| Dates | 20 April – 16 September 1989 |
|---|---|
| Administrator | England and Wales Cricket Board |
| Cricket format | First-class cricket |
| Tournament format | League system |
| Champions | Worcestershire (5th title) |
| Participants | 17 |
| Matches | 187 |
| Most runs | Jimmy Cook
, (Somerset) 2,173 |
| Most wickets | Franklyn Stephenson, (Nottinghamshire) 91 |
The 1989 Britannic Assurance County Championship was the 90th officially organised running of the County Championship. Worcestershire won their second successive Championship title.[1][2] A sub-standard pitch at Southchurch Park, for which Essex were docked the 25 points, cost them the Championship.
The Championship was sponsored by Britannic Assurance for the sixth time.[3]
Table
- 16 points for a win
- 8 points to each team for a tie
- 8 points to team still batting in a match in which scores finish level
- Bonus points awarded in the first 100 overs of the first innings
- Batting: 150 runs - 1 point, 200 runs - 2 points 250 runs - 3 points, 300 runs - 4 points
- Bowling: 3-4 wickets - 1 point, 5-6 wickets - 2 points 7-8 wickets - 3 points, 9-10 wickets - 4 points
- No bonus points awarded in a match starting with less than 8 hours' play remaining. A one-innings match is played, with the winner gaining 12 points.
- Position determined by points gained. If equal, then decided on most wins.
| Team | P | W | L | D | Bat | Bowl | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Worcestershire | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 44 | 83 | 319 |
| 2 | Essex | 22 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 59 | 71 | 313[a] |
| 3 | Middlesex | 22 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 50 | 72 | 266 |
| 4 | Lancashire | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 57 | 65 | 250 |
| 5 | Northamptonshire | 22 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 47 | 63 | 222 |
| 6 | Derbyshire | 22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 45 | 75 | 216 |
| 7 | Hampshire | 22 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 55 | 65 | 216 |
| 8 | Warwickshire | 22 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 44 | 75 | 207 |
| 9 | Gloucestershire | 22 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 38 | 70 | 204 |
| 10 | Sussex | 22 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 60 | 68 | 192 |
| 11 | Nottinghamshire | 22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 54 | 65 | 190[a] |
| 12 | Surrey | 22 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 50 | 69 | 183 |
| 13 | Leicestershire | 22 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 43 | 74 | 181 |
| 14 | Somerset | 22 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 50 | 54 | 168 |
| 15 | Kent | 22 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 53 | 53 | 154 |
| 16 | Yorkshire | 22 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 41 | 60 | 149 |
| 17 | Glamorgan | 22 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 38 | 59 | 145 |
Notes
- Essex and Nottinghamshire each lost 25 points for preparing a pitch deemed unsuitable for first-class cricket.
References
- Engel, Matthew (2004). Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2004, pages 493-494. John Wisden & Company Ltd. ISBN 0-947766-83-9.
- "Ivo Tennant. "Rainy end to fine summer." Times [London, England] 18 Sept. 1989". The Times.
- "That's out: the sponsors who walked". The Guardian. 20 August 1999. Retrieved 16 September 2025.