Middlesex beat rivals Yorkshire by 61 runs to win the County Championship

Toby Roland-Jones finished the innings with a hat-trick spread across two overs

Toby Roland-Jones celebrates his hat-trick of wickets (Getty)

Middlesex have beaten rivals Yorkshire by 61 runs to claim the County Championship title.

Somerset had been poised to lift the title but were helpless to deny Middlesex their victory who finished the championship with 234 points - 12 more than Somerset.

Toby Roland-Jones finished the match with a hat-trick as his side pulled off their first county championship title in 23 years.

The Londoners had to hold their nerve to clinch the Specsavers Division One title, as back-to-back champions Yorkshire were bowled out for 178 in pursuit of 240 in 40 overs.

Roland Jones finished with 10 wickets in the match, and took the final one when he bowled number 11 Ryan Sidebottom round his legs.

Middlesex's triumph came amid much disquiet in the west country, where Somerset needed a draw at HQ for a first title in their 125-year history and were seething over the declaration bowling which set up Yorkshire's target.

But at Lord's, the home cheers drowned out any qualms being voiced 150 miles away in Taunton.

Middlesex prevailed despite Tim Bresnan's brilliant match for Yorkshire, Roland-Jones (six for 54) and Steven Finn bowling with great discipline.

Dawid Malan (116) earlier had to earn his 203-ball hundred in a second-wicket stand of 198 with first-innings centurion Nick Gubbins (93), before others' runs came cheaply when Yorkshire resorted to declaration bowling to achieve the agreed target.

Middlesex's 359 for six left the visitors a six-an-over run chase - and although Bresnan (55) augmented his own first-innings hundred, it proved too much.

PA.