The second round of matches in the Norwich Union League season take place this Sunday with several sides who have not yet seen action in the competition making their entry to the fray.

In Division One, Glamorgan Dragons and Durham Dynamos meet at Cardiff in a battle of the top two from last season. The difference is that these sides finished first and second in Division Two last time around, so they have an early opportunity to flex their collective muscles in more elevated company against familiar opposition.

Worcestershire Royals – the other promoted team – are at home for their first outing in Division One against Somerset Sabres. The Sabres have already experienced the heat of battle in the competition this season, and battles do not come much hotter. They lost to Yorkshire Phoenix by one run on a day when 613 runs were scored.

The reigning champions, Kent Spitfires, make their bow with a home match at Canterbury against the side who just got home in that Taunton classic, Yorkshire Phoenix. The Yorkshiremen will not be able to rely on Matthew Hoggard to bowl such a great over at the death as he did last week, as he will be away on Test duty, as will Michael Vaughan.

The other Division One match features Nottinghamshire Outlaws against Warwickshire Bears. Both teams played last week, with the Bears successful on their trip to Chester-le-Street while the Outlaws were outfoxed by their Midland rivals in Leicestershire.

In Division Two, the fixture between Gloucestershire Gladiators and Surrey Lions was a top-flight match last season, but both teams were relegated. It came as a particularly hard blow to the Bristolians who had taken the top spot the year before. They could not return to winning ways in Southampton in their first match as a Division Two outfit last week, while the Londoners simply devoured their Lancastrian opposition.

The other relegated team, Northamptonshire Steelbacks could be excused for being a bit rusty as they did not have a match last week. But then, neither did their opponents this week at Wantage Road, Middlesex Crusaders.

Having been devoured by the Surrey Lions last week, Lancashire Lightening will be hoping they do not get eaten alive by the Sussex Sharks this week. The Sharks were, in turn, stung by the Derbyshire Scorpions last Sunday.

Those same sting-in-the-tail merchants, one of the surprise success stories of 2002 so far, travel to Chelmsford where the Essex Eagles are ready to swoop in an effort to get off to a good start in the competition that provided them with so much enjoyment during their glory days of the 80s and 90s.

© CricInfo