County Championship cricket is running the risk of finding itself on the agenda at the UN Climate Summit at the 2015 Paris conference thanks to current title winning trends.

If proof of global warming were needed, then the fact that the County Championship has not been won by a genuinely southern county since 2007 when Sussex reigned has to provide fairly clear evidence.

As a youngster I remember being cushioned from the blow that Lancashire may well not top the table very often by being told the old adage that it rains too much in the north for enough games to be completed to gain the points needed for success.

I am guessing that in Yorkshire youngsters were told a similar cautionary tale and that the feeling was fairly similar, and that the same should have applied more latterly to Durham.

However, the boys from the north east won the crown in 2008, then again the next year and for a third time in 2013.

In 2010 it was Nottinghamshire and in 2011 the Red Rose blossomed before the success of the most southerly recent winners Warwickshire.

This time round as all you Tykes well know the White Rose bloomed to such an extent that the title was secured in great comfort with a game in hand.

Now there will be those nay-sayers who will point to the fact that, while Yorkshire may have won the title, their neighbours over the Pennines have hardly enjoyed the same success this season.

However, even the most ardent Lancashire supporter could hardly argue that the team were undone by the weather this term. Okay a crucial hour or so was lost on the last day of the final game against Middlesex – which was billed as a relegation decider.

Sadly that decision was along way to being made even as the season started as the Red Rose boasted a batting order that was really rather struggling to match that description and a bowling attack that in places lacked the kind of pace Del Boy Trotter used to get out of his Robin Reliant van.

Putting local rivalries aside, it is great to see another victory for the north and congratulations to a fine Yorkshire side whose achievement is even greater given that Joe Root, Gary Balance, Tim Bresnan and Jonny Bairstow were all required for England duty at times.

The only blemish on the whole affair really was the fact that the men in blazers – who I believe were always big favourites of Ian Botham – decided that Yorkshire skipper Andrew Gale should not be presented with the trophy.

Given that the case they are holding against Gale pretty much unravelled in no time, once again cricket’s authorities have made themselves look petty-minded rather than the efficient modern sporting body they would wish to appear.

Anyway at least Gale has been able to show off the trophy at a number of other sporting venues and the Yorkshire skipper was definitely bathed in sunshine when he did so at the John Smith’s Stadium at half-time in Town’s game against Middlesbrough – see I told you it was global warming!

There is a time and a place for everything no matter how annoyed or disappointed you might be.

While not everyone’s cup of tea anyway, Phil Mickelson may have lost himself a few more friends after his outburst following the Americans abject defeat to Europe in the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

In the after-match press conference Mickelson had no qualms about rubbishing the work of USA captain Tom Watson in front of the gathered media and indeed only a few feet away Watson – the winner of eight major championships – himself.

Now whatever the merits of Watson’s leadership and selections – and let’s face it his team essentially lacked anything in the shape of the star turns the Europeans boasted – surely he was deserving of enough respect for Mickelson’s personal dissection of what went wrong to be made known to him in a far less public arena.

And almost as hard to understand was that among the golf writers there were a number who seemed desperate to act as apologists for Mickelson, one suggesting that the reason for the withering attack on Watson was because the ‘left-handed one’ was the ‘Alpha Male’ of the American group.

One definition I found said that ‘Alpha Males’ are men who “act tough, are loud, and have to be the centre of attention”.

Another definition that struck me was that a toddler who has tantrums also likes to be the centre of attention and can be loud – however when he fails to get his own way all the toys get thrown out of the pram.

Whichever side of the line you stand on Mickelson, the only real measure of the man will be when he gets to skipper the American team – particularly if it is on this side of the pond – and see how well he does the job.