always reached his potential for his native county, he added: "This is my 12th season and I've probably had more bad years than good years, but this is just a great feeling.
"The Ashes [success in 2005] takes some beating. Because of the nature of the series win, it will always be the pinnacle.
"But behind that, I don't think there is a prouder moment than this in my career. It's very special."
South African skipper Dale Benkenstein singled out Geoff Cook, director of cricket and a central plank of Durham's coaching team since 1991, for special mention.
"I decide things on the field but Geoff Cook is the real heart and soul of the club, and a lot of the success is due to the efforts he's put in over the last 20 years.
"We are the end product of a lot of hard work and it is unbelievably enjoyable with the group of players we've had."
Kent, who have been sent down in the nine seasons of the two-tier structure, resumed on 159-5 on Saturday morning, needing a further 116 to make Durham bat again.
Their hopes of salvaging a draw and having a chance of top flight survival rested with South Africans Justin Kemp and Ryan McLaren, who shared a century stand on Friday evening.
But on a glorious morning in the south-east, they added only six more runs before Kemp's sliced drive was smartly caught low in the gully by skipper Dale Benkenstein.
McLaren completed a fifty that contained 10 fours, but when Yasir Arafat edged to second slip to become the seventh man out, Thorp was still on course to emulate former Durham favourite Ottis Gibson and take all 10 wickets.
Harmison, still able to operate at good pace from the Nackington Road End, got in on the act when James Tredwell offered no shot and lost his off-stump.
The paceman had the distinction of taking the final two wickets in two balls to seal the famous victory, Robbie Joseph prodding to second slip and Martin Saggers seeing his stumps splattered.
Coach Graham Ford said: "There's no question that we ran out of gas. The disappointments of not quite getting across the line to win the three one-day competitions took its toll too because winning trophies can be quite energising.
"Had we managed to win one competition, it might have provided the energy boost we needed to go on for the rest of the season."
Kent v Durham: Durham close in on victory and a maiden title with early wickets at Canterbury
Justin Kemp is the first casualty as Kent slide towards a defeat that sends them into Division Two
Steve Harmison, despite a cast on his left hand, takes the final two wickets in two balls as Durham win by an innings
The Durham team briefly forget about Harmison's injured hand as the celebrations begin at Canterbury
The end comes emphatically as Saggers is bowled, relegating Kent and almost certainly making Durham champions
Durham leave the field after sealing victory by an innings and 71 runs, hopeful of a maiden Division One title
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE VS HAMPSHIRE
1st Innings
Hampshire: 203
Nottinghamshire: 211
2nd Innings
Hampshire: 449-5d
Nottinghamshire: 238
Hampshire win by 203 runs
County Championship points: Hants 18, Notts 4
Meanwhile, at Trent Bridge, skipper Chris Read has much to ponder as Notts let another title slip away
Notts v Hampshire: Nic Pothas continues to blaze away in unorthodox fashion as Hampshire grind out the runs against a demoralised Notts
All-rounder Liam Dawson is also amongst the runs in an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 182
Dawson joins Pothas to make the second century of the innings before Hampshire finally declare on 449-5
Set 442 from a minimum of 76 overs, Notts need quick runs but Graeme Swann is an early casualty
Although the trophy is not actually at the ground, Durham know they are soon certain to get their hands on it
news.bbc.co.uk/sport
Nottinghamshire needed to beat Hampshire at Trent Bridge to win the title. Instead they were defeated by 203 runs.
County Championship showdown
BBC Sport
Cook hails fantastic county win
COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Kent VS Durham, at Canterbury (day four):
1st Innings
Durham: 500-8d
Kent: 225
2nd Innings
Kent: 204
Durham win by an innings and 71 runs. Durham are champions. Kent are relegated.
County Championship points: Durham 22, Kent 3
Kent: Denly, Key, van Jaarsveld, Stevens, Kemp, Jones, McLaren, Tredwell, Arafat, Saggers, Joseph
Durham: Di Venuto, B Harmison, Smith, Chanderpaul, Benkenstein, Breese, Mustard, Wiseman, Thorp, S Harmison, Davies
LIVERPOOL VICTORIA COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP, DIVISION ONE
Durham: 190 points (champions)
Nottinghamshire: 182
Hampshire: 178
Somerset: 174
Lancashire: 170
Sussex: 159
Yorkshire: 159
---------------------------
Kent: 154 (relegated)
Surrey: 124 (relegated)
LIVERPOOL VICTORIA COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP, DIVISION TWO
Warwickshire: 213 (promoted)
Worcestershire: 196 (promoted)
--------------------------------------
Middlesex: 175
Northamptonshire: 169
Essex: 168
Derbyshire: 167
Leicestershire: 150
Glamorgan: 136
Gloucestershire: 122
Steve Harmison captured the final two wickets in Durham's triumph
Durham captured their first Division One title after wrapping up an innings victory over Kent, who were relegated.
They needed only 16 overs on the final morning to clinch the win but had to wait until late afternoon to be crowned champions when Notts lost to Hampshire.
Callum Thorp claimed a career-best 7-88 and England's Steve Harmison took 3-58 despite a cracked bone in his wrist.
Harmison said: "It is an unbelievable achievement. It is only 16 years as a first-class county... wow."
Expected to be fit for England's multi-million dollar Stanford clash in Antigua on 1 November, Harmison added: "There are some young lads up there who don't realise what sort of achievement they've just had."
Ashington-born Harmison ended a memorable season with 60 Championship wickets.
Acknowledging that he has not always reached his potential for his native county, he added: "This is my 12th season and I've probably had more bad years than good years, but this is just a great feeling.
"The Ashes [success in 2005] takes some beating. Because of the nature of the series win, it will always be the pinnacle.
"But behind that, I don't think there is a prouder moment than this in my career. It's very special."
South African skipper Dale Benkenstein singled out Geoff Cook, director of cricket and a central plank of Durham's coaching team since 1991, for special mention.
"I decide things on the field but Geoff Cook is the real heart and soul of the club, and a lot of the success is due to the efforts he's put in over the last 20 years.
"We are the end product of a lot of hard work and it is unbelievably enjoyable with the group of players we've had."
Kent, who have been sent down in the nine seasons of the two-tier structure, resumed on 159-5 on Saturday morning, needing a further 116 to make Durham bat again.
Their hopes of salvaging a draw and having a chance of top flight survival rested with South Africans Justin Kemp and Ryan McLaren, who shared a century stand on Friday evening.
But on a glorious morning in the south-east, they added only six more runs before Kemp's sliced drive was smartly caught low in the gully by skipper Dale Benkenstein.
McLaren completed a fifty that contained 10 fours, but when Yasir Arafat edged to second slip to become the seventh man out, Thorp was still on course to emulate former Durham favourite Ottis Gibson and take all 10 wickets.
Harmison, still able to operate at good pace from the Nackington Road End, got in on the act when James Tredwell offered no shot and lost his off-stump.
The paceman had the distinction of taking the final two wickets in two balls to seal the famous victory, Robbie Joseph prodding to second slip and Martin Saggers seeing his stumps splattered.
Coach Graham Ford said: "There's no question that we ran out of gas. The disappointments of not quite getting across the line to win the three one-day competitions took its toll too because winning trophies can be quite energising.
"Had we managed to win one competition, it might have provided the energy boost we needed to go on for the rest of the season."
Kent v Durham: Durham close in on victory and a maiden title with early wickets at Canterbury
Justin Kemp is the first casualty as Kent slide towards a defeat that sends them into Division Two
Steve Harmison, despite a cast on his left hand, takes the final two wickets in two balls as Durham win by an innings
The Durham team briefly forget about Harmison's injured hand as the celebrations begin at Canterbury
The end comes emphatically as Saggers is bowled, relegating Kent and almost certainly making Durham champions
Durham leave the field after sealing victory by an innings and 71 runs, hopeful of a maiden Division One title
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE VS HAMPSHIRE
1st Innings
Hampshire: 203
Nottinghamshire: 211
2nd Innings
Hampshire: 449-5d
Nottinghamshire: 238
Hampshire win by 203 runs
County Championship points: Hants 18, Notts 4
Meanwhile, at Trent Bridge, skipper Chris Read has much to ponder as Notts let another title slip away
Notts v Hampshire: Nic Pothas continues to blaze away in unorthodox fashion as Hampshire grind out the runs against a demoralised Notts
All-rounder Liam Dawson is also amongst the runs in an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 182
Dawson joins Pothas to make the second century of the innings before Hampshire finally declare on 449-5
Set 442 from a minimum of 76 overs, Notts need quick runs but Graeme Swann is an early casualty
Although the trophy is not actually at the ground, Durham know they are soon certain to get their hands on it
news.bbc.co.uk/sport