Surrey, the leaders, Yorkshire and Kent (third and fourth) Lancashire (sixth) and Leicestershire (seventh) are the most likely to be in contention when the whips start to be raised, with Middlesex and Warwickshire the best bets to emerge from the pack behind.
Two of the pacemakers, Durham and Sussex, lost ground with home defeats last weekend and it will be asking much of Sussex, whose captain, Chris Adams, was injured during their mauling at Old Trafford in the last two days, to get back into the leading pack by beating Leicestershire at Grace Road in one of five games starting today.
Both sides are still unable to field their strongest side but Leicestershire have overcome illness, injuries and more rain than most (again) to look quite capable of repeating their 1996 success. David Millns is back in Leicestershire's 13 today after more than a month away because of his ear infection. Chris Lewis and Alan Mullally (29 wickets at 17) have been admirably consistent and the battle between their gifted top three batsmen - Darren Maddy, Vince Wells and Iain Sutcliffe - and Sussex's burgeoning opening pair, Jason Lewry and James Kirtley, will be worth watching.
With a Test side to choose tomorrow night, the England selectors will be keeping their eyes on Lewry in particular. One selector, Mike Gatting, will be involved in the Middlesex-Essex match at Southgate, the others deployed at Leicester and Edgbaston, where Warwickshire's match against Lancashire could be crucial to the title aspirations of them both.
Andrew Flintoff, a serious challenger to Ben Hollioake as the coming England all-rounder, will be among those under scrutiny, as will Ashley Giles, Nick Knight and Ed Giddins. Those with more parochial concerns will be expecting Brian Lara to stir himself at last. This is a heavyweight contest.
Middlesex's match against Essex is intriguing for topical and historical reasons. Paul Prichard is back at the Essex helm and it is the first championship match at Southgate since 1859.
Today's cricket
11am unless stated
BRITANNIC COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
1st day of 4
Leicester: Leics v Sussex (12), Southgate: Middlesex v Essex, Trent Bridge: Notts v Glamorgan, Taunton: Somerset v Hants, Edgbaston: Warwicks v Lancs.
TOURIST MATCH
Last day of 3
Fenner's: British Universities v South Africans (11.30).
2ND XI CHAMPIONSHIP
Last day of 4: Hartlepool: Durham v Lancs, Last day of 3: Chelmsford: Essex v Somerset, Pontardulais: Glamorgan v Derbys, Ashford: Kent v Leics, Worksop: Notts v Surrey.