Familiar images of a new season in the air

Even in a schedule that will soon involve back-to-back one-day internationals in Bangalore and Brisbane, there is still something about the start of an English cricket season which gets the juices flowing. Familiar sounds will be heard ("sorry sir, you can't come into the pavilion without a jacket" … "there will be a further inspection at 4.30"…) and even now, the car park attendants at Leicester and Derby are bracing themselves for the arrival of two Reliant Robins and a bicycle. It fair brings a lump to the throat.