Still all to play for at half-way point

What emerges quite clearly at the half way stage of the county championship is that there isn't a 'run-away' leader. Although it can be said that in the Second Division, Warwickshire have a fairly comfortable lead of seven points over their neighbours from across the border, Worcestershire, with seven of the nine teams having played an equal number of matches, eight. Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire, the two bottom sides in that division have a game less.

The situation is tighter at the top of the first division where Surrey lead the field by five points but have played a match more than Yorkshire and Lancashire who, after eight matches, have 98 and 96 points respectively. The match of the week has to be the top of the table clash, between Surrey and Yorkshire, currently in progress and in which Surrey, with no substantial individual scores from any of the specialist batsmen, have only compiled a modest total of 226, all out, with Adam Hollioake scoring 48 and a lower-order 45 from Martin Bicknell.

Alastair Brown, who missed a triple century at the week-end in his hard-hitting, unbeaten knock against Leicestershire, only managed seven. England selectors will be pleased that Matthew Hoggard, who made his Test debut in that remarkable victory over West Indies the other day, claimed four wickets with excellent, controlled fast bowling. Lancashire, hot on the heels of the championship leaders, also failed to get a big first innings total despite 113, over four hours, from Michael Atherton. A career-best five for 13 from Somerset medium-pacer Keith Parsons helped to restrict Lancashire to 239.

Worcestershire will be looking to build on their 248 for five against Notts. Elliott Wilson's century took him to the highest aggregate this season for his county, past the talented batsman Vikram Solanki who may well find himself in England's middle-order before the summer is over. There were also notable half-centuries from Paul Pollard and Phillip Weston, the latter partnering Wilson in a 123-run opening stand.

It's a keen tussle between Sussex and Essex, currently in third and fourth positions in division two. Sussex were reduced to 45 for four before Robin Martin-Jenkins hit his highest first-class score of 86 and along with Tony Cottey, who made 83, brought about a recovery with a stand of 150, enabling his side to reach 265. By the week-end, we could well see the second half of the county championship begin with new leaders at the helm of both divisions.

That's how close it is running at the moment.