We all ready for the new season, then? Certainly got the weather for it...

Hoping Lancs can bounce straight back up, although I'm more looking forward to the prospect of seven new grounds, including the five remaining County Grounds to tick off the 18.

Securing Prince for two years (subject to paperwork problems, fingers crossed) is superb, especially alongside Katich. We've got the makings of a semi decent side... Shame we don't play on paper, really. I doubt it's going to be as easy as promotion in 2005 was.

Yorkshire's 150th year and Boycott's demanded the title. So we may as well just not bother, right?

Oh hang on, no overseas pro and likely to be without an opener, all-rounder and wicketkeeper/biffer for much of the summer. Ah.

Haven't the ECB released Bairstow to Yorkshire for all cricket, at least in the early part of the season? Sure I read that somewhere.

I know times are tight and the international calendar restricts who you can get, but I can't believe Yorkshire haven't gone for an overseas batsman.

Potentially they could be faced with losing Root, Bairstow and Ballance (to the Lions squad) at various points over the summer. With McGrath retiring, that means four out of last year's top six in the batting order could be missing at different times.

I can't see the likes of Lyth and Sayers making enough runs to keep us up, never mind challenge for the title.

So we'll be passing each other again at the end of the season?..


Sorry, I mean, so we'll be playing each other in the Championship next season?

9/3 against the students

65/7

We'll be stuffed if Barry Galance makes the final cut of the Champions Trophy squad.

There were one or two interesting results in the University games.

Never mind that, my desk is now overlooked by a greater-than-life-size poster of Michael effin' Clarke...

Right, well, bugger that for a game of soldiers. Back to the IPL....

Still, as long as there are loads of tweets about them being a #strongunit

Caused a fair bit of amusement yesterday at OT.



As for us... Either the pitch is a good old-fashioned OT pancake job or we bowled very, very poorly. Worcestershire weren't interested in scoring runs either, which made for a dull day.

No mention of the current score from Headingley?!

Was just about to. If the plan was to have a few days against lower league opposition to get some runs under the belts, it's backfired spectacularly.

Well you got a bit more out of it in the end...

Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid did, at least.

Bowled alright against Durham. 0/1 chasing....

57-3? Ouch.

Lancs did well yesterday to get Kent 216-8 after losing the toss. Another seemingly slow and dull wicket, mind, with Kent crawling along at 2.25 an over. Not been the best advert for county cricket. Still, weather dependent here's hoping we can force a result this time.

Kent 244 all out, Lancs 22-1 at the interval in reply.

Methinks Dizzy saying "we need to have a good chat about our batting" is this year's '#strongunit', i.e. ubiquitous and deeply irritating.

Well, not sure where that last day performance came from.

Suffice to say even this early in the season you can see how screwed we are going to be without Root.

Speaking of which, both Root and Bairstow will miss next week's Championship game against Somerset to go play in a meaningless friendly for England Lions against New Zealand. Thanks, ECB.

Tidy stuff this morning from Liam Plunkett. Only going at 4.3 per over rather than his usual six.

Can someone give the OT groundstaff a lesson on how to produce a result wicket? Thanks in advance.

New claim to fame - getting kicked off the pitch at OT pre-Lancs AGM by Mike Watkinson.

Which will there be more of by the end of the season; Phil Jaques runs or Phil Jaques run-outs?

Depends how much time he spends batting with Root. Boy's turning into the new Boycott in more ways than one.