The County Championship draws breath today but just for a day for there are six matches starting tomorrow and with most counties having played at least 25% of their games it seems not inappropriate to take stock.
Durham's win over Surrey yesterday, their first ever championship victory at The Oval, sees them back on top of the first division. Not bad for a team tipped by Cricketer magazine to finish bottom and who are unable to afford an overseas player or at least as skipper Collingwood said 'the ones we can afford are no better than the players we have already'. In winning three of their first five games they have far exceeded my expectations and continued the resurgence begun under Collingwood midway through last season. They now have over a week's rest before meeting Middlesex at Chester le Street next week, a rest that is apart from having to travel to Southampton for a YB40 game at the weekend.
Middlesex are in second place having played a game fewer than Durham and with two wins to their name will be happy with their start and their trip to Taunton tomorrow is an enticing affair for Somerset are surely numbered amongst the sides who will not be happy with the first quarter of the season. Winless and with a loss to Durham and an escape against Yorkshire thanks to rain can hardly be what Dave Nosworthy expected.
Like Durham, Yorkshire may also feel things have gone just about as well as they could have hoped for, especially after the bruising start aginst Sussex. Tomorrow they enter the Bears' den and must face up to life, for the time being at least, without Root, Bairstow, Bresnan and the injured Brooks. If Bresnan is left out of the England XI on Thursday might we see him dash up to Edgbaston to join in after four sessions?
Sussex are undefeated in their three games and will not be too fearful of taking on Derbyshire tomorrow. Notts must also be considered to have had a disappointing start with two defeats, both at Trent Bridge, but they too have played only three matches and welcome Surrey tomorrow. The men from Kennington are surely the biggest underperformers especially given their outlay on players. With Graeme Smith back in South Africa their first three against Durham read Burns, Roy and Harinath with Wilson, who when promoted to three against Sussex scored a century, batting at seven. 'Marquee signing' Solanki is averaging over 40, but might be a little disappointed that he has not converted any of his seven innings into three figures.
Derbyshire like others in past seasons are finding the step up from second division hard to climb and although their batting failures have been highlighted they have collected only 50% of their bowling points which compounds their difficulties. There will be those who have them marked for an immediate return to the Second Division but they might take heart from Durham last year who failed to win any of their first ten games and yet still finished sixth, form they have carried through into 2013.
Second Division tomorrow, off to Weetwood this morning for Leeds/Bradford University v Durham II, sunshine and showers anticipated.
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