6 days ago
19
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Olly Stone to miss the start of the summer
Poor Olly Stone, before a ball has even been bowled. Stone (Nottinghamshire) has been ruled out of all cricket for 14 weeks following scans and subsequent surgery this week, which confirmed a right knee injury. He started feeling discomfort during Nottinghamshire’s pre-season tour of Abu Dhabi.
He is aiming to be back to full fitness by August.
There were queues at Chelmsford -or should I say the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground - this morning. And some name changes (at least to me) – what was the River End is now the Sir Alastair Cook end, and the Hayes Close End is now the Graham Gooch end.
Season preview
Trophy cabinet or wooden spoon?
Division Two fixtures
The County Ground: Derbyshire v Gloucestershire
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Leicestershire
Lord’s: Middlesex v Lancashire
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire v Kent
Division One fixtures
Chelmsford: Essex v Surrey
Southampton: Hampshire v Yorkshire
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Durham
Taunton: Somerset v Worcestershire
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Sussex
Preamble
Good morning! Magnolia – tick. Sunshine – tick. Daffodils – tick. Cricket – tick. Yes, it’s back, the County Championship, 18 counties battling it out for one title, April to September.
If you’re a regular to this blog– welcome back! Hope the trials and tribulations of winter haven’t been too onerous.
If you’re new here, come on in, the water’s lovely. Readers regularly chat about the cricket, and life, underneath the blog (BTL – below the line) – so please do join in. Somewhere is a glossary of terms used by older hands which I’ll link to when I find it.
Here at rickety, faithful, Chelmsford, the players are out in the middle, footballs are being kicked, run-ups measured, calves stretched. I’m off to find a filter coffee, but settle in and open the curtains – it’s beginning.
