The race to reach 1,000 runs in the County Championship is back on this season, with a few in-form batters already in the reckoning to reach the milestone.

The feat of scoring 1,000 first-class runs by the end of May has only been achieved nine times in the history of English cricket and only twice since the Second World War with Graeme Hick being the last player to do so, for Worcestershire in 1988. The current schedule, though, has made the feat a more realistic possibility, with seven rounds in place in successive weeks leading up to June.

Here is the list of candidates so far:

Shan Masood – Derbyshire

4 innings, 611 runs @ 152.75, 2 100s, HS: 239

Fixtures before May-end: Glamorgan, Worcestershire, Nottinghamshire

Masood stands the best chance of going past 1,000 runs next month, given his belligerent form for Derbyshire. The 32-year-old Pakistan opener, who hasn’t played a Test since January 2021, cracked back-to-back double-hundreds to soar up the run charts this season. With scores of 91 & 62, 239, and 219 so far, Masood’s current form could carry him past the 1,000-run mark in the next three games.

Ben Compton – Kent

5 innings, 464 runs @ 116.00, 3 100s, HS: 129

Fixtures before May-end: Yorkshire, Surrey, Northamptonshire

Kent’s new signing Ben Compton has hit the ground running this season, scoring hundreds in each of his first innings of the summer. The twin tons against Lancashire highlighted his immense resilience, given that Kent had slipped to 82-7 at one point. An 89 against Hampshire continued his rich vein of form, one that could help break the four-digit barrier soon.

Tom Haines – Sussex

6 innings, 393 runs @ 65.50, 1 100, HS: 243

Fixtures before May-end: Durham, Middlesex, Leicestershire

23-year-old Haines has continued his run-making spree for Sussex, scoring his maiden first-class double-hundred in a vital rearguard act alongside Cheteshwar Pujara while following-on against Derbyshire. The top scorer in the County Championship in 2021, Haines, currently the second-highest run-getter in Division Two, is back in the reckoning this time. With Sussex set to play New Zealand at the of May apart from their three Championship fixtures, Haines can extend his first-class tally even further.

Michael Burgess – Warwickshire

2 innings, 348 runs @ 174.00, 2 100s, HS: 178

Fixtures before May-end: Somerset, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Yorkshire

The Warwickshire wicketkeeper has found a different gear to his batting this season, cracking a career-best 178 against Surrey while batting with the tail to start Warwickshire’s title defence with a draw. He followed it with a stellar 170 that set up a comprehensive 10-wicket win against Essex. With four games to go, an in-form Burgess still stands a chance.

Cheteshwar Pujara – Sussex

4 innings, 328 runs @ 109.33, 2 100s, HS: 201*

Fixtures before May-end: Durham, Middlesex, Leicestershire

Currently out of the Test squad, Pujara integrated seamlessly into the Sussex set-up scoring an unbeaten double-hundred in a match-saving effort alongside Haines against Derbyshire. The knock brought an end to a 52-innings century-less streak, after which Pujara found his groove, hitting a century against Worcestershire to move third among Division Two’s run-getters.

Harry Brook – Yorkshire

4 innings, 318 runs @ 159.00, 1 100, HS: 101

Fixtures before May-end: Kent, Essex, Lancashire, Warwickshire

The former England U19 skipper enjoyed a breakout season last year, and has continued in the same vein, getting a fifty-plus score in each of his four innings so far. An unbeaten century and 56* from No.5 set up victory against Gloucestershire, and an 84 & 77 against Northamptonshire kept Yorkshire in the game. With four fixtures to go before the end of May, Brook still has ample time to cross the 1,000-run mark.

County Championship 2022 schedule: Full list of fixtures can be found here.