GLAMORGAN have been handed the toughest possible start to their first season back in the County Championship First Division - a tie with champions Warwickshire at their Edgbaston base from April 13-16.

And as if that wasn't enough, they will open their defence of their Totesport League title at Old Trafford on April 17 against the Lancashire side they beat to seal the 2004 title.

Their Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy campaign kicks off away to Suffolk on May 4 with the winners to face Hampshire or Shropshire on May 17.

Though they have no senior tour game on their schedule this season (they face Bangladesh A from July 26-28), they will face the touring Australians, likely to include the club's overseas player Mike Kasprowicz, at Cardiff from July 30 to August 1 provided Glamorgan do not make the Twenty20 finals and Worcestershire do.

Glamorgan will also stage the Bangladesh v Australia one-day game in Cardiff on June 18.

In what should provide a massive boost to their coffers, Glamorgan are scheduled to play nine games under their new £250,000 floodlights (due to be installed in March) next season, five in the Totesport League plus four in the Twenty20, including a friendly against Bangladesh.

"It's a pretty exciting prospect," said club coach John Derrick,"and we hope they will attract bumper crowds."

The season will begin with a home friendly against Cardiff UCCE from April 9-11 and end with a Totesport League encounter against Gloucester-shire at Bristol on September 25. Glamorgan fixtures 2005

April: 9/10/11 - Univ Cardiff UCCE (Cardiff). 13/14/15/16 - FCC1 Warwickshire (Edgbaston). 17 - tsl1 Lancashire (Old Trafford). 22 - tsl1 Essex (F) (Cardiff). 27/28/29/30 - FCC1 Surrey (Cardiff).

May: 2 - tsl1 Nottinghamshire (Trent Bridge). 4 (5) - C&G Round 1 Suffolk (away). 6/7/8/9 - FCC1 Gloucestershire (Cardiff). 11/12/13/14 - FCC1 Surrey (The Brit Oval). 15 - tsl1 Essex (Chelmsford). 17 (18) - C&G Round 2 Hampshire or Shropshire (Cardiff). 20/21/22/23 - FCC1 Hampshire (Rose Bowl). 27 - tsl1 Worcestershire (F) (Cardiff).

June: 1/2/3/4 - FCC1 Sussex (Swansea, tbc). 5 - tsl1 Nottinghamshire (Swansea, tbc). 8/9/10/11 - FCC1 Kent (Cardiff). 13: Friendly Bangladesh (F) Cardiff (note 2). 15/16/17/18 - FCC1 Middlesex (Southgate). 18 - ODI Bangladesh v Australia (Cardiff). 19 - tsl1 Hampshire (Rose Bowl). 22 - Twenty20 Somerset (Cardiff). 24 - Twenty20 Gloucestershire (Bristol). 25 - Twenty20 Warwickshire home (venue tbc). 27 - Twenty20 Somerset (Taunton). 30 - Twenty20 Warwickshire (Edgbaston).

July: 1 - Twenty20 Northamptonshire (Cardiff). 5 - Twenty20 Gloucestershire (Cardiff). 6 - Twenty20 Worcestershire (New Road). 8/9/10/11 - FCC1 Nottinghamshire (Trent Bridge). 15(16) 16 (17) - C&G quarter finals. 17 - tsl1 Worcestershire (New Road) (note 5). 18 - Twenty20 quarter finals. 20 - tsl1 Middlesex (F) (Cardiff). 21/22/23/24 - FCC1 Middlesex (Cardiff). 26/27/28 - Tourist Bangladesh A (Home venue tbc). 30(31) - Twenty20 Finals Day (note 3). 30/31/1 Aug - Tourist Australia (Cardiff) (note 4).

August: 3/4/5/6: FCc1 Kent (Canterbury). 10/11/12/13: FCC1 Warwickshire (Colwyn Bay, tbc). 14 - tsl1 Lancashire (Colwyn Bay, tbc). 17 - tsl1 Northamptonshire (F) (Northampton). 20(21) - C&G quarter finals. 23 - tsl1 Gloucestershire (F) (Cardiff). 25/26/27/28 - FCC1 Gloucestershire (Bristol). 30/31/1/2 Sept - FCC1 Notts (Cardiff).

September: 3(4) - C&G Final. 4 - tsl1 Northamptonshire (Cardiff) (note 5). 7/8/9/10 - FCC1 Sussex (Hove). 11 - tsl1 Middlesex (Lord's). 13 - tsl1 Hampshire (F) (Cardiff). 15/16/17/18 - FCC1 Hampshire (Cardiff). 25 - tsl1 Gloucestershire (Bristol). Key: Dates shown in brackets denote reserve days. (F) denotes floodlit matches. FCC1 Frizzell County Championship Division One. tsl1 totesport League Division One. Twenty20 Twenty20 Cup. C&G Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy. Univ University Centre of Excellence. ODI One-day International. Notes: Note 1 Subject to qualification and home draw. Note 2 Friendly match to be played to Twenty20 format. Note 3 Subject to qualification. Note 4 Play only if Worcestershire involved in Twenty20 Finals Day and Glamorgan not. Note 5 Alternative dates to be arranged if home or opposition teams involved in knock-out rounds of other competitions.