Leicestershire women were looking for an instant return to the top flight when their County Week challenge got under way on Monday.
County are in Division Two at Ilkley after being relegated last season.
Captain Claire Seal said: "We've been a bit of yo-yo team in recent years between Divisions One and Two."
County take on Warwickshire, Lancashire, Devon, Derbyshire and Dorset in the round-robin event.
Squad: Kerry Pollard, Anne Meredith, Lucy Rouse, Claire Seal, Helen Thorpe, Rebecca Scrivens, Victoria Bullock, Lara Crouch, Charlotte Griffin.
County men are in action at Hunstanton in Division Four, having won promotion last season.
The squad, captained by Tom Kisiel, play Essex, Buckinghamshire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset and Suffolk.
Squad: Tom Kisiel, Adam Popowicz, Jack Simpson, Connor Glennon, Jonny Cloke, Ahmed El Menshawy, Paul Nicholls, Ben Mullis, Sam Preston.