Promotion from the second division should be a far more keenly contested
affair this season without Surrey, who, with a couple of exceptions, swept
all before them in 2006, winning ten of their 16 matches and finishing 33
points clear of Worcestershire.
Nottinghamshire and Middlesex are the new faces, having been relegated, and
the former are the joint-favourites with Essex, who just missed out last
time.
The first division is undeniably stronger — the cream has risen to the top
since the split to two divisions in 2000, but not all of it. The prospect of
Stuart Broad opening the bowling for Leicestershire against Marcus
Trescothick and Justin Langer, of Somerset, sharpens the senses.
Danish Kaneria, given clearance by Pakistan (albeit with some kind of overs
mandate), will give everyone a thorough examination of their techniques
against high-quality spin bowling. Andy Flower, at Essex, is still one of
the best players of spin in the world and should provide a benchmark for
aspiring young English slow bowlers. Indeed, unusually, every
second-division county has some stardust this season.
Nottinghamshire look certain to go straight back up, having stiffened their
batting with Mark Wagh and Will Jefferson. They have strength in depth in
their seam attack and when Stephen Fleming, the New Zealand captain, arrives
at the end of May, arguably the best captain in world cricket.
A few years back, Mark Ramprakash allegedly said that runs in the second
division should not count in the first-class averages. He has probably
changed his mind after making 2,211 at 105.28 last season. Other batsmen
such as Phil Jacques and H. D. Ackerman filled their boots, too, and the
standard of the bowling generally looks weak.
Derbyshire may cause a few surprises, too, with Simon Katich, the new captain,
dropped by Australia and with a lot to prove in this country after the 2005
Ashes. He has a powerful ally in Ian Harvey.
Of Nottinghamshire’s most obvious rivals, Middlesex are in transition with a
new coach and captain and may struggle to go straight back up. That they
play on pitches at Lord’s and Southgate that favour draws will not help
them. Twelve-point draws are useful for staying in the first division, but
wins are essential for sides chasing promotion.
Essex’s batting lineup is gorgeous, even if Alastair Cook and perhaps Ravi
Bopara will be missing for much of the summer, but they still have serious
problems with their seam bowling, which the signing of Andre Nel is unlikely
to mask. Tomorrow: first division
Derbyshire
Who is the captain? Simon Katich, once considered next in line to
follow Ricky Ponting as captain of Australia, takes over a more modest
outfit. Who are the overseas players? Katich is joined by Travis
Birt, his fellow Australian, who is back for a second season. Who has
arrived? Ian Harvey (Kolpak), Boyd Rankin, Dan Birch (Kent), Phil Weston
Gloucestershire), Simon Cusden (Kent) and Katich. Who has left?
Steffan Jones (Somerset), Michael Di Venuto, Ben France, Andy Gray, Mo
Sheikh and Lee Goddard. What’s their nickname? Phantoms. How
did they do last season? LV County Championship: fifth, second division.
Pro40 League: eighth, second division. Friends Provident Trophy: fifth,
north conference. Twenty20 Cup: fifth, north division. What are their
prospects? Some of the £55,000 profit from 2006 has been spent to
strengthen the playing staff and should help to bring improvement. Dave
Houghton, the director of cricket, is optimistic. What are their
strengths? The arrival of Katich, along with Weston, the former
Worcestershire and Gloucestershire opener, gives the top order a stiffer
appearance even though Di Venuto has not been reengaged. What are their
weaknesses? Jones carried the bowling attack at times last year but has
returned to Somerset. Graeme Welch will be out until August after an
Achilles tendon operation. Remember the heroes? Mike Hendrick, now
bowling coach at the County Ground. If only England had somebody half as
accurate today. One to watch Rankin, below, the tall pace
bowler who has helped Ireland to surprise a lot of people during the World
Cup. His workload will need to be monitored carefully in his first season as
a professional.
Richard Hobson
Essex
Who is the captain? Ronnie Irani, the former England all-rounder, now
35 and established in his postknee operations role as the pillar of the
batting. He extends his suzerainty to an eighth season at a county who like
long-term leaders. Who are the overseas players? Danish Kaneria,
with the belated blessing of the Pakistan Cricket Board, is available for
the whole season — international call-ups permitting, of course. The other
place will be shared between Andre Nel and Andy Bichel, now 36 but still a
tireless warhorse, who will be available from June. Who has arrived?
Darren Thomas (Glamorgan) Who has left? Darren Gough (Yorkshire),
Will Jefferson (Nottinghamshire) What’s their nickname?
Eagles How did they do last season? LV County Championship: third,
second division. Pro40 League: first division winners. Friends Provident
Trophy: third, south conference. Twenty20 Cup: semi-finals. What are
their prospects? Impressive group of young, home-grown players such as
Maurice Chambers and Mervyn Westfield, augur well for the future. What
are their strengths? The batting, including the two Flowers, Ravi Bopara
and, when available, Alastair Cook. What are their weaknesses? The
departure of Gough means that the bowling will be weakened, but Essex hope
that their legendary ability to revive the careeers of neglected talents
works its magic on Thomas, the wholehearted bowler, whom they have signed
from Glamorgan. Remember the heroes? Graham Gooch, responsible for
Cook’s development, remains the best player in the club’s history and, as
coach, an inspiration. One to watch Chambers, the England Under19
fast bowler, who is likely to be included from the start of the season
Ivo Tennant
Glamorgan
Who is the captain? David Hemp took up arguably the most poisoned of
chalices when Robert Croft resigned two weeks before the end of a second
poor season. Who are the overseas players? No one until supporters
clubbed together to pay for one. Jimmy Maher, the Queensland and Australia
one-day batsman, was signed again after unspectacular spells in 2001 and
2003. Matthew Elliott, will deputise for him at the beginning of the season.
Who has arrived? Maher. Who has left? Darren Thomas
(Essex). What’s their nickname? Dragons. How did they do
last season? LV County Championship: eighth, second division. Pro40
League: seventh, first division (relegated after play-off). Friends
Provident Trophy: ninth, south conference. Twenty20 Cup: fourth,
Midlands/Wales/West division. What are their prospects? Better, but
then they could hardly be worse. Simon Jones should give their bowling a bit
of zip. “If we finish fifth in the championship, that would be good after
what happened last season,” Hemp said. What are their strengths?
They have half a dozen good players who have been underperforming. What
are their weaknesses? The players on whom they depend for runs, such as
Michael Powell and Hemp, have not been delivering. Seam bowling is the
biggest problem. Remember the heroes? The men of 1997, Glamorgan’s
glorious championship-winning season, with Matthew Maynard and Duncan
Fletcher at the helm. One to watch Lots of talented youngsters
being touted, such as James Harris, the 16-year-old seam bowler. But Ben
Wright, seems most likely to make an impact. Has been in Malaysia with
England Under19 and impressed with 72 on his championship debut last season.
Matthew Pryor
Gloucestershire
Who is the captain? Jon Lewis. First season in charge, in 2006, was
complicated by being on the fringes of the England side and racing up and
down motorways. Who are the overseas players? Umar Gul, the fast
bowler, was meant to be a spearhead until the Pakistan Cricket Board said
no. Ashley Noffke (Australia) was signed for the start of the season anyway
because of the World Cup. Marcus North (Australia) will deputise for Hamish
Marshall (New Zealand) at the beginning of the season. Who has arrived?
Vikram Banerjee (Cambridge Univ), Anthony Ireland (Zimbabwe). Who has
left? Ian Harvey (Derbyshire), Phil Weston (Derbyshire), James Averis,
Matt Windows, Martyn Ball (retired). What’s their nickname?
Gladiators. How did they do last season? LV County Championship:
seventh, second division. Pro40 League: second division winners. Friends
Provident Trophy: fifth, south conference. Twenty20 Cup: quarter-finals. What
are their prospects? Despite the confidence of Mark Alleyne, the coach,
that they can win promotion, they may struggle. May find limited-overs game
tough, having lost their old hands all at once. What are their
strengths? Lewis, the most consistent wicket-taker in county cricket for
the past five seasons. Middle-order batting. What are their weaknesses?
Lewis — will he be involved with England? The batting has been brittle and
often failed together under pressure. Remember the heroes?
Gloucestershire win one-day trophies because the team are more than the sum
of the parts, but Harvey was often first among equals. One to watch
Banerjee. The 22-year-old slow left-arm bowler has arrived full-time after
graduating from Cambridge University.
Matthew Pryor
Leicestershire
Who is the captain? Jeremy Snape is club captain, but Darren Robinson
may take charge in the county championship. Who are the overseas
players? Mansoor Amjad, the 19-year-old Pakistan leg spinner spotted by
Tim Boon on tour in his days as the England analyst, and Rudra Pratap Singh,
the India left-arm seam bowler. Who has arrived? Those two, plus
David Stiff, the former Kent fast bowler. Who has left? Aftab Habib
(retired), Chris Liddle (Sussex), Steve Clark, Alamgir Sheriyar and Darren
Maddy (Warwickshire). What’s their nickname? Foxes. How
did they do last season? LV County Championship: fourth, second
division. Pro40 League: sixth, second division. Friends Provident Trophy:
sixth, north conference. Twenty20 Cup: winners. What are their
prospects? May struggle in the championship, especially if Stuart Broad
is wanted by England, while the loss of the experienced Maddy leaves a big
hole in the one-day side. What are their strengths? The overseas
pair are an unknown quantity and may prove inspired signings, while H. D.
Ackerman, the former captain, is among the most effective of the Kolpaks. What
are their weaknesses? A couple of injuries to the pace bowlers could
lead to some long days in the field and the craft of Snape will be missed if
he decides to concentrate on the one-day game. Remember the heroes?
Ken Higgs would be very handy, a reliable seam bowler who could send down
1,000 overs in the season. One to watch Sukhvir Singh, the
20-year-old from Chandigarh, who won a year on the playing staff as a prize
in an Indian equivalent of Pop Idol that is run by Investors In
Cricket, the county backers. Sukhvir is not, however, available to play
first-team cricket.
Richard Hobson
Middlesex
Who is the captain? Ed Smith, the former Kent and England batsman, who
has taken over from Ben Hutton with a pledge to bring pride and passion to
the team’s performances. Who are the overseas players?
Chaminda Vaas, the seasoned Sri Lanka left-arm swing bowler, who has played
for Worcestershire and Hampshire in the past, and Murali Kartik, the India
left-arm spinner, formerly of Lancashire, who will add greater variety to
the attack. Who has arrived? Vaas, Kartik, Tim Murtagh (Surrey),
Richard Johnson (Somerset). Who has left? Paul Weekes (retired),
Scott Styris, Johann Louw, Melvyn Betts, Mohammad Ali. What’s their
nickname? Crusaders. How did they do last season? LV County
Championship: ninth, first division (relegated). Pro40 League: ninth, first
division (relegated). Friends Provident Trophy: second, south conference.
Twenty20 Cup: sixth, south division. What are their prospects? An
ambitious new captain, a respected new coach in Richard Pybus, the return of
Alan Richardson after injury and the influx of bowlers should make them
promotion challengers. What are their strengths? The batting should
be strong, especially if Ed Joyce and Jamie Dalrymple are not required by
England, and the bowling has much more depth. What are their weaknesses?
The lack of a genuine all-rounder has left them wondering why Styris could
not produce his World Cup performances in county cricket. Remember the
heroes? The legendary Denis Compton and Bill Edrich watch over them from
the stands that bear their names. One to watch Nick Compton, who
could follow in his grandfather’s footsteps if he maintains last season’s
form, which led to five championship centuries.
Pat Gibson
Northamptonshire
Who is the captain? David Sales starts his benefit year — his
fourteenth at the County Ground and his fourth as captain — hoping for
happier times with David Capel, the new manager, than endured under Kepler
Wessels. Who are the overseas players? Chris Rogers, one of the
many talented Australian batsmen who cannot get into the Test side, and
Johannes van der Wath, the South Africa one-day all-rounder. Who has
arrived? Van der Wath, Richard Dawson (Yorkshire), Richard Logan
(Hampshire), Andrew Crook (Lancashire), Richard Browning (Derbyshire), Niall
O’Brien (Kent), David Lucas (unattached). Who has left?
Matthew Nicholson (Surrey), Ben Phillips (Somerset), Bilal Shafayat
(Nottinghamshire). What’s their nickname? Steelbacks. How
did they do last season? LV County Championship: sixth, second division.
Pro40 League: second, first division. Friends Provident Trophy: tenth, north
conference. Twenty20 Cup: quarter-finals. What are their prospects?
Their form improved dramatically last season once Wessels had been removed
by a players’ revolt and Capel is hoping that they can continue where they
left off. What are their strengths? A powerful batting lineup, led
by Rogers, and a crop of all-rounders, including Lance Klusener, could bring
one-day success. What are their weaknesses? With Monty Panesar
unlikely to play very often, they may struggle to bowl sides out in the
championship unless Jason Brown and Dawson can take advantage of turning
pitches. Remember the heroes? They can only dream of having a fast
bowler such as Frank Tyson. One to watch Steven Crook, a talented
23-year-old all-rounder from South Australia.
Pat Gibson
Nottinghamshire
Who is the captain? David Hussey will begin the season in charge before
handing over to Stephen Fleming in May. Who are the overseas players?
Hussey and Fleming. Who has arrived? Rob Ferley (Kent), Bilal
Shafayat (Northamptonshire), Will Jefferson (Essex), Mark Wagh
(Warwickshire). Who has left? Darren Bicknell (retired), Anurag
Singh, Will Smith (Durham), Russell Warren, Paul McMahon and Greg Smith. What’s
their nickname? Outlaws. How did they do last season? LV County
Championship: eighth, first division (relegated). Pro40 League: fourth,
first division. Friends Provident Trophy: fourth, north conference. Twenty20
Cup: runners-up. What are their prospects? Would not have been
relegated but for a spineless display against Sussex in the final match and
the squad are plenty strong enough for an immediate return to the first
division — unless complacency takes hold again. Probably better suited to
the longer format. What are their strengths? The squad have depth,
particularly in the batting, while Chris Read and Mark Ealham balance the
side. The problem will be to keep all of the batsmen happy because some good
players will miss out. What are their weaknesses? May come undone
on turning pitches, with Graeme Swann having to manage a long-term problem
in an elbow. Ferley, from Kent, will challenge for a place. Remember
the heroes? Who truly can forget Arthur (A. O.) Jones, the England
captain in Australia in 1907-08, who led Nottinghamshire to the championship
title 100 years ago? One to watch Samit Patel, has the talent to be
as good as any of the recruits. The batsman just needs a bit of patience and
a run in the championship side.
Richard Hobson
Somerset
Who is the captain? Justin Langer, who brought his intensity to bear as
captain of Middlesex in 2000, now pitches up in Taunton, where he swiftly
made himself popular in a brief spell last season, hitting the highest score
in the county’s history — 342 against Surrey, in Guildford — and playing
with a skittish freedom in the Twenty20 games. Who are the overseas
players? Langer, Cameron White. Who has arrived? Steffan Jones
(Derbyshire), Craig Kieswetter, Ben Phillips (Northamptonshire), Mark Turner
(Durham). Who has left? Simon Francis, Richard Johnson,
(Middlesex), Michael Parsons. What’s their nickname? Sabres.
How did they do last season? LV County Championship: ninth, second
division. Pro40 League: seventh, second division. Friends Provident Trophy:
sixth, south conference. Twenty20 Cup: fifth, Midlands/Wales/West division.
What are their prospects? Can only improve on last season,
especially if Marcus Trescothick is available throughout and Kieswetter
demonstrates the potential he has shown already as a batsman-wicketkeeper. What
are their strengths? Exciting batting order. If Langer and Trescothick
open together, there will be some terrific entertainment, and Ian Blackwell
is fit again. What are their weaknesses? The spin bowling is not
strong enough, even though Blackwell is back. Arul Suppiah is still
developing and much will depend on the effectiveness of White’s leg spin. Remember
the heroes? Look beyond the Ian Botham Stand and Viv Richards Gate to
the hospital in Neath, where Tom Cartwright lies critically ill. One to
watch Mark Turner, a quick bowler from Durham, who is likely to be
included in the opening weeks.
Ivo Tennant
Latest odds
Middlesex start the season as third favourites to bounce back up at the first
attempt, with Northamptonshire also fancied.
Essex 9-4 Nottinghamshire 11-4 Middlesex 6-1
Northamptonshire 8-1 Derbyshire 9-1 Somerset 9-1
Gloucestershire 14-1 Leicestershire 14-1 Glamorgan 25-1
Source: Coral
