Today Jones leads Derbyshire against Nottinghamshire, their neighbours from over the M1 motorway, and the likelihood of at least second place has strengthened because Yorkshire and Essex, two fellow contenders, are weaker for the departure of their overseas batsmen on national duty.
Yorkshire, now double instead of treble-chasers after Tuesday's NatWest exit, play their first champion- ship game without Michael Bevan, the New South Wales left- hander. Richard Kettleborough comes in from the second team to replace him against Gloucestershire at Bristol.
Essex will not feel the absence of Stuart Law un- til they play again next week following their sequence of four successive wins.
The Test and County Cricket Board have been weigh- ing up the advantages of splitting the championship into two divisions, which in theory might stimulate public interest and in practice will probably impress only the armchair follower.
At Derby, where the county side are chasing the premier title, attendances have remained thin, even with aggressive batting on show and the presence of an England- standard seam attack.
Reg Taylor, the chief executive, said Derbyshire had been ``very disappointed'' with recent turn-outs, though poor weather could have been a factor.
Dominic Cork remains the country's most effective bowler, Devon Malcolm has collected 52 championship wick- ets - bettered only by Simon Brown and Courtney Walsh - and Phil DeFreitas has found his form.
Karl Krikken, the wicketkeeper, has leapt into England A consideration, with Chris Adams and the still in- jured Andrew Harris as possibles.
Reg Taylor, the chief executive, said Derbyshire had been ``very disappointed'' with recent turn-outs, though poor weather could have been a factor.
``The same people come through the gates, even when we're playing poorly,'' he said. ``More members have turned up, but there's no evidence we get bigger crowds as a result of our success at the moment.''
Derbyshire's best placing since their successful pre-War era has been third twice, in 1954 and 1991, so this week's fourth position carries significance.
The County Ground is a good place to watch crick- et, with easy car-parking, low-cost beer and an excellent food van.
Its ambience has improved almost beyond recogni- tion; the grassy bank and row of bushy poplars screen the open space of the old racecourse. Its reputation for bleak- ness comes mainly from people who have not visited the ground recently.
Nottinghamshire arrive in a mess, with four con- secutive defeats behind them and boos from the home crowd for their captain, Paul Johnson, still in the mind from their previous match.
Johnson's side, second from bottom, are bracing themselves for a rough ride against five title contenders - Derbyshire, then Surrey, Kent, Leicestershire and Yorkshire.
Martin McCague and Dean Headley, Kent's opening attack, will draw direct comparison with Andrew Caddick, Somerset's England choice, at Canterbury.
Warwickshire, with Keith Piper back behind the stumps after two months out injured, will have to beat Glamor- gan at Edgbaston to maintain their chance of retaining the title.
Glamorgan have named England A batsman David Hemp, who returns five months after fracturing four ribs in a collision with Hugh Morris during the game against Combined Universities at Cambridge.