County update

The domestic competitions are well underway in England and, one month into the new season, there have been some predictable moves in the betting.

County Championship Division One
Just one point separates the top four in the first division of the County Championship: Nottinghamshire lead the way, and they have a game in hand.

Notts kicked off the season as 7-1 outsiders, but they are now 4-1, while the reigning champions Warwickshire, who were 11-4 favourites when the season began, have been pushed out to 3-1. Given their solid start, 3-1 represents a touch of value.

Shane Warne's Hampshire, unbeaten in their first four matches, are now 4-1 from 10-1 at the start of the season, helped by some solid performances by Warne and fellow Australian Simon Katich.

Kevin Pietersen's omission from the England squad for the first Test against Bangladesh could also work in their favour; he can now represent his county longer than originally expected, and a couple more wins will see the current odds of 4-1 shorten further.

The table never lies, but bottom-placed Kent are still unbeaten; all three of their matches have ended in a draw and, at 9-1, they could be worth backing.

County Championship Division One
With four wins out of four, high-flying Durham have been slashed from 20-1 outsiders to inside 3-1 for the title.

But a note of caution about the new price: Steve Harmison will be on England duty from now on, so Durham's attacking firepower will be reduced. Yet confidence is a great thing, and anyone who took the 20s will be sitting happily at the moment.

Yorkshire and Essex, both unbeaten, are inside 5-1, while Lancashire - close behind in fourth - remain favourites at 5-2, having begun the season as 11-10 chances.

C & G Cup
Holders Gloucestershire find themselves only fourth favourites for this year's C&G Cup, at a generous price of 8-1.

With the bulk of last year's victorious team still available; with seven one-day trophies in the past six seasons, and with Craig Spearman a player for the big occasion, they would seem a good bet to repeat their triumph: 8-1 is great value.

The competition is wide open, though, with Yorkshire a weak favourite at 13-2, and Warwickshire at 7-1 and Middlesex at 15-2. Lancashire are 8-1 chances.

Indeed, 12 teams are 14-1 or shorter, with only Northants, Sussex, Leicestershire and Derbyshire considered rank outsiders.