COUNTY BY COUNTY GUIDE TO THE 2013 SEASON by
Marcus Hook
DERBYSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Unless you count
topping Division Two, to win promotion in the County Championship
last summer, the most recent addition to Derbyshire's trophy cabinet
came in 1993, when they lifted the Benson & Hedges Cup.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Being back in Division One following a
twelve-year absence, during which they finished in the bottom half
of Div Two on nine occasions.
PROBLEM AREAS: The batting lacks strength in depth. Derbyshire are
one of only two teams yet to reach Twenty20 finals day,
Worcestershire being the other.
KEY PLAYER: Shiv Chanderpaul - Last year, Derbyshire's two overseas
batsmen made a combined 1,009 championship runs at an average of
45.86, on some sporty wickets at times. Chanderpaul has to do
likewise for the Peakites to avoid an immediate return to Division
Two.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old left-hander, Chesney Hughes.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 7th; YB40: 6th in Group B; FLt20:
5th in the North Group.
INS: Billy Godleman (Ess), Richard Johnson (War) and Jonathan
Marsden.
OUTS: Matt Lineker, Jake Needham (ret), Garry Park and Hamza
Siddique.
OVERSEAS 2013: Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: All fit and raring to go.
OTHER NEWS: Derbyshire's members are voting on whether to accept
proposals to improve the look of the County Ground and to streamline
the way the club is run, including cutting the size of the committee
down from the current 15 to nine. The result to be announced at a
special general meeting straight after the AGM on March 27.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 20-1 outsiders.
Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 40-1 outsiders. Friends Life Twenty20:
28-1 outsiders.
DURHAM
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: County champions in 2008 and 2009.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Gordon Muchall, Phil Mustard and Mark Stoneman
all averaged over 45 in last year's Clydesdale Bank 40 and Gareth
Breese's off-spin continues to frustrate opposition batsmen in the two
limited-overs competitions.
PROBLEM AREAS: Durham start the their championship campaign on minus
2.5 points for exceeding the ECB's salary cap. A paltry 18 batting
points in four-day cricket last season underlines Durham's lack of
runs almost as much as having no batsman with 700 or more runs in last
season's County Championship.
KEY PLAYER: Graham Onions - The leading championship wicket-taker, up
and down the land last year, with 64 victims at 14.98 runs apiece.
Given Durham's batting frailties, the same will be needed again if the
Riversiders are going to be competitive.
RISING STAR: 20-year-old left-hander, Keaton Jennings.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 9th; YB40: 5th in Group B; FLt20:
4th in the North Group.
INS: None.
OUTS: Ian Blackwell (ret), Michael Di Venuto (ret) and Liam Plunkett (Yor).
OVERSEAS 2013: To be announced.
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Paul Collingwood took over from Phil Mustard as
Durham's championship captain in July of last year.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Paul Collingwood (recovering from
surgery on a ruptured tendon in his right thumb).
OTHER NEWS: While several counties head overseas to prepare for the
new season, Durham will have to settle for four days at Loughborough.
In the past they have been to South Africa and Dubai, but they are now
restricted by the same financial constraints that forced the search
for an overseas player to be suspended. Prior to that, Durham had been
linked with South Africa batsman, Jacques Rudolph.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 6-1. Yorkshire Bank
40 League: 14-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 18-1.
ESSEX
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won three one-day trophies between 2005 and
2008.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: When the likes of Ravi Bopara, Owais Shah and
Ryan ten Doeschate are available, the Eagles continue to be a match
for anyone in limited-overs cricket.
PROBLEM AREAS: Essex have gained a reputation for allowing handy
players to move on, e.g. Tony Palladino and Chris Wright. Is Adam
Wheater the latest example? Also, they're the only first-class county
with fewer than ten championship wins in the last three years.
KEY PLAYER: Ravi Bopara - Tempting as it was to say David Masters, now
that Ravi has dropped down the pecking order in terms of England, he
can concentrate solely on racking up some big scores for his beloved
Essex.
RISING STAR: 20-year-old left-arm seamer, Tymal Mills.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 4th; YB40: 2nd in Group B; FLt20:
4th in the South Group.
INS: Sajid Mahmood (Lan).
OUTS: Michael Comber, Billy Godleman (Der), Adam Wheater (Ham) and
Charl Willoughby (ret).
OVERSEAS 2013: Rob Quiney (Aus, for the first half of the season and
the Twenty20) and Shaun Tait (Aus, Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Owais Shah (IPL) and Ryan ten
Doeschate (IPL).
OTHER NEWS: Essex have signed an £80m agreement to redevelop the
county ground at Chelmsford. The club will build several apartment
blocks around the ground to finance a new pavilion, cricket school,
car park, public square and bridge. A separate agreement has been
reached with Chelmsford City Council to incorporate the New Writtle
Street car park into the development plans. The first phase in the
redevelopment will see a block of 62 apartments being built on top of
the current cricket club car park.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 13-2. Yorkshire Bank
40 League: 14-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 15-1.
GLAMORGAN
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: The last addition to the trophy cabinet came in
2004, when they won the totesport League.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Michael Hogan, who joins as a UK national, has
been in cracking form down under this winter, taking 30 wickets in
nine Sheffield Shield appearances. Sadly, his Western Australia
team-mate, Marcus North has made little or no impact with the bat.
PROBLEM AREAS: No Glamorgan bowler reached the 40-wicket mark in last
season's County Championship, while in the CB40 and FLt20 it was a
case of the batsmen failing to come to the party.
KEY PLAYER:Graeme Wagg - The departure of James Harris, the retirement
of Robert Croft and Dean Cosker's loss of form makes it all the more
important that Graeme Wagg delivers with the ball. Let's hope, for
Glamorgan's sake, Wagg has overcome the ankle injury that blighted his
season in 2012.
RISING STAR: 20-year-old right-hander, David Lloyd.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 7th; YB40: 6th in Group C; FLt20:
6th in the Midlands/Wales/West Group.
INS: Murray Goodwin (Sus) and Michael Hogan (as a UK national).
OUTS: Chris Ashling, Robert Croft (ret), James Harris (Mid), Aneurin
Norman and Mike O'Shea.
OVERSEAS 2013: Marcus North (Aus) and Dirk Nannes (Aus, Twenty20
only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Mark Wallace will continue to captain the Welshmen
in the County Championship, but Marcus North has been appointed
Glamorgan's new one-day and Twenty20 skipper.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: All fit and raring to go.
OTHER NEWS: Glamorgan have parted company with Colin Metson, the
county’s former wicket-keeper and managing director of cricket.
Metson’s appointment as head of cricketing matters in November 2010
proved so unpopular coach Matthew Maynard, skipper Jamie Dalrymple,
president Peter Walker and vice-chairman Nigel Roberts all departed
the club. Metson was demoted in February 2012, to community and
development manager. But, just 11 months later, needing to cut costs,
Glamorgan announced that Metson had been made redundant.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 14-1. Yorkshire Bank
40 League: 40-1 outsiders. Friends Life Twenty20: 28-1 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: For once, Gloucestershire have held on to
their first choice bowling attack. Nevertheless, Jack Taylor, an
off-spinning all-rounder, and David Payne are likely get plenty of
chances to advance their game in 2013.
PROBLEM AREAS: The batting looks decidedly light. New skipper, Michael
Klinger has struggled for runs in the Sheffield Shield.
Gloucestershire really could do with Ian Cockbain and Chris Dent
kicking on.
KEY PLAYER: Will Gidman - Despite missing five four-day games with a
side strain, he still ended up being Gloucestershire's leading
wicket-taker in 2012 with 44 championship scalps at 21.43 runs apiece.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old left-arm seamer, David Payne.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 8th; YB40: 4th in Group C; FLt20:
4th in the Midlands/Wales/West Group.
INS: Cameron Herring, Craig Miles, Matt Taylor and Gareth Roderick.
OUTS: Jonathan Batty (ret) and David Wade.
OVERSEAS 2013: Michael Klinger (Aus) and Dan Christian (Aus, Twenty20
only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Michael Klinger takes over from Alex Gidman as
captain.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Paul Muchall
(knee) and Ian Saxelby (shoulder).
OTHER NEWS: Gloucestershire members will be able to watch both
Hampshire and Worcestershire's home LV= County Championship matches
free of charge in 2013, thanks to a reciprocal agreement. The deal
also means that Hampshire and Worcestershire fans will be able to
attend Gloucestershire’s LVCC matches at Bristol and Cheltenham. The
deal does not, however, include each club’s away fixtures against each
other.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 20-1. Yorkshire Bank
40 League: 40-1 outsiders. Friends Life Twenty20: 20-1.
HAMPSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Last year, Hampshire completed a limited-overs
"double" by winning both the Friends Life t20 and the Clydesdale Bank
40.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Hampshire are THE team to beat in
limited-overs cricket, particularly in the Friends Life Twenty20,
which the Hawks have won twice in the last three years. The arrival of
Adam Wheater, from Essex, is likely to make them even more dominant.
PROBLEM AREAS: Last summer, Carberry, Dawson and Vince all struggled
for runs in the championship. Also, George Bailey, who will fill the
overseas berth initially, has endured a dreadful season in the
Sheffield Shield; registering just one fifty for Tasmania.
KEY PLAYER: Jimmy Adams - Last year, no batsman racked up one thousand
runs in Division Two of the County Championship, but Adams came mighty
close. The defection of Simon Katich, to Lancashire, coupled with Neil
McKenzie's early season break means the Hampshire captain will have to
continue setting the tone with the bat.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old left-arm seaming all-rounder, Chris Wood.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: Winners; YB40: Runners-up; FLt20:
Semi-finalists.
INS: Michael Roberts, Jack Sheppard and Adam Wheater (Ess).
OUTS: Kabir Ali (Lan) and Bilal Shafayat.
OVERSEAS 2013: George Bailey (Aus, until late August) and Saeed Ajmal
(Pak, thereafter).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Neil McKenzie (resting) and
Dimitri Mascarenhas (IPL).
OTHER NEWS: Rose Bowl plc, the company that owns Hampshire Cricket,
lost more than £3m. Last October, the accounts, detailing losses for
2011, were posted to Companies House several months late. Reasons for
the sizeable deficit include the Ageas Bowl’s rain-affected inaugural
Test match and the continued redevelopment of the ground. Eastleigh
Borough Council has since invested £30m of public money in the
building of the Ageas Bowl's four-star hotel, which is underway.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 4-1. Yorkshire Bank
40 League: 12-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 9-1.
KENT
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the Twenty20 Cup in 2007.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Sam Northeast continues to go from strength to
strength and Brendan Nash is back for a second stint as overseas
player. Always there or thereabouts in limited-overs cricket, the
Spitfires' 40-over form is improving steadily. Unfortunately, they
have been drawn in the same YB40 group as Sussex and Warwickshire.
PROBLEM AREAS: The size of Kent's squad means they'll struggle to
mount challenges on all three fronts. 2013 could well be a make or
break year for a couple of batsmen - Alex Blake and Ben Harmison.
KEY PLAYER: Matt Coles - After being sent home early from the England
Lions' tour of Australia, for unprofessional conduct, Matt Coles has
much to prove. That said, he's of undoubted value to Kent, for whom he
claimed 52 championship wickets in 2012, not to mention a maiden
first-class hundred against Yorkshire early doors.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old right-arm seamer, Matt Coles.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 3rd; YB40: 4th in Group A; FLt20:
6th in the South Group.
INS: Calum Haggett (Som).
OUTS: Simon Cook.
OVERSEAS 2013: Brendan Nash (WI).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: James Tredwell takes over from Rob Key as captain.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Azhar Mahmood (IPL).
OTHER NEWS: Kent's chief executive, Jamie Clifford has warned that the
county are likely to post a loss when they publish their financial
results for 2012. Clifford told BBC Radio Kent: "It is probably not
going to be a pretty set of numbers. We made no secret of the fact
2012 was a difficult year." He added: "In terms of investment, there
are things we are doing. We continue to invest in our cricketers and
youth programmes. It's not about a quick fix or chucking money at an
overseas player and hoping you win a trophy. It's long-term
sustainability. I think that's kind of where we are in our story."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 4-1. Yorkshire Bank
40 League: 16-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 16-1.
LANCASHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the County Championship in 2011, only to be
relegated the following season.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Lancashire have never spent more than a single
season in Division Two of the County Championship. Last year the
Lightning reached the semi-finals in the CB40 - thanks to some superb
knocks from Moore, Croft and Brown - plus they've threatened to go all
the way in the FLt20 for a while now.
PROBLEM AREAS: Only three Lancastrians reached three figures in last
summer's County Championship - Ashwell Prince, Paul Horton and Steven
Croft. Also, their skipper, Glen Chapple isn't getting any younger.
KEY PLAYER: Simon Katich - Given Lancashire's dependence on Ashwell
Prince last year, the overseas berth is occupied, once again, by a
proven run-getter. A word of warning, though - Katich averaged just
35.14 for Hampshire in 2012.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old right-arm seamer, Tom Bailey.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 2nd; YB40: 3rd in Group B; FLt20:
Quarter-finalists.
INS: Kabir Ali (Ham), Alex Davies, Gavin Griffiths, Arron Lilley, Luis
Reece and Wayne White (Lei).
OUTS: Gary Keedy (Sur), Sajid Mahmood (Ess) and Naqaash Tahir.
OVERSEAS 2013: Simon Katich (Aus).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Kabir Ali (knee).
OTHER NEWS: Lancashire won’t be forking out on a string of big-name
players following their record-breaking sponsorship deal with
Emirates. The Red Rose recently signed the biggest deal in the history
of county cricket, thought to be worth up to £10m, which will see the
ground renamed Emirates Old Trafford and the airline’s branding on the
club’s Twenty20 shirts for the next 10 years. But cricket director
Mike Watkinson said: “I don’t see this deal changing our landscape as
far as how we put our squad together. When you look at the table of
payers and where we are in terms of the salary cap, we are not right
at the bottom, and we are probably not top, but we are in the top band
because we look after our players well without doing outrageous
things."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 11-4 favourites.
Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 17-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 12-1.
LEICESTERSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Three-time winners of the Twenty20 Cup.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: I'm really struggling to come up with
positives, other than the emergence of Ned Eckersley and Shiv Thakor.
The departure of Wayne White leaves a big hole, especially in the
bowling department. The batting doesn't inspire a great deal more
confidence, although Matthew Boyce and Josh Cobb did at least manage
to lift their championship batting averages back over thirty last
year.
PROBLEM AREAS: The Foxes' total of 33 bowling points in last season's
championship was the fewest, by any county, since the move to two
divisions. Also, other than winning the Twenty20 in 2011,
Leicestershire have under-performed massively, of late, in
limited-overs cricket.
KEY PLAYER: Joe Burns - Joe who?! I have to admit, I've never seen him
play either. But, on paper at least, he appears to be a Test number
three in the making. Trouble is, if Burns does come good for
Leicestershire, there is a danger he'll be snapped up by the touring
Australians.
RISING STAR: 19-year-old right-hander, Shiv Thakor.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 9th; YB40: 5th in Group C; FLt20:
6th in the North Group.
INS: Ollie Freckingham, Anthony Ireland (Mid), Niall O'Brien (Nor),
Angus Robson, Tom Wells and Robbie Williams (Mid).
OUTS: Paul Dixey, Jacques du Toit, Will Jefferson (ret), Will Jones,
Robbie Joseph, Nadeem Malik and Wayne White (Lan).
OVERSEAS 2013: Ramnaresh Sarwan (WI, initially) and Joe Burns (Aus,
from mid-May onwards).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Ramnaresh Sarwan, and then Joe Burns will succeed
Matthew Hoggard as Leicestershire's captain in the County
Championship, while Josh Cobb continues as one-day captain.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: All fit and raring to go.
OTHER NEWS: Despite making a £250k loss in 2012, Leicestershire's
board believe better times lie ahead, particularly with a new sponsor
already on board. Chief executive Mike Siddall said: "We have exciting
ground development plans including the building of a Community Sports
Arena at Grace Road with our partners, Leicester Riders and Leicester
College. These plans will aid the financial sustainability of the
club. The club has started the 2013 financial year well - we are
currently performing to budget - and has a new sponsor in Global
Payments."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 20-1 outsiders.
Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 33-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 28-1 outsiders.
MIDDLESEX
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the Twenty20 Cup in 2008.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Not satisfied with having two of the most
consistent seamers in the country, in Tim Murtagh and Toby
Roland-Jones, the North Londoners have lured the talented James Harris
away from Glamorgan. If and when Steven Finn is available, Middlesex
will be armed with a formidable attack. Post-IPL, they might also see
more of Eoin Morgan.
PROBLEM AREAS: Wicketkeeper John Simpson's loss of form with the bat
resulted in him being dropped last summer. His replacement, Adam
Rossington, fared even worse. Also, the Panthers have only reached the
knockout phase of the Twenty20 Cup once in the last seven seasons.
KEY PLAYER: Chris Rogers - It's not that Middlesex are short of
batting, but Rogers was one of just four batsmen to make over one
thousand runs in last year's County Championship.
RISING STAR: 21-year-old slow left-armer, Ravi Patel.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 3rd; YB40: 2nd in Group C; FLt20:
Quarter-finalists.
INS: Nick Gubbins and James Harris (Gla).
OUTS: Steven Crook (Nor), Anthony Ireland (Lei), Scott Newman, Tom
Scollay, Andrew Strauss (ret) and Robbie Williams (Lei).
OVERSEAS 2013: Chris Rogers (Aus) and Adam Voges (Aus, Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Chris Rogers takes over from Neil Dexter as captain
in the County Championship, but Dexter will continue to be the one-day
captain.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Eoin Morgan (IPL).
OTHER NEWS: Middlesex have appointed former batsman Mark Ramprakash as
their new batting coach. Managing director of cricket, Angus Fraser,
said: "Mark will offer our batsmen something different. His record
speaks for itself, and in the past 25 years there has not been a
better batsman in county cricket. As a professional cricketer his
attention to detail and work ethic were second to none. It is Mark's
love of the art of batting that makes me believe he will become an
outstanding coach."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 7-1. Yorkshire Bank
40 League: 11-1. 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: The acquisition of Matthew Spriegel, from
Surrey, could prove to be the "moneyball" signing of the year. Early
doors, the Aussie seamer, Trent Copeland should prove at least as
steady as Chaminda Vaas before him.
PROBLEM AREAS: Along with Leicestershire, this will be Northants'
tenth successive season in Division Two of the County Championship.
Just one win in last year's CB40 also underlined the Steelbacks'
ailing limited-overs form.
KEY PLAYER: Rob Newton - It's hard to believe Newton is just
23-years-old. His hundreds in both innings against last summer's
eventual Division Two winners, Derbyshire set him aside as a batsman
to take very seriously indeed.
RISING STAR: 21-year-old right-hander, Rob Keogh.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 6th; YB40: 6th in Group A; FLt20:
3rd in the Midlands/Wales/West Group.
INS: Muhammad Azharullah, Steven Crook (Mid), Christian Davis, Ben
Duckett, Rob Keogh, James Kettleborough and Matthew Spriegel (Sur).
OUTS: Jack Brooks (Yor), Dave Burton, Ben Howegego, Niall O'Brien
(Lei) and Rob White.
OVERSEAS 2013: Trent Copeland (Aus, until early June) and Cameron
White (Aus, Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Stephen Peters takes over from Andrew Hall as
captain in the County Championship, while Alex Wakely has been
appointed one-day skipper. David Ripley replaced David Capel as head
coach in August of last year.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: All fit and raring to go.
OTHER NEWS: On July 14, prior to the FLt20 game between the Steelbacks
and Glamorgan, Wantage Road will host a 12-over Memorial Match,
between a Northants XI and Gloucestershire XI, in honour of former
all-rounder Kevin Curran, who died last October at the age of 53. The
former Northants player and organiser, Alan Fordham said: "The
Northamptonshire dressing-room that I enjoyed for many years lost its
first member in Kevin Curran. A popular member of the team, I set
about organising this Memorial Match in Kevin’s honour and have
managed to get together two teams from his playing days."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 20-1 outsiders.
Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 33-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 22-1.
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: County champions in 2010.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: They have reached the knockout phase of the
FLt20 in each of the last three years. If only the Outlaws' attack
could back up their batsmen, they'd be serious contenders for the
Twenty20.
PROBLEM AREAS: The bowling isn't just a worry in the shorter forms of
the game. Ajmal Shahzad has been recruited, like Harry Gurney before
him. Ideally, Notts could do with both of them enjoying a decent
season with the ball.
KEY PLAYER: Andre Adams - Looking at the Notts bowling, one name seems
to stand out season after season. Adams's haul of a 54 championship
wickets, in 2012, was down on previous years, which is a slight worry,
but he was the only Notts bowler to pick up five wickets in a
championship innings last term.
RISING STAR: 20-year-old left-hander, Sam Wood.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 5th; YB40: 3rd in Group A; FLt20:
Quarter-finalists.
INS: Ajmal Shahzad (Yor).
OUTS: Neil Edwards, Scott Elstone, Darren Pattinson (now classed as an
overseas player) and Karl Turner.
OVERSEAS 2013: Ed Cowan (Aus, for the first half of the season) and
David Hussey (Aus, for the Twenty20 and until the end of August).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: All fit and raring to go.
OTHER NEWS: Last November, Notts County Council came under fire for
donating £900,000 towards a new scoreboard at Trent Bridge. The Labour
opposition claimed that spending the money was difficult to accept
when public services were being cut. The ruling Conservatives argued
that the money was needed to make sure the Ashes came to Notts,
bringing a potential £30 million boost to the area. Labour leader Alan
Rhodes said that frontline services for the county were more important
than scoreboards. He said: "The notion of us all being in it together
has never seemed more offensive. This was an outrageous decision."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 5-1. Yorkshire Bank
40 League: 10-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 7-1.
SOMERSET
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the Twenty20 Cup in 2005.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Somerset have finished in the top four of the
County Championship in each of the last five seasons. They have also
qualified for each of the last four T20 finals days. Slow left-armer
Abdur Rehman, who impressed as overseas player at the end of last
season, has been pencilled in for the all-important run-in.
PROBLEM AREAS: For all their consistency, silverware continues to
elude the Cidermen. And just who will get the nod with the
wicketkeeper's gloves - Buttler or Kieswetter?
KEY PLAYER: Alfonso Thomas - Somerset's bowling attack is so much more
potent when Thomas is around. So much so, they're probably counting
down the days until the end of the IPL season.
RISING STAR: 20-year-old slow left-armer, George Dockrell.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 2nd; YB40: Winners; FLt20:
Runners-up.
INS: None.
OUTS: Calum Haggett (Ken), Kevin O'Brien and Steve Snell.
OVERSEAS 2013: Alviro Petersen (RSA, for the first half of the season
and the Twenty20) and Abdur Rehman (Pak, for the second half of the
season).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Alfonso Thomas (IPL) and Peter
Trego (side strain).
OTHER NEWS: Marcus Trescothick has backed up his commitment to play
for Somerset until his forties by signing a new three-year contract
with the county. The 37-year-old said: "It's always nice to sign a new
contract with Somerset. I have been here at the club for 20 years now,
and this is just another extension to my playing career." Meanwhile,
plans to bring international cricket to Taunton took another step
closer to becoming reality after the community scrutiny committee of
Taunton Deane Borough Council gave their backing to a £1 million loan
to support the development and rebuilding of the old pavilion.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 5-1. Yorkshire Bank
40 League: 5-1 favourites. Friends Life Twenty20: 11-2 favourites.
SURREY
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the Clydesdale Bank 40 in 2011.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: The arrival of Graeme Smith as captain is a
real statement of intent. As if that wasn't enough, Ricky Ponting will
deputise for him during the ICC Champions Trophy. The South Londoners
have also been one of the most consistent 40-over sides in recent
years.
PROBLEM AREAS: Just one Surrey batsman - Zander de Bruyn - made over
700 runs in last season's County Championship. Since the introduction
of two divisions, no team has won the championship title after
finishing seventh the year before. Having roared into the first four
Twenty20 finals days, the Oval outfit haven't qualified for the
knockout phase since.
KEY PLAYER: Stuart Meaker - There's consistency and then there's real
consistency. The 24-year-old speedster has now taken 44 championship
wickets at an average of 22.56 two years running.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old left-hander, Rory Burns.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 4th; YB40: 4th in Group B; FLt20:
5th in the South Group.
INS: Gary Keedy (Lan) and Vikram Solanki (Wor).
OUTS: Rory Hamilton-Brown (Sus), Chris Jordan (Sus), Tom Lancefield,
Mark Ramprakash (ret) and Matthew Spriegel (Nor).
OVERSEAS 2013: Graeme Smith (RSA) and Ricky Ponting (Aus, for June and
July).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Graeme Smith takes over from Rory Hamilton-Brown as
captain.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Kevin Pietersen (knee).
OTHER NEWS: Gareth Batty described the atmosphere in the Surrey
dressing room following the death of Tom Maynard last summer as
"absolutely horrendous". The former England off-spinner, who signed a
new two-year deal in September, said: "I've never witnessed anything
like it in my career. It almost makes cricket secondary to everything
else." Batty added that it "was a bit of comfort" to be "out there
playing cricket, knowing Tom loved it" but admitted the passing of the
former Glamorgan player affected a lot of people. "On a daily basis,
there would be people in tears in the corner," he said. "It was not a
pleasant situation by any stretch. The club were great, doing their
best to offer people support and comfort, but, in the immediate
aftermath of Tom's death, it was so difficult to try and look after
everyone."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 6-1. Yorkshire Bank
40 League: 17-2. Friends Life Twenty20: 17-2.
SUSSEX
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won six trophies between 2006 and 2009.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Up there with the best in the limited-overs
arena, Sussex have generally managed to steer clear of trouble in the
championship. The return of Hamilton-Brown will make the Sharks even
more competitive in the shorter forms of the game.
PROBLEM AREAS: In four-day cricket the bowling is overly dependent on
Steve Magoffin and Monty Panesar, who, between them, bowled 318 maiden
overs in last year's County Championship.
KEY PLAYER: Chris Nash - As consistent as they come with the bat, Nash
is also more than capable of chipping in with his off-spin. Last
summer he picked up 21 championship wickets at average of 21.23 and
was arguably Sussex's most effective bowler in the Clydesdale Bank 40.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old left-hander, Luke Wells.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 6th; YB40: Semi-finalists; FLt20:
Semi-finalists.
INS: Rory Hamilton-Brown (Sur), Chris Jordan (Sur) and Andrew Miller
(War).
OUTS: Will Adkin, Naved Arif, Murray Goodwin (Gla), Andrew Hodd (Yor)
and Kirk Wernars (ret).
OVERSEAS 2013: Steve Magoffin (Aus), John Hastings (Aus, Twenty20
only) and Scott Styris (NZ, Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Ed Joyce takes over from Michael Yardy as captain.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Luke Wright (IPL).
OTHER NEWS: On June 15, Sir Cliff Richard returns to the UK with
Midsummer Nights at the County Ground, Hove. The outgoing chief
executive of Sussex CCC, Dave Brooks said:
"We are delighted to have secured such a
high profile concert for 2013, to build on the success we had in 2011
with Sir Elton John and 2012 with JLS. The County Ground is becoming
established as a leading outdoor venue in the South and we are sure
that Cliff Richard will prove to be another huge success. Bringing
acts of this quality and standing to the city is a real coup and we
look forward to another great day out."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 8-1. Yorkshire Bank
40 League: 8-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 8-1.
WARWICKSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: The current county champions.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: The only side last year to boast three bowlers
with 50 or more championship wickets - in Keith Barker, Jeetan Patel
and Chris Wright - not to mention nine different four-day
hundred-makers.
PROBLEM AREAS: Since reaching the first Twenty20 finals day, in 2003,
the Bears have not progressed further than the quarter-finals. In two
seasons at Edgbaston, Will Porterfield has averaged a meagre 24.76
with the bat in the County Championship.
KEY PLAYER: Rikki Clarke - Overlooked by England, which is a huge
advantage to Warwickshire. Clarke's contribution with the bat, the
ball and in the field, was one of the reasons behind the Bears'
championship success in 2012.
RISING STAR: 20-year-old right-arm seamer, Tom Milnes.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: Winners; YB40: Semi-finalists;
FLt20: Winners.
INS: Freddie Coleman and Oliver Hannon-Darby (Yor).
OUTS: Neil Carter, Richard Johnson (Der) and Andy Miller (Sus).
OVERSEAS 2013: Jeetan Patel (NZ).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: The former Warwickshire all-rounder Dougie Brown
replaces Ashley Giles as director of cricket.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Chris Metters (shoulder) and Boyd
Rankin (foot).
OTHER NEWS: Warwickshire's bowling coach, Graeme Welch reckons the
Bears have "the materials" to retain the championship title this year,
even though they are likely to be hit by England calls during the
months ahead. Welch said: "We are a victim of our own success, in a
way, because we have so many people in the England teams, but that's
where you want to be. It's going to be difficult because all the other
counties are looking at us and a lot of people have copied the way we
play. They will be looking to go in with a lot of big lads bowling
seam on quicker wickets. But that's easy enough to try. You have got
to have the quality to pull it off and our lads are absolute quality."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 4-1 favourites.
Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 10-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 14-1.
WORCESTERSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the NatWest Pro40 League in 2007.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Worcestershire's last two relegation seasons
have been followed by an immediate return to the top flight in the
championship. All-rounder Gareth Andrew, who opted to spend the
off-season in New Zealand, hit a maiden first-class century in
December. It was a big one too - an unbeaten 180 for Canterbury
against Auckland.
PROBLEM AREAS: The Pears' total of 17 batting points in last season's
championship was the fewest, by any county, since 1998, when Essex
collected 16. Worcestershire are also one of only two teams yet to
reach Twenty20 finals day, Derbyshire being the other.
KEY PLAYER: Moeen Ali - Limited to a single championship hundred in
two years in Division One, but the last time Worcestershire were in
Div Two he averaged 48.46 with the bat. Ali's ability to hold up one
end with his off-spin is also an asset.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old left-hander, Matt Pardoe.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 5th; YB40: 5th in Group A; FLt20:
5th in the Midlands/Wales/West Group.
INS: Graeme Cessford and Michael Johnson (as a UK national).
OUTS: James Cameron (ret), Jack Manuel, Ben Scott (ret) and Vikram
Solanki (Sur).
OVERSEAS 2013: Thilan Samaraweera (SL) and Jacob Oram (NZ, Twenty20
only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Alan Richardson (quadricep).
OTHER NEWS: Worcestershire face a race against time to have their new
executive facilities completed in time for this summer’s prestigious
fixture with the Australian tourists. which starts on July 2. Work on
the £10m redevelopment of New Road, which includes a Premier Inn hotel
as well as executive areas and office facilities, has been delayed
because the ground was hit by flooding no less than four times over
the winter. Steve Rhodes’s side have already agreed to start the
season with five consecutive away fixtures - three in the LV= County
Championship, one Yorkshire Bank 40 game and the university match
against Oxford MCCU - to allow the project to reach a stage where New
Road can host matches.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 6-1. Yorkshire Bank
40 League: 33-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 28-1 outsiders.
YORKSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: The last addition to the trophy cabinet came in
2002, when they won Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: The only team to finish the 2012 championship
campaign with an unbeaten record, they also reached Twenty20 finals
day for the first time. If they can tempt David Miller back for the
T20, you wouldn't bet against the Vikings reaching the last four
again.
PROBLEM AREAS: On top of Anthony McGrath's retirement, Jonny Bairstow
and Joe Root now form part of Andy Flower's long-term England plans,
which is likely to leave the Tykes short of batting on occasions. Time
for Andrew Gale to rediscover the form he showed in 2010 and 2011?
KEY PLAYER: Steven Patterson - He carried the Yorkshire attack last
summer, with 48 championship wickets at an average of 20.81. Ideally,
the acquisition of Brooks, assuming he has regained full fitness, and
Plunkett, if he can rediscover his mojo, will serve to share the
burden more evenly.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old off-spinning all-rounder, Azeem Rafiq.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 8th; YB40: 3rd in Group C; FLt20:
Quarter-finalists.
INS: Jack Brooks (Nor), Andrew Hodd (Sus) and Liam Plunkett (Dur).
OUTS: Gerard Brophy, Oliver Hannon-Dalby (War), Anthony McGrath (ret)
and Ajmal Shahzad (Not).
OVERSEAS 2013: To be announced.
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Tim Bresnan (elbow).
OTHER NEWS: Yorkshire have announced that from this season onwards
their one-day team will be known as the Vikings. Following the
conclusion of their sponsorship deal with Leeds Metropolitan
University, the limited-overs teams that played as Carnegie will now
be known as the Vikings. The name change was announced outside the
Jorvik Viking Centre in York on March 6, with players Andrew Gale,
Ryan Sidebottom, Moin Ashraf and Adam Lyth all getting into the spirit
of the occasion. Gale said: "It definitely can make a difference. The
Vikings have got an identity in Yorkshire. I'm told they were nestled
here for 1,300 years. There’s a history of vikings in Yorkshire so why
not call us the Vikings? You can just imagine 20,000 at the Roses
match at Headingley all wearing viking helmets with their horns on. It
should be entertaining."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 9-1. Yorkshire Bank
40 League: 11-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 10-1.
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