Notts and Derbyshire lead the way.

posted by John Winn

Somewhere within the confines of the ECB there is probably a sense of relief that, despite the earliest start to a County Championship season ever, of the fourteen matches played in the first two rounds only one has ended in a draw. That of course was the game at Headingley between Yorkshire and Kent, and even that held some interest until bad light intervened after tea on the last afternoon.
As an added bonus the matches have produced a number of close finishes. Take last Sunday for example when Middlesex beat Surrey by just three runs, Warwickshire beat Somerset by two wickets and Gloucestershire finished with a 33 run advantage over Hampshire. At Lords, where free admission was not enough of an incentive to attract more than a couple of hundred spectators, those who did attend saw Surrey lose their last five wickets for 36 and team director Chris Adams complained that 'it was probably the worst Lords' pitch (he) had ever seen'.
Low scores have been a feature of many of the games: champions Lancashire bowled out twice by Sussex for less than 200, Durham would have suffered the same fate against Notts but for a last wicket second innings stand between Claydon and Onions, Glamorgan managed only 95 and 102 against Derbyshire and Somerset, normally such prolific scorers, were dismissed for 147 by Warwickshire in their first innings. It would appear that the bowlers have found the early start and the accompanying temperatures to their liking. Could it be for batsmen at least that pre-season practice in Dubai or Barbados is not the ideal preparation for spring in Chester-le Street or Headingley or anywhere else in England in such cold conditions?
And from a spectator's point of view to what extent does exciting cricket compensate for the need to pack blankets and hot water bottles rather than the sun hat and factor 30 when setting off for a day's cricket watching? Perhaps next season's early amtches might be sponsored by Thinsulate.
Another round of matches starts on Thursday with Yorkshire at home to Essex and Durham at Lord's. This blogger is off to The Oval early on Thursday, train tickets booked in January when it was probably warmer than it is now, and my first listed match of the season when Surrey host Worcestershire. The weather forecast is not good and it may be that I will need to investigate the reduced price theatre ticket bureau's options for Thursday matinees. Let's hope that men in white are not replaced by The Woman in Black.