Sussex start defence against Kent

Sussex face a home tie against Kent to launch the their Championship defence © Getty Images

The 2007 English county season will begin on April 13 at Lord's with Sussex, the county champions, taking on MCC in the traditional opening fixture. Sussex, who yesterday found out they will still have the services of Chris Adams, then open their defence of the title with a home meeting with Kent on April 18.

The fixture list, released today by the ECB, has pitted the Championship runners-up Lancashire in an away tie against Warwickshire at Edgbaston while newly promoted Surrey will face Yorkshire in the first set of matches.

The 50-over one-day trophy, still searching for a new sponsor after C&G ended their association last season, starts on April 22 and the group stage runs until June 13. In the one tweak to the tournament, four teams will progress to a new semi-final stage instead of the two top teams moving straight to the final. The semis are pencilled in for June 20 and the final will be at Lord's on August 18.

Once again The Twenty20 group stages take place over a concentrated two-week period at the height of summer. Leicestershire, the holders, start with a home match at Grace Road on June 22 against Yorkshire. The quarter-finals will take pace on July 17 and 18 with four teams progressing to finals day at Edgbaston on August 4.

The Pro40 begins on July 13 with a floodlit Division One game between Worcestershire and Hampshire at New Road and the competition features a further 22 matches under lights in the second half of the summer.