And so, we go again. I’m at a sun-bathed Lord’s, hoping it remains sun-bathed because in the period between me deciding I’d better bring a coat and me getting in the car (the one bonus of an audience-free Lord’s being the ability to get a parking space) I forgot to bring a coat. On the plus side, I’ve been in this box before and know where the heater switch is. The scene from my box this morning is extremely pleasing, looking as it does very much like this:
As ever this season, you can watch every match via the ECB’s match centre here and listen to BBC commentaries here, though this one must be very important because it’s on Sky.
After this weekend’s matches we’ll be halfway through the group stage, so let’s settle back and take in the state of play, shall we?
Group One
Warwickshire v Worcestershire (Edgbaston)
Nottinghamshire v Essex (Trent Bridge)
Group One is simmering rather nicely, with only 14 points separating first place from last (compared with 49 points in Group Two and 55 points in Group Three), and just five between first and fifth. Worcestershire are the bonus point champions, sitting as they do just two points away from the group leaders even though they still haven’t won a game. Today they play the group leaders, so something’s got to give there.
Group Two
Leicestershire v Surrey (Leicester)
Middlesex v Gloucestershire (Lord’s)
Hampshire v Somerset (Southampton)
Gloucestershire are the runaway leaders, and take their unbeaten record to Middlesex, who have repeatedly failed to convert promising positions (mostly against Somerset) into victories. Leicestershire’s search of a first win – they have lost three out of four so far – continues against a Surrey side that came good last week to get their own first victory on the board, while it’s third against second as Hampshire welcome Somerset.
Group Three
Yorkshire v Kent (Headingley)
Lancashire v Glamorgan (Old Trafford)
Northamptonshire v Sussex (Northampton)
Group Three is looking worryingly close to cooked already, with Yorkshire and Lancashire yomping clear of the pack. Can Kent, marooned at the bottom of the heap, stop the Yorkshire juggernaut at Headingley? And can Glamorgan apply the brakes to Lancashire’s runaway train at Old Trafford, where Jimmy Anderson will be donning whites and taking to the field for the first time this season? We’ll find out over the next few days, while Sussex and Northamptonshire will be competing for the honour of keeping the leaders vaguely within their sights.
So here we are. I’ll do my best to keep on top of the going-on around the grounds, but please do get in touch if something interesting happens at the match you’re monitoring. Right then, the sun has gone in and I’m off to flick the heater switch.
