Mystic Richard’s Division 1 Predictions

As the fat lady limbers up on England’s World Cup “campaign”, the serious business of the Championship is about to start. We already know from my Division 2 predictions that Essex and Notts are going to win promotion. Who will they pass on the way down and who will lift the trophy? Teams, as before, are in reverse order.

9 Worcestershire
Promoted last season but about to find out how much tougher it is in Division 1 than Division 2. Phil Jacques is a proven run scorer, but surely the sands of time must catch up with Graeme Hick soon, leaving Vikram Solanki as the other source of runs. The main source of wickets last year, Zaheer Khan, is not coming back though, so Matt Mason and Kabir Ali need to fill the gap. Gareth Batty still harbours England hopes and at 30 should be approaching his prime as a spinner. Also with England hopes is highly regarded wicketkeeper Steven Davies. However, this year will be a struggle and survival has to be the aim.

8 Kent
Only Matt Walker and Martin van Jaarsveld got a thousand runs last year. Amjad Khan was the leading wicket taker with 34, yet Kent finished fifth, showing the importance of a good all round team effort, and the paucity of the four teams at the bottom of Division 1 last season. The teams that have come up are an improvement and Yorks and Durham look much stronger, so Kent need to improve to keep up their unbroken run in Division 1. This won’t be helped by the injury to Amjad which will rule him out for the season or the delay to Andrew Hall joining the team. In particular, Rob Key had a dreadful season with the bat, but it’s going to take more than his resurgence for Kent not to struggle this year.

7 Warwickshire
Runs were the main problem for Warwickshire, with only Jim Trott and the now retired Nick Knight getting over 600. Kumar Sangakkara should help on this front, bit Darren Maddy looks like a short term solution with one dayers in mind. Warwickshire won’t see much of Ian Bell this year, and it needs to be a big season for Alex Loudon with bat and ball if he wants to get back in to the England reckoning. Heath Streak and Dale Steyn will be a real force with the new ball and the wickets they take should win enough games to see them survive.

6 Durham
Paul Collingwood will be missing, but it is likely that Durham will see more of Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett than they did last season. Add Graham Onions to the list and that is a pretty formidable pace attack. Dale Blenkenstein weighed in with over 1400 runs and if Michael Di Venuto brings his Derbyshire form from last year, then young talent such as Gordon Muchall and Phil Mustard should flourish. They survived by half a point last season. They should be a bit more comfortable this season.

5 Surrey
The great imponderables. If Mark Ramprakash keeps up his form from last season then the rest can go home now. However, Division 1 is tougher than Division 2. Their middle order of Mark Butcher, Ramps and Ali Brown behind an opening pair of Scott Newman and Jon Batty is as good a batting line up as any in the league on paper but youth isn’t on their side and if they do struggle, there isn’t a lot as back-up. However, if Rikki Clarke starts to justify the early promise week in week out with bat and ball, then this team could be challenging for the prize money. The bowling looks much weaker than the batting, with Mo Akram and Azhar Mahmood having little in support. The spin twins of Salisbury and Doshi, backed up by a returning Chris Schofield, will need to match their success of last year or Surrey could end up with a lot of drawn games.

4 Yorkshire
At the start of the year they were certainties for relegation and ninth place. Chris Adams had come and gone. Darren Lehmann had retired, Michael Lumb had gone to Hampshire and Anthony McGrath never wanted to play for Yorkshire again. Then Jacques Rudolph was signed as a Kolpak, Younus Khan was signed as the overseas player, Darren Gough and Martyn Moxon returned as captain and coach respectively and McGrath decided to stay. With Craig White and the promising Joe Sayers, this gives a strong, if untried, batting line-up. And who knows, we may even see Michael Vaughan turning out. Gough, Jason Gillespie, Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan form an experienced, pace attack, backed up by Deon Kruis and a raft of youngsters. The main cause for promise, though is the spin attack with Adil Rashid and Mark Lawson hoping to continue where they left off last season. The lows and highs of the winter have brought a momentum of its own. If that continues, then anything is possible.

3 Sussex
Ironically, the Chris Adams affair may have a greater effect on Sussex than Yorkshire. The Sussex triumph of last season was based largely upon a great team spirit. If times get tough over the season, the effect of the captain trying to leave during the winter may be crucial. Murray Goodwin’s runs will again be crucial in giving Mushtaq Ahmed enough runs to bowl at, and they will also be looking for more runs from their openers, with Chris Nash looking like he’s got the nod over Richard Montgomerie. The loss of Michael Yardy for the start of the season will be a blow and if Matt Prior does get an England call up, his runs will also be difficult to replace. The strength is the bowling attack. James Kirtley and Jason Lewry are still a force at this level and Mushtaq was comfortably the bowler of the English season last year. They will challenge for the title, but will just come up short this year.

2 Lancashire
Like Sussex, the bowling is stronger than the batting, and has been strengthened further by the signing of Muttiah Muralitheran. While James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff likely to be away with England, it would be a surprise if Sajid Mahmood wasn’t available for most of the season to form a pace attack with Dominic Cork, Glen Chapple and the promising Tom Smith. Gary Keedy was tipped by many to be England’s second spinner over the winter and will team up with Murali. The batting doesn’t have the same strength in depth, although with Stuart Law, Brad Hodge and Mal Loye, there should be enough runs scored to make a challenge. However, even if the weather holds off for them, they’re not quite good enough again.

1 Hampshire
Like Sussex the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. But for the feats of Mark Ramprakash, we’d have been talking up the John Crawley revival and with James Adams, Nik Pothas and Michael Carberry, there should be plenty of runs for Shane Warne to play with. In addition to this, Michael Lumb will be looking to recapture the form that got him an A team tour three years ago, moving from Yorkshire. The bowling isn’t just about Warne, with Dimitri Mascarenhas, Chris Tremlett and the newly signed Stuart Clark all likely to contribute in a balanced and potent attack. Third last year, this is likely to be Warne’s last season and no-one in the game (including one IT Botham) has had a better scriptwriter.

Steve Harmison

As the 2007 county season approaches, we will be compiling a list of six men to watch; not necessarily the finest players, but those with particularly significant and interesting seasons ahead.

Steve Harmison (Durham)
After Steve Harmison’s gruesome Ashes tour, he can no longer be considered an automatic Test match selection. On bouncy tracks, like Old Trafford last season, he remains a huge threat. But, since his golden seven months in 2004, Harmison has let England down too often.

Last year, if his 11 wickets at Old Trafford are excluded, Harmison’s average was a pathetic 53. He has all the raw attributes to be a genuine great, but, as epitomised by his ODI retirement just prior to the World Cup, too often seems to lack motivation. He is mentally fragile, susceptible to being targeted and often seemingly resigned to things going against him. In short, he lacks the never-say-die attitude which is a hallmark of many fast-bowling greats.

At 28, Harmison’s career has reached a decisive phase. Should he start the season badly, it is perfectly conceivable England’s Test selectors will have had enough of the enigma. But his dire Ashes series should be notice enough to Harmison that he has many people to convince.

With Simon Jones returning and Liam Plunkett and Stuart Broad exciting many experts, English pace bowling competition will be fierce this summer. On raw ability, Harmison is England’s best fast bowler. But he will need some hostile displays for his beloved Durham to convince the sceptics that he is still worthy of a Test spot.

Mystic Richard’s Division 2 Predictions

The curtain has been raised, Ali Cook has shown Essex what they’re going to miss this season and flush from my successful predictions for the World Cup, I’m putting my neck on the line for the County Championship. Division1 to follow, but here, in reverse order, is my prediction for Div 2.

9 Derbyshire
Mike Di Venuto was their only player to top a thousand runs last season, and he’s not coming back. There is an enormous responsibility on the shoulders of the three Aussies Ian Harvey, Simon Katich and Travis Birt to carry a weak batting line up. The bowling also looks poor with last season’s leading wicket taker, Stefan Jones, also having left. Graeme Welch will have a lot of bowling to do, but the progression of Wayne White and Boyd Rankin should also be watched with an eye on the future. Anything better than bottom should be seen as success.

8 Leicestershire
The loss of Darren Maddy will be difficult to get over, with HD Ackerman and Darren Robinson now heavily relied upon for runs. Jeremy Snape and Paul Nixon will add experience and grit to the middle order, but the bowling looks light, especially if Stuart Broad ends up playing for England for most of the summer. They did well to contend for promotion last season. This season will be a struggle.

7 Glamorgan
A season of change for Glamorgan approaches, not least with the new Sophia Gardens being built. On the pitch, rebuilding is also required and like Leicestershire, they should lose their main strike bowler, Simon Jones, to England for most of the season (if fit). Their bowling will be reliant on David Harrison and the evergreen Robert Croft. Their batting line up looks much stronger, with David Hemp, Jimmy Maher and Michael Powell all capable of big runs. However, it’s the performances of youngsters such as Ben Wright and Huw Waters that will determine the how the future will pan out.

6 Gloucestershire
The loss of Ian Harvey will be a short term blow, particularly in the One Day games, but in Hamish Marshall, Alex Gidman and Craig Spearman, Gloucester have three proven run getters to go with the all round ability of Kadeer Ali and Steve Adshead. On the bowling front, Jon Lewis will be the key man again, with the erratic Steve Kirby in support. Michael Ball’s retirement reduces the slow bowling options somewhat and they need Ian Fisher to contribute more than the meagre ten wickets he managed last season.

5 Northamptonshire
A big turn around last season with David Capel taking over from Kepler Wessels in mid season and should carry on the progression this year. A strong batting line up, with skipper David Sales, Chris Rogers, Usman Afzaal and Lance Klusner all likely to get over a thousand runs. This will also be bolstered by the signing of the Irish wicketkeeper, Niall O’Brien. Top of the bowling averages last year was Monty Panesar, but he won’t be seen much in Northampton this season. “Replacing” him is new signing Richard Dawson who will be looking to recapture the form that got him an England call up. Overall the bowling looks the weak suit, but Northants are an improving team.

4 Somerset
Bottom last year, with only Cameron White scoring over a thousand runs. This year, they will be bolstered by Justin Langer, who scored a triple hundred in one of his two games last season, and Marcus Trescothick, who will surely not be recalled in to the test team without a great deal more cricket under his belt. On the bowling side they look very strong, with the signing of Stefan Jones adding to Charll Willoughby and Andy Caddick meaning that Richard Johnson shouldn’t be missed. The top four in the division will be tight and Somerset will be challenging for promotion.

3 Middlesex
Relegated last season after falling away at the end of the summer, their bowling was hugely reliant on the previously injury prone Chris Silverwood. The return of Richard Johnson and the signing of Chaminda Vaas should take some of the pressure off Silverwood and allow the impressive batting line up to make a challenge for promotion. Andrew Strauss won’t be seen much, but Nick Compton, Ben Smith, Owais Shah and Ed Joyce will all be pushing for international recognition, as will Jamie Dalrymple as England’s second spinner.

2 Essex
On the plus side, the World Cup and the mid season ODI break means that Ali Cook will play a bit more for his county this season. However, that will be at the expense of Ravi Bopara, who has been one of the plusses for England over the winter. The loss of Darren Gough will be a blow to Essex, but with seven players getting more than 20 championship wickets last season and Andre Nel and Danesh Kaneria coming in, bowling teams out shouldn’t be a problem. Likewise, with the Flower brothers, Ronnie Irani and the hugely promising Varun Choppra and Mark Pettini and World Cup star Ryan Ten Doeschate, runs should be plentiful. It’s also a big season for James Foster, with a prospective new England coach to impress. Just short last year – they should go up this year.

1 Nottinghamshire
Champions one year relegated the next. By half a point. They should go back up comfortably as champions this year with David Hussey and Stephen Fleming scoring heavily. A return to form by Jason Gallian would also be welcome although The signing of the highly rated Will Jefferson and Bilal Shafayat will add good support. On the bowling front, they have a balanced attack, led by Ryan Sidebottom and Charlie Shreck, with the evergreen Mark Ealham and Andy Harris and spin from Graeme Swann. Like Foster at Essex, Chris Read may have another England coach to try to impress, and should spend more of the season with England than Notts.

Simon Jones

As the 2007 county season approaches, we will be compiling a list of six men to watch; not necessarily the finest players, but those with particularly significant and interesting seasons ahead.

Simon Jones (Glamorgan)
Everyone knows how good Simon Jones is. He can touch 90mph, he has fire and aggression; and he is a masterful exponent of reverse swing. In the 2005 Ashes, he took 18 wickets at just 21, following on from 15 at 26 in South Africa the previous winter.

The problem is that, at 28, he has still only played 18 Tests. A bowler of his skills is deserving of more than fleeting brilliance; but, alas, he has suffered a number of terrible injuries in his career. Jones revealed the strength of his character by returning better than ever after his horrific injury at The Gabba four years ago; now, after 20 months out of the England side, he must do it all again.

It is no coincidence that England’s form has worsened since. A number of bowlers have been tried in Jones’ place but none have, as yet, really convinced. Sajid Mahmood’s intermittent ability to induce reverse swing has been compared to Jones, but he lacks any semblance of control and too often lacks venom.

England need Jones back in their side, for the variety, dynamism and proven quality. They will watch his progress with Glamorgan with much interest, but will also be aware of the folly of rushing him back too soon. Initial signs have been encouraging; if Jones can work himself back to peak condition, England may well recall him for their second Test series of the summer.

2007 Glamorgan Preview

Darren Gough

As the 2007 county season approaches, we will be compiling a list of six men to watch; not necessarily the finest players, but those with particularly significant and interesting seasons ahead.

Darren Gough (Yorkshire)
Many people expected Darren Gough to retire when, for all his bravado, he was – probably correctly – omitted from England’s World Cup squad. He stalled on a contract offer from Essex before – incredibly – being named new Yorkshire skipper.

With Jacques Rudoph’s signing confirmed and Anthony McGrath opting to stay, Yorkshire, after a highly tumultuous winter, were suddenly all smiles. The failings – and desperation - of appointing a 36-year-old with a suspect knee were badly remarked upon. In reality, Gough will do very well to play in 10 of Yorkshire Championship matches, so either McGrath (who originally rejected the job) or Younis Khan will have to fill-in regularly.

What Gough does have to offer, though, is an infectious love of cricket – particularly Yorkshire cricket – which will be very welcome after a turbulent few seasons. If he can inject a genuine sense of enjoyment and camaraderie, a very talented side should avoid the profound relegation concerns of last season.

As a captain, Gough will surely be instinctive and attacking, for that is how he has always played the game. He has a cannier cricket brain than he lets on, and has vast experience of the county game. But for him to be a success it is essential that his bowling leads by example; if not, his waning on-field powers could undermine his captaincy.

2007 Yorkshire Preview

Ed Smith

As the 2007 county season approaches, we will be compiling a list of six men to watch; not necessarily the finest players, but those with particularly significant and interesting seasons ahead.

Ed Smith (Middlesex)
Ed Smith has had only brief experience leading in county cricket before; in 2004, he filled in while Kent skipper David Fulton was injured. But his relationship with Andrew Symonds was so fractious that the Australian refused to take orders from Smith. It was little surprise when Smith left for Middlesex at the end of the season.

Since joining, Smith’s form has been steady, though he has not been helped by being used both in the middle order and as an opener. But his weight of runs has been nowhere near that of 2003, when he was the first batsman to score 1000 runs and earned his only three England caps.

At 29, Smith, the owner of a punchy and attractive off-drive, knows time is running out on an international recall. But he claims he has more pressing concerns: leading a hugely talented Middlesex side, which he has just been opened captain of, back to the First Division.

Smith will be certainly taken out of his bubble, which may move his game onto the next level. He must use his analytical mind to achieve similar results to another intellectual – Mike Brearley, who lead Middlesex with great success for 11 seasons. He says he shall be an attacking captain who, similar to Michael Vaughan, encourages players to express themselves. If all goes well then – who knows? – Smith may even be considered a potential national skipper when Vaughan retires.

See Tim de Lisle's piece: From reading to leading

This is particularly interesting:

My hunch is that Smith will resurface, as Nasser Hussain did, twice, after three-year spells in the cold. Part of England's undoing in Australia was that they banked on youth in the absence of Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick; they could do with a Mike Hussey or two. And captaincy, which can take a man out of himself and also give him more prominence, could be the catalyst.

Saqlain Mushtaq

As the 2007 county season approaches, we will be compiling a list of six men to watch; not necessarily the finest players, but those with particularly significant and interesting seasons ahead.

Saqlain Mushtaq (Sussex)
Saqlain has had an extraordinary career. He is often acclaimed as the first off-spinner to master the doosra; he has also claimed 496 wickets, and was the fastest ever bowler to reach 100 ODI wickets.

In county cricket, his subtle variations and the desperate unease shown by English batsmen playing spin meant he was undeniably the key man in Surrey’s three County Championship wins of 1999-2002. His brilliance was such that he took 124 first-class wickets from just 19 games during ’99 and 2000 – at an average of 13.

But he over-bowled during his heyday, making him susceptible to injuries and reducing his mystique. Batsmen slowly grew accustomed to his bowling, and began picking his variations more readily. Accordingly, his effectiveness diminished; in ’03, he took 41 wickets for Surrey at 33 and, in his last Test, in March 2004, Sehwag and co plundered him for 204 runs.

He has been a sadly peripheral figure since, after an injury-ruined three years. But he is just 30 – and many spinners have peaked at a later age. Saqlain only needs to look at his compatriot Mushtaq Ahmed for evidence of how cricketing careers can be rejuvenated. If Sussex can reinvigorate Saqlain as they have Mushtaq, the sight of the two Pakistanis whirling away in tandem this campaign will be quite something.

Marcus Trescothick

As the 2007 county season approaches, we will be compiling a list of six men to watch; not necessarily the finest players, but those with particularly significant and interesting seasons ahead. Also keep an eye on King Cricket's list.

Marcus Trescothick (Somerset)
Trescothick’s last year has been extremely traumatic, with twin tour walkouts and an international future looking doubtful in the extreme. But he took out some of his anger on Devon in a pre-season game, plundering a phenomenal 117-ball 256.

While he is said to have been in fine spirits during pre-season training with Somerset, his mental welfare will palpably continue to remain a great concern. Even if he scores bucketfuls of runs, the English selectors will obviously need much convincing that he is in a fit state to return. And, despite his assertions to the contrary, does Trescothick really want to play for England again, considering all the pressures of doing so?

In the meantime, pulverising mediocre county attacks in tranquil surroundings should help Trescothick; hopefully, he will revel in the glorious futility of sport. His opening partner and county captain Justin Langer - whom he will form a potentially superb opening partnershp with - could be crucial in helping him recover his focus.

If anyone doubts how much England need him, they should only see their opening struggles in the Caribbean. But a return is a long way off, and we should just be pleased to see Trescothick enjoy a harmonious and productive county season.

2007 Season Preview: Glamorgan

2006 in a Nutshell:

Next to bottom in Division 2 of the Championship with only victories over Gloucestershire and Derbyshire to cheer about. Overseas players James Franklyn and Australian opener Mark Cosgrove (below) underachieved, with left armer Franklyn rarely seeming to be 100% fit or willing to give 100%. Cosgrove’s explosive early season batting tailed off.

Mark Cosgrove batting versus Ireland early season 2006

A solitary victory over Ireland (what ever happened to them?) in the 50 over group was followed up with a Twenty 20 campaign which started brightly but drizzled out under the Sophia Gardens lights against Gloucestershire. Relegation in the pro 40 was a ‘kick in the teeth’ for the Champions of 2002 and 2004. A tie at home to Durham, caused by Robert Croft failing to run in his bat like every schoolboy should, meant that the last day of the season was spent getting humiliated by Hampshire at the Rose Bowl in the Pro 40 play off live on Sky.

Even the most fervent Welshman was glad to see the back of Glamorgan's 2006 season.

2007 Prospects

Glamorgan face a season of much travel as Sophia Gardens is redeveloped

(http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/search/label/Ashes%202009).

Home games are scheduled for Swansea, Colwyn Bay, Abergavenny, Ebbw Vale and Cresselly in Pembrokeshire (get the sat nav out Surrey fans!)

It is difficult, even for the most optimistic fan, to see anything other than another season of treading water. Seven years of financial losses have meant that the club has no choice but to go down the international cricket road, but that means short term pain before long term gain.

In Division 2 of the Championship, it is difficult to see Glamorgan being near the two promotion spots. Mid table is the best that can be hoped for with batting heavily reliant on David Hemp, Mike Powell and Jimmy Maher. The bowling resources are plentiful but, once Simon Jones is back in the England fold, it is hard to see enough new ball penetration.

The club’s days as ‘white ball’ specialists seem a lot longer than three years ago, but last year’s limited overs failures need to be rectified. On their day, Glamorgan are still an effective one day unit, and could well press for promotion from the Pro 40 Division 2, but being in the semi final spots of the Friends Provident South Division is unlikely.

Twenty 20 may give the club its best chance of brighter days in mid summer. A Leicestershire style ‘team of no stars’, with fast scoring batsman and sprightly fielders, may well be supplemented by a short term overseas signing. Officially, the club are still putting a financial package together to bring over New Zealander Brendan McCullum, who proved such a hit last season.

Batting:

A gloomy Welsh winter contemplating an absence of overseas players for Glamorgan, was turned on its head in early Spring with the news that a generous benefactor (Dr James Hull) was prepared to put up a sizeable sum to bring Australian left hander Jimmy Maher back to the club following a spell at Durham. It transpires that a meeting in a Sydney hotel between the said benefactor, Glamorgan chairman Paul Russell and England assistant coach Matthew Maynard, proved to be the significant event with former Glamorgan hero Maynard stressing the need for a club to have an ‘overseas’ to lift standards.

With Maher unavailable until mid May, a curious sequence of events sees Matthew Elliott (below) return to the club for the first month of the season. In a cricket version of chaos theory, Pakistan’s early exit from the World Cup meant than Younis Khan was available full time for Yorkshire and, hence, they had no room for Elliott. Step forward the daffodil!

Matthew Elliott drives through the covers
for Glamorgan at the Rose Bowl in 2005

With one Australian opening the batting all year, the bulk of the remaining runs will need to come from skipper David Hemp and Mike Powell. On his day Powell is a class act, as exemplified by back to back double centuries in last year’s scorching July heat.

Of the rest, pint sized opener Dan Cherry really needs to nail down a place and can be grateful for some good scores at the tail end of 2006 for a contract extension.

Nicky Peng, recruited from Durham, is in the last year of a two year contract. He looks classy at the crease, but needs a big year, and an improvement on a career batting average of under 24, if he is to continue in the professional game.

Bulky all rounder Ryan Watkins shows much with both bat and ball but will need to prove his worth with at least one facet of his game if he is to fulfill much promise. Much the same can be said of Richard Grant – both in size and ability.

Bowling:

Simon Jones’s return in a pre season friendly at Hove on April 2nd covered more column inches than a whole round of championship matches in some newspapers. Nonetheless, it was a sight for sore Glamorgan and England eyes, and everyone, especially those who witnessed his last breakdown early in 2006, will be keeping everything crossed for him.

Numerically, the club’s seam bowling resources look healthy. Alex Wharf has recovered from injury, and youngsters Huw Waters and James Harris have much promise. Adam Harrison has proved injury prone and needs a good season’s bowling, whilst his older brother David is an effective performer with new ball. Unfortunately, he has come back from an MCC tour of New Zealand with a back injury.

Seasoned spin twins, Robert Croft and left armer Dean Cosker, will be expected to twirl away for many overs. Croft is still probably the best orthodox off spinner in the domestic game and need 52 wickets for a career first class haul of 1,000. Barring injury, he may well achieve this in 2007.

In summary, the bowling seems plentiful but often lacks penetration, and it seems as though the club may, should resources allow, go for an overseas bowler later in the season to supplement the attack, as opposed to another batting option.

Probable Championship side:

Matthew Elliott / Jimmy Maher
Dan Cherry
David Hemp (capt)
Mike Powell
Nicky Peng
Ryan Watkins
Mark Wallace
Robert Croft
Alex Wharf
Simon Jones
David Harrison

That leaves Ben Wright to push Peng hard for a middle order place, with Grant and Mike O’Shea needing to take every opportunity. Bowling wise, left arm spinner Dean Cosker will play more as the season goes on, with the likes of seamers Huw Waters, Adam Harrison and James Harris all likely to feature in preference to journeyman Andrew Davies once injuries and, hopefully for England’s sake, a Test Match recall for Simon Jones happens.

Key Man:

Probably, David Hemp (below). With his Bermudan World Cup exploits now documented for the autobiography, he will need to use all of his experience in his first full year as captain, and that of the seasoned Maher and Croft, to get the best out of several young, talented, but ultimately unproven, cricketers. Furthermore, as the most naturally gifted of the home grown batsman, 1,000 championship runs from the No.3 spot is a minimum.

David Hemp at Taunton in 2006.
He will need to spend plenty of time at the crease in 2007.

Rising Star:

Last year’s prediction of Huw Waters was spot on. Although lacking a yard in pace, Glamorgan have, at last, found a natural successor to Steve Watkin, as shown by a super ‘five-for’ against Somerset in August.

This year, I’m plumping for middle order, right handed batsman Ben Wright. I witnessed a classy 68 not out for England under 19s against their Indian counterparts at Cardiff last July, and Ben followed this up with a 72 on Championship debut versus Gloucestershire in September.

Captain and Coach:

David Hemp took over the reigns towards the end of the 2006 season after veteran off spinner Robert Croft felt as though he could take the side no further.

Hemp led the side to a fine victory over West Indies A at Ebbw Vale as deputy for Croft, but, that apart, is largely unproven as a leader. In a sense, he was the default selection as the ‘next most senior’ home based player. Likely to be a calmer influence than Croft (he’s more Michael Vaughan than Nasser Hussain), the younger members of the squad should relish the opportunity to take more responsibility.

Coaching wise, Glamorgan have opted for promotion from within, probably for financial reasons as much as anything else.

John Derrick’s association with club has ended after nearly twenty years as player, coach, and, last year’s poisoned chalice, Director of Cricket. The post has been discontinued after one year, with Adrian Shaw, wicket keeper in the 1997 Championship season, taking over as first team coach. Former England seamer, stalwart Steve Watkin takes over as Performance Director.

Postscript (9th April 2007)

Simon Jones (below) continued his pre season rehabilitation against Worcestershire at New Road on Easter Monday. In the same game, 'rising star' Ben Wright (see above) hit a superb 86 not out.

Simon Jones 'on his way back',

bowling for Glamorgan on Easter Monday 2007

Schofield back from cricketing oblivion

Chris Schofield, briefly the great English spin hope, will, at least, be playing in county cricket next season. Surrey, whom he served well in the last month of the season, have given him a year’s contract.

Fighting for a county contract represents a huge comedown for Schofield, awarded an England debut and central contract at just 21. But he now has one, after two years of second team games, minor county appearances and unrelenting frustration. His career with Lancashire began enormously promisingly but, by 2004, he had become a number six batsman and very occasional leg-spin bowler.

Though it is clear Schofield has not realised his potential with the ball, he deserves credit for extracting every ounce of talent he has with the bat. Idiosyncratic and innovative, he is really a number seven rather than number six, but his style makes him immensely frustrating for the opposition. His average of 30 in first-class cricket is testament to the fact he can justifiably call himself an all-rounder. Although he has never made a century from 71 games, the 28-year-old scores a fifty in less than every five innings. Indeed, it was his thrilling 95 during Surrey’s incredible end-of-season final day run chase at Gloucestershire (they ultimately held onto a draw at 471-9) that must have been crucial in the board’s decision to award him a contract.

But it is Schofield’s bowling that has let him down. After being picked after just one full seasons for Lancashire, he did not bowl in his first Test, a crushing victory over Zimbabwe. In his second, he contributed a typically unorthodox 57; but his 18 overs were far too inconsistent and went for 73. In international terms, that was that; his unceremonious axing is often given as a reason for his alarming decline.

Yet, ironically, David Lloyd wanted to give him his international debut even earlier. So taken was he by Schofield’s raw talent and sharp turn that he was in favour of giving the player his England debut in the Fifth Test against Australia in 1999, when he had just two first-class appearances to his name.

From then on, his decline has been dramatic. A loss of form and confidence soon became something far more terminal; as the seasons went by, he had to reinvent himself as a batsman who could bowl and, by his final season, his leg-spin had become a non-entity.

Schofield, however, blames the decline on a lack of overs; for a spinner, rhythm is everything, so perhaps he does have a point. Then again, his bowling was fast becoming a liability – could Lancashire be blamed for their reluctance to throw the ball to him?

Although clearly pushed into the international spotlight too soon, it is easy to see why the English selectors, so desperate for their own Shane Warne, decided to select him. For Schofield has an intrinsic grasp of the art of leg-spin, as even Warne has acknowledged; he is an English spinner that genuinely turns the ball. The problem is that Schofield, even in his generally uplifting performances for Surrey to date, bowls too many full tosses and long-hops. Part of Warne’s brilliance, after all, comes in his ability to tie the batsman down.

An international recall – which he professes is still possible – is pure fantasy, but at least a bowler of Schofield’s talent is no longer honing his art in the backwaters of the English game. Admittedly, he will probably start the 2007 campaign as Surrey’s third-choice spinner, behind Nayan Doshi and veteran fellow leg-spinner Ian Salisbury. But his ability with the bat and Surrey’s refreshing willingness to play three spinners means he should have ample opportunity to forget his tumultuous exit from Old Trafford.

2007 Season Preview: Nottinghamshire

Notts fan Jack Richardson assesses the club's chances of success in 2007, as we continue our county previews.

2006 in a Nutshell:
Last season was very disappointing for Nottinghamshire with relegation from the County Championship and the loss of the Twenty20 cup final at Trent Bridge. Despite some brilliant contributions with the ball by Charlie Shreck, the batters underperformed, collecting only 40 batting points. Going down by only ½ a point was frustrating as was that no-ball in the final of the Twenty20 cup. In the one day game Notts are very much an improving side, despite an average finish in the then-named C&G trophy.

2007 Prospects
Batting:
The batting needs to improve and should do with the signings of Will Jefferson, Mark Wagh and Bilal Shafayat. With Stephen Fleming and David Hussey as overseas players, there should be no problem in the middle order, but Jason Gallian’s form was awful last season. Chris Read and the evergreen Mark Ealham are dangerous middle order batsmen in both forms of the game.

Bowling:
The bowling was, on the whole, very good for Notts last season, and hopefully that will continue. With the arrival of Rob Ferley from Kent to bolster the spin attack, and with Shreck, Ryan Sidebottom, And Harris and Mark Ealham as quicks, finding 20 wickets in a four-day game shouldn’t be too difficult.

Probable Championship side:
Gallian
Jefferson
Wagh
Fleming
Hussey
Read
Ealham
Swann
Sidebottom
Harris
Shreck

However, because of the World Cup Fleming won’t arrive until May 23rd, so this may give a chance for Samit Patel to shine.

The one-day team changes basically every match; it could look like

Jefferson
Swann
Fleming
Patel
Hussey
Read
Ealham
Franks
Sidebottom
Harris
Shreck

Key Man:
The key man will probably be David Hussey. Captaining the team until Fleming returns, hopefully he can recapture the same form with the bat he had last season and with Victoria in the winter. He should thrive in Division 2 facing lesser bowling attacks, as Mark Ramprakash did for Surrey last season.

Captain and Coach:
The coach Mick Newell seems a bit of a coward to me, and I am not totally convinced about him. Having been promoted or relegated every season he has been here, I think he is too inconsistent. Fleming is a very fine captain, perhaps the best in the world. It will be interesting to see how Hussey does as captain in the interim.

2007 county previews home

2007 Season Preview: Surrey

2006 in a Nutshell:
Surrey’s chief objective in 2006 was to return to Division One of the County Championship. In that, they succeeded magnificently. Led by the Butcher father-son coaching side, Surrey were a united side once more and, in Mark Ramprakash, had a fantastic batsman in the form of his life. Though Surrey’s first-class form was peerless, their one-day side showed few signs of improvement, subsiding meekly on Twenty20 finals day and doing little of note in the other two competitions. Overall, 2006 was a big step in the right direction.
See the Surrey 2006 Season Review

2007 Prospects
Batting:
Surrey have perhaps the finest first-class batting unit in county cricket; although the bowling in Division One will be more challenging this campaign, they should regularly post scores in excess of 400 in the first innings.

Scott Newman is a fine, burly left-handed stroke maker, but has rather trodden water in the last few campaigns. Last season, he hit 10 Championship scores of 50 but reached only one century. Opening alongside him will be the ever-dependable Jon Batty, mentioned in dispatches as the next England wicket keeper. Surrey’s real strength, though, is at numbers three and four; where former England batsmen Ramprakash and Mark Butcher hit 13 first-class hundreds last campaign. Ramprakash, with his unerring professionalism, exemplary technique and aesthetically pleasing stroke-play, remains the most sought-after wicket on the circuit.

Alistair Brown will continue to attack tiring bowling line-ups in his fearless style, while his heir apparent James Benning will seek to transfer his exhilarating one-day form into the Championship arena, though opportunities will be limited. Rikki Clarke is becoming a very fine batsman, particularly in the four-day game – he averaged 64 last season – while Azhar Mahmood can transform games from number seven. Also look out for the exciting young batting all-rounder Stewart Walters, particularly in the shorter versions of the game. Stolid opener Richard Clinton may feature in first-class cricket.

Bowling:
Spin emerged unexpectedly to the fore last campaign, with Surrey even fielding three spinners at times. Ian Salisbury and Nayan Doshi, bowling leg-spin and left-arm spin, both took at least 50 Championship wickets at 28, benefiting from the spin- conducive Oval rack. Chris Schofield was also awarded a late-season contract and, though his leg-spin remains inconsistent, he did enough to secure a new deal, aided by his useful, if idiosyncratic, batting.

However, seam bowling remains a huge worry, especially with the brilliant Martin Bicknell having retired. Much depends on the returning James Ormond, injured for almost all of last season. He is joined by the Australian Matt Nicholson, who has much experience but averaged only 32 for Northants last season. Surrey fans would have hoped for a more penetrating opening bowler. Pakistani duo Mohammad Akram and all-rounder Mahmood remain horribly unreliable, while Rikki Clarke’s bowling has potential – he can hit 85mph – but only accounted for 18 Championship wickets last campaign. Unless he can improve his bowling significantly, it is hard to envisage him returning to the England side; and, at 25, the time has come for performance to replace potential. With young quick Neil Saker also yet to convince, the fast bowling is patently a major Surrey weakness; if the spinners are unable to match their exploits of ’06, Surrey may have real difficulty collecting 20 wickets.

Probable Championship side:
Newman
Batty
Ramprakash
Butcher
Brown
Clarke
Mahmood
Nicholson
Salisbury
Ormond
Doshi

which leaves Clinton, Benning, Schofield and Akram - who may replace one of the spinners in seaming conditions - in reserve. Benning will replace Newman, or one of the senior batsmen, in the shorter versions of the game.

Overall the side looks good enough to achieve a comfortable Championship position. It perhaps lacks the necessary penetration to mount a genuine title push, unless Ormond, Nicholson and one of the spinners really catch fire, but the batting looks sufficiently strong and deep to allay relegation concerns.

Key Man:
Runs from Ramps are rather taken as a given so, with Surrey’s seam attack such a worry, the onus will fall on the returning Jimmy Ormond. Ormond has had near-constant injury worries of late but he is a tall swing bowler of proven class with over 400 first-class wickets, and two Test caps, to his name. At 29, he is far from over the hill; a reinvigorated Ormond would provide the fast bowling attack with much-needed penetration.

Rising Star:
Alistair Brown’s career is coming to an end but, in 23-year-old James Benning, Surrey have a ready-made replacement. As England’s one-day side stumbled from one humiliation to the next last summer, Benning, on the back of his exhilarating 189* in the C & G Trophy, was mentioned as a potential opener. In the shorter versions of the game, he is rapidly gaining in consistency and reputation. Despite an average of 37, however, he has yet to become a regular in the first-class game.

Captain and Coach:
Having moved away from the disastrous Steve Rixon era, Surrey entrusted their fortunes in the Butchers. They have succeeded in lifting spirits at The Oval, establishing an atmosphere more conducive to success. Thoughts now turn to Championship consolidation, a renewed tilt at the Twenty20 and some sort of improvement in their one-day fortunes.

2007 county previews home

Kirkstall Lane Enders – An everyday story of Yorkshire cricket folk

The story so far
It’s the start of the 2006 season, and Yorkshire are fresh from their promotion of 2005 and ready to start the new season in League 1. However, rumours of unrest abound at the club and one of those leaving is former England pace bowler, Chris Silverwood, to Middlesex. His departure, following the loss of Ryan Sidebottom (to Notts), Darren Gough (to Essex) and Steve Kirby (to Gloucestershire) leaves the club low on pace bowlers. Jason Gillespie is in as an overseas player, and it is hoped that he can replicate his old form, rather than that which we saw in the 2005 Ashes series.

The season starts inauspiciously, with a rain affected draw at Trent Bridge. However, the Notts total of over 400 for 8 is an indication of the struggle to bowl teams out. The frailties in the bowling are matched by those at the top of the order, where Joe Sayers, Matt Wood and Michael Lumb are in appalling form together. The team is thus heavily reliant on Anthony McGrath and Darren Lehmann for runs. The situation is perfectly summed up by the Hants game, where on the back of a McGrath century and a great all round performance by Tim Bresnan in the first innings, we set them over 400 to win, which they never look like not getting, losing only five wickets in the process.

Chris Silverwood then inspires a Middlesex victory, we lose by an innings to Sussex and we’re at the 20:20 stage of the season, rock bottom and we still haven’t taken twenty wickets in a match. All of a sudden, some form is found. We qualify for the 20:20 quarter finals and some confidence is taken from some strong performances. Of particular note is Gerard Brophy, our wicket-keeping pinch hitter, scoring 57 from 18 balls (13 fours) on TV against Derbyshire. Sadly the rain won that one.

The second half of the season begins with Lehmann injured but our first win (at Durham) with Gillespie (finally) and Bresnan both in the wickets and McGrath holding the batting together. Then we see the introduction of possibly the most promising spinner to come out of Yorkshire since Hedley Verity – Adil Rashid. Completely overshadowing Andrew Gale’s maiden century, Rashid ran through the Warwickshire second innings, taking a 6-fer as we won by an innings. Missing the next game, at Hampshire, (on England U19 duty taking an 8-fer and scoring a hundred in the process), his place is taken by another leggie, Mark Lawson, who also obliges with a 6-fer. However, despite Lumb’s ton, Hampshire win comfortably.

Two rain affected draws follow and we’re into the last three games of the season. Still in the relegation zone, we’ve got the three teams who are down there with us to play – Middlesex, Notts and Durham. Silverwood again inspires Middlesex, but Rashid and Lawson take all ten in their second innings, leaving Yorkshire needing 235 on the last day to win with all wickets standing – and it promptly rains all day. However, this result is more of a blow to Middlesex as they end up being relegated.

The game against Notts is the turning point. A White century and Rashid and Lawson getting 14 wickets in the match a win takes us out of the relegation zone and means we only need 10 points against Durham to survive. This is achieved largely through Darren Lehman’s amazing 339 in a total of 677 and then reducing Durham to 191 for 6. The job is done, the foot comes off the gas and Blenkenstein and Gibson put on over 300 for the next wicket, saving Durham and condemning Notts.

The off-season
Just when we thought the season itself was traumatic, the winter begins very badly. Player of the season by a country mile, Darren Lehmann has already announced that he is leaving, and he is followed by the underachieving Michael Lumb (to Hampshire) Also Craig White announces that he doesn’t want to captain the team any more.

Chris Adams is then unveiled as the new Director of Cricket, Coach and Captain, leaving previous coach David Byas to wonder what he is doing there. Byas eventually leaves, but so does Adams, when he realises that Yorkshire is a bit colder than Sussex (or something). Anthony McGrath then announces that he has no intention of ever playing for Yorkshire again. Yorkshire remind him that he’s under contract and the whole thing gets messy.

Into the breach rides the new Chief Executive, Stewart Regan. Not being a huge cricket fan when he started the job, he decided to talk to someone who does know a bit about Yorkshire cricket, and Geoffrey Boycott persuades Younus Khan to come over as the overseas player. His next coup was even greater as Jacques Rudolph decided to give up on South Africa for the next three years and signed as a Kolpak player. Darren Gough was then persuaded back as captain and Anthony McGrath decided that this is a team he can play in again. The final pieces in the jigsaw were the return of Martyn Moxon from Durham as coach and the promotion of Ian Dews from developing the best group of young players we’ve had for quite some time to Head of Cricket Operations.

Prospects for 2007
When I first wrote this in January, I was worried whether we’d get a team out and we were dertainties for relegation. Now it looks like we could be challenging for honours. The team for the first match will be along the lines of:

Craig White
Joe Sayers
Younus Khan – now they’re out of the World Cup
Anthony McGrath
Jacques Rudolph
Adil Rashid
Tim Bresnan
Gerard Brophy
Darren Gough
Jason Gillespie
Matthew Hoggard

which leaves Deon Kruis, Mark Lawson, Andy Gale, Matthew Wood and Simon Guy as cover. Plus some bloke called Vaughan, should he ever get the chance to play for us again.

To my mind, that should be a batting line up to match any in the division, and a bowling attack that has over 700 test wickets between them.

Key Man
Younus and Rudolph have big shoes to fill in replacing the 1700 runs that Lehmann scored. However, the key man is likely to be Tim Bresnan. He tasted the international scene last season, in the chastening series defeat to Sri Lanka, where he did no worse than most. If he wants to maintain that presence in the build up to the next World Cup, he needs a big season with bat and ball. Despite only being 22, he’s been around for years and now needs to kick on.

Rising Star
Jason Gillespie gave an interview saying that it would be wrong to put any pressure on him, but Adil Rashid is the best young cricketer in England. No pressure then!

Rashid is probably the most promising leggie onto the England scene for some time, and his performances with the bat show that he is a genuine all-rounder. However, he needs to be carefully handled to make sure he doesn’t go the same way as Chris Schofield. He toured with England A, but with the success of Monty Panesar in the England team as a genuine attacking spinner, there shouldn’t be the need to rush him further. A season of consolidation will do nicely.

Captain and Coach
Two true Yorkshire legends. Barnsley boys and old friends, Moxon and Gough have already turned the mood of the club round just by turning up. Moxon has a great track record with Durham. Gough should help us to be more competitive in the One Day game and should also be an inspiration to the raft of young fast bowlers who are looking to make the breakthrough. Strangely, and I didn't think I'd be writing this at the start of the year, the future looks bright.

2007 Season Preview: Hampshire

2006 in a Nutshell:

While the 2006 season at the Rose Bowl can not be described as a failure, the dream which all at the club share, winning the County Championship, was not realised. However, a top three finish and an immediate return to the top division of domestic one day cricket were achievements which the club’s faifthful could be rightly proud of. There was though disappointment in the Twenty20 Cup for the second year running, with Hampshire seemingly failing to take the competition seriously, omitting key players from the side. Meanwhile, partly due to the questionable restructuring of the C&G Trophy and murky skies, Hampshire failed to defend their 2005 C&G title. The main failing at Hampshire in 2006 was the batting, as in 2005 and the club have again sort to improve the batting line-up for 2007. Without Chris Tremlett, who has been hampered by injury for the past two seasons, the bowling also lacked fire power, but the addition of Stuart Clark will undoubtedly have county batsman throughout the land quaking in their boots.

2007 Prospects:

Batting:

An area which has drastically improved over the past few seasons, Hampshire now have one of the finest batting line ups in England. The addition of Michael Lumb (who averaged 41.9 last season in the LVCC1) from Yorkshire has improved the middle order no end and he will come in for the outgoing Dominic Thornely, who failed to impress in the County Championship in 2006, with a meagre average of just 34.5. Last year saw the emergence of Jimmy Adams as a good first class opener and his opening partner, Michael Carberry, recently scored a hundred for England A in Bangladesh. John Crawley was the clubs’ stand-out player in 2006 and continues to be dependable at number three. With Kevin Pietersen a rare sight at the Rose Bowl these days, there is a real opportunity for Chris Benham to cement a place in the side. The youngster improved as 2006 progressed, coming to prominence during the club’s 20Twenty campaign and he was particuarly instrumental in the club’s promotion to Division One of the Pro40 competition.

Nic Pothas is always a man for a crisis and along with Crawley he is a key run-getter in the Hampshire side. He will though be looking to improve his one day form and his keeping consistancy in 2007. Sean Ervine was a huge disappointment in 2006, failing to live up to the huge promise that we had witnessed the previous year. A serious knee reconstruction in the close season did not help him, but his failure to score a century in either form all season was a real let down. Hawks’ fans will be hoping that he can rediscover his best form in the coming year. Dimi Mascarenhas was also somewhat of a disappointment in 2006 with the bat in first class cricket, though he picked up his form in the shorter format of the game. Other players who may get a look in this season include the enterprising young Mitchell Stokes and the very promising England U19 youngster, Kevin Latouf.

Bowling:

Hampshire finished last season with the highest number of bowling bonus points out of the 18 first class county sides. However, they did sometimes struggle to finish sides off and missing James Bruce and particularly Chris Tremlett for large chunks of the season, the seam attack often looked gentle and there was a heavy reliance placed upon the allrounders and spinners. The capture of Stuart Clark is a major coup for the club and prospect of Australia’s two finest bowlers during the Ashes bowling in tandom for the Hawks is a mouthwatering one to say the least. Clark impressed in 2005 during a short stint at Middlesex and the club will be hoping that with both he and Warne available for the whole season, the club will be able to capture the County Championship crown, which it so badly yearns for. When the bounce of Chris Tremlett, movement of James Bruce and wiley canniness of Shaun Udal is added in, the bowling looks well equipped to deal with most challenges in all forms of the game. Mascarenhas and Ervine will also play key roles, especially at the Rose Bowl and there will no doubt be a handful of appearances for local tree surgeon Billy Taylor and the emerging left armer, James Tomlinson.

Probable County Championship Team:

JHK Adams
M Carberry
J Crawley
M Lumb
C Benham
N Pothas (wk)
S Ervine
D Mascarenhas
S Warne (c)
C Tremlett
S Clark

Hampshire have a great shot at winning the County Championship and do have the squad power to challenge on all fronts. The focus is clearly on the longer version of the game though.

Key Man:

So many to choose from! It has to be Stuart Clark though. The bowling star of the Ashes will be relied upon by former team mate Shane Warne to lead this Hawks side to the County Championship title and I can not see any other result.

Rising star:

Chris Benham. He exploded on to the scene with a fine series of displays during the clubs traditionally brief 20Twenty Cup challenge. After that he broke into both the one day and first class sides and looked right at home. A naturally aggressive player, Benham is also capable of playing situations and has a solid technique. He has a superb pair of hands in the field and has already drawn high praise from his club captain after a winning knock against Glamorgan at the end of last season, which secured promotion back to Pro40 League One. He has the potential to go far.

Captain & Coach:

What more is there to say about the legend that is Shane Warne. His contract with Hampshire runs for a further two years and he intends to honour it, which is fantastic news for Hawks fans everywhere and the county game in general. Warne has a superb tactical nous and really lifts the other players’ performances through his mere presence. Now retired from the international game, Warne will be able to focus solely on Hampshire and his main ambition, which is to win the County Championship.

Coach Paul Terry shares a good camaraderie with the lads and he likes his side to go out and play aggressive and enterprising cricket, as displayed during the fabulous run chase at Headingly, when over four hundred runs were chased down on the final day to beat Yorkshire.

An exciting season lays ahead.

Chris Pallett

2007 Season Preview: Essex

2006 in a nutshell:
A solid season for the Eagles saw them maintain their ascendancy in one day competitions, but lose out in the end-of-season dust down for promotion from Div 2. Despite a muscular challenge right up until the final game (including a particularly satisfying obliteration of Derbyshire in the season’s penultimate fixture, winning by an inns and 178 runs, losing only three wickets in the process), in the end it was our lack of penetration with the ball – a problem that has limited the club’s Championship aspirations in recent years – that undid us, leaving Worcestershire to claim second spot. Semi-finalists in the Twenty20 and winners of the revised Pro40 one day league, holding onto the National League title won the year before in the old format, allowed for plenty of smiles around the County Ground, and even led to Essex tyro Ravi Bopara snatching a berth in England’s World Cup squad.

2007 prospects:
The main problems encountered by Essex in 2006 stemmed from an inability to consistently bowl teams out, and despite losing Darren Gough back to Yorkshire, increased firepower with the leather sphere has been a number one priority. Danish Kaneria will twirl his way throughout the county season, hopefully with equivalent success to his first spell in Chelmsford, while Andre Nel, and then Andy Bichel, will provide some serious new ball ammunition. County pro Darren Thomas has been recruited from Glamorgan, and if Alex Tudor can continue his rehabilitation and lower his strike rate, we may start knocking teams over, thereby making life a little easier for the batsmen. Promotion has to be the goal, and the prospects don’t look too bad.

Batting:
Some of our batting was of the serene variety last season, with 22 centuries racked up between 11 different players. Mark Pettini was a revelation after moving to the top of the order, and his success led to the displacement and subsequent departure of the once England-touted Will Jefferson. Pettini’s 1,218 Championship runs came at 46, and included a magnificent knock of 208* in the aforementioned thrashing of Derbyshire.

Two other players, the evergreen Andy Flower and trusty ol’ Ronnie Irani, topped a thousand runs, while Ally Cook managed to find the time to cream more than four hundred, including two centuries, in only three matches, when not turning out for England. The only disappointment can be that James Foster’s seven hundred runs at 42 were not enough to force him back into contention as England’s gloveman. Fingers crossed for 2007.

In the short form, Irani and Flower again scored heavily, while Bopara’s 424 runs at 38 included a sparkling 101* from 97 balls against Somerset in the C&G Trophy group stage. In the Twenty20, another accomplished innings of 83 from 46 balls by Bopara saw Essex polish of Surrey under the beating sun at the Brit Oval, as they successfully chased 188, while Ryan ten Doeschate and Irani (again) both averaged over 40 in the competition.

Bowling:
As I’ve alluded to, this was the Eagles’ achilles heel. Only Goughie managed to take more than ten wickets at less than thirty runs apiece, and with his fitness restricting him to a mere seven games, we relied heavily on bit-part contributions. The spinners, Tim Phillips and Jamie Middlebrook, both persevered admirably for their figures of 34 @ 45 and 32 @ 49 respectively, while Andy Bichel’s haul of 32 wickets @ 30.96 over the second half of the season almost dragged us across the finishing line; but sadly an inability to dismiss more than 5 Leicestershire batsmen (and one of them a run out) when chasing 300 on the final day of the Championship (thus forfeiting second place) summed up the state of our attack.

As for encouraging sidelines, well, Mervyn Westfield made his First Class debut, picking up 6 wickets @ 30 in his three appearances, while Tony Palladino produced an impressive analysis of 24.4-6-68-6 against Leicestershire early on in the season, despite us losing the game. In the one day arena, Bopara’s 18 @ 26 must have amplified his shout for an England spot, while young pace prospect Jahid Ahmed claimed 10 wickets @ just 17 in his four matches.

Probable Championship side:
Pettini
Chopra (Cookie when not on England duty)
Bopara
Flower
Irani (capt)
Middlebrook
Foster (wk)
Ten Doeschate
Tudor
Nel/Bichel
Kaneria

Tim Phillips will hopefully get the nod if the wickets are turning, probably in place of Ten Doeschate (one to look out for at the World Cup, playing for the Netherlands), while the one day competitions should allow for plenty of rotation. Graham Napier will have to vastly improve on his 2006 performance with the ball (1 wicket at a cost of 203 runs) to stake a claim for a quick slot in the Championship, and Palladino or Ahmed may be a better bet to come through. Would be good to pluck another diamond batsman from the youth set-up, a la Cook and Bopara, too…

Key Man:
Kaneria. I’m going for the Pakistani leggy because Essex have come to rely on the guile of their spinners more and more in recent seasons, and if the wickets are low and flat, he may be the key to bowling sides out twice, match-after-match-after-match. If he can form something of a partnership with either Jamie Middlebrook or Tim Phillips, and repeat the trick of 2004, when he took 63 wickets @ 25 (the best season’s return by an Essex bowler in the 21^st Century), we might be back in the big time again.

Rising Star(s):
Well, if Bopara’s star hasn’t already peaked, another season of assured batting should see him really make the grade. If he can collect a thousand runs, regulars to the County Ground will be happy. Elsewhere, Varun Chopra should get a sustained chance to impress with the willow. With the ball, Ahmed may be unleashed in the Championship, while the pacy young Mervyn Westfield could be a decent prospect. And keep an eye out for young leg spinner, Risbah Shah, who’s only just turned 15.

Captain and Coach:
Ronnie has shown his nous for several seasons now, and I’m happy that he’ll continue to lead from the front (as long as he’s not crocked!) Mighty Graham Gooch, last seen leading England to beach cricket glory in Aus, should continue to be a source of inspiration to the lads; and after funding several of the squad to go overseas during the close season, we’ll hopefully reap the rewards. A promotion-winning partnership, methinks…

2007 Season Preview: Northamptonshire

In the build-up to the new county season, we are running fans' county previews, beginning with Northants. Do feel free to email one to cricketingworld@hotmail.com, in the same format as the preview below.

2006 in a nutshell:
It was an average season for Northants in 2006, that saw us win only 1 C and G tie early on and some poor championship form gave us a bad start to the season. In June Kelper Wessels got sacked as coach and we never looked back - we qualified for the Twenty20 quarter-finals, came 3rd in the Pro40, and even our championship form picked up. Lance Klusener was our star man, basically running the show.

2007 prospects:
I am hopeful for 2007, we have a good group of players, and, with a fine captain and captain, this may even be the year in which we finally win a trophy.

Batting:
I am disappointed to lose Bilal Shafayat after only 2 years at Northants. He was a key batsmen to us and was averaging nearly 50 in first class games until he had to fill in with the gloves, due to Riki Wessels' injury. We have two good overseas pros this year: Johan Van der Wath (South Africa) and Chris Rogers (Australia). We shouldn’t lose these two to international duty and they could play a key role - Rogers was superb last season hitting two double hundreds and a triple hundred. Meanwhile, Lance Klusener batted exceptionally last season. Uzman Afzaal, Stephen Peters and the reliable Sales should complete the batting order with Wessels or Niall O’Brien in at 5, 6 or 7 with the gloves.

It will be interesting to see who emerges as the regular gloveman; Wessels has done a good job in the last couple of seasons, but O’Brien has international experience and do we let a capped international play 2nd team cricket? Wessels starts as favourite to play because O’Brien was only brought in for cover, but an impressive World Cup could even it out for O’Brien. It is anyone’s guess at this stage who will play. This is a hell of a one-day batting unit and not a bad one in the Championship arena. Rob White will play a part too, mostly in the one-day tournaments in which his huge hitting can be very effective.

Bowling:
A virtually new look bowling line-up all together. Out - Phillips, Nicholson. In - Logan, Browning (youth and 2nd team player), Dawson.

Sadly, it seems Monty Panesar won’t be in the team much more, going on to international hero status. This means we have signed Richard Dawson from Yorkshire as our 2nd spinner - he will certainly play in the majority of games. Richard Logan looks a half-decent signing and I am looking forward to seeing how he does. Browning probably won’t play too much as he is only 18 and will play a lot of 2nd team stuff.
Put these new bowlers with the old Jason Brown, we have a respectable line up, with Van Der Wath opening the bowling and Klusener putting in a few overs.

Probable Championship side:
Peters
Rogers
Afzaal
Sales (capt)
Wessels / O’Brien (wk)
Klusener
Van Der Wath
Wigley/Crook
Logan
Dawson
Brown

With our powerful batting line-up, I feel we have every chance of winning the Pro40 competition. In the Championship, promotion will probably prove elusive, while the Twenty20 is anyone's guess. Considering Northants' penchant for starting the season slowly, though, do not expect much in the C & G Trophy.

Key Man:
Got to be Lance Klusener. He is a legend down here already. Had a great season last season and we are hoping for much of the same. He plays as a batsmen in Championship cricket now, just bowling as a fill-in. He can still hit it a mile when he gets going, although his inconsistency in one-day cricket is slightly frustrating. However when he is at his best in one-day cricket he is a match-winner: last season he almost single-handedly won us a few games, in both formats.

Rising Star:
Tough one. Ryan Nelson looks good at only 19, although I doubt it very much that he will break into the first XI. It will be experiance all the way, much like last season.

Captain and Coach:
Very pleased with the captain, David Sales, who is in his benefit year. He is a top batsmen and a good captain, can’t ask for any more than that. David Capel took over for the last third of 2006 and you can’t fault him. Our form went up and he gets on well with the boys. A million times better than Wessels.

The Overseas Dilemma

The ECB this week took the decision to restrict the number of overseas players back to just one per county side from the 2008 season onwards. This is a good move by the ECB and is part of a two-pronged strategy to increase opportunities for English youngsters in our domestic game.

When the overseas player quota was increased to two a few years back the underlying theory was to increase the quality of the domestic game for the spectator and provide the young English talent coming through with more experienced overseas professionals to learn from.

Unfortunately though, there has proven to be a lack of overseas players willing or indeed able to devote their time to English domestic cricket. A pertinent example of this declining quality would be Dan Cullen at Somerset, who despite his potential, has failed to live up to his reputation as Australia’s answer to replacing Shane Warne. He was in fact discarded from the Somerset team after only a handful of unsuccessful appearances, for which he collected a hefty pay packet.

The desired quality of overseas player is simply not sustainable throughout the two tiers of top-flight English domestic cricket. There basically are not enough quality overseas professionals to go around and the resulting average-to-good overseas players found in many sides simply take up a position in the team which could otherwise be filled with young English talent, at lesser financial cost.

In Hampshire’s current match with Kent, Dominic Thornely, though contributing well, is in the team at the expense of the emerging Chris Benham who has shown potential to succeed at First Class level. It ultimately comes down to obtaining a comfortable balance between success and opportunity though. Benham still gets opportunities in Hampshire’s team and Thornely brings some additional success with the ball and his speed of scoring.

However, it is very doubtful as to whether Thornely will still be at the club next year and this proves to be the pet peeve of many a supporter and veteran of the county circuit. Why develop a good, but not outstanding overseas player, who will not be here next year, when you can develop one of your own for less?

Supporters like to know that their players are committed to their clubs, but it is hard to claim commitment and attachment when a player spends only one season at a club. This is not to question the determination and effort put in by overseas players who spend just one season at their chosen counties. However, players like Shane Warne, Stephen Fleming, Mushtaq Ahmed and a host of others, who are contracted to their clubs on a long term basis and even Captain them, are naturally more committed to that clubs long term success and the development of the players they play with. The quality of these players is also second to none.

Reverting to the old system of having one overseas player per county side will prove beneficial for our domestic game in the long run. An experienced professional will still be on hand to attract the crowds and nurture our youth at each county and there will be more quality overseas players to go around, enhancing the quality of overseas player at each club and therefore the impact of that player on the county and its accompanying players. Meanwhile, our youngsters will get more opportunities to develop in the bread and butter game that is county cricket.

The second part of the two-pronged strategy was revealed last year, with the announcement that the ECB would be attempting to curtail the number of Kolpak players playing in our domestic game. Kolpak players are players of a foreign nationality who are though recognised as domestic players and not therefore subject to the overseas restrictions. They become Kolpak players by either holding an EU passport, or by living in a country which has an associate agreement with the EU, providing the player in question has not played for their “home” nation within the last twelve months.

Although European Law prevents restrictions on Kolpak players, there is nothing to stop the introduction of financial penalties payable by clubs who play them. The ruling brought in by the ECB states that nine English qualified players must be fielded in every game, or each team will be obliged to pay a fee for each non-England qualified player in excess of the two allowed per game.

The financial penalties came into effect this year but the fees are currently insignificantly small and so clubs have continued to play their Kolpak players. However, from next season, 2007, the fees will start to increase to £1000 per player per First Class game and £250 per player per List A game. The penalties will rise again for the 2008 season.

Therefore, by 2008, counties, under the current plan, will be able to field one overseas player and one Kolpak player in their sides. They will then have to pay significant and unsustainable amounts of money to field anymore Kolpak players in their sides, hopefully ensuring that at least nine England qualified players will take to the field for each domestic game and also ensuring a higher class of Kolpak player. Some will still question the wisdom of having Kolpak players in our domestic game, yet this has benefits as well as drawbacks.

The benefits are that these rules will still allow players like Kevin Pietersen, Sean Ervine and Jonathan Trott to come to England and play out a four year residency period so that we can reap the benefits of playing these players in our international team, as some have the quality and commitment to succeed, as Pietersen has shown. These rules will also still allow unfortunate players, who are victims of circumstance, to continue their careers in county cricket so that they don't disappear into obscurity, the Flower brothers being obvious recent examples.

This new system will work well. Kolpak players will not be priced out of qualifying through residency to play for our country if they desire to do so and are good enough. Quality players who can not play in their own countries because of unfortunate circumstances can still wow the crowds in England and boost quality here. Finally, there will be more opportunities for our own youth players, who will still have the opportunity to learn from an experienced and quality overseas player. Of course counties will not be obliged to have more than one non-England qualified player, or any in fact, but the opportunity will still exist to harness this imported talent which can improve our national team and national game.

Chris Pallett