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Never mind Ben Stokes, the update you’ve all been waiting for from Paul Edwards. He’s been testing almond croissants around the grounds. In third place: Gails in St John’s Wood, silver medal to Panzers just around the corner from Gails, and gold to Oriole underneath the press box at Canterbury “light, huge and delicious, with no stinting on the almond.”

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And Ben Stokes strikes in just his second over back, with a bit of extra bounce enough to tickle the edge of Dan Lategan’s bat as he tries to drive off the back foot. Worcestershire 15 for one.

Four Middlesex slips wait as TRJ slipstreams in.

James Rew, making good on Ali's whispered tip to open the batting, is duly bowled for four at Sophia Gardens. That’s three failures in the last three innings…

At Old Trafford George Balderson entertained all the school children in for the morning with a couple of fours, then gets a goodie from Ryan Higgins and is sent on his way. Lancs 13-1.

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Morning from sunny-ish New Road, where a certain Ben Stokes gets his season underway for Durham against their fellow relegees (?) Worcestershire. The visitors are bowling first and it looks like Stokes - looking impossibly svelte these days – will be taking the new ball, with Matthew Potts having a week off. A nice chance for young Dan Lategan to impress the England captain.

Marcus North likely to be new England selector

Australia and Durham man North to step into Luke Wright’s boots.

As some possibly cheap wickets arrive at Hove in the form of Leicestershire, Ali ponders an England return for Ollie Robinson.

Division Two table (all teams have played four games)

1 Durham 71

2 Northants 65

3 Lancashire 60

4 Worcestershire 55

5 Middlesex 49

6 Kent 43

7 Derbyshire 30

8 Gloucestershire 24

Division One table (all teams have played four games)

1 Notts 67

2 Surrey 59

3 Somerset 58

4 Warwickshire 55

5 Glamorgan 50

6 Sussex 46

7 Yorkshire 45

8 Essex 40

9 Leicestershire 36

10 Hampshire 26

Fixtures

DIVISION ONE

Chelmsford: Essex v Hampshire

Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Somerset

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Surrey

Hove: Sussex v Leicestershire

Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Yorkshire

DIVISION TWO

The County Ground: Derbyshire v Northamptonshire

Bristol: Gloucestershire v Kent

Old Trafford: Lancashire v Middlesex

New Road: Worcestershire v Durham

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Preamble

Happy May morning! Suddenly there are just two rounds to go in this spring block and winding narratives are starting to form. Lots to look forward to this week – Ben Stokes returning to action at New Road, Harry Brook easing into red ball gear for Yorkshire, Notts and Surrey exchanging blows at Trent Bridge and Kent and Gloucestershire battling to avoid the wooden spoon. Play starts at 11am round the grounds, though weather is circling. There’s plenty of room on the CCLive sofa, do join us.