Is a gap growing between the divisions in the CricInfo Championship?

There is growing evidence of a performance gap between the two divisions in the CricInfo Championship.

In the first indication that a more concentrated pool of talent is developing in the Division One, all the clubs that were promoted this year are struggling to compete at the higher level.

Glamorgan, Northants and Essex - the three promoted sides - occupy the bottom spots in the top division. Meanwhile Hampshire, who were relegated last year, occupy a promotion position in Division Two.

These statistics appear to justify Mark Ramprakash's reasoning in crossing the Thames to play for a top division club. He argued that he needed to play a higher standard of cricket in order to regain his Test place, and that his best chance of doing so would be through playing in the first division.

There is no clear reason why this split should be developing. First Division clubs receive no more money from the ECB and it doesn't, as yet, appear to make much difference to sponsors which division the team is in.

Teams with their headquarters at Test grounds may benefit from their increased marketing capability (although they would point to their increased costs) but financial strength does not necessarily equate to success on the pitch. Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire and though they are a special case, Middlesex, are all in the lower division.

Could the explanation be that those clubs in the top division are the ones with the best infrastructure? Yorkshire's academy is renowned, while Somerset, the surprise package of the season (sitting second in Division One despite losing Trescothick and Caddick to England), also boast an academy.

The next round of CricInfo Championship games, beginning on Friday, promises to be particularly interesting. Many members of England's Test team are expected to play and top of the table Yorkshire meet Lancashire in a Roses clash at Headingley.

Yorkshire are the runaway leaders of the first division, and such is their bowling talent that even Darren Gough is not assured of a place in their line-up.