Key events
Jofra watch:
Stuart Broad presses play:
DIVISION TWO TABLE
1 DURHAM (played 3) 40
2 WORCESTERSHIRE (played 3) 35
3 LEICESTERSHIRE (played 2) 34
4 SUSSEX (played 2) 28
5 GLAMORGAN (played 2) 21
6 GLOUCESTERSHIRE (played 3) 21
7 YORKSHIRE (played 3) 21
8 DERBYSHIRE (played 3) 21
DIVISION ONE TABLE
1 Hampshire (played 3) 45
2 Essex (played 3) 40
3 Warwickshire (played 2) 35
4 Surrey (played 2) 32
5 Nottinghamshire (played 3) 29
6 Lancashire (played 3) 29
7 Kent (played 3) 28
8 Middlesex (played 3) 26
9 Northamptonshire (played 3) 23
10 Somerset (played 3) 22
Fixtures
Division One
Lord’s: Middlesex v Kent
Edgbaston: Warwicks v Surrey
Division Two
Chester-le-Street: Durham v Derbyshire
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Sussex
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Glamorgan
Preamble
Good morning! We’re up to round four, wild garlic in the woods but still no swifts, at least not here in Manchester. Just five games in cricket’s Hokey-Cokey: two in the first division: the south east derby, Middx v Kent,;and Warwicks and Surrey, third v fourth, who have a chance to leap over Hampshire and Essex to the top of the table spot.
In Div 2, three games – Durham v Derbyshire, where Matt Parkinson will make his debut, dispatched to the Riverside on a two-week loan. “Following conversations between Matt and the Club’s coaching staff, it was agreed that game time in the County Championship would be preferable.”
Then Gloucestershire v Sussex at Bristol, and Leicestershire v Glamorgan at Grace Road. There are bits of drizzle floating about, but the forecast is generally more promising than the damp duvet of the last round. I’ll be following from my kitchen table, but Ali is in the hot seat at Edgbaston.
