IT IS hard to imagine Alec Bedser, Jim Laker and the rest of the Surrey side indulging in such activities as paint-balling and go-karting in preparation for a new season when they were winning seven County Championships in a row between 1952 and 1958.
Times have changed, however, and team-bonding exercises were very much part of the programme when the present Surrey squad reported back as early as March 1 to try to make sure that they mount a much more purposeful challenge for their nineteenth outright title than they did last season.
Then, as now, they were fancied to win the championship but everything went wrong for them. Jon Batty, captain, opening batsman and wicketkeeper, found the burden too great, injuries took their toll and by the time Steve Rixon, the new coach, appreciated the size of his task it was too late to salvage anything.
It should be different this year. Their changes have been imaginative, their preparation thorough and with Harbhajan Singh replacing Saqlain Mushtaq and Mohammad Akram easing the workload on Jimmy Ormond and Martin Bicknell, they have the bowlers to do the job.
That is not necessarily a prerequisite for winning the title, as Warwickshire proved last season by doing it on the strength of their batting, but it is still the tried and trusted way.
And, for all the glamour of Shane Warne and Kevin Pietersen at Hampshire, the leadership of Stephen
Fleming at Nottinghamshire and the ambition of the rest, Surrey are again the team to beat.
PAT GIBSON
SURREY
WHAT'S THE STORY? The proudest county of them all. Winners of eight trophies since 1996 and determined to reassert themselves after failing to win anything last season, getting relegated in the league and being humiliated by Ireland in the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy.
WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE? Steve Rixon, a wiser man at the start of his second season as coach, Mark Butcher, left, taking over from Jon Batty as captain, and Mark Ramprakash, deputising when Butcher is unavailable.
ONE TO WATCH Jimmy Ormond, who bowled more overs than any other seamer in county cricket last summer and should benefit from the reduced workload now that Mohammed Akram has arrived from Sussex.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO Championship, league promotion and another one-day trophy.
AND WORST Another barren season.
THEY PREDICT “What happened last season is nothing but a spur to us,” Butcher said. “The championship and a one-day trophy, if not two, is always the aim here.”
WE PREDICT The championship and a one-day trophy, if not two.
LAST SEASON Championship, third in first division. totesport League, ninth in first division. C & G Trophy, second round. Twenty20 Cup, runners-up
INS Mohammad Akram, Harbhajan Singh
OUTS A J Hollioake, Saqlain Mushtaq, N Shahid, A J Tudor
GROUNDS Oval, Guildford, Whitgift School
MEMBERSHIP 8,000 MEMBERSHIP FEE £125
CENTRAL CONTRACTS Two
ENGLAND QUALIFIED 19 out of 22
KOLPAK PLAYERS None
OVERSEAS PLAYERS Azhar Mahmood (Pakistan), Harbhajan Singh (India)
PAT GIBSON
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE? Stephen Fleming has replaced Jason Gallian as captain and follows a long line of distinguished New Zealanders to represent the county. He will be given plenty of scope by Mick Newell, the director of cricket.
ONE TO WATCH Graeme Swann, left, knows that wickets are stronger currency at Trent Bridge than Northampton.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO Kevin Pietersen fades from the memory as Fleming matches his runs and inspires besides.
AND WORST Batsmen fail to deliver and the bowling attack is exposed.
THEY PREDICT A season of stability in the top divisions and maybe a quiet challenge for honours.
WE PREDICT Should score enough runs upfront to avoid a return whence they came.
LAST SEASON Championship, first in second division (promoted). totesport League, third in second division (promoted). C & G Trophy, third round, Twenty20 Cup, group stage
INS G P Swann, S P Fleming
OUTS: K P Pietersen, R J Logan, D S Lucas, S C G MacGill, B M Shafayat
GROUNDS Trent Bridge
MEMBERSHIP 5,200, but expected to rise
MEMBERSHIP FEE £99
CENTRAL CONTRACTS None
ENGLAND QUALIFIED 18 out of 21
KOLPAK PLAYERS None
OVERSEAS PLAYERS S P Fleming (New Zealand), D J Hussey (Australia)
RICHARD HOBSON
GLAMORGAN
WHAT’S THE STORY? Simon Jones signed a new three-year deal with Glamorgan, but after some bad blood last season and being left out of one-day side will he get on with Robert Croft, whom he says has promised him the new ball? Losing Michael Kasprowicz is a blow, but he was not crucial last season.
WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE? Robert Croft.
ONE TO WATCH Darren Thomas — perhaps the best reverse sweep in the world.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO Top-three finish in championship, win all three one-day crowns.
AND WORST Jones returns from England and clashes with Croft. Relegation from the championship.
THEY PREDICT “I think we’ll be more suited to the first division (of the championship) than the second division,” John Derrick, the coach, said. “We bowled well last year on good pitches and got big scores. If you look at Worcestershire and Northamptonshire, they played on wickets you’re going to get results on.” The club believe the introduction of the white ball in the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy will favour them.
WE PREDICT Mid-table in the championship and at least one one-day title.
LAST SEASON Championship, third in second division (promoted). totesport League, champions of first division. C & G Trophy, third round. Twenty20 Cup, semi-finals
INS None
OUTS A Dale, M L Lewis, M S Kasprowicz
GROUNDS Cardiff, Swansea, Colwyn Bay, Abergavenny
MEMBERS 5,067 in 2004
MEMBERSHIP FEE £100
CENTRAL CONTRACTS One
ENGLAND QUALIFIED PLAYERS
21 out of 22 in squad
KOLPAK PLAYERS None
OVERSEAS PLAYER M T G Elliott (Australia)
MATTHEW PRYOR
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
WHAT'S THE STORY? Jon Lewis’s excellence has finally brought attention from England, which means Steve Kirby, the new arrival, may find himself leading a thin bowling attack. Upul Chandana, 32, the Sri Lanka leg spinner, arrives on April 18. Kadeer Ali is likely to slot in at three.
WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE? Mark Alleyne has signed up for another four years as coach. He will captain the one-day side, but said Chris Taylor, who had an excellent first season in charge in the championship, may take over.
ONE TO WATCH New faces will be interesting but Lewis is the man.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO? Lewis gets picked by England and Gloucestershire still finish third in championship and win the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy.
AND WORST Relegated from the championship, Lewis injures his back painting his kitchen.
THEY PREDICT Surprised everyone last season after the loss of their overseas trio, but Alleyne wants more. “I hope we are a little bit more ambitious this season, we are after challenging at the top, not survival,” he said.
WE PREDICT Just survive in the championship; win fifth Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy in seven years.
LAST SEASON Championship, sixth in first division. totesport League, fifth in first division. C & G Trophy, winners. Twenty20 Cup, fifth in group
INS Kadeer Ali, S P Kirby, C G Greenidge, U D U Chandana
OUTS M E K Hussey, A N Bressington
GROUNDS Bristol, Gloucester, Cheltenham
MEMBERS 4,000 MEMBERSHIP FEE £117-£129
CENTRAL CONTRACTS None
ENGLAND QUALIFIED 19 out of 21
KOLPAK PLAYERS None
OVERSEAS PLAYER U D U Chandana (Sri Lanka)
MATTHEW PRYOR
SUSSEX
WHAT’S THE STORY?Suffered an inevitable comedown last season after winning the championship for the first time in their history the year before. Still the main aim but they now accept that they must strive to be more competitive in all competitions.
WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE? Chris Adams, a hugely influential captain, and Peter Moores, an equally ambitious coach and director of cricket.
ONE TO WATCH Matt Prior, left, a dynamic batsman-wicketkeeper who knows he must keep producing in county cricket to challenge Geraint Jones for his England place.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO Championship respectability and league promotion.
AND WORST Relegation two years after winning the championship.
THEY PREDICT “I really feel confident this year,” Adams said. “Lots of reasons, the squad we’ve got, the fact that the core of that squad know how to win. It’s a simple procedure — you concentrate hard on doing things right as opposed to getting confused and lost, which happened last year.”
WE PREDICT Championship survivors, league promotion contenders.
LAST SEASON Championship, fifth in first division. totesport League, fifth in second division. C & G Trophy, third round. Twenty20 Cup, sixth in south division
INS Naved-ul-Hasan, J J van der Wath (tbc)
OUTS Mohammad Akram, P A Cottey, K J Innes, J A Voros
GROUNDS Hove, Arundel, Horsham
MEMBERSHIP 4,300 MEMBERSHIP FEE £130
CENTRAL CONTRACTS none
ENGLAND QUALIFIED 13 out of 18
KOLPAK PLAYERS One
OVERSEAS PLAYERS Mushtaq Ahmed (Pakistan), Naved-ul-Hasan (Pakistan), J J van der Wath, tbc (South Africa)
PAT GIBSON
WARWICKSHIRE
WHAT’S THE STORY? The club have recruited well after clearing out some dead-wood. Alex Loudon, left, looks an excellent signing and meant that Brad Hogg did not need to be re-engaged. Temptation to opt for a second overseas bowler has been resisted in the hope that Allan Donald can bring on a bevy of young pace bowlers.
WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE? Nick Knight, who won the title in his first year as captain, proved an adept leader. John Inverarity’s contribution as coach was very valuable.
ONE TO WATCH Loudon, a tall, elegant orthodox batsman who bowls more than useful off spin.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO Another unexpected championship triumph and winners of the totesport League second division. A one-day trophy.
WORST CASE SCENARIO A repeat of their 2003 championship place (fifth) and narrow failure to gain promotion in the totesport League.
THEY PREDICT Plenty of runs again on good Edgbaston pitches.
WE PREDICT A top-three championship finish, a one-day final appearance and totesport League promotion.
LAST SEASON Championship, winners of first division. totesport League, seventh in first division (relegated). C & G Trophy, semi-finals. Twenty20 Cup, quarter-finals
INS J Anyon, A G R Loudon, A J Shantry
OUTS J I Clifford, G Hogg, H R Jones, D P Ostler, A Richardson, J A Spires, G G Wagg (banned by ECB for drug-taking)
GROUNDS Edgbaston, Stratford-on-Avon
MEMBERSHIP 8,684 — 2004 figure, expected to rise
MEMBERSHIP FEE £115
CENTRAL CONTRACTS One
ENGLAND QUALIFIED 19 out of 22
KOLPAK PLAYERS One
OVERSEAS PLAYER H H Streak (Zimbabwe)
GEOFFREY DEAN
MIDDLESEX
WHAT’S THE STORY? Young side looking to build on their solid progress over the past few years. Andrew Strauss’s availability for early matches should help them to get off to a good start. All-round contributions from Chad Keegan, now recovered from injury and qualified for England, and Scott Styris, of New Zealand, crucial.
WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE? Ben Hutton, conscientious new captain determined to lead from the front with the full support of John Emburey, the chief coach.
ONE TO WATCH Ed Joyce, below, a gifted left-handed strokeplayer from Dublin in the David Gower mould. His qualification for England during the summer should concentrate his mind.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO Top three in championship, challenge for one-day trophy.
AND WORST Relegation in championship and totesport League.
THEY PREDICT It’s going to be very tough this year in both championship and one-day cricket because there are some good sides around,” Emburey said. “But we’ve gone forward as a team and it’s important that we maintain that momentum.”
WE PREDICT Competitive in all competitions but a trophy may be out of reach.
LAST SEASON Championship, fourth in first division. totesport League, champions of second division (promoted). C & G Trophy, quarter-finals. Twenty20 Cup, fifth in group
INS A Richardson, E T Smith, S B Styris
OUTS T F Bloomfield, S J Cook, S G Koenig
GROUNDS Lord’s, Southgate, Uxbridge, Richmond
MEMBERSHIP 8,000 MEMBERSHIP FEE £120
CENTRAL CONTRACTS One
ENGLAND QUALIFIED 18 out of 23
KOLPAK PLAYERS None
OVERSEAS PLAYERS M Hayward (South Africa), S B Styris (New Zealand)
PAT GIBSON
KENT
WHAT’S THE STORY? This has been an especially difficult winter for Kent. The famous old tree blew down and an attempt to force an extraordinary general meeting was staved off only by a Cricket Forum presentation by Graham Johnson, chairman of the cricket committee.
WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE It will be incumbent upon Graham Ford, the new director of coaching, and David Fulton, the captain, to improve the atmosphere in the dressing-room and ensure that individuals from differing backgrounds can tolerate each other.
ONE TO WATCH The replacements are not exactly Men of Kent, but Martin van Jaarsveld, left, who played for South Africa against England during the winter, should make runs.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO Everyone pulls together in memory of Brian Luckhurst, who died in March.
AND WORST The dressing-room unrest rumbles on.
THEY PREDICT “We were deficient in the one-day game last year and it is very difficult to predict us going one better than runners-up in the championship,” Paul Millman, the chief executive, said.
WE PREDICT The Times agrees with him.
LAST SEASON Championship, runners-up in first division. totesport League, eighth in first division (relegated). C & G Trophy, third round. Twenty20 Cup, group stage
INS S J Cook, A J Hall, R Piesley, D I Stevens, M van Jaarsveld
OUTS Shahid Afridi, M G Bevan, I G Butler, A G R Loudon, E T Smith, A Symonds, B J Trott
GROUNDS Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone, Beckenham
MEMBERSHIP 5,100 — 2004 figure.
MEMBERSHIP FEE £110
CENTRAL CONTRACTS One
ENGLAND QUALIFIED PLAYERS 15 out of 21
KOLPAK PLAYERS One
OVERSEAS PLAYER A J Hall (South Africa)
IVO TENNANT
HAMPSHIRE
WHAT’S THE STORY? Hampshire will expect to excel now that they are back in the first division of the championship. The club is resigned to losing Kevin Pietersen for Test cricket as well as one-day internationals, but he is bound to make an impression.
WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE? Shane Warne, the captain, has signed a two-year contract with an option of a further two years, and Paul Terry returns to coach the first team.
ONE TO WATCH David Griffiths, a young fast bowler who has played already for England Under-19.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO They continue to blaze a trail through the top division.
AND WORST Another yo-yo campaign.
THEY PREDICT “We are very well balanced in both the first-class and one-day game,” Tim Tremlett, the director of cricket, said.
WE PREDICT They have sufficiently talented players to become champions — but international demands will be a problem. Unlikely to go straight back down.
LAST SEASON Championship, second in first division (promoted). totesport League, third in first division. C & G Trophy, third round. Twenty20 Cup, quarter-finals
INS S M Ervine, D A Griffiths, S M Katich, R J Logan, K P Pietersen
OUTS J R C Hamblin, W S Kendall
GROUNDS Southanmpton
MEMBERSHIP 5,100 — 2004 figure, expected to rise
MEMBERSHIP FEE £140
CENTRAL CONTRACTS None
ENGLAND QUALIFIED 22 (out of 24)
KOLPAK PLAYERS None
OVERSEAS PLAYERS S M Katich (Australia), S K Warne (Australia)
IVO TENNANT
