Keeping track of the Rothesay County Championship is no easy task.

The 14-match programme begins in the first week of April and ends in the final days of September. Half the matches are squeezed into eight weeks up to the end of May, after which it makes guest appearances through the rest of the summer, squeezed between white ball competitions.

Two rounds, just completed, at the end of June, will be followed by another double as July runs out before another prolonged holiday dominated by the Hundred competition, those players not involved turning out for their counties in the Metro Bank Cup 50 overs tournament.

Then, as the leaves turn golden, it will be back to the Championship, the oldest domestic competition in the country and the most put upon.

It is currently under threat again as administrators discuss a reduction to 12 matches – which will still bookend the season – apparently to give the players more time for rest and make for a more logical fixture list although that never seems to quite work out.

Anyway, after nine rounds and with five to come, the destination of the Division One title is only slightly clearer than it was in April.

Surrey, champions for the past three years, have taken a slender one-point lead over early front-runners Nottinghamshire despite having only won three games to the midland county’s four. Then there is a gap of 16 points to Sussex, promoted this year and no one’s tip for the title but now impossible to discount. In turn, they have an advantage of six points over Somerset and Warwickshire.

How far should you go down before writing off a team as having too much to do? Durham, in sixth place, are 32 points off the pace and Hampshire another three adrift.

What seems rather clearer is the fight to avoid relegation – the final two places in a ten-team contest – has become a three-way contest. Yorkshire’s defeat of Essex means they lead them by three points, followed by a gap of 15 points to Worcestershire in the basement.

The back runners surprised everyone by surviving last year, having been promoted, and it would be an even bigger shock if they did it again. But having just dominated their match against Hampshire – who they play again soon, following the west midlands derby against Warwickshire – it would be unwise to put the family silver on it.

Division Two initially looks more clear cut given Leicestershire’s superb start to the campaign and they still retain a 31-point advantage at the top despite a chastening innings defeat on home turf against Middlesex.

But who goes up with them – just presuming for a moment the whole thing hasn’t been reshaped by next year – is very open. Derbyshire have a two-point lead over Glamorgan, with Northants another three behind. But with 22 points available for each victory, it would still be unwise to write off Lancashire – down in sixth, 24 points off the promotion zone – now that they have claimed an opening victory of the season and are perhaps realising why they were most people’s tips to go straight back up after relegation last year.

Either way, there should be plenty of exciting cricket left when the four-day format is allowed to intrude again on the summer programme.

By Richard Spiller