First day of three: Northants (122-3) v Cambridge University
CONSIDERING that half of Fenner's had been flooded on Easter Saturday, and that residents around the ground awoke yesterday to find their cars covered with snow, it was a minor miracle that any play was possible on the opening day of the season.
Proceedings got under way at 1pm, but a downpour that started in the tea interval after a marked dip in the temperature gave both teams a well-received early bath.
Having got back only last week from their pre-season tour of Zimbabwe, Northamptonshire cannot have appreciated exchanging Harare's 30-degree heat for a chilly Chelmsford on Easter Monday. Then, it never got above five degrees in a 50-over practice match against Essex, when Kevin Curran's side fielded in the snow. Yesterday, the temperature was a more bearable 10 when play began but the county side were still grateful to be put in - not automatic these days.
Early dampness enabled the university's medium-pacers to get regular movement off the seam and Adam Janisch produced a beauty that straightened to hit Alec Swann's off stump. Nor did Mal Loye last long, nibbling at Jon Lowe, a freshman from Wakefield, to be caught behind by Malcolm Birks.
David Sales struck one imperious straight boundary before being frustrated out by Prakash Schaffter, a mature Sri Lankan student whose accurate outswinging dobbers proved difficult to get after on such an unavoidably slow pitch. An even slower outfield and generally tidy bowling helped restrict the professionals to three an over.
Curran put bat to ball in typically forthright fashion after an early reprieve. Lowe missed him at deep mid-off off Greg Loveridge, a wrist spinner who played one Test for New Zealand against Zimbabwe three years ago.
Three of Northamptonshire's own Test players were given the match off after good performances against Essex. Devon Malcolm and Paul Taylor would not have benefited from these conditions and Rob Bailey aggravated a hamstring strain sustained in Zimbabwe.
Jeremy Snape suffered the same injury there after giving coach John Emburey a 40-metre start in a spring race. The rest of the team are reportedly as fit as they have ever been after being put through gruelling training sessions in Harare by former Springbok Ian Robertson.