Something for Ben Stokes to mull over while he gazes at Worcester cathedral:
And I forgot to mention, Joe Root gets his first hit of the season since resigning the England captaincy.
Division Two table
Notts (4) 73
Derby (4) 65
Middlesex (3) 59
Glamorgan (4) 51
Durham (4) 42
Worcestershire (3) 40
Sussex (4) 31
Leicestershire (4) 29
Division One table
Surrey (4) 67
Hampshire (4) 59
Lancashire (3) 58
Yorkshire (3) 51
Essex (4) 43
Northants (3) 38
Warwicks (3) 37
Somerset (4) 33
Gloucestershire (4) 33
Kent (4) 30
Round five
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex v Yorkshire
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire v Gloucestershire
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Warwickshire
The Oval: Surrey v Northants
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Leicestershire
Hove: Sussex v Middlesex
New Road: Worcestershire v Durham
Preamble
Good morning! May is flourishing, the hawthorn is in bursting out its britches, and I’d like it to stay like this forever. Five matches into an 18-round season, we’re already nearly a third of the way through.
Since the unveiling of Ben Stokes as Durham captain last week, he’s been busy. A press conference at The Riverside on Monday, and now he’s playing his first Championship game of the year for Durham, against Worcestershire. Ali has just arrived at New Road and will be sending us regular updates (won’t you Ali).
Elsewhere in Division Two, Glamorgan, fresh from their valiant run-chase, take on bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire; and it looks at pretty uneven contest at Hove where mighty Middlesex charge down minnows Sussex.
It’s champions elect against the reigning champions at Old Trafford, top of the table Surrey v battling Northants at The Oval, Essex host Yorkshire, done out of a probable win by bad light on Sunday, and struggling Gloucestershire at the Rose Bowl.
There are just seven games this week, with Kent, Somerset, Notts and Derby missing out.