Durham eager for second pennant

Durham will be hoping to kick off 2009 in style with victory over MCC in the first match of the season

Durham have plenty to look forward to with the traditional opening salvo against MCC at Lord’s.

The season kicks off on Thursday April 9 with the curtain-raising three-day match between the LV County Champions and a side of England hopefuls at the home of cricket.

However, Durham will have to wait a further two weeks before they can kick off the defence of their title, when they host Yorkshire at the Riverside.

Warwickshire, who won Division Two in 2008, have an early chance to impress in the top tier when they take on Justin Langer’s Somerset at Taunton in the first round of matches, starting on April 15.

Fellow promoted-side Worcestershire are also in action in the opening week, travelling to the Rose Bowl to face Hampshire.

Division Two new boys Surrey host Gloucestershire at the Brit Oval, after both sides failed to win a championship match last season.

Kent, who were relegated despite being one of several teams in the running for the title just two weeks before the end of the 2008 campaign, host Northamptonshire on April 21, their first championship match of the season.

Yorkshire and Lancashire both just managed to escape the drop, meaning the much-anticipated Roses encounters stay intact.

They take place across three weeks, the first at Old Trafford starting on July 31 and the return battle beginning on August 19 at Headingley Carnegie.

Another local needle clash, which has been re-instated for 2009, is between London rivals Surrey and Middlesex.

The Brit Oval is the venue for the first match between the two sides, starting on May 6, with Lord’s hosting the second on June 30.

Northamptonshire return to Queen's Park in Chesterfield to take on Derbyshire once again

Derbyshire’s popular Chesterfield venue sees Northamptonshire return for the second year running on August 19.

Gloucestershire visit the picturesque ground on Saturday June 6, with them welcoming Derbyshire back to their own Cheltenham festival, starting on Sunday July 12.

Gloucestershire are also the visitors to Essex’s Southend ground on August 5, with Surrey taking on Essex at Colchester.

Essex also find themselves travelling the outgrounds in 2009, with visits to Tunbridge Wells to face Kent, and to Guildford to take on Surrey.

Surrey’s Whitgift School in Croydon plays host to Derbyshire, who also travel to Uxbridge to take on Middlesex.

Uxbridge also hosts Kent, in a Division Two match starting on September 9, with Glamorgan and Leicestershire set to lock horns at Colwyn Bay on August 5.

The oldest cricket festival in the country - at Scarborough - celebrates its 123rd year with Yorkshire hosting Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire in the championship.

Nottinghamshire also take on Sussex at Horsham as the southerners make use of two of their smaller grounds in 2009, with Arundel hosting Hampshire, who are the visitors to Lancashire’s Liverpool ground on June 17.

The final round of matches, starting on Wednesday September 23, sees Durham attempting to defend their title away to Worcestershire at New Road, with Lancashire against Warwickshire, Yorkshire versus Hampshire, and Nottinghamshire against Sussex also possible championship deciders.

In Division Two, Surrey will be hoping to bounce back into the first division at the earliest attempt, when they host Glamorgan at the Brit Oval, while Kent will be travelling to Bristol to face Gloucestershire with similar hopes.