County Preview

Moving into April, and with the county season fast approaching, it is time to do a preview of the runners and riders and see who might be in line for silverware this season. Here is my appraisal of the teams. Starting with division 2 -

Nottinghamshire: The experienced brigade which triumphed in 2005 began to feel their age last year, although thry only have themselves to blame for relegation, managing just a single point from their deciding match. The batting, whose base is provided by the overseas duo of Fleming and Hussey (younger brother David), will remain strong, and was augmented by the arrival of England A tourist Will Jefferson from Essex, who will likely open with Fleming, and the once England touted Mark Wagh, who fell out of favour at Wawrickshire. Also returning after a two year hiatus is Bilal Shafayat. Ryan Sidebottom will lead the bowling, and he will prosper if he shows anything like the form that has made him arguably the best England qualified seam bowler in the county game over the last two years (excluding the test players, who never play). He will be backed up by Cornishman Charlie Shreck, who wil be effective if he stays off the treatment table. Mark Ealham, even in his 38th year, adds a good balance to the side and continues to be a wicket taking threat.

Key man: Hussey - runs will be the key currency, and he is the man best positioned to provide them. If he cuts loose he could have the sort of big season which he owes the club, after he just scraped 1000 runs last year.

One to watch: Mark Footit - left armer, and by all reports very rapid indeed. He has been around for a few seasons without ever really breaking into the first team, and this could be an important season for him.

Prediction: Promotion will be their aim, and they should achieve it, although they will face stiff competition, especially from Essex and Middlesex.

Middlesex: Also relegated last season after a campaign in which nothing went right for them. The batting, led by one of the stars of the England A tour, Nick Compton, and new captain Ed Smith, will be strong, and stronger if England do not come calling for Ed Joyce. Owais Shah should provide a good share of the runs, whilst the possible absence of Joyce may open the door for fellow Irishman Morgan. He has failed to shine at the World Cup thus far, but there is time yet, and he looks a talent. Chris Silverwood, reborn after his move from Yorkshire, will hope for another good return. Thankfully for him, he will no longer have to stand alone; Chaminda Vaas will share the new ball, and should really boost them in one-day cricket, while Richard Johnson returns from exile in Somerset. Still waiting in the wings are Alan Richardson, he of the excellent 2005, and Chad Keegan, on whom fortune has not shone. Completing the mix is a quality spinner, India's Murali Kartik, who should provide wickets with the old ball, which Middlesex struggled for last year.

Key Man: Shah - His successful England debut was backed up by a relatively fallow county season. Gone, if not quite forgotten in England's mind, but a big season could both propel Middlesex back into the top division and catapult him back into the selector's minds.

One to Watch: Billy Godleman - Still only 18, he has scored shedloads of runs below first-class level, and will be looking to make the step up. Unlikely to get to many chances to begin with, but the one-day games could be a springboard for him.

Prediction: They have the players to go straight back up again, but they will need to create a harmonious atmosphere, which could prove a problem for Ed Smith, who put noses out of joint in his time at Kent. Should England calls not ravage the batting, they look a good bet nevertheless.

Essex: An emerging young side, with a core of hardy, experienced pros, like the Flower brothers and Ronnie Irani. Elder brother Andy should be the mainstay of the batting, with youngsters Chopra, who had an excellent breakthrough season last year, and the explosvie Pettini ahead of him (assuming Cook is away with England). Irani, playing now as a specilaist batsman, has provided lots of runs over the last couple of years and Bopara, althoguh likely to be selected for England's one-day squads, will give the team balance, alongside Dutchman Ryan Ten Doeschate, fresh from a successful World Cup, in personal terms. Andre Nel will lead the bowlers with his customary churlishness and fire, and Essex will hope for a resurgence in Alex Tudor, now that talisman Gough has quick-stepped it back home to Yorkshire. Danish Kaneira takes back his berth after missing last year on tour with Pakistan, and his leg-spin, slighlty toothelss at the top level, is good enough for plenty of wickets here. On drier surfaces, Tim Phillips' let-arm spin could be utilised in tandem.

Key Man: Nel -the fast bowling is threadbare, but he has the heart and endurance to carry it. It will be hisjob to burst open batting teams with the new ball, and expose the middle and lower order to the whiles of Kaneira.

One to Watch: Take your pick from any number of Gooch proteges. Varun Chopra and Mark Pettini are already in and about the first team, and both will harbour England ambitions further down the line, with Pettini the sort of attacking one-day opener England have their eye on. Otherwise you have paceman Mervyn Westfield, who made an encouraging debut last year, and cannot be too far away, with Essex's fast bowling ranks not exactly plush with resources.

Prediction:They will challenge for promotion, as they did so fiercely last year. If Nel and Kaneira can provide the wickets expected, the batting is strong enough to see them contenders.

Leicestershire: The batting, in the absence of an overseas pro, looks thin, especially after the departure of stalwart Darren Maddy. Only Hylton Ackerman made over 1000 runs last year, but to expect a repeat of his 1800 would be unfair. Other than him, the top half possesses few star names, and it will be down to county pros such as Darren Robinson and John Maunders to grind out totals. The bowling is a little more healthy, with Indian left-armer R.P.Singh looking to achieve similar results to his national colleague Zaheer Khan last year at Worcestershire. If Stuart Broad is left alone by England, then that will be an excellent opening partnership. Mansoor Ajmad, a young Pakistani leg-spinning all rounder will provide the slow bowling option, although he did not shine in the limited opportunities given last year. Paul Nixon, unlikely to be persevered with by England after the World Cup, will need to be at his forthright best, and provide runs and encouragement in eqaully heavy measure.

Key Man: Tim Boon (Head Coach) - with few star names on the field, a lot will depend on the man England were very sorry to lose squeezing every last drop of potential out of each and every one.

One to Watch: David Stiff - Tall and fast, he was tipped for the top a few years ago, but moved away from his home county Yorkshire, and got nowhere in a spell at Kent. At 23, there is still time for him to make it, and Leicestershire will be hoping they have unearthed another Broad.

Prediction: The nature of their squad suggests that it will be a struggle, although a 4th place last year means they have something to build on. One day cricket tends to be their forte, although the loss of Maddy will damage their hopes, especially in Twenty20, at which there is arguably no-one better. A lot depends on Broad; if he is there, and takes wickets they should do well. If not, it could be hard times at Grace Road.

Derbyshire: The perennial problem of lack of runs looks to have been addressed by the signing of Australain Simon Katich, combined with the return of fellow countryman Travis Birt for a second year. Katich, although his internatinal days are probably behind him, is still a consistent performer for NSW in Australian domestic cricket, and has done well on his previous county assignments. Hassan Adnan, as a non-overseas player will add depth to the batting, whilst the signing of Phil Weston will add solidity to the top order alongside Steve Stubbings who enjoyed his best year in 2006. Bowling will be more of a problem; they lack both a genuine paceman and a good spinner, and will be heavily reliant on medium pace. Ian Harvey, yet another of the foreign legion, should be useful, but it is the one-day game he will concentrate on. Once again Graeme Welch will have to shoulder a heavy burden, although a strong showing from Kevin Dean, long overdue, could help. Boyd Rankin, after ruffling a few feathers at the World Cup, may be their only hope of some variety, propelling the ball from such a tall frame.

Key Man: Katich - there is some batting depth for a change, but his contribution will nevertheless be key. In addition, he will have to be resourceful as captain, in marshalling failry meagre bowling resources, and his left-arm chinamen could be the most viable spin option.

One to watch: Graham Wagg - Rehabilitated last year, after a drugs ban, he begun to show some returns on the faith invested in him, and could be a key cog in the all-rounders berth. Also keep an eye out for Gary Ballance, nephew of coach David Houghton, in whom the same batting gene seems to have taken root. Made an 80 on debut in a one-day game last year, and, although his opportunities will be limited he is one for the future, andhas an eye on qualifying for England down the line (he is Zimbabwean by birth).

Prediction: Their Kingdom for a top class bowler; the batting should score heavily, but where are the wickets coming from? Ultimately they lack the penetration to bowl sides out twice, and are only an outside bet for promotion. Their strong batting and battery of medium pacers makes them a decent one-day unit though.

Northamptonshire: Freed from the near tyranny of Kepler Wessels' reign, they started to produce results at the back end of last season. Chris Rogers, talked about in Australian circles as a potential replacement for Justin Langer, will be the mainstay of the batting, alongside David Sales and Usman Afzaal, two who never quite made it for England. Lance Klusener, returning as a Kolpakker, will do a good job at 6, although his bowling is not what it was. Apart from Johannes Van der Wath, signed to bolster the bowling, there are few wicket-takers, especially with Monty Panesar now integral to both England's Test and ODI teams. With Ben Phillips and Matt Nicholson gone, there is not much to partner Van der Wath, with David Lucas not making an impression at Yorkshire and Charl Pietersen unproven. Inevitably, much will be down to the spinners, with Jason Brown backed up by the signing of Richard Dawson, looking to resurrect a once promising career, which has hit the rocks. The signing of Niall O'Brien has looked better as the World Cup has gone on, with half-centuries against Pakistan and England proving his talent and fighting qualities.

Key Man: Van Der Wath: If he doesn't take wickets with the new ball, then who will? His aggressive lower order batting could come in handy as well.

One to watch: No-one screaming out to be noted; O'Brien, i guess, should be worth keeping an eye on - England still need a wicket-keeper, and he must be close to qualifying through residency.

How will they fare: A bit lightweight in all areas, and do not really have the squad depth to challenge should even one big name go down injured. Will hope that spin can see them to respectability on the good old bunsens at home, but then need to peel their eyes for a fast bowler over the winter.

Gloucestershire: As a contrast to many of the competition, this is a team which majors on high quality seam bowling. If Jon Lewis is treated with a bit more respect by England (if considered at all) then he will spearhead the attack, still the best county bowler for the last few years. Alongside him, Umar Gul, an excellent signing, should benefit from his experience with Pakistan last summer. The back up, with Steve Kirby, is also strong, although they lack a spinner following Martyn Ball's retirement. Maybe Ian Fisher can step up. The batting is much weaker; Craig Spearman will have to have one of his good seasons, and Kadeer Ali needs to take some responsibility in Phil Weston's absence. Otherwise, it will be largely down to the overseas pro, Marcus North in lieu of Hamish Marshall. Alex Gidman will want to do well, and throw his hat into the ring for and England ODI place, whilst Chris Taylor needs a good season.

Key Man: Lewis - They need his wickets, and also his captaincy must be astute, as he may not have the biggest totals to defend. Should see plenty of him, as there are better options in Test cricket, and England will be looking to the future in the ODIs.

One to watch: Vikram Banerjee - Made his debut last season, and, although he did not pull up trees, they need a good spinner, with the Bradford born left-armer the best bet.

How will they fare: Wickets should not be a problem, but they need big efforts from Spearman and the two overseas players sharing the batting slot. A good start on early season pitches could put them in a useful position, although their advantage will decrease as the season progresses.

Glamorgan: It all looked very grim at the end of last season, with no money for an overseas player, and another dismal season ending with Robert Croft resigning the captaincy. A local millionaire dentist bankrolled them to the tune of Jimmy Maher, while Younus Khan's early arrival at Yorkshire pushed Matt Elliott their way. The opening dilemma solved, they could still struggle for runs, although Hemp and Michael Powell should do well. A lot may depend on the lower order contributions of the likes of Watkins, Croft and Wharf. Simon Jones will spearhead the bowling early doors, although it remains to be seen whether he can get back to his best; if he can then unfortunately for Glamorgan, England will come calling. Alongside him, David Harrison will do a lot of donkey work, and much will be down to the spin duo of Croft and Cosker.

Key Man: Powell - He had a great 2006, with the highlight his 299. The class act of the homegrown players, his contributions backing up the two Australians will be key, not least in the one-day game.

One to watch: Huw Waters - An emerging seam bowler, he has just started to make an impression, and this could be an important season in his development.

How will they fare: If the Aussie batsmen go nuts, and Jones gets them off to a flier with the ball, then they are not looking so bad. Realistically, top half of the table would be acceptable, and the worthy homegrown policy, with not a Kolpakker in sight, may just be on the upward curve, although it is a slow process.

Somerset: Too good to prop up the table, you might think; not so last year, where they proved that 3 players do not a winning team make. The three notables; White, Caddick and Willoughby all remain; the latter two still spearhead the bowling, with Caddick probably in his twilight season. The batting has been heavily reinforced, with Justin Langer returning as captain for the whole season, on the back of his triple century last year. That gives an unmatched opening partnership of Langer and Trescothick, should the latter fail to resurrect his England career. Ian Blackwell, injured for almost the enite 2006 season, returns to the ranks, and both his muscular hitting and tidy left-arm spin were missed. Steffan Jones is back after a good term with Derby, to give some support to Caddick and Willoughby, and James Hildreth's talent began belatedly to blossom at the fag end of last season, with a few centuries in both forms of the game.

Key Man: Lots of them really. The success of Trescothick is of course conditional; whilst Somerset will be over the moon to see one of their favourite sons back on song, England will be eqaully so, and he could be whisked away. The two batting all-rounders who bowl spin, Blackwell and White, could hold the key; both are lusty big hitters in the middle order, and they could help turn good totals into match-winning ones. Their spinners, efficient if a bit ineffective, need to work well in tandem on the traditional Taunton shirtfronts.

So, there they are. But who will win? There is a good case for both last year's relegated Division One sides, and Essex will fancy their chances. However, writing the Somerset review, they seem to have the best depth from 1-11; if they all keep fit and key players do not lose form, there is more than just a good chance that they could swap the wooden spoon for the promotion ticket.