County Championship bursts back into life with calm before the storm

The 125th edition – the calm before the 2026 storm – begins on Friday with notable names headlining the cast list The cut of the grass, the shine of a boot, the sigh of a drop, the joy of a catch, the crunch of a four, the hope of the spring. Time stealthily gouging out lines, on faces, over scars, around knees. A first season. A last.Here, suddenly, is April, unexpectedly sunny and dry. And with it, 135 years after the first County Championship (minus one year for Covid, four for wo