Key events
Country Diary
What a lovely vignette, and so true.
Keith Barker’s ban reduced to 12 months after “genuine mistake”
Fixtures
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham v Yorkshire
New Road: Essex v Worcestershire
Southampton: Hampshire v Somerset
Hove: Sussex v Surrey
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Nottinghamshire
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground: Derbyshire v Northamptonshire
Canterbury: Kent v Gloucestershire
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Leicestershire
Lord’s: Middlesex v Glamorgan
Preamble
Hello! This year, the cricket season marks Good Friday with the start of round three. The tables are set quite unexpectedly, with Warwickshire, Sussex and Nottinghamshire at the top of Division One; Leicestershire, Kent and Derbyshire heading Division Two.
It’s overcast but dry in Manchester where there are plenty of evil-beaked magpies but still no swallows. I’m off to Old Trafford to watch Lancashire take on table-topping Leicestershire. Elsewhere in Division Two, momentum-rolling Kent prepare to eat Gloucestershire, Derbyshire entertain near neighbours Northants, while Glamorgan and Middlesex fight it out for the early-season wooden spoon.
In Division One, Yorkshire, fresh from victory on Monday, go to moribund Durham, Essex travel to New Road, winless Somerset need to try to dig a result out of Southampton, while the big beasts of the Midlands battle it out at Edgbaston. Last year’s champions Surrey, also without a win, go to Hove.
Play starts at 11am. Please grab a hot-cross bun from the tray and join us.