THE start of the County Championship this week is an opportunity to return to some semblance of normality after a winter beset by controversy and rancour.

From the Ben Stokes saga to an Ashes series replete with gaffes and ill-feeling to the Australian ball-tampering scandal, headlines have been made for all the wrong reasons.

But while those who simply wish to focus on leather making contact with willow will get their wish as the county season gets under way on Friday, it would be remiss to ignore the English domestic scene’s issues.

The principal concern once again revolves around the first-class game being pushed towards the periphery of the season.

Most of the 14 championship games will be played before mid-May and in September, as the limited-overs formats take centre stage in the traditional summer months.

With the England and Wales Cricket Board’s new franchise Twenty20 competition set to launch in two years time and coexist alongside the T20 Blast, fears will only heighten over how the red-ball game will be further affected.

Indeed, there was mild panic that the decisions of Adil Rashid and Alex Hales, two regulars in England’s shorter-format line-ups, to sign white-ball-only deals with their counties recently could lead to a talent exodus, not least because of the vast sums of money that can be earned in the various domestic Twenty20 leagues around the world.

It has not yet materialised, but several of this country’s brightest stars will be conspicuous absentees from the county circuit over the forthcoming weeks, as Hales joins international teammates including Stokes, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler in plying his trade at the Indian Premier League instead.

However, there will still be plenty of recognisable faces around the grounds from April 13 to September 27 for a competition that was established in 1890 and underpins the cricket calendar.

Essex are the team to beat after romping to last year’s Division One title although they were unable to hang on to influential head coach Chris Silverwood, who left to join England over the winter, with Anthony McGrath stepping up from No 2 to take the reins.

McGrath, of course, spent the entirety of his playing career at Yorkshire and his old club will be breathing down the neck of Essex after adding the prodigious batting talents of Cheteshwar Pujara and Kane Williamson to their ranks as the pair share overseas duties.

Last year’s runners-up Lancashire shrewdly signed Keaton Jennings and Graham Onions from Durham and should be there or thereabouts, while Hampshire, who avoided relegation by two points last season, will aim to be more combative this term after bringing in Sam Northeast from Kent and bagging Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn for overseas spells.

Surrey can never be written off and their ambitions will be strengthened if they manage to land India captain Virat Kohli for a portion of the campaign, while there will be many cheering on Somerset as they seek their first pennant.

Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire are the promoted teams, taking the places of Middlesex and Warwickshire, both of whom are heavy favourites to immediately bounce back from relegation.

Durham will start on a level playing field in the 10-team second tier after last year’s sizeable points penalty as part of their punishment for their financial problems, although the north-east county did at least avoid the wooden spoon.

For the fourth time in five campaigns that went to Leicestershire, who will no doubt be hoping to avoid another rock-bottom finish when it is all said and done in a few months.