English cricket's premier domestic competition

For all its many faults, with perhaps the biggest two probably being that there are a couple more counties than there ideally should be and that there are too many non-England qualified players, the Championship plays an absolutely crucial role in the development of cricketers. The education system in this country does not make money. It is an investment. And it is on overcast Thursdays in front of meagre crowds at Taunton or Chester-le-Street that the next Pietersen or Andrew Flintoff are to be found learning their trade.