First off, we’re back! Get out the bunting and crack open the champers. We’ll be with you all the way through the rest of the year, trying to keep count, probably unsuccessfully, of how many consecutive Ashes Tests there have been.

Last year at about this time we brought you an early season update of how the various cuddly creatures known as county cricketers were getting on. Well, as spring has been warm and dry, they’ve been flourishing. So let’s get the binoculars, pad and paper out and see what we can find.

The gulf between England-standard players and everyone else is quite apparent to see. The last couple of weeks have seen a number of them returning to their natural habitats, and the results have been startling. Joe Root has made 49, 182 and 236 in his two outings for God’s own county so far and tops the first class run charts. Jonny Bairstow added a ton as well, as did Nick Compton. Cook, Trott, Prior and Bell have all made solid fifties. On the bowling side, Babyface Broad has taken 12 wickets in two matches, Jimmy Anderson 7, Tim Bresnan 9, while Chris Woakes has taken 11 wickets and scored 2 fifties. Graham Onions, as is usual at the start of the seasons, stands atop a huge pile of mangled batsmen’s carcasses, with 19 wickets already. Not a bad haul all round.

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