As a result, Lancashire needed two runs to win the title. Richard Gleeson played and missed at a slower ball, and Tom Hartley ran a bye through to wicketkeeper Ben McDermott, who ran to the stumps and dislodged the bails at the keeper's end.

Gleeson, meanwhile, was coming back for two having grounded his bat at the non-striker's end, and Hartley set off once he saw Gleeson running towards him. McDermott ran to the bowler's end and was handed a stump that had been removed in celebration by Mason Crane, but Hartley appeared to have made his ground before the wicket was broken - if it was at all. One bye was awarded, which meant Hampshire won by one run.

According to Law 20.1.2, "the ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler's end umpire that the fielding side and both batters at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play."

"There was a little bit of confusion because we thought the boys were going for another run and Tommy was quite keen on getting that other run," Vilas said. "We'll have a look back at the game in a bit more detail.

"Everything was going on out there at that stage. I can't be 100% sure of what was said exactly, but we thought maybe we could have had a look and seen if it was a review or something, but it obviously wasn't and ended up being called as a Hampshire win."

Vilas questioned why the umpires, David Millns and Graham Lloyd, had not checked exactly what had happened with the TV umpire. "They look for everything else," he said. "Ultimately it's their decision, and their decision is final. As players we know that and respect that so we just need to move on with it. It is what it is."

Vilas' view appeared to be shared by Daniel Gidney, the club's chief executive. He retweeted a tweet from Jordan Clark, the ex-Lancashire allrounder who now plays for Surrey, saying: "Did lancs just run a legitimate 2 at the end there or was that just me? [sic]"

"But, I mean, obviously they weren't going to run two to the wicketkeeper so I'm not quite sure what he was trying to say. Once we broke the bails at the end and whatever, I just double-checked with the umpires that the game was done and dusted and they said, 'yeah', and then we celebrated for a second time."

Vince also believed that the umpires made an error on the final ball of the penultimate over of Hampshire's innings, when the dressing room were convinced that Lancashire only had three fielders inside the 30-yard circle, rather than the required four - a decision which was not checked with the TV umpire.

"I felt like a few things went against us," he said. "When they had three [fielders] inside the ring and they didn't look back at it and give us the no-ball, that was a couple of extra runs there and in finals, often, the ones we've played in come down to one or two runs. It felt like they had the rub of the green a little bit, so it was extra special to get over the line in the end."

ESPNcricinfo has contacted the MCC for comment.