County Championship Cricket returns. Preview of new round of championship matches

After five weeks without any red ball cricket, the county championship enters the last month of the cricket season, with everything to be played for in both divisions.

In Division One, Surrey head into the final three rounds of the championship season with a 16-point lead over Hampshire, but don’t play in the latest round of games.

Second placed Hampshire have a chance to close the gap on Surrey when they face Northamptonshire at the Ageas Bowl on Monday.

Hampshire will be looking for their ninth win of the championship after their last championship match which saw a six-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.

For the visitors Northants will be hunting down their third championship victory after their recent two wicket success against Gloucestershire.

Third placed Lancashire will face Yorkshire in the battle of the roses at Old Trafford. Lancashire go into the game sitting 34 points behind leaders Surrey with just three games to go.

At Taunton, Somerset who have recently signed off spinner Sajid Khan for the final month of the season face Gloucestershire in a game that is crucial for the relegation places. Somerset currently are 37 points clear of bottom side Gloucestershire who are still yet to win a championship match this season.

Down at Canterbury, Kent face Essex. The home side have so far won just two matches in the championship and will be looking to get away from the bottom end of the table. For Essex, the county will be looking to register their fifth championship win of the summer.

In Division Two the battle for promotion back to Division One is being headed by long time leaders Nottinghamshire who hold a more than useful 30-point lead over second placed Middlesex.

The leaders look on paper to have a winnable game, facing bottom of the table Leicestershire at Trent Bridge.

Notts will be after their seventh win of the championship campaign with Leicestershire still after their first championship win of the summer.

With second placed Middlesex not in action, third in the table Glamorgan will be looking to cut the deficit on Middlesex, which at the moment stands at only five points.

The Welsh County who has a game in hand and will play in every round of the final matches of the season, face Worcestershire at Cardiff.

Glamorgan have boosted their playing squad by signing Shubman Gill for the remainder of the season as they look to put pressure on Middlesex for that second place slot.

Fourth place Derbyshire are also in the hunt for promotion and sit just ten points behind second placed Middlesex.

On Monday they start their four-day match against Durham at Derby with a good chance of really moving into the mix for promotion from the division.

Durham, who have won just one championship match this season announced recently that head coach James Franklin will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.

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