So….another one of the Yes/No game questions has been answered already. I don’t have the entries to hand, so will report back in a couple of days, but James Hildreth’s 303 not out for Somerset against Warwickshire has made that answer YES. In alliance with Craig Kieswetter, Hildreth put on an unbeaten 318 partnership for the 5th wicket. The game ended in a bore draw with Warwickshire having scored over 500 in the first negotiating the remaining time with the loss of one wicket and Ian Bell adding another unbeaten 13 to his 172 in the first innings. As I write Bell has milked this Somerset attack for a ton in the Friend’s Provident game today to get off to a flier.

In the other Division 1 game Hampshire completed a win over Worcestershire with some comfort, by seven wickets on a Rose Bowl Result Pitch. The highest score in the game was Solanki’s 73, and Hampshire will always have a chance to be safe while they have the desire to provide result pitches. I’m sure people can say statistically they don’t, but it seems it to me.

Surrey’s performance in Division 2’s opener bodes ill for the season. In the enforce absence of Ramprakash, the batting looks frail. The bowling, the chronic weakness last season, has been bolstered by Andre Nel, but he’s a trier rather than a superstar and I just don’t think he can carry this attack. Gloucester made 333, had Surrey in woe and strife at 46/6, but Usman Afzaal’s 65 prevented total humiliation and the tail wagged. However 160 on the Oval surface is abominable and they had to follow on. Surrey lost two wickets in their second innings. This is going to be a very, very long season.

The two other games were drawn; No tons, Ian Hunter took 5 wickets for his career best figures, and not much else seemed to happen in the Essex v Derbyshire game. Northants drew with Leicestershire in a game that passed off as an English domestic fixture. Northants had the best of it, with Andrew Hall making 124 not out in their innings of 387. Northants’ line-up includes Hall (SA), Van der Wath (SA), Boje (SA), Rikki Wessels (Aust/SA) – four is better than normal (no Klusener?); Leicestershire included Dippenaar (SA), Ackerman (SA), Allenby (Aust) and Henderson (SA). This again, is better than last year, but still – one third of the players were not English (not sure if Wessels is qualified). Anyway, Leicester didn’t pull up any trees, were forced to follow on and worryingly, Panesar didn’t take any wickets.

Friends Provident today – Surrey, mercifully, are not in action….