Ever since 1995, when the baton of power in international cricket was wrenched from a West Indies team in the last throes of a glorious era, it has taken something very special to topple Australia. The ruthless, win at all costs attitude, conceived by Allan Border in the fallow era of the mid-1980s, and begat to Taylor, Waugh and Ponting, allied with a talent pool which stubbornly refuses to dry up, has made them into a team against whom victory is the ultimate for any other side.
Consider the performances it has taken to defeat them; only against Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar, two batsmen who defined a generation, did they stumble in the late 1990s. For England to at last regain the Ashes, it took an effective reincarnation of their two 1981 nemeses, Botham and Brearley, to overcome them. Four years earlier, when vanquished by India in the titanic struggle of 2000-1, VVS Laxman touched a level, albeit briefly, that has been unsurpassed since, and for some time before.
A good start is not just enough against this ilk of Australian teams. It is never sufficient merely to position boot on throat; initial success must be followed up, for, even when an Australian team is at the lowest of lows, and the fat lady has long since gone hoarse, the fight never dies, and the spirit is never totally suppressed until the coffin has been firmly nailed and buried deep underground.
England have suffered on this account numerous times - a winning start to the 1997 series was effortlessly turned around into an Australian series triumph; even in the successful campaign of 2005, an England team at their very peak was made to prove their mettle time and time again. At Lords, they responded to being bowled out for 190 by skittling England for 35 less and piling on the agony second time around. They came close to the impossible at Edgbaston, and were only defied by one of the great rearguards at the Oval.
More presciently, on the previous occasion these two sides had met in the World Cup, Australia, on their knees at 135-8 in pursuit of over 200, squeezed home. Again today, England batted first, with the habitual top-order failings, unaltered by the recall of Andrew Strauss, followed by a more pleasing recurrence of a big stand between Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen. At 164-2, with the two batsmen motoring along and McGrath licking his wounds after an early mauling by unlikely predator Bell, Ricky Ponting invoked the delayed powerplay, so often the harbinger of wickets. The result was as predictable as it was miserable for battle-weary England fans: Australia knew that one wicket would open the door, giving them the foothold they are expert in converting to dominance. It was Bell who gifted it to them, slapping McGrath straight to cover, and precipitating a mini-collapse which saw off Collingwood, re-accustoming himself with failure, and Flintoff, in such bad nick that it is almost a relief to see him depart, so that one no longer has to witness the excruciating spectacle of him scratching around for runs.
Pietersen, sublime as usual for his first 50, tried his best to give it away in the 60s, as he so often does, although Matthew Hayden refused to tango, shelling an easy chance at mid-off. Much has been made of his inability to convert half-centuries into the real thing, something he had not managed for over two years. It looked at times as if he had forgotten how, although the second chance offered by Hayden was a bit to good to pass up on, with the three figures finally brought up in the last five overs. By then however, he had totally lost his way, and quickly holed out to long on. Perhaps it is unjust to carp about the fashion in which his innings petered out (after all, an England fan should be celebrating the rare occurence of a century rather than criticising it) but it was hard not to see a Ponting or Smith in the same situation carting the bowling to all parts at will. In the final reckoning, England might have taken 247 at the toss, but in reality, it was well short of what was hoped for at 164-2, and 20-30 shy of a good score on what was a flat pitch.
Although England could feel aggrieved with the negative verdicts on a few early lbw shouts, generally the new ball bowling lacked bite; Mahmood still bowled enough dross to be taken for a minimum of one boundary an over (although there was that rare and highly prized commodity of a maiden) and Anderson never really found the right line to consistently trouble the openers. Despite the eventual dismissals of both Hayden and Gilchrist before the hundred mark, and some tight bowling mid-innings, the result was never in doubt once Ponting had made it his will to grind out his innings and lead his side home.
The issue of England's bowling attack will now be one for the senior management to chew over before the next game. Anderson, despite not having one of his better days, is still England's best opening bowler, although one would hope that the position of his partner Mahmood comes under heavy scrutiny. It is evident that Team England have a high opinion of him and it is easy to see why they are encouraged to persevere. He has a nice loose-limbed run up, with a fast arm, and a good armoury. He is also a natural athlete, capable in the field, and not wholly clueless with a bat in his hand. However, all the natural attributes in the World do not bring success on their own. Before that can be achieved, he must achieve consistency, an anathema, without which he should not be considered. Maybe with a more settled, experienced attack around him, Mahmood could be considered as a luxury, but not in this team. Liam Plunkett, his likely replacement, also has problems with maintaining line and length, yet is a slightly more solid prospect, who maximises the new ball and provides a threat to even the best openers. Duncan Fletcher has hinted that Mahmood was preferred as they do not think that Plunkett offers anything in the middle or death overs. While a very cynical commentator might venture to doubt that Mahmood offers anything at all, there is certainly little substantiation for the idea that he is useful as a gamebreaker in mid-innings. His return, especially in a delayed powerplay situation, where a captain usually tosses the ball to his strike bowlers in expectation of a breakthrough, is twice as likely to bring a flurry of runs as a wicket, while the prospect of him bowling at the death is enough to send even the most steadfast of followers into hiding behind the sofa.
Yet as much as the opening pair have been a problem for England, the way they approach the middle overs is equally concerning. In Flintoff and Panesar, they have two bowlers who constrict, but rarely achieve breakthroughs. Monty, as much as we love him, has yet to prove himself in the shorter format, and appears to be firing the ball in too quickly, not giving the ball enough chance to grip and turn. As was pointed out on radio commentary, he would do well to cast an eye over Daniel Vettori's masterclass of left arm spin on the same ground last week. Flintoff, easily England's best bowler, can choke the runs, but tends to pick up the majority of his wickets at the death, by which time, when defending a total, the game may be up. All the other big teams have a man they can turn to around the 30 over mark, with nothing happening, who will more than not produce a wicket. Stephen Fleming has Shane Bond, Smith has Pollock or Ntini, Jayawardene has Malinga and Ponting has Tait, who did that exact job today, dismissing England's rock Collignwood.
England must now accept that they have let another chance, albeit a more nascent one than against Sri Lanka, slip, and are now at the point which was always bound to arrive, needing to win every game in order to progress. Bangladesh proved against South Africa that it would be foolish to start thinking beyond Wednesday's encounter. Nevertheless, England would hope to prevail, leaving what could be a knockout match with South Africa 6 days later. When England line up for that game of games, they must have a comprehensive win behind them, with hopefully a few issues resolved to boot. They would be well advised to start at the top.
Monday, 9 April 2007
Sunday, 8 April 2007
Tigers rip up the formbook.
Expect the unexpected. That is as good a mantra as any for this World Cup, which took another dramtic turn earlier when Bangladesh claimed their second significant scalp of the tournament. And this was no narrow victory, guided by fortune or hanging on a controversial decision; they trampled all over the South Africans, their domination beginning with a calm opening stand, blossoming into a delightful mid-innings partnership between the precocious Mohammed Ashraful and the equally impish Aftab Ahmed and culminating in them claiming the first six South African wickets before the third column on the scoreboard had been called into action.
One could argue that this result should come as no suprise; after all, isn't this the same Bangladesh who dumped India out of the tournament? Well, it was today, but the Tigers who clambered all over the shocked South Africans had been far less fierce in their initial Super 8 encounters, showing all the fight of a decidedly sickly moggy in submissive defeats to the two Antipodean powers. Consistency is obviously a problem, but that is the price that has to be paid when bringing through such a young side. The rewards, as evidenced by the two outstanding victories, are rich indeed.
As for the South Africans, not only have they been humbled, with their credibility and No.1 ranking blown out of the water, but they now face a struggle to make the semi-finals, after today's result opened the door for England and the West Indies. The outcome of their fixtures with those two sides will now be crucial; should either or both prevail, the final match between the hosts and England could be an effective quarter-final. England have the first chance to make a bid, albeit against the form side Australia. Nevertheless, what 24 hours ago was a crucial tie for England has lost no importance, but can now be regarded as one of two routes to goal. With all being well, it now appears that three wins against Bangladesh, South Africa and West Indies would be enough to ensure qualification.
Even so, that would be a considerable ask for a team so fragile in both development and confidence as England. Furthermore, despite the abiding memory of their against the odds CB series triumph, equally prominent in their thougts is sure to be the last occasion on which they entered into battle with Australia as underdogs with a fighting chance. It seems that the best bet against the World Champions is to have every chance or none at all. Unfortunately, like so much of this England one-day side, the reality is something of a halfway house and they must guard against being trapped by an Australian side which delights in proving itself both rock and hard place.
One could argue that this result should come as no suprise; after all, isn't this the same Bangladesh who dumped India out of the tournament? Well, it was today, but the Tigers who clambered all over the shocked South Africans had been far less fierce in their initial Super 8 encounters, showing all the fight of a decidedly sickly moggy in submissive defeats to the two Antipodean powers. Consistency is obviously a problem, but that is the price that has to be paid when bringing through such a young side. The rewards, as evidenced by the two outstanding victories, are rich indeed.
As for the South Africans, not only have they been humbled, with their credibility and No.1 ranking blown out of the water, but they now face a struggle to make the semi-finals, after today's result opened the door for England and the West Indies. The outcome of their fixtures with those two sides will now be crucial; should either or both prevail, the final match between the hosts and England could be an effective quarter-final. England have the first chance to make a bid, albeit against the form side Australia. Nevertheless, what 24 hours ago was a crucial tie for England has lost no importance, but can now be regarded as one of two routes to goal. With all being well, it now appears that three wins against Bangladesh, South Africa and West Indies would be enough to ensure qualification.
Even so, that would be a considerable ask for a team so fragile in both development and confidence as England. Furthermore, despite the abiding memory of their against the odds CB series triumph, equally prominent in their thougts is sure to be the last occasion on which they entered into battle with Australia as underdogs with a fighting chance. It seems that the best bet against the World Champions is to have every chance or none at all. Unfortunately, like so much of this England one-day side, the reality is something of a halfway house and they must guard against being trapped by an Australian side which delights in proving itself both rock and hard place.
Thursday, 5 April 2007
Floating England have their wings clipped.
The Butterfly effect (or chaos theory if you will): Does the Flap of a Butterfly’s Wings in Brazil set off a Tornado in Texas? The Wikipedia definition is: Small variations of the initial condition that may produce large variations in the long term behavior of the system. Sitting pretty at 101-2, with overs and wickets aplenty in hand, Ian Bell's bat, having already been grounded at the non-striker's end, bounced a millimetre of the dusty turf. No significant moment, you might think. A moment however, significant enough to see him freakishly dismissed, with Pietersen's bullying straight drive deflected onto the stumps at his end. Bell's bat bounced, and the ensuing earthquake not only removed him, but also blew away the power trio of Pietersen, Collingwood and Flintoff, who fell like drunk men trying to balance one-footed on a moving pedalo.
A thrilling stand followed, with seasoned warrior Paul Nixon, who became the second member of this England team to reverse-sweep the best spinner in the world for six, accompanying young Ravi Bopara, who sports a greater growth of hair on his chin than "the badger" does on his gleaming pate. But it was not enough; Dilhara Fernando, with 3 needed of his last ball, dummied his first attempt, saw which way Bopara was heading, and castled him with the next. It was a brave effort, and showed why England have placed so much faith in Bopara, despite his inexperience.
But it should not have been down to him. Once again, the openers tanked, with Ed Joyce caught cold and cumbersome by Malinga, although the strangle of Vaughan was fortuitous, both in the unsual mode of dismissal, and the extent to which umpire Billy Bowden felt sure he could detect an edge, while detailed forensic analysis failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion. Kevin Pietersen played in his usual domineering way, adding a useful 90 with Bell, despite some frenetic and ill-judged running. Although recently given the title of No.1 one-day batsman in the world, as much as teams rightly fear the hulking South African, they can rest safely in the knowledge that he will get himself out somewhere between 50 and 70. The champion innings would have been to see his team home, no great ask in terms of run rate for a man like Pietersen. Evidently he knew better, and perished trying to show Murali who was boss; unfortunately for him, the great twirler has seen many an idiot try to dictate terms to him, with the result invariably going only one way. Even more unfortunately for England, the return of Pietersen to the dressing room heralded as it so often does the raising of the white flag. Flintoff fell to a flat flooted swipe against a slower ball, the sort of shot which makes his pedalo antics look bright, and for once Collingwood was not the man for the job, his shuffling feet caught flat on the crease by a Malinga in-dipper.
Earlier, England had actually bolwed quite well; James Anderson was skilful and luckless with the new ball, Sajid Mahmood the opposite, although the dismissal of Kumar Sangakkara with a wide slower ball full-toss was cunningly conceived. Only captain Jayawerdene really got going, his half-century coming at nearly a run a ball, with his off-side play especially pleasing on the eye. Although Panesar had a rare off-day, Collingwood recovered well from some early tap, and Flintoff twice did the exact job asked, removing Upul Tharanga, just as he was starting to cut loose mid innings, and then returning at the end to slip one of his inch perfect yorkers past Chamara Silva, also nailing the dangerous Vaas. The effort in the field was also a cut above; Bopara and Collingwood were tireless, a stiff neck not preventing the latter from taking a trademark diving catch at backward point off Vaas, while Ian Bell's diving save and throw down of the stumps turned a likely boundary into a wicket.
If only England had been as upbeat in their batting display; the two excellent partnerships which accounted for the majority of the runs just failing to mask the two critical collapses. Nevertheless, England can take much from this defeat, although not the crucial two points. Australia on Sunday is now a win or bust situation, and they must respond by going for broke. Pietersen proved today that the new ball does not trouble him, and warrants promotion to No.3, with Ian Bell opening alongside the captain, who one hopes will be inspired by Australian opposition against which he has often thrived. Andrew Strauss should then come in at 4, with Ed Joyce dropping out. Otherwise, the remainder of the team all deserve to retain their places.
It is hard not to feel that England have blown their big chance; they twice had Sri Lanka on the rack, and we will never now know whether one more Bopara boundary would have created a wave to carry England through to the semis. What we do know is that it will take one hell of a momumental performance against Australia on Sunday. Same tactics as today; bowl first, take early wickets and expose the undercooked Australian middle-order. The attack they will face on Sunday is not half of what they had to deal with today; Shaun Tait is a mere pimple on the Malinga-scale, while Nathan Bracken is an equally pale imitation of Chaminda Vaas. But that is more than made up for by a batting line-up which is twice as good as what anyone else has to offer. Glenn McGrath, in his last match against England, has predicted that the Poms will be no problem; he's probably right - but then it would be really good to rub his nose in it one more time.
A thrilling stand followed, with seasoned warrior Paul Nixon, who became the second member of this England team to reverse-sweep the best spinner in the world for six, accompanying young Ravi Bopara, who sports a greater growth of hair on his chin than "the badger" does on his gleaming pate. But it was not enough; Dilhara Fernando, with 3 needed of his last ball, dummied his first attempt, saw which way Bopara was heading, and castled him with the next. It was a brave effort, and showed why England have placed so much faith in Bopara, despite his inexperience.
But it should not have been down to him. Once again, the openers tanked, with Ed Joyce caught cold and cumbersome by Malinga, although the strangle of Vaughan was fortuitous, both in the unsual mode of dismissal, and the extent to which umpire Billy Bowden felt sure he could detect an edge, while detailed forensic analysis failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion. Kevin Pietersen played in his usual domineering way, adding a useful 90 with Bell, despite some frenetic and ill-judged running. Although recently given the title of No.1 one-day batsman in the world, as much as teams rightly fear the hulking South African, they can rest safely in the knowledge that he will get himself out somewhere between 50 and 70. The champion innings would have been to see his team home, no great ask in terms of run rate for a man like Pietersen. Evidently he knew better, and perished trying to show Murali who was boss; unfortunately for him, the great twirler has seen many an idiot try to dictate terms to him, with the result invariably going only one way. Even more unfortunately for England, the return of Pietersen to the dressing room heralded as it so often does the raising of the white flag. Flintoff fell to a flat flooted swipe against a slower ball, the sort of shot which makes his pedalo antics look bright, and for once Collingwood was not the man for the job, his shuffling feet caught flat on the crease by a Malinga in-dipper.
Earlier, England had actually bolwed quite well; James Anderson was skilful and luckless with the new ball, Sajid Mahmood the opposite, although the dismissal of Kumar Sangakkara with a wide slower ball full-toss was cunningly conceived. Only captain Jayawerdene really got going, his half-century coming at nearly a run a ball, with his off-side play especially pleasing on the eye. Although Panesar had a rare off-day, Collingwood recovered well from some early tap, and Flintoff twice did the exact job asked, removing Upul Tharanga, just as he was starting to cut loose mid innings, and then returning at the end to slip one of his inch perfect yorkers past Chamara Silva, also nailing the dangerous Vaas. The effort in the field was also a cut above; Bopara and Collingwood were tireless, a stiff neck not preventing the latter from taking a trademark diving catch at backward point off Vaas, while Ian Bell's diving save and throw down of the stumps turned a likely boundary into a wicket.
If only England had been as upbeat in their batting display; the two excellent partnerships which accounted for the majority of the runs just failing to mask the two critical collapses. Nevertheless, England can take much from this defeat, although not the crucial two points. Australia on Sunday is now a win or bust situation, and they must respond by going for broke. Pietersen proved today that the new ball does not trouble him, and warrants promotion to No.3, with Ian Bell opening alongside the captain, who one hopes will be inspired by Australian opposition against which he has often thrived. Andrew Strauss should then come in at 4, with Ed Joyce dropping out. Otherwise, the remainder of the team all deserve to retain their places.
It is hard not to feel that England have blown their big chance; they twice had Sri Lanka on the rack, and we will never now know whether one more Bopara boundary would have created a wave to carry England through to the semis. What we do know is that it will take one hell of a momumental performance against Australia on Sunday. Same tactics as today; bowl first, take early wickets and expose the undercooked Australian middle-order. The attack they will face on Sunday is not half of what they had to deal with today; Shaun Tait is a mere pimple on the Malinga-scale, while Nathan Bracken is an equally pale imitation of Chaminda Vaas. But that is more than made up for by a batting line-up which is twice as good as what anyone else has to offer. Glenn McGrath, in his last match against England, has predicted that the Poms will be no problem; he's probably right - but then it would be really good to rub his nose in it one more time.
Tuesday, 3 April 2007
Soft England must prepare for a hard landing
For a team which has been so umimpressive at one-day cricket, it seems a bit much for England to keep on insisting that it will all be alright on the night, and that they will flick a switch and start playing properly now that they are to face up to some of the big names. For the wearied English sporting fan, it's all starting to look a bit like that other World Cup last summer; our footballers scraped past some very ordinary teams in a dreadfully unconvincing manner, while all the while maintaining that the big performance was just around the corner. More worrying for for the cricketers, it seems that said big performance which has thus far eluded them is not around the next corner, but was in fact left behind at the last crossroads, where, after a winter of discontent, fans briefly basked in a Collingwood wonderland.
Citing complacency as a reason for another sluggish display against Ireland just does not wash; if they cannot raise themselves for a World Cup, even against a lesser team, then what is the point of being there in the first place. The importance of momentum cannot be underestimated. Ricky Ponting knows that; following a painful Ashes defeat, his team won ten out of ten Test Matches in the run up to the next series, and steamrollered England, whose run-in had been beset by injury and poor form. Likewise, following 5 consecutive one-day defeats prior to this tournament, Australia used their group games as a springboard to get themselves back into form and demolish fancied South Africa. They now look as strong as they ever did. England, on the other hand, depsite the scheduling gift of three consecutive easy games have muddled through, doing just enough to avoid embarassment, while never dominating and building confidence. They should be hitting the ground running for tomorrow's big game, yet they approach it in no better shape than they did the first game against New Zealand.
We know that England have it in them to beat anyone on their day; beating Australia in their own backyard proved that (and don't listen to moaning Aussies blithering on about fatigue - England had played a mirror schedule). What is so frustrating is that there is no way of knowing whether they will produce the goods; it is by no means beyond the realms of doubt that James Anderson could wreck the much vaunted Sri Lankan top order and win the game there and then. He has it in him, the ball should swing for him. But that is a possible; Australia know that they will get a fast start; even if Hayden and Gilchrist fall, the runs will keep coming form Ponting, Symonds, Clarke and Hussey. England are dealing in possibles; good enough to win a game, any game indeed, but not the currency which will win a tournament, especially as long a one as this.
As far as tomorrow's game is concerned, it may not be do or die for England, but lose, and they will be on a slippery slope. Australia follow, refreshed by a week-long break, on Sunday, and should that not go England's way they are in a situation where they would realistically need to win their last three games. This would be achievable against Bangladesh, and in the last game against a West Indies side which will be out of cotnention by then. The much meatier filling to that flimsy sandwich will be the stumbling block though, in the match-up against South Africa. England have not played them since the winter of 2004-5, and a 5-1 thrashing then reflects the still cavernous gap between the two sides in the shorter form of the game.
A win is what England need from these next two games; just one win, which would be much better achieved at the earlier opportunity, which might give hope of a positive result against Australia, which would all but secure qualification (wow... you can wake up now). Their best chance is to bowl first and take early wickets, exposing the Sri Lankan middle-order, unproven under pressure, to a newer ball. For all the power in the top four, there is a soft underbelly to this Sri Lankan side, especially with Marvan Atapattu kicking his heels on the sidelines. If the new ball bowlers do well, Flintoff and Panesar finish the job and the Sri Lankans are restricted to a manageable total, then that would put England in the run-chase scenario which Pietersen in particular thrives on. Most of all they must nail Jayasuriya early; let him get a flier and he will more than not make you pay for the duration. That is why England must be bold in selecting Anderson's new ball partner (not Mahmood - that would be stupid) and go for Plunkett. As much as he is generous with wides, he has the ability to take key wickets with the new ball, wickets which could win England the game.
Of course the run chase will be no doddle, especially bearing in mind the for of England's top order. Against Ireland, Ed Joyce saw a straight ball dance naked in front of him and still decided to let it go. A second misjudgement, this time of a catch in the field (his second easy drop of the tournament) could see him relegated in favour of Andrew Strauss. Good player that he is, he has no runs (or games) behind him, and is not exactly a one-day player anyway. Don't hold your breath for a change in fortune. We are still waiting for Michael Vaughan to score some runs; sadly, it seems that the cool, calm brain which has so often seen England through in tight corners, falls out of his head when a bat is put in his hand and a set of pajamas handed to him. Someone needs to tell him that it is his job to see off the new ball, and hang around long enough to unleash some of those wonderful cover drives and pull shots, which make him the most pleasing England batsman to watch when on song. Thus far, it has been left to the phlegmatic Collingwood and a slightly pumped-down Kevin Pietersen to shoulder the burden of five, not two. Should the arrogant swagger and busy shuffle be absent from England's innings until the 20th over tomorrow, then there is cause for hope.
Citing complacency as a reason for another sluggish display against Ireland just does not wash; if they cannot raise themselves for a World Cup, even against a lesser team, then what is the point of being there in the first place. The importance of momentum cannot be underestimated. Ricky Ponting knows that; following a painful Ashes defeat, his team won ten out of ten Test Matches in the run up to the next series, and steamrollered England, whose run-in had been beset by injury and poor form. Likewise, following 5 consecutive one-day defeats prior to this tournament, Australia used their group games as a springboard to get themselves back into form and demolish fancied South Africa. They now look as strong as they ever did. England, on the other hand, depsite the scheduling gift of three consecutive easy games have muddled through, doing just enough to avoid embarassment, while never dominating and building confidence. They should be hitting the ground running for tomorrow's big game, yet they approach it in no better shape than they did the first game against New Zealand.
We know that England have it in them to beat anyone on their day; beating Australia in their own backyard proved that (and don't listen to moaning Aussies blithering on about fatigue - England had played a mirror schedule). What is so frustrating is that there is no way of knowing whether they will produce the goods; it is by no means beyond the realms of doubt that James Anderson could wreck the much vaunted Sri Lankan top order and win the game there and then. He has it in him, the ball should swing for him. But that is a possible; Australia know that they will get a fast start; even if Hayden and Gilchrist fall, the runs will keep coming form Ponting, Symonds, Clarke and Hussey. England are dealing in possibles; good enough to win a game, any game indeed, but not the currency which will win a tournament, especially as long a one as this.
As far as tomorrow's game is concerned, it may not be do or die for England, but lose, and they will be on a slippery slope. Australia follow, refreshed by a week-long break, on Sunday, and should that not go England's way they are in a situation where they would realistically need to win their last three games. This would be achievable against Bangladesh, and in the last game against a West Indies side which will be out of cotnention by then. The much meatier filling to that flimsy sandwich will be the stumbling block though, in the match-up against South Africa. England have not played them since the winter of 2004-5, and a 5-1 thrashing then reflects the still cavernous gap between the two sides in the shorter form of the game.
A win is what England need from these next two games; just one win, which would be much better achieved at the earlier opportunity, which might give hope of a positive result against Australia, which would all but secure qualification (wow... you can wake up now). Their best chance is to bowl first and take early wickets, exposing the Sri Lankan middle-order, unproven under pressure, to a newer ball. For all the power in the top four, there is a soft underbelly to this Sri Lankan side, especially with Marvan Atapattu kicking his heels on the sidelines. If the new ball bowlers do well, Flintoff and Panesar finish the job and the Sri Lankans are restricted to a manageable total, then that would put England in the run-chase scenario which Pietersen in particular thrives on. Most of all they must nail Jayasuriya early; let him get a flier and he will more than not make you pay for the duration. That is why England must be bold in selecting Anderson's new ball partner (not Mahmood - that would be stupid) and go for Plunkett. As much as he is generous with wides, he has the ability to take key wickets with the new ball, wickets which could win England the game.
Of course the run chase will be no doddle, especially bearing in mind the for of England's top order. Against Ireland, Ed Joyce saw a straight ball dance naked in front of him and still decided to let it go. A second misjudgement, this time of a catch in the field (his second easy drop of the tournament) could see him relegated in favour of Andrew Strauss. Good player that he is, he has no runs (or games) behind him, and is not exactly a one-day player anyway. Don't hold your breath for a change in fortune. We are still waiting for Michael Vaughan to score some runs; sadly, it seems that the cool, calm brain which has so often seen England through in tight corners, falls out of his head when a bat is put in his hand and a set of pajamas handed to him. Someone needs to tell him that it is his job to see off the new ball, and hang around long enough to unleash some of those wonderful cover drives and pull shots, which make him the most pleasing England batsman to watch when on song. Thus far, it has been left to the phlegmatic Collingwood and a slightly pumped-down Kevin Pietersen to shoulder the burden of five, not two. Should the arrogant swagger and busy shuffle be absent from England's innings until the 20th over tomorrow, then there is cause for hope.
County Preview Part 2
Here is the follow-up on the first divison teams:
Sussex: Champions last year for the second time in 4 years, and once again they will be strong title challengers. The core of the batting remains the same; with the middle order trio of Goodwin, Yardy and Adams expected to provide the main bulk of the runs. Possibly the openers are a weak point, but Richard Montgomerie has years of experience behind him, although his partner, ususally Carl Hopkinson, needs to improve. Down the order Matt Prior will look to build on his 3 centuries last season, although Sussex could be deprived of him, should England find him as the solution to their wicket-keeping woes. The bowling has an even stronger Pakistani tinge to it than usual, with the addition of Saqlain Mushtaq to the returning duo of Mushtaq Ahmed and Rana-Naved, only adding to Sussex's growing reputation as a retirement home for Pakistan's spinners. Should Saqlain display anything like the form he is capable of, the deadly spin twins could wreak havoc. Homegrown seamers James Kirtley and Jason Lewry will augment the seam attack, with both having experienced renaissances of a different kind last year.
Key Man: Goodwin - his heavy run-scoring was integral to both recent championship titles, and Sussex will need the same again if they are to challenge once more. With quality throughout the bowling attack, the slighlty fragile batting is the only real concern, and Goodwin will be the key to allaying those fears.
One to Watch: Luke Wright - A lively seamer who can also hold a bat, he has been knocking around the fringes for a few years now, and will have relatively few chances in view of the very strong frontline bowling. Still, he has enough promise to have been summoned to the England Academy.
How will they fare: If the key trio make the requisite amount of runs, then there is easily enough bowling to blow teams away. Realsitically though, they are at least one good opener away from being a really strong team, and the batting will not stand up in all 16 games.
Lancahire: The squad appears to have depth in all areas, but then this has been the case for a few years now. Chilton and Sutcliffe are not the best opening pair, but they are reliable enough, while the real power lies in the middle order. Lancashire are happy to aknowledge Mal Loye's abiltiy, even if England are not, and veteran Aussie Stuart Law, still amongst the best the county game has to offer, is joined by fellow countryman Brad Hodge, another one the Australian selectors look to have erred in passing over. Luke Sutton is one of the better batsman-keepers around, and the lower order batting is strong, with Glen Chapple and Dominic Cork both capable of first class centuries. Emerging seamer Tom Smith can bat too, and those three will form the basis of the seam attack, although James Anderson and Sajid Mahmood are unlikely to be with England for the whole summer. On its own, the pace bowling would make a good attack, but the trump card will be Muralitharan, in his third spell at the club. Most international batsmen have little idea of how to play him, let alone county ones, and, although he will arrive late, 100 wickets is not beyond him.
Key Man: The rain - easy to call it an excuse, but it is the perennial block on Lancashire's title ambitions. For red rose fans, global warming cannot come fast enough.
One to Watch: Tom Smith - Made his breakthrough last season, keeping hold of the place he earned early season. A seam up medium pacer, he is nevertheless effective, and is a useful lower order hitter. It will be interesting to see which way Lancashire lean should England render Mahmood surplus to requirements.
How will they fare: If this current squad is going to win it, then it had better be soon. Stuart Law and Mal Loye may be performing at near their best now, but they cannot go on forever. With quality performers all the way through the team, they will be one of the hardest teams to beat, and the cutting edge added by Muralithran could be what is needed to unlock the long sought- for prize.
Hampshire: Competitive for the last few seasons, they will be looking to kick on this season and win some silverware. John Crawley should provide a good slug of runs, as he has for the last couple of years, and he will be backed up by Michael Carberry and Michael Lumb, an underachiever at Yorkshire who will be hoping that a change of scenery can help him convert his potential into performance. It is also an important season for Sean Ervine, who had a stinker last year after a great 2005; without an overseas batsman, he will need to step into the role and make some runs. Nic Pothas is Hampshire's Mr.Reliable with both bat and gloves, and should be the core of a strong lower order. Shane Warne will lead the team with his customary vim and agressiveness, and has brought in Stuart Clark, Australia's top performer with the ball in the Ashes, to spearhead the attack. He should find the Rose Bowl pitches to his liking, as will Chris Tremlett if he can stay off the treatment table. Tremlett is seen by some as England's forgotten man, and he bowled like it when given a chance in the CB series; nevertheless, he will remain a threat at county level, even though the rise of Stuart Broad mean that he is not England's only skyscraping bowling option, and his lack of an aggressive fast-bowling temperament to supplement his natural attributes may mean he never makes it for England. James Bruce, who filled in so well last season, will vie with tree surgeon Billy Taylor for the third seamer's slot, whilst Warne takes care of the spin bowling, although Shaun Udal remains as useful back up.
Key Man: Warne - Who else? Few cricketers, having hung up their international boots in a blaze of glory, would be prepared to bring themselves back down to domestic level and slug it out for an entire season, but it shows Warne's love of the game and of Hampshire that he is prepared to fulfil his obligation. It will be no half-hearted effort either; wickets and runs should abound, and if anyone can inspire a team and bring in the crowds, it is Warne.
One to Watch: Chris Benham- young and aggressive, he made an impression last season, contributing some blistering knocks and, with Hampshire's batting by no means a closed shop, he could get a look in.
How will they fare; The bowling has the necessary fire to bowl sides out twice, especially on what remains a slightly suspect home wicket. It will then be down to the batsmen to earn their keep, and put them in positions to win games. They will be contenders, Warne alone will make sure of that, but a title is a lot to ask considering the competition. They might be a good bet in one-day cricket though, especially if Ervine and Mascarenhas fire.
Wawrickshire: Runs were the problem last season, and they will need Jim Troughton and Ian Trott to score heavily if they are to have any chance. They have, however, nabbed a real class act in Kumar Sangakkara as an overseas player. The Sri Lankan batsman-keeper (he may play as a specialist bat) has been a consistent performer for his country over the last few years and, with the decline of Adam Gilchrist, is now arguably the world's best in his field. A considerable contribution from him with the bat will be crucial. The loss of Nick Knight may or may not be compensated for by the acquisition of Darren Maddy. It remains to be seen whether he is still a viable option in the Championship, but he will play a big part in one-day cricket. Heath Streak remains as captain, albeit with his best bowling days behind him, and, for the first time in a long time, Wawrickshire will have Ashley Giles, the new vice-captain, available. The likeable Giles may have become some sort of antichrist in the eyes of England fans, after he delayed Panesar's entry into the Ashes, but his county will be happy to see him back, with the memory of his 27 wickets in April two seasons ago still fresh. The pace bowling back up appears thin, although there is definitely potential; Lee Daggett made some waves last year, and Naqaash Tahir and left-arm swing bowler Adam Shantry are also prospects. South African tearaway Dale Steyn will play for some of the season, although wild and wooly overseas bowlers have not proved that successful in recent years. Just ask Durham about Shaun Tait.
Key Man - Sangakkara: easily the best player in a slightly weak batting order. They will need his runs and hyena-like encouragement in the field.
One to Watch - Navdeep Poonia: An opening batsman, he could get a look in at some point, and has already tasted international cricket with Scotland.
How will they fare - A slightly old team, with the like of Streak, Giles and Dougie Brown (surely in his last season) they do not really have the quality for a title challenge, and relgation is the more likely outcome, although there is reason to worry quite yet. What will weigh them down in the Championship could be to their advantage in one-day cricket, with the collective experience of Maddy, Sangakkara, Streak, Brown and Giles making them a good bet to be successful in the shorter form.
Kent: Mid table last year, with wickets hard to come by, Amjad Khan's 34 the best haul in the championship. His season ending injury on the England A tour will hurt them, although the presence of two bowling all rounders in Andrew Hall and Yasir Arafat should compensate. Old stagers Martin Saggers and Min Patel, a handful of England caps between them, will complete a solid if unspectacular attack. Martin van Jaarsveld, as a Kolpak player, will form the core of the batting, along with Matt Walker who enjoyed a stellar 2006, and Robert Key, who was much less successful last year and appears to have slipped out of England contention. Geraint Jones, discarded by the national side, will be useful if he can get back into form, while Darren Stevens will be looking to go past 1000 runs, as well as chipping with his medium pace.
Key Man - Hall: in the absence of a strike bowler, he will likely open the bowling, and will need to be a constant source of wickets, as well as a useful contributor of runs in the lower-middle order, with his muscular hitting power.
One to Watch - Joe Denly: Following David Fulton's retirement, Kent are short of openers, and 21 year old Denly will be looking to stake his claim. Has represented England at under-19 level, and a bright future could await him.
How will they fare: A slightly workmanlike attack could struggle against the stronger batting line-ups, deprived of its spearhead in Amjad Khan. Nevertheless, the side has a nice balance, with batting all the way down the order, although the key contributions will need to come at the top, especially from the trio of Walker, Van Jaarsveld and Key.
Yorkshire: plunged into the depths of darkness in the winter, after Chris Adams snubbed them, a lot of hard work and wheeling and dealing has meant that they have ended up with a better side than they could have hoped for. Younus Khan, who will be there for the beginning of the season, will be a key cog in the batting, although the responsiblity will not rest exclusively on his shoulders, with the acquisition of South African Jacques Rudolph and the late decision by Anthony McGrath to stay with the club after he had seemed sure to depart. Craig White, probably in his last season, could open, as he did last year, or add solidity to the lower order. If he does open, he will need to dig in, alongside Joe Sayers or Matthew Wood, with the sort of solid starts that were absent last season essential if the strong middle order is to dominate. Wicket-Keeping could be a problem; Gerard Brophy and Simon Guy have both had chances, neither being particularly convincing, although the long term solution is apparent in England under-19 captain Greg Wood. The signings of Khan and Rudolph had already started to imbue fans with confidence, but it was the return of talisman Darren Gough as captain, bringing with him Martyn Moxon and ensuring McGrath's reconcilitation that has created the greatest sense of anticipation. His bowling may be a shadow if its former glory, but he will be an effective one-day performer, and should make up for a possible tactical naivety with his boundless enthusiaism and bottomless self-belief. He will by no means play a lone hand; Jason Gillespie returns to spearhead the attack, looking to build on a somewhat disappointing first season, while Gideon Kruis and Tim Bresnan will complete the pace attack, with Matthew Hoggard also available early doors. The emergence of leg spin duo Adil Rashid and Mark Lawson means that they have the slow bowling covered, although Rashid must guard against second-season blues.
Key Man: Gillespie - The bowling is well stocked, but needs a focal point, which the Australian paceman is best placed to provide. The strength of his back-up means that he can be used in shorter, more attacking bursts, and he should be effective.
One to Watch: The two young leggies of course, but there are also a couple of up and coming batsmen, foremost Adam Lyth, who has scored runs in the second XI, but who may struggle to break into the side with the batting so dense.
How will they do: Strong batting, and good seam and spin options ought to make Yorkshire a team who can do some damage. Some big opening stands from the lesser names could be crucial in setting a platform for the much vaunted middle order to make hay. Gillespie will lead the attack, and Gough (even though he will not play every game) should provide good support, alongside Kruis and Bresnan, with the leg-spinners to come into the picture later on in the season.
Durham: Survived last season by the skin of their teeth, with only captain Dale Benkenstein providing 1000 runs in the Championship. They will again look to him for him to play a strong hand, as well as marshalling the troops well in the field, and contributing the odd wicket with his medium pace. Their poaching of the experienced Michael Di Venuto from Derbyshire should fortify the top order, as a replacement for Glamorgan-bound Jimmy Maher. Gary Scott will hope to establish himself alongside Di Venuto as a successor to long-time servant Jon Lewis, a former captain who retired at the end of last season. Past Benkentein, the middle-order batting is lightweight, (assuming Paul Collingwood's absence on international duty) although Ben Harmison, younger brother of Steve, will hope to win a place, alongside Gordon Muchall, whose excellent start to 2006 rather petered out. Their ability to make big scores could be heavily dependant on how the lower order batting fares, with the foreign legion of Callum Thorp, Ottis Gibson, Gareth Breese and Paul Wiseman all needing to chip in. The bowling is much better provided for, with Harmison leading the attack early season, and for the duration should England not seek his services. Liam Plunkett, likely to be involved in the England ODI setup, and Graham Onions, the next cab off the Riverside fast bowling rank, should provide support when available alongside Thorp and Gibson. Mark Davies, a star in 2005, is also on the comeback trail after an injury wrecked season last year. Wiseman and Breese will provide the spin options, and should have plenty to work with if the pacemen do their job.
Key Man: The Harmison brothers - Steve will need to get back to somewhere near his best and provide a springboard for early season success, while brother Ben must prove his worth in the middle order, and build on a promising debut season.
One to Watch: plenty of young talent, both batsmen and bowlers; keep an eye out for Gary Park, an emerging batsman who can also keep wicket. He may earn an early season berth on the back of a century and half-century which helped keep them up in the crucial showdown with Yorkshire at the climax of last season.
How will they fare; they have enough bowling options to knock over even the strongest batting line-ups, although they will struggle if England deprives them of their strike bowlers. The repsonsibility of making runs largely lies with the captain and overseas opener, although it will be the contribution of the young middle order which will be the key in their Division One survival. It also remains to be seen how much the loss of influential coach Martyn Moxon to Yorkshire will hurt them.
Surrey: The batting is strong, with an experienced core of Butcher, Ramprakash and Brown looking to provide the bulk of the runs. Scott Newman is improving as an opener alongside Jon Batty, one of the best county batsman-keepers, although rarely mentioned in terms of England. The fast bowling is less impressive, despite the overseas trio of Azhar Mahmood, Matt Nicholson and Mohammed Akram and the retirement of Martin Bicknell could hurt them. Nevertheless, the spin back up is strong, with Ian Salisbury having had one of his better seasons last year, alongside Nayan Doshi, arguably the best bowler in 20-20, who chalked up 50 championship wickets in 2006. Waiting in the wings is the forgotten man of English leg-spin Chris Schofield, although the rise of the Yorkshire duo and also Somerset's Michael Munday and Lancashire's Simon Marshall mean that the cupboard is not as bare as it was when he was first on the scene. Rikki Clarke should balance the team, as a batting all-rounder, and the likes of James Benning, a possible future England ODI opener and Stuart Walters will ensure that the first choice XI are kept on their toes.
Key Man: Nicholson - He will not start the season (compatriot Steve Magoffin will cover) but Surrey will be looking for their overseas bowler to spearhead the attack and bring back a return of at least 50 wickets. Bags of experience in the Australian domestic game and a lone Test appearance the best part of a decade ago mean that he has it in him.
One to watch: Rory Hamilton-Brown - a middle order batsman who also bowls off spin, he was due to captain the England under-19 side before injury intervened, and he could get opportunities in the one-day game.
How will they fare: After the embarssment of relegation two years ago, they bounced back in style last season, Mark Ramprakash enjoying an Indian summer to his unfulfilled career. Expect more of the same, along with Butcher and Ali Brown, also in the winter of his playing days. The fast bowling will need to make inroads and give the well-stocked spin attack a foothold.
Worcestershire: Having pipped Essex at the post for promotion last year, 40 year old Graeme Hick, who committed to another year at New Road after flirting with an offer from Derbyshire, has one more chance for glory, 17 years after he last guided them to the Chamionship. It would require Hick to have a season from his 1989 vintage for Woercestershire to have a chance, although he will be well supported by Philip Jaques, by some distance the best overseas batsman over the last couple of years, as well as Vikram Solanki, still good for runs at county level. Elsewhere, Stephen Moore and Ben Smith will be looking to improve on solid but unspectacular efforts in 2006. They have endeavoured to replace Zaheer Khan, who did so well last year, with like for like in the form of Australian left-atm paceman Doug Bollinger, and he will lead the attack along with fellow Aussie Matt Mason and England discard Kabir Ali. Gareth Batty and Ray Price, ineffective last year, will want to have more of an impact and back up the pace trio. Stephen Davies, long since earmarked as the solution to the England wicket-keeping problem, could force the issue with another 1000 run season, if neither Prior or Foster nail down the spot.
Key Man: Jaques - probably first in line to succeed Justin Langer at the top of the Australian order, a chance to impress his national selectors should be the added incenctive needed to propel him to the sort of productive season which Worcs. will need if they are to stay away from the relegation dogfight.
One to Watch: Daryl Mitchell - Deputised effectively when Hick was injured last year, and could find himself in the side if the middle order do not succeed. In what is surely Hick's last year, a successor will need to be found, with Mitchell at the head of the queue.
How will they fare: Some star players, but the back up may let them down, and realistically, they will do well to avoid relegation. Jaques and Hick will be the keys with the bat, while the three seamers will need to bend their backs to get through what are some very strong opposition batting line ups.
Very hard to predict a winner, in what is a strong division. Looking at it now, before a ball has been bowled in anger, you would think that the title is likely to be contested between only three teams - namely Sussex, Lancashire, Hampshire, just as in 2006. However, in practice, it will not all run that smoothly. Surrey and Yorkshire are the jokers in the pack; it is hard to predict how Surrey will go, after they tanked in 2005, and were never really tested last year. Likewise, Yorkshire are packed with international pedigree and experience, alongside some excellent young prospects, but it is impossible to predict how the team, totally remodelled from last season, will gel under the new management.
Lancashire for me; they have the sort of quality from 1-11 to both launch and sustain a title challenge. Should the well-stocked batting make the expected big totals, they have the real ace up the sleeve in Muralitharan to back up an efficient seam attack. The fact that it is probably the last chance for this team might be the added incentive to spur them on; they have waited 70 years to bring the title to Old Trafford. Mess it up this year, and another long wait could be the result.
Sussex: Champions last year for the second time in 4 years, and once again they will be strong title challengers. The core of the batting remains the same; with the middle order trio of Goodwin, Yardy and Adams expected to provide the main bulk of the runs. Possibly the openers are a weak point, but Richard Montgomerie has years of experience behind him, although his partner, ususally Carl Hopkinson, needs to improve. Down the order Matt Prior will look to build on his 3 centuries last season, although Sussex could be deprived of him, should England find him as the solution to their wicket-keeping woes. The bowling has an even stronger Pakistani tinge to it than usual, with the addition of Saqlain Mushtaq to the returning duo of Mushtaq Ahmed and Rana-Naved, only adding to Sussex's growing reputation as a retirement home for Pakistan's spinners. Should Saqlain display anything like the form he is capable of, the deadly spin twins could wreak havoc. Homegrown seamers James Kirtley and Jason Lewry will augment the seam attack, with both having experienced renaissances of a different kind last year.
Key Man: Goodwin - his heavy run-scoring was integral to both recent championship titles, and Sussex will need the same again if they are to challenge once more. With quality throughout the bowling attack, the slighlty fragile batting is the only real concern, and Goodwin will be the key to allaying those fears.
One to Watch: Luke Wright - A lively seamer who can also hold a bat, he has been knocking around the fringes for a few years now, and will have relatively few chances in view of the very strong frontline bowling. Still, he has enough promise to have been summoned to the England Academy.
How will they fare: If the key trio make the requisite amount of runs, then there is easily enough bowling to blow teams away. Realsitically though, they are at least one good opener away from being a really strong team, and the batting will not stand up in all 16 games.
Lancahire: The squad appears to have depth in all areas, but then this has been the case for a few years now. Chilton and Sutcliffe are not the best opening pair, but they are reliable enough, while the real power lies in the middle order. Lancashire are happy to aknowledge Mal Loye's abiltiy, even if England are not, and veteran Aussie Stuart Law, still amongst the best the county game has to offer, is joined by fellow countryman Brad Hodge, another one the Australian selectors look to have erred in passing over. Luke Sutton is one of the better batsman-keepers around, and the lower order batting is strong, with Glen Chapple and Dominic Cork both capable of first class centuries. Emerging seamer Tom Smith can bat too, and those three will form the basis of the seam attack, although James Anderson and Sajid Mahmood are unlikely to be with England for the whole summer. On its own, the pace bowling would make a good attack, but the trump card will be Muralitharan, in his third spell at the club. Most international batsmen have little idea of how to play him, let alone county ones, and, although he will arrive late, 100 wickets is not beyond him.
Key Man: The rain - easy to call it an excuse, but it is the perennial block on Lancashire's title ambitions. For red rose fans, global warming cannot come fast enough.
One to Watch: Tom Smith - Made his breakthrough last season, keeping hold of the place he earned early season. A seam up medium pacer, he is nevertheless effective, and is a useful lower order hitter. It will be interesting to see which way Lancashire lean should England render Mahmood surplus to requirements.
How will they fare: If this current squad is going to win it, then it had better be soon. Stuart Law and Mal Loye may be performing at near their best now, but they cannot go on forever. With quality performers all the way through the team, they will be one of the hardest teams to beat, and the cutting edge added by Muralithran could be what is needed to unlock the long sought- for prize.
Hampshire: Competitive for the last few seasons, they will be looking to kick on this season and win some silverware. John Crawley should provide a good slug of runs, as he has for the last couple of years, and he will be backed up by Michael Carberry and Michael Lumb, an underachiever at Yorkshire who will be hoping that a change of scenery can help him convert his potential into performance. It is also an important season for Sean Ervine, who had a stinker last year after a great 2005; without an overseas batsman, he will need to step into the role and make some runs. Nic Pothas is Hampshire's Mr.Reliable with both bat and gloves, and should be the core of a strong lower order. Shane Warne will lead the team with his customary vim and agressiveness, and has brought in Stuart Clark, Australia's top performer with the ball in the Ashes, to spearhead the attack. He should find the Rose Bowl pitches to his liking, as will Chris Tremlett if he can stay off the treatment table. Tremlett is seen by some as England's forgotten man, and he bowled like it when given a chance in the CB series; nevertheless, he will remain a threat at county level, even though the rise of Stuart Broad mean that he is not England's only skyscraping bowling option, and his lack of an aggressive fast-bowling temperament to supplement his natural attributes may mean he never makes it for England. James Bruce, who filled in so well last season, will vie with tree surgeon Billy Taylor for the third seamer's slot, whilst Warne takes care of the spin bowling, although Shaun Udal remains as useful back up.
Key Man: Warne - Who else? Few cricketers, having hung up their international boots in a blaze of glory, would be prepared to bring themselves back down to domestic level and slug it out for an entire season, but it shows Warne's love of the game and of Hampshire that he is prepared to fulfil his obligation. It will be no half-hearted effort either; wickets and runs should abound, and if anyone can inspire a team and bring in the crowds, it is Warne.
One to Watch: Chris Benham- young and aggressive, he made an impression last season, contributing some blistering knocks and, with Hampshire's batting by no means a closed shop, he could get a look in.
How will they fare; The bowling has the necessary fire to bowl sides out twice, especially on what remains a slightly suspect home wicket. It will then be down to the batsmen to earn their keep, and put them in positions to win games. They will be contenders, Warne alone will make sure of that, but a title is a lot to ask considering the competition. They might be a good bet in one-day cricket though, especially if Ervine and Mascarenhas fire.
Wawrickshire: Runs were the problem last season, and they will need Jim Troughton and Ian Trott to score heavily if they are to have any chance. They have, however, nabbed a real class act in Kumar Sangakkara as an overseas player. The Sri Lankan batsman-keeper (he may play as a specialist bat) has been a consistent performer for his country over the last few years and, with the decline of Adam Gilchrist, is now arguably the world's best in his field. A considerable contribution from him with the bat will be crucial. The loss of Nick Knight may or may not be compensated for by the acquisition of Darren Maddy. It remains to be seen whether he is still a viable option in the Championship, but he will play a big part in one-day cricket. Heath Streak remains as captain, albeit with his best bowling days behind him, and, for the first time in a long time, Wawrickshire will have Ashley Giles, the new vice-captain, available. The likeable Giles may have become some sort of antichrist in the eyes of England fans, after he delayed Panesar's entry into the Ashes, but his county will be happy to see him back, with the memory of his 27 wickets in April two seasons ago still fresh. The pace bowling back up appears thin, although there is definitely potential; Lee Daggett made some waves last year, and Naqaash Tahir and left-arm swing bowler Adam Shantry are also prospects. South African tearaway Dale Steyn will play for some of the season, although wild and wooly overseas bowlers have not proved that successful in recent years. Just ask Durham about Shaun Tait.
Key Man - Sangakkara: easily the best player in a slightly weak batting order. They will need his runs and hyena-like encouragement in the field.
One to Watch - Navdeep Poonia: An opening batsman, he could get a look in at some point, and has already tasted international cricket with Scotland.
How will they fare - A slightly old team, with the like of Streak, Giles and Dougie Brown (surely in his last season) they do not really have the quality for a title challenge, and relgation is the more likely outcome, although there is reason to worry quite yet. What will weigh them down in the Championship could be to their advantage in one-day cricket, with the collective experience of Maddy, Sangakkara, Streak, Brown and Giles making them a good bet to be successful in the shorter form.
Kent: Mid table last year, with wickets hard to come by, Amjad Khan's 34 the best haul in the championship. His season ending injury on the England A tour will hurt them, although the presence of two bowling all rounders in Andrew Hall and Yasir Arafat should compensate. Old stagers Martin Saggers and Min Patel, a handful of England caps between them, will complete a solid if unspectacular attack. Martin van Jaarsveld, as a Kolpak player, will form the core of the batting, along with Matt Walker who enjoyed a stellar 2006, and Robert Key, who was much less successful last year and appears to have slipped out of England contention. Geraint Jones, discarded by the national side, will be useful if he can get back into form, while Darren Stevens will be looking to go past 1000 runs, as well as chipping with his medium pace.
Key Man - Hall: in the absence of a strike bowler, he will likely open the bowling, and will need to be a constant source of wickets, as well as a useful contributor of runs in the lower-middle order, with his muscular hitting power.
One to Watch - Joe Denly: Following David Fulton's retirement, Kent are short of openers, and 21 year old Denly will be looking to stake his claim. Has represented England at under-19 level, and a bright future could await him.
How will they fare: A slightly workmanlike attack could struggle against the stronger batting line-ups, deprived of its spearhead in Amjad Khan. Nevertheless, the side has a nice balance, with batting all the way down the order, although the key contributions will need to come at the top, especially from the trio of Walker, Van Jaarsveld and Key.
Yorkshire: plunged into the depths of darkness in the winter, after Chris Adams snubbed them, a lot of hard work and wheeling and dealing has meant that they have ended up with a better side than they could have hoped for. Younus Khan, who will be there for the beginning of the season, will be a key cog in the batting, although the responsiblity will not rest exclusively on his shoulders, with the acquisition of South African Jacques Rudolph and the late decision by Anthony McGrath to stay with the club after he had seemed sure to depart. Craig White, probably in his last season, could open, as he did last year, or add solidity to the lower order. If he does open, he will need to dig in, alongside Joe Sayers or Matthew Wood, with the sort of solid starts that were absent last season essential if the strong middle order is to dominate. Wicket-Keeping could be a problem; Gerard Brophy and Simon Guy have both had chances, neither being particularly convincing, although the long term solution is apparent in England under-19 captain Greg Wood. The signings of Khan and Rudolph had already started to imbue fans with confidence, but it was the return of talisman Darren Gough as captain, bringing with him Martyn Moxon and ensuring McGrath's reconcilitation that has created the greatest sense of anticipation. His bowling may be a shadow if its former glory, but he will be an effective one-day performer, and should make up for a possible tactical naivety with his boundless enthusiaism and bottomless self-belief. He will by no means play a lone hand; Jason Gillespie returns to spearhead the attack, looking to build on a somewhat disappointing first season, while Gideon Kruis and Tim Bresnan will complete the pace attack, with Matthew Hoggard also available early doors. The emergence of leg spin duo Adil Rashid and Mark Lawson means that they have the slow bowling covered, although Rashid must guard against second-season blues.
Key Man: Gillespie - The bowling is well stocked, but needs a focal point, which the Australian paceman is best placed to provide. The strength of his back-up means that he can be used in shorter, more attacking bursts, and he should be effective.
One to Watch: The two young leggies of course, but there are also a couple of up and coming batsmen, foremost Adam Lyth, who has scored runs in the second XI, but who may struggle to break into the side with the batting so dense.
How will they do: Strong batting, and good seam and spin options ought to make Yorkshire a team who can do some damage. Some big opening stands from the lesser names could be crucial in setting a platform for the much vaunted middle order to make hay. Gillespie will lead the attack, and Gough (even though he will not play every game) should provide good support, alongside Kruis and Bresnan, with the leg-spinners to come into the picture later on in the season.
Durham: Survived last season by the skin of their teeth, with only captain Dale Benkenstein providing 1000 runs in the Championship. They will again look to him for him to play a strong hand, as well as marshalling the troops well in the field, and contributing the odd wicket with his medium pace. Their poaching of the experienced Michael Di Venuto from Derbyshire should fortify the top order, as a replacement for Glamorgan-bound Jimmy Maher. Gary Scott will hope to establish himself alongside Di Venuto as a successor to long-time servant Jon Lewis, a former captain who retired at the end of last season. Past Benkentein, the middle-order batting is lightweight, (assuming Paul Collingwood's absence on international duty) although Ben Harmison, younger brother of Steve, will hope to win a place, alongside Gordon Muchall, whose excellent start to 2006 rather petered out. Their ability to make big scores could be heavily dependant on how the lower order batting fares, with the foreign legion of Callum Thorp, Ottis Gibson, Gareth Breese and Paul Wiseman all needing to chip in. The bowling is much better provided for, with Harmison leading the attack early season, and for the duration should England not seek his services. Liam Plunkett, likely to be involved in the England ODI setup, and Graham Onions, the next cab off the Riverside fast bowling rank, should provide support when available alongside Thorp and Gibson. Mark Davies, a star in 2005, is also on the comeback trail after an injury wrecked season last year. Wiseman and Breese will provide the spin options, and should have plenty to work with if the pacemen do their job.
Key Man: The Harmison brothers - Steve will need to get back to somewhere near his best and provide a springboard for early season success, while brother Ben must prove his worth in the middle order, and build on a promising debut season.
One to Watch: plenty of young talent, both batsmen and bowlers; keep an eye out for Gary Park, an emerging batsman who can also keep wicket. He may earn an early season berth on the back of a century and half-century which helped keep them up in the crucial showdown with Yorkshire at the climax of last season.
How will they fare; they have enough bowling options to knock over even the strongest batting line-ups, although they will struggle if England deprives them of their strike bowlers. The repsonsibility of making runs largely lies with the captain and overseas opener, although it will be the contribution of the young middle order which will be the key in their Division One survival. It also remains to be seen how much the loss of influential coach Martyn Moxon to Yorkshire will hurt them.
Surrey: The batting is strong, with an experienced core of Butcher, Ramprakash and Brown looking to provide the bulk of the runs. Scott Newman is improving as an opener alongside Jon Batty, one of the best county batsman-keepers, although rarely mentioned in terms of England. The fast bowling is less impressive, despite the overseas trio of Azhar Mahmood, Matt Nicholson and Mohammed Akram and the retirement of Martin Bicknell could hurt them. Nevertheless, the spin back up is strong, with Ian Salisbury having had one of his better seasons last year, alongside Nayan Doshi, arguably the best bowler in 20-20, who chalked up 50 championship wickets in 2006. Waiting in the wings is the forgotten man of English leg-spin Chris Schofield, although the rise of the Yorkshire duo and also Somerset's Michael Munday and Lancashire's Simon Marshall mean that the cupboard is not as bare as it was when he was first on the scene. Rikki Clarke should balance the team, as a batting all-rounder, and the likes of James Benning, a possible future England ODI opener and Stuart Walters will ensure that the first choice XI are kept on their toes.
Key Man: Nicholson - He will not start the season (compatriot Steve Magoffin will cover) but Surrey will be looking for their overseas bowler to spearhead the attack and bring back a return of at least 50 wickets. Bags of experience in the Australian domestic game and a lone Test appearance the best part of a decade ago mean that he has it in him.
One to watch: Rory Hamilton-Brown - a middle order batsman who also bowls off spin, he was due to captain the England under-19 side before injury intervened, and he could get opportunities in the one-day game.
How will they fare: After the embarssment of relegation two years ago, they bounced back in style last season, Mark Ramprakash enjoying an Indian summer to his unfulfilled career. Expect more of the same, along with Butcher and Ali Brown, also in the winter of his playing days. The fast bowling will need to make inroads and give the well-stocked spin attack a foothold.
Worcestershire: Having pipped Essex at the post for promotion last year, 40 year old Graeme Hick, who committed to another year at New Road after flirting with an offer from Derbyshire, has one more chance for glory, 17 years after he last guided them to the Chamionship. It would require Hick to have a season from his 1989 vintage for Woercestershire to have a chance, although he will be well supported by Philip Jaques, by some distance the best overseas batsman over the last couple of years, as well as Vikram Solanki, still good for runs at county level. Elsewhere, Stephen Moore and Ben Smith will be looking to improve on solid but unspectacular efforts in 2006. They have endeavoured to replace Zaheer Khan, who did so well last year, with like for like in the form of Australian left-atm paceman Doug Bollinger, and he will lead the attack along with fellow Aussie Matt Mason and England discard Kabir Ali. Gareth Batty and Ray Price, ineffective last year, will want to have more of an impact and back up the pace trio. Stephen Davies, long since earmarked as the solution to the England wicket-keeping problem, could force the issue with another 1000 run season, if neither Prior or Foster nail down the spot.
Key Man: Jaques - probably first in line to succeed Justin Langer at the top of the Australian order, a chance to impress his national selectors should be the added incenctive needed to propel him to the sort of productive season which Worcs. will need if they are to stay away from the relegation dogfight.
One to Watch: Daryl Mitchell - Deputised effectively when Hick was injured last year, and could find himself in the side if the middle order do not succeed. In what is surely Hick's last year, a successor will need to be found, with Mitchell at the head of the queue.
How will they fare: Some star players, but the back up may let them down, and realistically, they will do well to avoid relegation. Jaques and Hick will be the keys with the bat, while the three seamers will need to bend their backs to get through what are some very strong opposition batting line ups.
Very hard to predict a winner, in what is a strong division. Looking at it now, before a ball has been bowled in anger, you would think that the title is likely to be contested between only three teams - namely Sussex, Lancashire, Hampshire, just as in 2006. However, in practice, it will not all run that smoothly. Surrey and Yorkshire are the jokers in the pack; it is hard to predict how Surrey will go, after they tanked in 2005, and were never really tested last year. Likewise, Yorkshire are packed with international pedigree and experience, alongside some excellent young prospects, but it is impossible to predict how the team, totally remodelled from last season, will gel under the new management.
Lancashire for me; they have the sort of quality from 1-11 to both launch and sustain a title challenge. Should the well-stocked batting make the expected big totals, they have the real ace up the sleeve in Muralitharan to back up an efficient seam attack. The fact that it is probably the last chance for this team might be the added incentive to spur them on; they have waited 70 years to bring the title to Old Trafford. Mess it up this year, and another long wait could be the result.
Monday, 2 April 2007
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.
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.
Sunday, 1 April 2007
Last Chance to Dance
After the last two World Cups were hosted by teams which bowed out at the first stage, there wa some relief when West Indies avoided embarassment and progressed. Yet a harsh schedule and bad weather, which saw them play cricket on three consecutive days last week, has them fighting to survive in the match against Sri Lanka today. Lose, and it's goodnight for the team, the captain and probably what little vitality remains in this ill-attended and ill-fortuned tournament.
But as much as it is a do or die for the West Indies, should they prevail, the Sri Lankans will start to look over their shoulders anxiously. Although they carried through points, they were only against Bangladesh, and a loss, more comprehensive than the Malinga-influenced scorecard suggests, against South Africa means that today's game is a must-win if they are to have smooth passage through to the semis. A win today, and another against England on Wednesday would put them in the box seat, but losing today would make the mid-week clash a crucial one for both sides.
The smart money is on Sri Lanka; they still have the most balanced bowling attack - the nous of Vaas, the pace and maverick element of Malinga and the best spin duo. If The West Indies are to pull of a shock , then inevitably it will be down to the star names, although first they need to pick the right team. Forget the extra batsman, they need Taylor and Bradshaw, their best one-day bolwer, spearheading the attack. Gayle needs to lead from the front, and it is time for Sarwan to stand up.
For the sake of the tournament, let's hope for the suprise; it's about time the Caribbean really got involved in this World Cup, and a scintillating display might just bring back the absent fans. It would also open up the semi-final competition: Australia are through, New Zealand all but and South Africa and Sri Lanka should join them, although the Windies have one last chance to make a pitch today. Should they do so, that would open it up for England, who would make it really interesting if they topple Sri Lanka in the week.
But as much as it is a do or die for the West Indies, should they prevail, the Sri Lankans will start to look over their shoulders anxiously. Although they carried through points, they were only against Bangladesh, and a loss, more comprehensive than the Malinga-influenced scorecard suggests, against South Africa means that today's game is a must-win if they are to have smooth passage through to the semis. A win today, and another against England on Wednesday would put them in the box seat, but losing today would make the mid-week clash a crucial one for both sides.
The smart money is on Sri Lanka; they still have the most balanced bowling attack - the nous of Vaas, the pace and maverick element of Malinga and the best spin duo. If The West Indies are to pull of a shock , then inevitably it will be down to the star names, although first they need to pick the right team. Forget the extra batsman, they need Taylor and Bradshaw, their best one-day bolwer, spearheading the attack. Gayle needs to lead from the front, and it is time for Sarwan to stand up.
For the sake of the tournament, let's hope for the suprise; it's about time the Caribbean really got involved in this World Cup, and a scintillating display might just bring back the absent fans. It would also open up the semi-final competition: Australia are through, New Zealand all but and South Africa and Sri Lanka should join them, although the Windies have one last chance to make a pitch today. Should they do so, that would open it up for England, who would make it really interesting if they topple Sri Lanka in the week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)
.jpg)