SURREY: Matthew Church, the former Worcestershire and Gloucestershire batsman, has been hired as a personal trainer for Jimmy Ormond, the fast-medium bowler, who has played only three championship matches this season. James Benning, who broke a finger on Saturday, is out of the team to face Essex at Colchester today.

WORCESTERSHIRE: Graeme Hick is back in the side to face Leicestershire after being sidelined with split webbing between his fingers. Despite interest from Derbyshire, who are coached by Hick’s friend, David Houghton, Hick will return for a 24th season at New Road after signing a 12-month deal. Kabir Ali is in the squad after injury.

ESSEX: The county’s annual festival week at Colchester begins with a crucial championship match at Castle Park against Surrey, who did Ronnie Irani’s team a favour last week by beating Worcestershire, their promotion rivals. Andre Adams (toe) and Jahid Ahmed (side) are the only players unavailable for selection.

DERBYSHIRE: Graeme Welch (Achilles tendon), Michael Di Venuto (groin) and Ant Botha (ankle) are expected to be fit to play in the championship match against Gloucestershire starting tomorrow. George Dawkes, who kept wicket from 1937-61 before handing on the gloves to Bob Taylor, has died at the age of 86.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE: The county should have their captain, Jon Lewis, back from England duty at the Brit Oval by lunchtime of the first day of their championship match at Derby tomorrow. After hundreds in three consecutive matches, Hamish Marshall, the New Zealand batsman, said he would be keen to return next year.

GLAMORGAN: Two wickets for Robert Croft yesterday underlined the former England player’s position as the top homegrown spin bowler in the championship. Croft, 36, has taken 59 wickets in first-class cricket this summer, putting him third on the list behind Zaheer Khan, of Worcestershire (66), and Mushtaq Ahmed, of Sussex (65).

LEICESTERSHIRE: Neil Davidson, the chairman, has said that the county will make no money out of the Twenty20 Cup success on Saturday, even though he expects Nottinghamshire to record a profit of at least £100,000 as hosts. “We don’t have a big chequebook like Notts and Surrey, so to win was a fantastic achievement,” he said.

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE: The county have offered a first contract to Mark Nelson, a bowling all-rounder who has impressed for England Under-19. He will spend time this winter at Paul Terry’s academy in Perth, Australia. Graeme White, 19, a left-arm spinner and another local product, has received a contract extension until the end of next year.

SOMERSET: Ian Blackwell, who is still hoping to return to first-class cricket before the end of the season, made 127 for Somerset second XI against their Middlesex counterparts at Merchant Taylors’ School, in Northwood, yesterday. At the weekend he scored 80 out of a total of 186 for Chesterfield in a club match.

TODAY'S FIXTURES

11.0, first day of four, 104 overs minimum

COLCHESTER: Essex v Surrey

LEICESTER: Leicestershire v Worcestershire

11.0, second day of four, 104 overs minimum

TAUNTON: Somerset ve Glamorgan