09:45
Preamble
Good morning!
The Roses starts today. Sadly, the Lancashire bowling lineup looks more akin to a Second XI side, with so many of their frontline bowlers absent. The Red Rose claim eight absentees, with Tom Bailey the only first-choice bowler available to Glen Chapple. Yorkshire are missing Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan who have wandered off to play for England but they do possess the most fearsome – on paper – of the available bowlers in the form of Duanne Olivier. Regardless of who is in the lineup, it should be a pretty intense four days at Headingley.
Elsewhere, Surrey will be looking to improve of their pathetic start to the campaign, which has seen them earn just nine points in three games. Admittedly, they have suffered from missing players more than most, resulting in a need for loanees to be found just to fill the teamsheet. They host Kent at The Oval on a glorious Saturday morning in south-east London. Jordan Cox is back for Kent, having exited self-isolation following a breach of Covid protocols in the aftermath of his double hundred against Sussex.
Let’s hope the weather is kind to us, gifting us a full day’s play. Sadly, the forecast outside the south-east of England gives the impression that we will face some rain interruptions.
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