Gloucestershire

Dr Henry Grace put a cricket club together in Bristol, and gave the captaincy to the one who needed it least: William Gilbert, already known across England simply as W. G. Grace. That was 1870, and for much of the following decade the family carried the county's name further than any trophy did — Gloucestershire were reckoned Champion County, unofficially, in 1873, 1874, 1876 and 1877.

Between 1973 and 2004 they lifted the Gillette-turned-NatWest Trophy four times and took the Benson & Hedges Cup three times. Twenty20 took longer to click: Gloucestershire reached the Blast final in 2007 and lost, then had to wait until 2024 to finally win it.

Their derby is with Somerset, the West Country fixture that still draws a sharper crowd than the calendar otherwise promises. Matches are played at Nevil Road, now carrying the Seat Unique Stadium name under sponsorship, a ground that seats 8,000 for county cricket but is rebuilt with temporary stands whenever an international comes to town.

That gives it room for 17,500.