The cricket season begins …

Normally the cricket (four day) championship is bookended in April and September in order to accommodate an ever-burgeoning fixture list so the weather can be unreliable. Though there was still a cold wind, there was heat in the sun and a bright clear spring day.

Cricket has always been innovative. In the 1970s floodlights, Sunday cricket and overseas players were successfully introduced but the MCC lost their moral authority and global governance. India became the dominant power.

The game had to survive corruption scandals and the conduct of certain professionals left a lot to be desired.

Now we have streaming and I decided to follow Sussex’s first game back in the First Division against Warwickshire.

Edgbaston is a Test Match ground and those counties – with the exception of Middlesex who are tenants at Lords – with Test status enjoy a significant financial advantage.

Sussex have no debt and own the Hove ground but its capacity is just 6,000. It’s hard for them to compete with Surrey and they – alongside Kent, Essex and the East Midland counties – have to run a tight ship.

Sussex were criticised by some of their supporters and ex-players for letting their first teamers depart after Covid.

However Paul Farbrace was an inspired choice as the coach to lead a recovery not just based on young talent like James Coles and Jack Carson but the evergreen wicketkeeper John Simpson.

James Cole’s chipped in with 51, whilst Simpson and Tom Clark were centurions.

At stumps Sussex were 385-6. They got off to a bad start with Ethan Bamber on a hat-trick as early wickets tumbled.

Good weather , good cricket .