COUNTY BY COUNTY GUIDE TO THE 2012 SEASON by
Marcus Hook
DERBYSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: The last addition to the trophy cabinet came
in 1993, when they won the Benson & Hedges Cup.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Derbyshire have a decent seam attack. For
the first time in six seasons, the Falcons had more wins than losses
in 40-over cricket in 2011.
PROBLEM AREAS: Promising as they are, Chesney Hughes and Dan Redfern
are yet to show consistency with the bat. Tom Poynton, who replaces
Luke Sutton behind the stumps, lacks first team experience. Also,
Derbyshire are one of only three teams yet to reach Twenty20 finals
day.
KEY PLAYER: Wayne Madsen - after averaging just 26.92 with the bat
in the championship last year, he needs to return to form in order
to lead from the front.
RISING STAR: 21-year-old left-hander, Dan Redfern.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 6th; CB40: 6th in Group C; FLt20:
6th in the North Group.
INS: Chris Durham and David Wainwright (Yor).
OUTS: Steffan Jones (ret), Greg Smith (Ess) and Luke Sutton (ret).
OVERSEAS 2012: Martin Guptill (NZ, for the first half of the
season), Usman Khawaja (Aus, for the second half of the season,
including Twenty20) and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan (Pak, Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Wayne Madsen takes over from Luke Sutton as
captain. Karl Krikken replaced John Morris as head coach in June of
last year.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Tony Palladino (broken jaw).
OTHER NEWS: Looking ahead to his first season in charge,
Derbyshire's skipper, Wayne Madsen has said: "We know we've got
quite a young outfit that is fairly inexperienced and it's going to
be a good challenge to see where we can take it over the next few
seasons. This is a great opportunity for me to lead a young squad
and put my stamp on the job. I want us to play positive cricket and,
with youngsters, that means no fear cricket. That's the way we are
going to learn - by being aggressive - and when the pressure
situations come about, that's when we really want to take it by the
scruff of the neck. If you are timid with a young squad, you can
just get steamrollered."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 14-1. Clydesdale
Bank 40 League: 33-1 joint outsiders. Friends Life Twenty20: 33-1
joint outsiders.
DURHAM
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: County champions in 2008 and 2009.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: The batting - eleven of their batsmen made
first-class hundreds in 2011. Durham have won the most championship
matches over the last three seasons. Also, no side has lost fewer
during the same period.
PROBLEM AREAS: Head coach Geoff Cook has resisted bringing in new
blood. That said, Scott Borthwick and Ben Stokes should keep the old
stagers in the squad on their toes.
KEY PLAYER: Graham Onions - despite missing five championship matches
in 2011, he still headed the bowling with 50 wickets.
RISING STAR: 20-year-old all-rounder, Ben Stokes.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 5th; CB40: Winners; FLt20:
Semi-finalists.
INS: None. OUTS: Kyle Coetzer (Nor), Mark Davies (Ken) and Ben
Harmison (Ken).
OVERSEAS 2012: Herschelle Gibbs (RSA, Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Stephen Harmison (ankle).
OTHER NEWS: Durham have only ever reached Twenty20 finals day on one
occasion, in 2008, when they lost to Middlesex in the semi-finals.
However, the Dynamos skipper, Phil Mustard is upbeat as to his side's
chances in 2012. He said: "I think we've now got a good idea of what
works for us in Twenty20. It's just about putting it into action. Last
year we got knocked out in the quarters, so there's definite signs of
improvement. If we can find that extra one or two percent from each
individual throughout the season, it will stand us in good stead."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 4-1 favourites.
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 13-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 12-1.
ESSEX
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won three one-day trophies between 2005 and
2008.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: The acquisition of Greg Smith and Charl
Willoughby, two established county cricketers, shows real intent. The
Eagles have had more wins than losses in 40-over cricket in each of
the last four years, plus they have bits and pieces players aplenty.
PROBLEM AREAS: David Masters carried the bowling attack in the
championship in 2011, but Willoughby will help to relieve him of that
burden in 2012.
KEY PLAYER: David Masters, who was the leading wicket-taker in last
summer's County Championship - 13 wickets clear of Middlesex's Tim
Murtagh in second.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old right-hander, Adam Wheater.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 2nd; CB40: Semi-finalists; FLt20:
Semi-finalists.
INS: Ben Foakes, Greg Smith (Der) and Charl Willoughby (Som).
OUTS: Chris Wright (War).
OVERSEAS 2012: Alviro Petersen (RSA, for the first half of the
season), Peter Siddle (Aus, Twenty20 only) and Brendan Taylor (Zim,
Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Ravi Bopara and Alastair Cook
(both on international duty in Sri Lanka), and
Ryan ten Doeschate and Owais Shah (both IPL).
OTHER NEWS: Graham Gooch has stepped down as Essex batting coach to
focus full-time on his coaching role with England. England's all-time
highest Test run scorer, who hands the baton to Matt Walker, said:
"I'm sad that I am unable to continue my Essex coaching duties. I
never wanted to relinquish this role at the club but as my England
commitments have grown it is impossible to do justice to both roles."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 5-1. Clydesdale Bank
40 League: 8-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 14-1.
GLAMORGAN
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: The last addition to the trophy cabinet came in
2004, when they won the totesport League.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: The dressing room is said to be a much happier
place with Alviro Petersen moving on to be succeeded, as captain, by
Mark Wallace.
PROBLEM AREAS: Only once have the Dragons reached the knockout phase
of the Twenty20 Cup in the last seven years.
KEY PLAYER: James Harris - the one man capable of making early inroads
with the ball, apart from Simon Jones, of course; but, sadly, his
career has been blighted by injury in recent years.
RISING STAR: 21-year-old right-arm seamer, James Harris.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 4th; CB40: 6th in Group B; FLt20:
6th in the Midlands/Wales/West Group.
INS: Michael Hogan (as a UK national) and Simon Jones (Ham).
OUTS: David Brown (ret), Michael Powell (Ken) and Adam Shantry (ret).
OVERSEAS 2012: Moises Henriques (Aus, initially) and Marcus North
(Aus, after his finger injury has healed or the birth of his second
child, whichever is later).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Mark Wallace takes over from Alviro Petersen as
captain.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: James Harris (groin).
OTHER NEWS: The Dragons have changed their name to the Welsh Dragons.
Alan Hamer, Glamorgan’s chief executive, said: “2012 promises to be an
exciting season and our decision to be called the Welsh Dragons in
one-day cricket re-enforces the pride and passion displayed by both
our players and supporters.” Not so exciting, in fact deeply worrying,
was the £1.7m operating loss Glamorgan posted in 2011. Meanwhile,
their coach, Matthew Mott, has been put in charge of Elite Performance
by the Club.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 8-1. Clydesdale Bank
40 League: 33-1 joint outsiders. Friends Life Twenty20: 33-1 joint
outsiders.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: The last addition to the trophy cabinet came in
2004, when they won the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Gloucestershire cannot be accused of being
humdrum - no side has drawn fewer championship matches over the last
three seasons.
PROBLEM AREAS: Losing top-class seamers - in the last two years
Hussain, Kirby and now Lewis have all moved on to pastures new.
Playing at Cheltenham - since 1998 Gloucestershire have only won twice
there in the championship, but have tasted defeat on 15 occasions.
Essex and Leicestershire are looking forward to July already.
KEY PLAYER: Will Gidman - 1,006 runs and 51 wickets in the
championship last year speaks for itself.
RISING STAR: 21-year-old left-hander, Chris Dent.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 9th; CB40: 4th in Group A; FLt20:
4th in the Midlands/Wales/West Group.
INS: Dan Housego (Mid).
OUTS: Vikram Banerjee, Jon Lewis (Sur) and Chris Taylor.
OVERSEAS 2012: Muttiah Muralitharan (SL, Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: All fit and raring to go.
OTHER NEWS: Gloucestershire have claimed the rejection of their
redevelopment plans will make it "almost impossible" for the club to
remain in Bristol. In January, redevelopment proposals were rejected
by Bristol City Council's Planning Committee by six votes to four,
much to the dismay of Gloucestershire chief executive Tom Richardson
who said: "We are bitterly disappointed. This decision means that the
international cricket programme in Bristol now stops and will be lost
forever. Furthermore, our overall future in Bristol is also in doubt.
It is no secret that Gloucester would be very keen to have us. "The
funding from the development will be lost and the city (Bristol) risks
losing what could be its only sports stadium. We need to consider our
options, but time is running out."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 9-1. Clydesdale Bank
40 League: 24-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 28-1.
HAMPSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Followed up winning the Friends Provident Trophy
in 2009 with the Twenty20 Cup in 2010.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Opener Michael Carberry is fit again, after
suffering a blood clot in his lung, and Simon Katich looks like a
great overseas signing.
PROBLEM AREAS: The bowling - no Hampshire bowler managed to take forty
or more first-class wickets in 2011. Furthermore, no side has won
fewer championship matches over the last three seasons.
KEY PLAYER: Neil McKenzie - prominent with the bat in all three codes
last summer.
RISING STAR: 20-year-old slow left-armer, Danny Briggs.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 3rd; CB40: 4th in Group B; FLt20:
4th in the South Group.
INS: Sean Terry.
OUTS: Dominic Cork (ret), Friedel de Wet, Simon Jones (Gla), Michael
Lumb (Not), Jamie Miller, Johann Myburgh and Nic Pothas.
OVERSEAS 2012: Simon Katich (Aus).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Jimmy Adams takes over from Dominic Cork as
captain.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Kabir Ali
(ankle) and Dimitri Mascarenhas (IPL).
OTHER NEWS: On top of the Rose Bowl being renamed the Ageas Bowl, in
December, Eastleigh Borough Council voted in favour of
a plan to buy
the ground for £6.5m to rent it back to Hampshire County Cricket Club.
The council is expected to spend £32m building a four-star hotel next
to the venue, which made a loss of nearly £900,000 last year.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 3-1 favourites.
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 12-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 12-1.
KENT
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the Twenty20 Cup in 2007.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Seven of Kent's bowlers took five-wicket hauls
in last year's County Championship, which put them joint first with
Durham, Surrey and Warwickshire.
PROBLEM AREAS: The batting under-performed massively last term and the
bowling probably lacks the depth needed to make the hop county a
promotion-winning side in 2012.
KEY PLAYER: Rob Key - he missed four championship matches in 2011,
owing to an injured wrist, and Kent lost three of them. Need I say
more?
RISING STAR: 21-year-old right-arm seamer, Matt Coles.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 5th; CB40: 5th in Group C; FLt20:
6th in the South Group.
INS: Fabian Cowdrey, Mark Davies (Dur), Ben Harmison (Dur), Benedict
Kemp, Scott Newman (Mid, on loan), Michael Powell (Gla), Charlie
Shreck (Not) and Ivan Thomas.
OUTS: Joe Denly (Mid), Robbie Joseph (Lei) and Martin van Jaarsveld
(ret).
OVERSEAS 2012: Brendan Nash (WI).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: The former West Indies batsman Jimmy Adams replaces
Paul Farbrace as director of cricket.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Azhar Mahmood (IPL) and James
Tredwell (on international duty in Sri Lanka).
OTHER NEWS: Rob Key believes Kent are capable of proving their
doubters wrong this summer. The Spitfires' captain has said: “When
you’re the underdogs and people write you off, it’s not a bad place to
be because that’s when we won the Twenty20 final, when no-one gave us
a price of winning it even after we got to finals day."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 10-1. Clydesdale Bank
40 League: 20-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 20-1.
LANCASHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: The current county champions.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: The bowling attack is still as good as any
around, as was proved in the warm-up game against the MCC in Abu
Dhabi.
PROBLEM AREAS: Lancashire lack a batsman capable of making daddy
hundreds.
KEY PLAYER: Gary Keedy - like Old Man River, the red rose county need
the veteran spinner to keep rolling along, even with Kerrigan bursting
through.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old slow left-armer, Simon Kerrigan.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 4th; CB40: 3rd in Group A; FLt20:
4th in the North Group.
INS: Naqaash Tahir (War).
OUTS: Steven Cheetham and Mark Chilton (ret).
OVERSEAS 2012: Ashwell Prince (RSA).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: James Anderson (on international
duty in Sri Lanka).
OTHER NEWS: Lancashire may have won the County Championship last
season, but they have just reported the biggest financial loss in
county cricket. Having lost £2.1m in 2010, last year saw an operating
deficit of £3.96m. A judicial review costing £520,000, and £1.8m in
depreciation were contributory factors.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 5-1. Clydesdale Bank
40 League: 9-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 12-1.
LEICESTERSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Twenty20 Cup holders.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Most pundits will say that, without James
Taylor, Leicestershire don't stand a chance, which means they've got
absolutely nothing to lose. The Foxes have never lost in the
quarter-finals of the Twenty20 Cup.
PROBLEM AREAS: No side scored fewer batting points in last year's
County Championship and just two bowlers managed five-wicket hauls -
the least of any county. Leicestershire have not recorded more wins
than losses in 40-over cricket since the format was re-introduced in
2006.
KEY PLAYER: Will Jefferson - the only English batsman on
Leicestershire's books with more than three first-class hundreds in
the bank.
RISING STAR: 20-year-old right-arm seamer, Nathan Buck.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 8th; CB40: 5th in Group A; FLt20:
Quarter-finalists.
INS: Robbie Joseph (Ken) and James Sykes.
OUTS: Harry Gurney (Not), Tom New, Paul Nixon (ret) and James Taylor
(Not).
OVERSEAS 2012: Ramnaresh Sarwan (WI).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: All fit and raring to go.
OTHER NEWS: The retiring Paul Nixon turned down a full-time coaching
position with Leicestershire in favour of becoming the Foxes' club
ambassador, which allows him to continue his association with Pune
Warriors in the Indian Premier League. However, Ben Smith, the former
Worcestershire and Leicestershire batsman, returns to Grace Road as
batting coach.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 20-1 outsiders.
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 25-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 14-1.
MIDDLESEX
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the Twenty20 Cup in 2008.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Following a run of 83 runs in seven Test
innings for England, Eoin Morgan has been told to go back to county
cricket and rediscover his form… after another stint in the IPL.
Middlesex picked up the most batting points in last year's County
Championship.
PROBLEM AREAS: The absence of a proven spinner - in 2011, Ollie Rayner
took just 11 wickets in eight championship
appearances. The Panthers have only reached the knockout phase of the
Twenty20 Cup once in the last six years.
KEY PLAYER: Corey Collymore - Middlesex need the veteran West Indian
to continue forging a potent new-ball partnership with Tim Murtagh.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old right-hander, Sam Robson.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 7th; CB40: 2nd in Group A; FLt20:
5th in the South Group.
INS: Joe Denly (Ken), Ollie Rayner (Sus) and Ollie Wilkin.
OUTS: Jamie Dalrymple, Dan Housego (Glo), Scott Newman (Ken, on loan)
and Ben Scott (Wor).
OVERSEAS 2012: Chris Rogers (Aus).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Steven Finn and Andrew Strauss
(both on international duty in Sri Lanka) and Eoin Morgan (IPL).
OTHER NEWS: Division Two champions in 2011, Middlesex enter the 2012
on a high thanks also to a successful pre-season trip to Cape Town in
South Africa. Skipper Neil Dexter has said: "We look in really good
shape and the spirit in the dressing room here right now is as good as
I’ve known anywhere. We’ve strengthened the batting at the top of the
order and have a great blend of youth and experience on the bowling
front. We may see a little bit more of Steven Finn this season, Gareth
Berg is injury-free for the first time in almost two years and Toby
Roland-Jones continues to impress with his talent and is bound to
press for a place. We may not have a big name spinner, but we have
three young spinners all vying for a start, while Joe Denly and Dawid
(Malan) can both chip in with some leg-spin. I feel we have good
balance and a greater strength in depth now, which is what you’d want
in a promoted side.”
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 10-1. Clydesdale Bank
40 League: 14-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 25-1.
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: The last addition to the trophy cabinet came in
1992, when they won the NatWest Trophy.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Northants lost just two championship matches
in 2011. England Lions seamer Jack Brooks, who missed half of last
season with a back problem, is back to full fitness.
PROBLEM AREAS: The batting - no one managed 1,000 first-class runs in
2011. Also, the Steelbacks have not registered
more wins than losses in
40-over cricket since 2006.
KEY PLAYER: Chaminda Vaas - 70 championship wickets at an average of
21.44 last summer. Northamptonshire will need more of the same if they
are to entertain hopes of promotion.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old right-hander, Rob Newton.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 7th; CB40: 4th in Group C; FLt20:
5th in the Midlands/Wales/West Group.
INS: Kyle Coetzer (Dur), Con de Lange (as a UK national) and Sam
Sweeney.
OUTS: Mal Loye and David Lucas (Wor).
OVERSEAS 2012: Chaminda Vaas (SL) and Cameron White (Aus, Twenty20
only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Luke Evans (bulging disc).
OTHER NEWS: Former Warwickshire batsmen David Smith has been named as
Mark Tagg's replacement as chief executive of Northants Cricket.
Smith, who has previously worked with his former county,
Leicestershire and the ECB said: "The club has made real progress both
on and off the field over the past few years. The ground development
has improved the facilities on offer to all visitors to the County
Ground. The team have narrowly missed out on promotion to Division One
in the LV= County Championship twice in the last three years, as well
as appearing in a t20 Finals Day. This indicates a good quality
playing staff, and I am looking forward to working with the coach
David Capel and the Board of Directors to bring future success to the
club."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 7-1. Clydesdale Bank
40 League: 22-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 25-1.
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: County champions in 2010.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: To address their batting failures in 2011,
Notts have drafted in proven quality in the shape of Michael Lumb and
James Taylor.
PROBLEM AREAS: Only three batsmen made championship hundreds last term
- joint fewest with Worcestershire. Also, after winning their first
three four-day matches, Notts scored just two more victories in the
last thirteen.
KEY PLAYER: Andre Adams - with Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann inked in
as England players, the veteran New Zealander has taken 135
championship wickets in the last two years.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old
right-hander, James Taylor.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: Winners; CB40: 5th in Group B;
FLt20: Quarter-finalists.
INS: Brett Hutton, Harry Gurney (Lei), Sam Kelsall, Michael Lumb
(Ham), James Taylor (Lei) and Sam Wood.
OUTS: Alistair Brown (ret), Akhil Patel, Charlie Shreck (Ken) and Mark
Wagh (ret).
OVERSEAS 2012: Adam Voges (Aus).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Stuart Broad, Samit Patel and
Graeme Swann (all of whom will be on international duty in Sri Lanka),
Michael Lumb (IPL) and Darren Pattinson (back).
OTHER NEWS: Nottinghamshire declared a record
profit for last year. The surplus further establishes the
county as one of the most financially stable in the country. Strong
ticket sales for international matches at Trent Bridge, higher
attendances for T20 and an increase in membership contributed to a
surplus of £542,210 to September 30, 2011. The results enhance the
legacy of outgoing chief executive Derek Brewer, who left the county
in December to succeed Keith Bradshaw as secretary and chief executive
of MCC.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 6-1. Clydesdale Bank
40 League: 14-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 10-1.
SOMERSET
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the Twenty20 Cup in 2005.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Runs can come from anywhere in the order.
Vernon Philander should give the bowling a cutting edge in the opening
rounds. Somerset have won more matches than any other county in the
Clydesdale Bank 40 in the last two seasons.
PROBLEM AREAS: Reaching finals only to lose them. They have finished
runners-up in the Twenty20 Cup in each of the last three years, and
runners-up in the CB40 in each of the last two.
KEY PLAYER: Marcus Trescothick, who was the leading run-maker in last
summer's County Championship - 290 runs clear of Surrey's Zander de
Bruyn, who was second.
RISING STAR: 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman,
Jos Buttler.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 2nd; CB40: Runners-up; FLt20:
Runners-up.
INS: None.
OUTS: Charl Willoughby (Ess).
OVERSEAS 2012: Vernon Philander (RSA, for the first two months of the
season), Chris Gayle (WI, Twenty20 only) and Albie Morkel (RSA,
Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: All fit and raring to go.
OTHER NEWS: At the end of last year Somerset's director of cricket,
Brian Rose hinted that 36-year-old Marcus Trescothick could be rested
for this year's CB40 campaign. Rose told BBC Somerset: "The problem
with Marcus is that he loves to play cricket for Somerset, but we need
to have an understanding as I want to prolong his career and I'm sure
he does, so we'll have a look at how we can accommodate both things."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 5-1. Clydesdale Bank
40 League: 7-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 7-2 favourites.
SURREY
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Last year's winner of the Clydesdale Bank 40.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: The batting - four batsmen made over 1,000
first-class runs in 2011 - not to mention the seam attack, which
should benefit from having two bowlers, in Jade Dernbach and Chris
Tremlett, keen to cement a place in the England team.
PROBLEM AREAS: The Lions roared into the first four Twenty20 finals
days, but haven't qualified for the knockout phase since.
KEY PLAYER: Zander de Bruyn - because Mark
Ramprakash isn't getting any younger and the middle order haven't
played much Division One cricket.
RISING STAR: 21-year-old right-hander, Jason Roy.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 6th; CB40: 3rd in Group B; FLt20:
Winners.
INS: Jon Lewis (Glo).
OUTS: Michael Brown (ret), Simon King and Chris
Schofield.
OVERSEAS 2012: Jacques Rudolph (RSA, for the first two months of the
season), Murali Kartik (Ind, from June onwards) and Dirk Nannes (Aus,
Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Steven Davies (on international
duty in Sri Lanka), Kevin Pietersen (on international duty in Sri
Lanka then the IPL) and Chris Tremlett (back).
OTHER NEWS: This year, Chris Adams has promised that Surrey will work
harder, be better prepared and will commit more than their opponents.
He said: "We will fight for every run, we will fight for every wicket
and we will fight for every point." Adams added: "We are perfecting
and developing what I believe, and everybody else here in the club
believes is a very strong squad - a squad for the future, a squad that
has already got a trophy under its belt. The intention was always to
build a team which would compete in all competitions, provide space
for our young players to come through and provide England with quality
players as well. That's what we're starting to do and the future with
these young players looks very bright. We now have a thirst for
winning trophies."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 15-2. Clydesdale Bank
40 League: 13-2 favourites. Friends Life Twenty20: 8-1.
SUSSEX
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won six trophies between 2006 and 2009.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: The Sharks have had more wins than losses in
40-over cricket in each of the last four years. Murray Goodwin has
averaged over fifty in seven out of the last nine English summers in
first-class cricket.
PROBLEM AREAS: No word, yet, on who will be Sussex's primary overseas
player. The attack is crying out for a top-class seamer. If Monty
Panesar's re-birth as a Test cricketer develops into a prolonged run
in the England side, the Martlets will lack a bowler capable of tying
an end up.
KEY PLAYER: Mike Yardy - not only will he need to get the most out of
his players, as captain, the 31-year-old left-hander also needs to
continue delivering with the bat.
RISING STAR: 21-year-old left-hander, Luke Wells.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 8th; CB40: 2nd in Group C; FLt20:
Quarter-finalists.
INS: None.
OUTS: Ollie Rayner (Mid) and Lou Vincent.
OVERSEAS 2012: Scott Styris (NZ, Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Monty Panesar and Matt Prior (both
on international duty in Sri Lanka) and Luke Wright (IPL).
OTHER NEWS: Sussex have announced a coaching swap for the 2012 season
with Mark Davis supporting manager Mark Robinson. Fielding coach Carl
Hopkinson will take charge of the Second XI. Robinson said: "We felt
that it was important to have a change for the new season as both
coaches will benefit from the new responsibilities. One thing we are
keen to continue is that all of the professional coaches spend enough
time in each other's areas."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 9-1. Clydesdale Bank
40 League: 8-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 10-1.
WARWICKSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the Clydesdale Bank 40 in 2010.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: In 2011, Warwickshire notched up nine
championship victories - the most the Edgbaston outfit have achieved
since the introduction of two divisions. The attack includes six
bowlers capable of taking over forty first-class wickets.
PROBLEM AREAS: They would have finished two points behind last year's
county champions Lancashire had they not been deducted 9 points for
slow over-rates. The Bears have been beaten Twenty20 quarter-finalists
in six out of the last eight years.
KEY PLAYER: You might expect me to say Rikki Clarke or Chris Woakes,
but Jeetan Patel, who returns as overseas player, after taking 17
wickets in three championship appearances last term, could well prove
to be the barometer.
RISING STAR: 21-year-old slow left-armer, Chris Metters.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 3rd; CB40: Semi-finalists; FLt20:
Quarter-finalists.
INS: Ricardo Gordon, Sam Hain and Chris Wright (Ess).
OUTS: Ant Botha (ret), Maurice Holmes and Naqaash Tahir (Lan).
OVERSEAS 2012: Jeetan Patel (NZ).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott (both
on international duty in Sri Lanka) and Chris Woakes (ankle).
OTHER NEWS: Bears' skipper Jim Troughton believes Warwickshire
supporters can look forward to their side making bigger totals in
2012. Troughton has said: "The batting line-up has been maybe a little
bit immature in the last couple of years because we lost a few big
players like Nick Knight and Mark Wagh. But the guys on board now are
improving all the time and this season I think they are ready to
deliver. The batting unit is growing. We have Varun Chopra, Will
Porterfield, Laurie Evans and Ateeq Javid, who have got the potential
to really kick on this year, alongside the likes of myself, Ian
Westwood and Darren Maddy who have to take on the senior roles and
score consistent runs. We have no overseas specialist batsman this
season but I don’t see that as a problem. Last year, when our overseas
guys didn’t score runs, there were still games where we made big
scores to put sides under pressure and they included games on some
difficult wickets."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 6-1. Clydesdale Bank
40 League: 14-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 14-1.
WORCESTERSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the NatWest Pro40 League in 2007.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Last summer, Vikram Solanki had his best
season in three years with the bat.
PROBLEM AREAS: The batting - just three batsmen hit first-class
hundreds in 2011. No side has lost more championship matches over the
last three seasons. The New Road outfit are one of only three teams
yet to reach Twenty20 finals day. No first-class county has lost more
matches in the Clydesdale Bank 40 in the last two seasons than
Worcestershire.
KEY PLAYER: Alan Richardson - if Worcestershire are to remain in
Division One they will need four victories, which means they'll need
to bowl sides out twice. I doubt they can do that without Richardson.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old right-hander, Alexei Kervezee.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 9th; CB40: 6th in Group A; FLt20:
3rd in the Midlands/Wales/West Group.
INS: David Lucas (Nor) and Ben Scott (Mid).
OUTS: Matt Mason (ret), David Wheeldon and Chris Whelan.
OVERSEAS 2012: Michael Klinger (Aus, for the first two months of the
season), Phil Hughes (Aus, from June onwards) and Saeed Ajmal (Pak,
Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Gareth Andrew (knee).
OTHER NEWS: Worcestershire's New Road ground could be set for a
£10million development after Premier Inn submitted a planning
application to build a 120-bedroom hotel and restaurant. Whitbread -
Premier Inn's parent company - is investing £7.5million in the hotel
and restaurant. In addition, Worcestershire are also investing in
excess of £2.5million to create new conference and executive
facilities at the ground. A detailed planning application for the
hotel and executive suites was submitted to Worcester City Council in
December.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 50-1 outsiders.
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 33-1 joint outsiders. Friends Life
Twenty20: 33-1 joint outsiders.
YORKSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: The last addition to the trophy cabinet came in
2002, when they won the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Back in Division Two after six summers in the
top flight, Yorkshire are now a big fish in a small pond again, so the
likes of Adil Rashid and Ajmal Shahzad, both of whom looked off colour
last term, should find wickets easier to come by.
PROBLEM AREAS: No side has drawn more championship matches over the
last three seasons - an advantage in Division One, but a drawback in
Division Two, where they now find themselves. The Carnegie are one of
only three teams yet to reach Twenty20 finals day.
KEY PLAYER: Ryan Sidebottom - took 62 championship wickets at 22.00
runs apiece in the absence of Tim Bresnan in 2011.
RISING STAR: 21-year-old right-hander, Joe Root.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: Winners; CB40: 3rd in Group C;
FLt20: 5th in the North Group.
INS: Phil Jaques (as a UK national), Alex Lees and James Wainman.
OUTS: Lee Hodgson, Ben Sanderson, David Wainwright (Der) and Craig
White (ret).
OVERSEAS 2012: Still to be announced.
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Jason Gillespie replaces Martyn Moxon as first team
coach, although Moxon has been made director of cricket.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Tim Bresnan (on international duty
in Sri Lanka).
OTHER NEWS: Yorkshire's incoming chairman, the plain-spoken former
England opener, Geoff Boycott believes promotion in the County
Championship is all that matters in 2012. He said: "In 2013 it’s our
150th anniversary, and in our anniversary year we should be striving
to win the Championship. We can’t do that in the Second Division, so
we have to get out of it. It’s alright talking about potential and the
amount of good young players we have, but those players have to
perform." Boycott has also promised to be much in evidence at
Headingley this summer. He said: "I don’t just want to be sat in the
pavilion in the Hawke Suite. I will also sit with the members because
they voted for me, they’ve always supported me and I’m very grateful
to them. I know most of the members by sight and they know me. I have
a lot of time for them and I am looking forward to seeing as many of
them as possible.”
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 7-2. Clydesdale Bank
40 League: 22-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 25-1.
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