For six hours and 10 minutes he held out. He took Hampshire to within 21 runs of avoiding the follow-on and perhaps preventing Warwickshire from securing the win they needed. He carried his bat for 151 not out.
Yesterday Liam Dawson narrowly failed in becoming an honorary Lancastrian.
Another day of twists and turns means the destination of the title has still not been decided as we enter the last day of the season today - this is the way it always should be.
With due deference to Jim Troughton, no-one deserves to lift the trophy more than Glen Chapple, whose heroism has reached new levels down at Taunton. Despite a bad hamstring injury, Chapple has continued to bowl and even took the first Somerset second innings wicket.
Indeed, despite battling injury all season, Chapple has taken 53 wickets at just under 20.
The Skipton born Chapple is already an honorary Lancastrian; Dawson so nearly joined him at the Rose Bowl yesterday.
There are so many reasons why as a neutral we want Lancashire to claim the title: the 77 year famine, Warwickshire's underhand performance enhancing runs and the fact that Lancashire's success has come from playing most home matches at Aigburth. But Chapple's valour is the biggest reason of all.
Whoever preveils today, the County Championship is undoubtedly the best league competition in any sport in the world.
And so say all of us.
Where next?
Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves gets straight to the point
Lancashire threaten to transform our County Championship casserole into a hotpot
Warwickshire, Lancashire or Durham? The County Championship reaches another thrilling conclusion
Read all our County Cricket coverage
County Championship XI of the week #18
Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes
If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep
"There are so many reasons why as a neutral we want Lancashire to claim the title: the 77 year famine, Warwickshire's underhand performance enhancing runs and the fact that Lancashire's success has come from playing most home matches at Aigburth. But Chapple's valour is the biggest reason of all."
That's all well and good, but you've forgotten the important bit, which is that they're Lancashire.
Fuck 'em.
Posted by: Howe_zat | Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 10:53