The leaders of Division One of the Norwich Union League – Warwickshire Bears – are not in action this weekend, giving Worcestershire Royals the opportunity to bounce back to the top of the table. The Royals are away to Somerset Sabres and a win will take them back to level points with their Midland neighbours, but they enjoy a slightly better net run rate.

It was expected that the Royals would win last week, but they suffered defeat at the hands of Durham Dynamos, who registered their first points of the season. The Dynamos are still humming away at the foot of the table but, who knows, perhaps they will have taken a liking for winning and will be trying to repeat the trick when they visit Kent Spitfires.

There is one other match in the top flight this week with Leicestershire Foxes travelling to Wales to meet Glamorgan Dragons, with both sides knowing that they could be in for a difficult few weeks should they lose.

In Division Two there are three sides locked on 14 points. Surrey Lions lead the way by virtue of having the best run rate, Gloucestershire Gladiators are second and Derbyshire Scorpions are third, but have a game in hand over other members of the 14-point club.

The Lions should not be too travel-weary as they only have to cross the Thames to play Middlesex Crusaders this week. But the match of the day involves the Scorpions playing host to the Gladiators.

The two other contests in the division see bottom-placed Sussex Sharks, who go along the South Coast hoping to bring the Hampshire Hawks down to earth, while Lancashire Lightening will be hoping to strike against Northamptonshire Steelbacks. Sparks might fly in that one.

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