Key events
Good morning Tim Maitland: “Subbed out of the Glamorgan game with a hand injury, since his return, the artist formerly known as YJB has managed 6 against Sussex (failing along with Lyth while all around boots were filled) , a fluent yet truncated 38 batting with Root and 18 at Somerset and then another brief flash (four 4s and a 6) of 25 before shouldering arms to one that needed playing and a second innings duck.
”Assuming that the wise old heads in the Headingley press box will ignore the fact that you come from the wrong side of the Pennines, I’d be interested to hear any of their thoughts on how Young Jonny B is coping with the burdens of captaincy.”
Wise old heads say: he did well last year marrying everything together, especially in the second half of the season, but for one reason or another it hasn’t really happened so far this year.
Ali Martin
There is a chap who sit in the same seat at the very top of Hollies Stand for Warwickshire home games, presumably to enjoy the peaceful solitude it offers. But for today’s visit of Glamorgan he is surrounded by hundreds of local school kids, all chirruping away excitedly, for what is being deemed a “Red-ball showcase” fixture. Anyway, the Bears have won the toss and will be looking to showcase their skills with said red ball. It does feel like a bowl-first day, even if one of the square boundaries is remarkably short.
Made a major error not bringing my winter coat. A decent crowd for this, Yorkshire’s last Championship match at Headingley until September. Surrey have won the toss and will bowl, great to hear the Yorkshire lineup read out over the loudspeaker: “Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jonny Bairstow” and some great Surrey players too.
T20 Hall of fame
The ECB has announced a new T20 hall of fame before the Blast, er, blasts off, a week today. The garlanded four are: Ravi Bopara, Charlotte Edwards, James Vince and Danni Wyatt-Hodge
England mix it up for Test series
Division Two table (all teams have played five games)
1 Durham 91
2 Middlesex 68
3 Northamptonshire 66
4 Lancashire 63
5 Kent 61
6 Worcestershire 60
7 Derbyshire 53
8 Gloucestershire 29
Division One table (all teams have played five games)
1 Notts 80
2 Warwickshire 74
3 Surrey 72
4 Sussex 69
5 Glamorgan 69
6 Somerset 64
7 Essex 60
8 Yorkshire 48
9 Leicestershire 41
10 Hampshire 29
Fixtures
Division One
Chelmsford: Essex v Leicestershire
Southampton: Hampshire v Nottinghamshire
Taunton: Somerset v Sussex
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Glamorgan
Headingley: Yorkshire v Surrey
Division Two
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Northamptonshire
Beckenham: Kent v Durham
Southport: Lancashire v Worcestershire
Lord’s: Middlesex v Derbyshire
Preamble
Good morning! How can we be here already? Trees decked in their brightest spring greens totter on the embankments as my trans pennine express slips through the hills.Here be the final round of this early block, nearly half way through the Championship season.
I’m off to see Root, Brook and Bairstow v Surrey, there are a couple of outground games at Southport and Beckenham; out of sorts Hampshire host top of the table Notts, and Warwickshire take on roaring Glamorgan.
All that and more from 11am. Do come and join us, the coffee is percolating.