Seven matches started on April 18 and each venue attracted a bigger audience than at the opening fixture of the 2002 season, with the average gate up by 24 percent.
Worcestershire's game against Hampshire at New Road drew in more than 2,500 spectators while Nottinghamshire reported their biggest opening-day crowd for more than 40 years - 3,000 spectators - against Warwickshire.
The figures represent a welcome upturn for the four-day county game in England which has been suffering from declining crowd levels for a number of years.
English cricket has been boosted by the news that attendances at the opening matches of the Frizzell County Championship season have produced the biggest crowds for a number of years.
