England interest rekindled and injury substitutes arrive as county cricket returns

<ul><li><p>County Championship kicks off on Good Friday</p></li><li><p>ECB and Ben Stokes say England places are up for grabs </p></li></ul><p>With more of a sparkle in its eye than for years, the County Championship shimmies into life on Good Friday, coat done up, gloves fastened.</p><p>After years of wrangling, the schedule has been settled (for now), and the three-year Kookaburra ball trial, which had seam bowlers weeping into their Weetabix, dumped, but there is still place for a regulatory tweak, and it’s a substantial one. This year, the England and Wales Cricket Board is trialling substitutes, allowing a player to be replaced by a fully playing sub, rather than just a covering fielder. And the terms of reference have broadened too: the system will cover sickness and significant life events – such as the birth of a child or a family illness – as well as injury.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/apr/02/england-interest-rekindled-injury-substitutes-arrive-county-championship-cricket-returns">Continue reading...</a>