DARREN STEVENS

It wasn’t quite a case of bursting out the blocks, was it? Two of the Championship’s opening nine matches abandoned without a ball bowled, and a further six finishing in a draw, only one of which hinted at a positive result.
Part of the blame must go to our old friend the English weather. Though you might ask why we are playing so much four-day cricket in spring. For most of my career there was an even split of matches through the season, but this year the counties will have already completed half their Championship programme before May is done so that white-ball cricket can...