COUNTY Champions Yorkshire were kept on tenterhooks until the very last moment yesterday before learning that they had held on to their place in Division One of the Norwich Union League.

Having completed their own programme, their future depended on results from elsewhere and in the end it was old rivals Surrey who saved them by beating Gloucestershire Gladiators by 36 runs to send last year's title holder's crashing into Division Two.

It was a fine performance by Surrey Lions, already relegated themselves, and absolutely vital for Yorkshire's survival because Nottinghamshire Outlaws and Somerset Sabres both won their matches to climb clear of danger.

Kent were crowned champions after beating Warwickshire by nine runs.

Yorkshire, along with Leicestershire and Kent, are the only counties never to have been out of the top flight since the Championship and the one-day league were split into two divisions.

Despite their brilliant success in the CricInfo Championship, Yorkshire ended on a downbeat note by throwing away their final game against bottom club Essex at Scarborough on Saturday when former Yorkshire all-rounder Paul Grayson destroyed them with career-best figures of 5 for 20.

Although nothing can diminish Yorkshire's achievement of winning the Championship, skipper David Byas is disappointed that they have lost both their matches since clinching the title against Glamorgan at Scarborough on August 24.

The resting up of Darren Lehmann and injuries to several of their leading pace bowlers has had much to do with them falling away but there was still no excuse for collapsing so badly against Essex after a glorious double century stand between Michael Vaughan and Anthony McGrath had appeared to make victory a mere formality.

Chasing a 319 target off a minimum of 65 overs, Yorkshire got off to the worst possible start by losing Chris Taylor and Matthew Wood without a run on the board.

But Vaughan and McGrath completely transformed the situation by thrashing the bowling to all parts of the North Marine Road ground while adding 204 together in 26 overs of mayhem.

The pair reeled off one glorious shot after another and Grayson only came on as Essex's seventh bowler because skipper Ronnie Irani did not know where else to turn.

The left-arm spinner, who used to play for Bedale in the York and District Senior League, began by having McGrath caught at long on for 70 off 86 balls with eight fours and a six and with the ball before tea he breached Vaughan's defences after the England batsman had thrashed 113 from 89 deliveries with 16 fours and four sixes.

Complete panic set in after the interval as Byas was lured out of his crease and stumped off Grayson who had Richard Blakey caught behind before trapping Richard Dawson lbw first ball.

Another York Senior League bowler, Joe Grant, who plays for champions Dunnington, polished off the last three wickets as Yorkshire fell apart, the second half of the batting order being swept away in little more than three overs for nine runs.

Grayson had previously taken only four Championship wickets all season and it was the first time in his career that he has claimed five victims in an innings.

"It has been a magnificent season and memories of winning the Championship will remain with me for ever, but it is a pity that we had to finish up on such a low note," said Byas.