This weekend the leaders of Division One, Warwickshire Bears, will be growling and prowling around Headingley in action against Yorkshire Phoenix. The Bears are four points clear in the table, with three teams just four points behind on ten points, and one of those is Yorkshire Phoenix so there is no shortage of incentive for the home side to claw their way up to join the leaders on the 14-point mark.

Glamorgan Dragons – one of the other ten point teams – do not have a fixture this week, but Worcestershire Royals do, at Chester-le-Street against Durham Dynamos. The Dynamos have not been fully charged yet this season, losing all three of their previous outings, so there is every chance for the Royals to record their third victory of the season. They were forced to accept two points for a no result at Oakham School last week against Leicestershire Foxes.

The Foxes are the visitors to Bath as part of one of the few festival weeks still continuing in county cricket. The Foxes have an equally-balanced record of one win, one defeat and that no result last week, while hosts, Somerset Sabres, are looking for their first win of the season after two defeats and a wash-out.

In the other Division One match, Nottinghamshire Outlaws meet Kent Spitfires at Trent Bridge. The defending champions, Kent Spitfires, have made no more than an ordinary start to this season although there was nothing ordinary about the tie in Cardiff last week. The Outlaws might be prepared to settle for a similar record, however, with just two points to show for their four outings so far. Outlaws, out of luck and possibly out of the division come September.

Festival cricket can be seen in Division Two, at Ilford where Essex Eagles take on Lancashire Lightening. The Eagles have been flying high in most competitions this season, but they have only played two Norwich Union League matches – winning one and losing the other. Their talons will have to be at their sharpest to get to grips with Lightening who are lying sixth in the table but are only one win away from the leading trio.

One of that trio, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, have a short journey to play Derbyshire Scorpions who are also within a win of the leaders. Hampshire Hawks also entertain neighbours, Surrey Lions, while the third member of the pace-setting trio, Gloucestershire Gladiators, face the team which is propping up all the others, Middlesex Crusaders. Having played four matches and with only four points from two no results, the Gladiators would be reckoned to have a good chance of getting the thumbs up for another four point haul.

© CricInfo