The county championship

Oh that was a decent day to watch cricket at Worcester then.  Ali and Fell from what I remember and it was a balanced days cricket.  Unfortunately Yorks came back with a vengence after that and show why they are going to take some beating again this year.  Provided those core seamers stay fit it's hard to see where they have holes.  Even with star player out they still look stacked with talent.  They produce so many high quality youngsters.

I saw my first cricket of the year at Taunton this Monday.  I'm worried about Somerset this year and Monday didn't really dissuade those doubts.  They've lost key players and not really replaced the holes they had last year.  Compton and Kieswetter are massive losses from the batting lineup and the bowling looks a bit raw.  Gregory took 5 and Overton bowled some top draw deliveries but they were way too loose and conceded runs far too easily at all stages in that innings.  I saw most of Borthwick's 90 odd and all of Collingwood's Century and to be honest they didn't have to work hard for the runs at any stage.  It was cruise control.  Unless you can throttle a side you can't really build pressure.  Rahman had an off day (on what was probably not a very helpful pitch) but it's a concern.  Only Allenby looked like he could consistently keep the score down.  It's early days for Groeneweld but he didn't look that threatening and you worry that he's spent a long time on green tops at a lower standard.  Not sure he'll be the penetrating bowler that Somerset have missed since Kirby was crocked.  Then you have Thomas to come back but he's another year older etc.  Batting looks a bit on the inexperienced side after Trescothick (also a year older) and Hildreth.  Durham gave Somerset an A1 lesson in the advantages of having genuinely penetrating bowlers.  Rushworth is a superb county seamer and Onions was also very good.  Somerset just don't have those players and I'm not sure their batting is as strong this year either.  I can see them struggling this year.  Pleasure to watch Collingwood score 100 - one of my favourite players to watch.  So unfussy; short backlift, minimum movement, easy accumulator, fighter and near perfect shot selection.  Has made the absolute best of somewhat limited talent.  Losing 5 wickets to his bowling in the first innings was criminal though on Somerset's part and another poor sign.  Having said all that could have been a different game if Barrow hadn't dropped a sitter off Collingwood when he was in the 40s.

Currently listening to Gloucester possibly about to make an unlikely dash at a 4th day target set by Northants. Don't think they'll do it but they're definitely in the game here especially with the bulk of their attacking batsmen still to come and Northants seemingly offering little in the way of threat.  I love the Championship - it gets abad press from people who don't actually ever go or really make an effort to understand it.  Go to New Road or Taunton and it does not look like the 'one man and his dog' image that is the lazy stereotype.  It has terrible PR though - nobody writes about what great value it is in itself.  It only ever gets talked about in relation in the England team.  I know quite a few people who don't give a crap about the overhyped England cricket team but go to 70-80 days of county cricket a year. It's a great competition.

I like your Warwickshire tip but I think Notts look like the team that might stop Yorkshire.  Worcs will struggle to stay up as usual but should be competitive at least.  I think the other relegation place may be between Middlesex (who look a bit of a mess to me) and Somerset.  Lancs will probably come straight back up from Div 2 - it would be nice to see someone different come up. Too much to hope it would Glos I think but Glamorgan may be a reasonable outside bet; they have a reasonable looking squad on paper but need to start putting performances together.