By Dom Harris
The 2025 Rothesay County Championship is in full swing, with simply two extra rounds to go till the Vitality Blast takes centre stage.
With every team having now performed 5 video games, we check out among the main headlines from the primary stretch of red-ball motion.
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A method to foil Surrey
The defending champions haven’t had all of it their very own method in 2025 thus far, regardless of remaining unbeaten and sitting simply 20 factors again in fourth place.
The Three Feathers are concentrating on a fourth consecutive Division One title however have drawn 4 of their 5 video games, the identical quantity in every of their previous two campaigns, with their solitary success coming towards Somerset at The Oval.
There was a sample throughout all three of their away fixtures to this point, with dwelling sides producing pitches that even the star-studded Surrey line-up couldn’t produce a outcome on.
None of these video games at Chelmsford, Hove or Edgbaston noticed a fourth innings, with the newest draw towards Warwickshire seeing simply 15 wickets fall throughout the 4 days and a quick follow-on enforced regardless of scoring 504.
While Essex did apply important strain within the opening sport, a constructive outcome for Surrey has by no means regarded on the playing cards by the tip of day one – and has led to them strategically rotating their huge inventory of tempo bowlers.
What’s going on at Lancashire?
Simply two years after recording successive second-place finishes, Lancashire had been relegated to Division Two with many anticipating the Pink Rose to make a direct return as they did with ease in 2019.
That has been removed from the case, with Lancashire falling to the underside of the desk following their 70-run defeat at Northamptonshire final trip after a run of 4 straight attracts.
It’s the nature of these attracts which has been probably the most regarding facet.
After an exciting finale in a see-saw battle with Middlesex, Lancashire have discovered themselves on the again foot in every of their three video games at Old Trafford, with solely the climate stopping a defeat towards Leicestershire.
They’ve didn’t make their opponents bat for a second time in every of the three dwelling video games, conceding scores of 496, 491-8d and 589-8d within the course of.
Keaton Jennings has stepped down because the four-day captain with instant impact, citing “the staff will profit from a change of captaincy”, with abroad batter Marcus Harris taking the reins on an interim foundation.
The signing of Harris has been a uncommon spotlight this 12 months, with the 32-year-old Australian method out in entrance within the run-scoring charts throughout each divisions with 749 runs at a mean of 83.22, together with three centuries.
The approaching return of England legend James Anderson may present a much-needed enhance to a facet with the joint-fewest bowling factors within the division, although extra consistency can also be wanted with the bat after collapses of 92-7 and 49-8 in Northampton.
Group efforts underpin East Midlands pleasure
If Lancashire are an instance of a facet at present too reliant on the efficiency of some people, then the early season type of Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire particularly could be attributed to contributions all through.
Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire, who each laboured above the drop final 12 months, are the shock tempo setters in Division One, with present leaders Notts already eclipsing their variety of wins from 2024.
Trent Bridge has turn into considerably of a fortress, with three wins from 4, overcoming Hampshire by 366 runs final week for his or her first victory towards that opposition in any format since 2018.
Six gamers have made three figures with the bat, while six gamers have additionally taken a five-wicket haul.
Australian Fergus O’Neill proved an astute signing with 21 wickets in 4 matches, overlaying till the arrival of skilled Pakistan seamer Muhammad Abbas.
Josh Tongue, in the meantime, has returned to health and earned himself a spot again within the England squad with two five-fers in three matches.
Broadly seen as a membership who depends on poaching gamers from elsewhere, Notts have additionally showcased the standard of their native expertise with batter Freddie McCann, all-rounder Lyndon James and off-spinner Farhan Ahmed all offering match-winning contributions.
As for Leicestershire, 30 factors forward of third place Middlesex in Division Two, the Foxes have additionally loved an unbeaten begin to the marketing campaign with three wins.
Sol Budinger, Peter Handscomb, Ben Cox and Lewis Hill have all made 300+ runs, with Rehan Ahmed and Rishi Patel additionally making centuries on the high of the order.
Ball in hand is the place Leicestershire have been best, although, with Ian Holland the main wicket-taker within the second division on 21 scalps.
The skilled seamer has been ably supported by Ben Inexperienced, Logan van Beek and Tom Scriven who’ve 45 wickets between them, while England hopeful Josh Hull has additionally featured after recovering from harm.
What about England’s Test cohort?
England’s summer time begins subsequent week with the one-off Check towards Zimbabwe, earlier than the high-profile sequence with India commences.
Captain Ben Stokes has but to make an look for Durham thus far after hamstring surgical procedure within the new 12 months, while key batters Joe Root, Harry Brook and Ben Duckett have solely been restricted to at least one sport, through which Root made 90 and Duckett raced to a 31-ball 59.
The England selectors have stored religion with Zak Crawley, regardless of an detached begin to the season for Kent in Division Two.
The opener has scored three half-centuries in his final three video games however has additionally failed to attain greater than six in 4 first innings makes an attempt.
The unlucky Jordan Cox has as soon as once more been pressured to tug out of the squad via harm, after averaging 76.80 in 4 matches, although that has opened the door to 21-year-old Somerset wicketkeeper James Rew who has scored two centuries thus far this marketing campaign.
The tempo assault has been freshened up with a primary call-up for Essex’s Sam Prepare dinner and the return of Josh Tongue, who has impressed along with his tempo in taking 15 wickets for Notts after lacking the whole thing of 2024.
Shoaib Bashir has been maintained because the frontline spinner, regardless of being behind Jack Leach within the pecking order for Somerset and subsequently being loaned out to Glamorgan in Division Two, the place he has solely taken two wickets at a mean of 152 and conceded greater than 4 runs per over.
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