With the first two rounds of next season's Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy having been played already this year, the sponsors and ECB have announced the third round draw for the 2002 competition.

The holders, Somerset, have to travel north to meet the Yorkshire Cricket Board XI - a side made up of players from the recreational game in the county. Meanwhile, the full Yorkshire County Cricket Club side, winners of the CricInfo Championship, will be travelling in the other direction to meet Devon, of the Minor Counties competition.

The two first-class counties could meet on the motorway somewhere near Birmingham! That is where the runners-up at Lord's on September 1st, Leicestershire, will be in action as they face the Warwickshire Cricket Board.

All the non first-class sides have automatically been given home ties as a reward for battling through the first two rounds. It also has the effect of taking the game to areas of the country not used to seeing first-class cricketers in action and so helps to spread the game.

The four teams finishing at the bottom of Division Two of the Norwich Union League in the season just finished are drawn together, so two first-class counties are certain to be eliminated at this stage.

The 4th round takes place on 18th and 19th June, the quarter finals are scheduled for 16th and 17th July. One semi final will be played on 31st July with the other on 1st August to ensure live television coverage of both matches, while the final itself will be at Lord's on Saturday, 31st August.

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