County Championship return heralds celebration of past and hope for future

Tearful send-off for Warwickshire’s operations manager after 52 years symbolises spirit that must be preservedThe County Championship returned under splendid spring sunshine on Friday and all it took was a quick glance around the grounds — or a scroll through social media and the Guardian’s live blog — to challenge the notion of a competition struggling for relevance.It may have been pushed to the bookends of summer, and be due for its umpteenth review in the coming month