Key events
Season preview
Trophy cabinet or wooden spoon?
Division Two fixtures
The County Ground: Derbyshire v Gloucestershire
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Leicestershire
Lord’s: Middlesex v Lancashire
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire v Kent
Division One fixtures
Chelmsford: Essex v Surrey
Southampton: Hampshire v Yorkshire
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Durham
Taunton: Somerset v Worcestershire
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Sussex
Preamble
Good morning! Magnolia – tick. Sunshine – tick. Daffodils – tick. Cricket – tick. Yes, it’s back, the County Championship, 18 counties battling it out for one title, April to September.
If you’re a regular to this blog– welcome back! Hope the trials and tribulations of winter haven’t been too onerous.
If you’re new here, come on in, the water’s lovely. Readers regularly chat about the cricket, and life, underneath the blog (BTL – below the line) – so please do join in. Somewhere is a glossary of terms used by older hands which I’ll link to when I find it.
Here at rickety, faithful, Chelmsford, the players are out in the middle, footballs are being kicked, run-ups measured, calves stretched. I’m off to find a filter coffee, but settle in and open the curtains – it’s beginning.