The domestic cricket season is set to get under way this week, with the 2024 Vitality County Championship rolling into town on Friday.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the most compelling stories to keep tabs on as the action begins.
Three in a row for Stewart’s swansong?
England’s spin conundrum
Gloves up for grabs
Stars to shine for Yorkshire?
Ottis Gibson has this week described the prospect of Harry Brook and Joe Root playing together for Yorkshire as “special”.
We can now confirm their early-season availability ?#YorkshireFamily pic.twitter.com/d4EQvvDfmO
— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) March 26, 2024
Good news has been perilously thin on the ground for Yorkshire in recent times, with the fallout of the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal casting a long shadow. Relegation to Division Two in 2022 was followed by an underwhelming promotion push last time out and Darren Gough has been shown the door as director of cricket. Fans expecting another miserable campaign have two good reasons for optimism: Harry Brook and Joe Root. Having stepped away from the IPL, two of the finest batters in the country will be available for five first-class games each in the first seven rounds, including four together. It is inconceivable they will not raise the standard dramatically and go a long way to positioning the White Rose for a top-flight return.
Durham back where they belong
Let’s do it all again ?
1 week to go until we kick off our Division 1 Campaign ?
Join us, memberships and match tickets are available now⚡️
— Durham Cricket (@DurhamCricket) March 29, 2024
There is a tangible feeling of righteous indignation when it comes to Durham’s re-emergence at the top table of English cricket. In the midst of grave financial problems in 2016, they were penalised not only with enforced relegation but also a draconian 48-point penalty for the following season. A talent drain followed and hopes of coming back up were further affected by coronavirus complications. Now they are back in a spot they never lost on sporting grounds, with a progressive coach in Ryan Campbell and a fearless squad powered by Test hopefuls Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse, Alex Lees and Ollie Robinson. Every point will taste sweet for fans who have rightly felt aggrieved for eight years.