Normality resumes after the mayhem

Frizzell County Championship Division One

Essex v Kent at Chelmsford

After a fortnight of frenzied Twenty20 Cup action, it's back to something more like normal as the four-day Championship returns. Also returning will be Nasser Hussain, who wasn't required in the short-form stuff, and Aftab Habib after a niggling hamstring injury. Kent are still without a win after six Championship outings, and that dread word "relegation" is beginning to be heard around the Canterbury lanes. Mohammad Sami, the Pakistan fast bowler, makes his Championship debut for them. David Fulton is set to play only his second four-day game of the season after eye and hand problems. Essex look more comfortable in mid-table, but they have played a game more than all the other teams. Their leading wicket-taker this season is a bit of a surprise - Jon Dakin, with 25 Championship victims at 22.92.

Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire at Leicester

Leicestershire still have no Championship victories, and lie bottom of the table, although they have a game in hand on all their rivals. They will fancy their chances at home to Nottinghamshire, who were promoted last year. Only Paul Nixon has managed a Championship century for Leicestershire so far - mind you, most of their matches have been spoiled by the weather - and it must be time for Virender Sehwag to make a mark. Rupesh Amin, a close-season signing for Surrey, could make his debut for Leicestershire. Topping the Notts batting averages is the giant Kevin Pietersen, who slammed a double-century in his last game, and he may be joined by Chris Cairns, making an earlier-than-expected return after a broken hand.

Middlesex v Surrey at Lord's

Surrey swing back into action for their first four-day match in almost a month - during which time they have added an unbeaten Twenty20 record to their impressive Championship one. Rikki Clarke is away with England, but that only means that Mark Butcher and Graham Thorpe might actually get a game at the same time for once. Surrey have already had eight different centurymakers in the Championship this season - and two more batsmen (Alec Stewart and Azhar Mahmood) who have managed 98s. Stewart replaces Jon Batty behind the stumps. Middlesex only have three - Ben Hutton, Ed Joyce and their captain Andy Strauss. But Middlesex do have a cutting edge to their seam-bowling attack, with Ashley Noffke and Abdul Razzaq in form, even if they are still missing that twirling King of the Jungle. Middlesex's coach john Emburey is upbeat: "Surrey are the best team in the country and we know it will be a tough game,'" he said, "but we seem to play better against the better sides."

Sussex v Warwickshire at Hove

It's third v fourth at Hove, where this year's surprise packets Sussex - who were expected to struggle after being promoted last year - take on 2002 runners-up Warwickshire. Sussex's Robin Martin-Jenkins (480 Championship runs and 12 wickets so far) continued his good form in the Twenty20 competition, while James Kirtley (32 wickets at 25.09) will want to send a reminder to the England selectors who keep sending him away from international squads. Warwickshire will be missing Jim Troughton, but will field their intriguing overseas pairing of Waqar Younis and the Kenyan legspinner Collins Obuya. And their captain, Michael Powell, returns after a shin problem.

Frizzell County Championship Division Two

Glamorgan v Worcestershire at Cardiff

Worcestershire lead the way in Division Two - they're the only unbeaten side, and have won their last three matches - but they will be without the injured Graeme Hick and Steve Rhodes for their visit to Sophia Gardens, while Vikram Solanki is one England duty. There's a Worcester debut instead for Justin Kemp, the hard-hitting South African allrounder. Glamorgan have no such worries, although Steve James is still out with a long-term leg injury. Matthew Maynard has been in top form so far this term, scoring 524 Championship runs at 47.63, but he runs up against Worcestershire's in-form South African, Nantie Hayward, who has so far taken 27 wickets at 23.14.

Hampshire v Gloucestershire at Southampton

Hampshire aim to climb off the bottom of the table against Gloucestershire (third) at the Rose Bowl. They haven't managed a Championship win yet, although they fell just one wicket short of one in their last match, against Durham. The in-form batsman for Hampshire is Nic Pothas, the South African with a Greek passport: he has 514 runs in the Championship so far. Gloucestershire's bowling hopes are pinned on Mike Smith (26 wickets at 21.15 so far) and Jon Lewis (29 at 22.51). One familiar face returns - Robin Smith comes back after missing Hampshire's Twenty20 campaign - but another will be missing: Jack Russell is out for a month with a broken hand.

Northamptonshire v Derbyshire at Northampton

All eyes will be on Michael Hussey at Wantage Road - Northamptonshire's Australian captain smashed 264 in his last Championship match (against Gloucestershire) then was among the pace-setters in the Twenty20 Cup. Perennial strugglers Derbyshire lie eighth, level on points with the bottom club Hampshire, but they do have one of the season's leading runscorers in Michael Di Venuto, who has slammed 603 so far. Derbyshire's captain Dominic Cork is struggling with the ankle problem which prevented him bowling in the last three Twenty20 games, while wicketkeeper Luke Sutton has not shaken off a hamstring strain. If Sutton fails a late fitness test then Karl Krikken will make his first Championship appearance of the season.

Somerset v Yorkshire at Taunton

Somerset may be lacking Marcus Trescothick and Richard Johnson but they'll still fancy their chances against under-achieving Yorkshire, who themselves will be missing Darren Gough, Michael Vaughan and their captain Anthony McGrath, all on England duty. Somerset's Jamie Cox, after a quiet time last year, has made 575 runs in the Championship already this time, while Nixon McLean leads the way for the bowlers with 31 wickets. Both are slight injury doubts: "Jamie had a bit of a twinge in his back but he seems to be OK now, and Nixon had a niggling knee problem, so we rested him for the one-dayers," said Somerset's captain Michael Burns, who added: "It will be an absolute pleasure to get back to Championship cricket," referring to his side's four defeats in five Twenty20 games. "We have been back in the nets the last few days and it feels like the start of the season." Yorkshire's top man is Michael Lumb, with 480 runs, while they also hope that Craig White will be able to start bowling again.