Leicestershire's focus switches from the Friends Life T20 schedule back to the County Championship as they start a four-day match against Essex at Chelmsford today.
It is a quirk of the fixture programme that sides across the country hurl themselves into the 20-over frenzy, then have to tackle the odd first-class encounter before completing the T20 programme in a flurry of games - the Foxes will play four matches in six days beginning with the visit of Lancashire Lightning to Grace Road on Tuesday.
However, they have to get their minds in gear today to try to get on track in a Championship season that is slowly getting away from them.
Leicestershire sit at the foot of the Second Division without a win in nine games - they are the only side in the section yet to register a win.
Their cause has not been helped during the course of the T20 programme by key players suffering injuries. Seamer Matthew Hoggard picked up a groin injury in the field against Yorkshire at Headingley, while off-spinner Jigar Naik sustained a shoulder injury fielding from his own bowling in the win against Nottinghamshire last Friday.
Hoggard had shown more than a glimpse of his best form in County's most recent Championship outing, a close-fought match against Essex at Grace Road which the visitors won by four wickets.
The former England man had taken six wickets in the Essex first innings to show that he was clear of the hip and back injuries which had severely limited the number of appearances he made in the first half of the season.
Naik had been enjoying a productive season with 21 Championship wickets in the bank, a good return for a slow bowler given that the first couple of months of an English season tend to be dominated by the seamers.
He had bowled well in T20, too, only to be forced off the field after some sharp work from his own bowling against the Outlaws.
Slow left-armer James Sykes would look the most likely option to replace Naik, with Shakib Al Hasan ineligible for the Championship.
Anthony Ireland missed the game at Grace Road with Essex, but could return to share the new ball with Alex Wyatt, who troubled the visiting batters on that occasion last month, particularly in the second innings.
Essex have their own injury problems. England all-rounder Ravi Bopara is currently sidelined with a side strain, while opener Tom Westley needed surgery on a finger injury sustained in the Ashes warm-up game against England earlier this month.
Pacemen David Masters and Tymal Mills were also forced out of the action against England with leg injuries, although both are expected to be in the frame for places against Leicestershire.
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