When the domestic cricket season gets going today at nine venues between Chester-le-Street and Hove, a third item will join death and taxes on the list of life’s certainties: agonised debate about the viability of the county championship.
Time was when the tournament was the next best thing to Test cricket - a breeding ground for English talent and a finishing school for overseas stars. But times have changed. Now, it fights for attention in a market place that regards tradition as naive, and believes loyalty can be bought by the highest bidder.
Each year, cricket’s central question grows more urgent, and it strikes at the heart of the four-day game: if you’re not raking in the cash, what exactly are you doing?