After a heavy winter of cricket it is time for the English summer to begin with the County Championship getting underway at the end of the week.
Before we get stuck into the betting side of England’s domestic First-class competition we thought we would produce a county-by-county guide. We’ll begin with Division One.
Durham
Durham will have had high hopes for success of some kind in 2015 but it never really materialised and in the end they had to settle for mid-table in the Championship and a quarter final of the Royal London One Day Cup. England call-ups didn’t help last season and that could be a concern this time around too.
Finances are quite tight at the Riverside so the injury to John Hastings has been a big blow. At the time of writing this guide no replacement has been invested in. With Mark Wood and Ben Stokes likely to be away on England duty for much of the summer a fast start is needed when those two are available if Durham are to avoid the dreaded drop.
Last season: 4th
Overseas Player(s): John Hastings (injured – likely to miss most of the season)
Key Players: Scott Borthwick & Chris Rushworth
One to Watch: Jack Burnham – Excelled for England u19s in the recent World Cup and ready to shine on this stage
Best Odds: 10/1 (General)
Predicted Finishing Position: 7th
Hampshire
The southern county produced a miracle escape to survive in the top flight last season and they will be hoping to make things much easier for themselves this time around. A change of captain brought about the necessary turnaround in results last season and James Vince will continue to lead the side this season.
Hampshire have always been tight on batting quality and while one or two youngsters are starting to push for first team places it was still a surprise to see Sean Terry and Joe Gatting both released. Ryan McLaren has been signed for the whole season which is a boost. He and Fidel Edwards can provide some real pep with the ball.
Ultimately I’m not sure Hampshire have the squad depth with either the bat or the ball to survive another season in the top flight, especially with last year’s unsung hero Gareth Berg out injured for the first two months of the campaign.
Last season: 7th
Overseas Player(s): Ryan McLaren
Key Players: James Vince & Ryan McLaren
One to Watch: Tom Alsop – been on the fringes of the side for a while but the keeper-batsman is ready to make an impact in an aging side
Best Odds: 20/1 (General)
Predicted Finishing Position: 8th
Lancashire
The Red Rose County bounced back into the top flight courtesy of being far too strong for all but Surrey last season and they will be looking to consolidate back in Division One this season before getting back to contending for the title again. Lancashire were buoyed by their win in the NatWest T20 Blast last season and another one day pot could arrive this term.
If Lancashire are to maintain their top flight status then they are going to need their emerging crop of youngsters to make an impact this season. Jimmy Anderson providing a big impact in the early matches he is available for would be a help but the biggest thing will be who can fill the void left by Ashwell Prince’s retirement. He leaves a huge hole.
Last season: 2nd in Division 2
Overseas Player(s): Neil Wagner
Key Players: Alviro Petersen & Kyle Jarvis
One to Watch: Haseeb Hameed has had a taste of first team cricket and has the potential to kick on this season
Best odds: 18/1 (Stan James)
Predicted Finishing Position: 6th
Middlesex
The London side were Yorkshire’s closest challengers in the end last season and will be looking to close the gap further on the White Rose County this season but you suspect there has been a clear move to make themselves better in one day cricket this campaign which could have a detrimental effect on their four day form.
That said in Sam Robson, Dawid Malan, Adam Voges and Nick Compton they have four of the finest batsmen in the division and if Tim Murtagh is around enough and James Harris stays fit they have the bowling attack to cause problems but resources were they to get injuries could be a concern especially with the ball now that the likes of Gurjit Sandhu and Harry Podmore have moved on.
Last season: 2nd
Overseas Player(s): Adam Voges
Key Players: Nick Compton & James Harris
One to Watch: Max Holden – This might not be the year he makes his breakthrough but he is being talked up at close quarters at Lords. Big talent.
Best Odds: 15/2 (General)
Predicted Finishing Position: 3rd
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire threatened to get involved in the title picture in 2015 but just found the going too tough when all was said and done. Their task is to emulate that performance and build on it but they haven’t really strengthened in the winter which would appear to be a concern.
They have had a gun batting line up for a while but it is with the ball that they’ve struggled probably since Andre Adams left and so they will hope the addition of Jackson Bird will help with that. Stuart Broad will be around a bit to begin with this season which is another boost but when they are away you wonder what the Outlaws have left.
Last season: 3rd
Overseas Player(s): Jackson Bird
Key Players: Alex Hales & Samit Patel
One to Watch: Jack Blatherwick – Had a taste of first team action in pre-season and could be called upon if injuries hit the bowling attack
Best Odds: 13/2 (General)
Predicted Finishing Position: 5th
Somerset
The Taunton side have been teetering with the trap door for a season or so now but as yet it hasn’t opened but in a much stronger division this season they will need to make significant improvements to remain with the elite going into next year.
In fairness the addition of Chris Rogers should provide a real solidity to their batting line up and take the pressure off the likes of Marcus Trescothick and Jim Allenby but the real test will come when they have the ball in their hands on flat decks. Bowling sides out at Taunton is an age old problem. Somerset are better at it than they used to be and the likes of the Overton twins and Lewis Gregory are good performers but they need more than just those three.
Last season: 6th
Overseas Player(s): Chris Rogers
Key Players: James Hildreth & Craig Overton
One to Watch: Ryan Davies could be the wicket-keeper Somerset have been looking for since Jos Buttler left and Craig Kieswetter was forced to retire
Best Odds: 20/1 (General)
Predicted Finishing Position: 9th
Surrey
The champions of Division One will be looking to press for the title at the first attempt and they have spent big as you would expect. Bowling Division One sides out on flat decks at The Oval could be an issue but they certainly have the batting power to be more than competitive.
Kumar Sangakkara was already in place to provide expert experience with the bat around a relatively young batting line up and now Ravi Rampaul has come in to add something extra to a young bowling attack. With the Curran brothers a year further on in their development and players like Zafar Ansari and Jason Roy solid players at this level the future looks bright for Surrey although they might need a year to adjust at this level before competing for the big prize.
Last season: 1st in Division 2
Overseas Player(s): Kumar Sangakkara & Aaron Finch (while Sangakkara is at the CPL)
Key Players: Kumar Sangakkara & Zafar Ansari
One to Watch: Sam Curran – Burst onto the scene in a big way last season and could be a special star this term
Best Odds: 10/1 (Ladbrokes)
Predicted Finishing Position: 4th
Warwickshire
After a strong campaign in 2014 things didn’t go as planned for Warwickshire in 2015 and after a bit of a reshuffle they will be looking to get back to competing for trophies again in 2016. Ian Bell has taken over the captaincy and should be around much more this season having lost his England place while Jonathan Trott is always a reliable run getter.
The strength of Warwickshire’s challenge this season will lie in their bowling attack which with Chris Woakes, Boyd Rankin, Keith Barker, Chris Wright and Rikki Clarke matches anything in the country. Bowling sides out shouldn’t be a problem and with that Warwickshire should go very close to another title this season if the weather allows.
Last season: 5th
Overseas Player(s): Jeetan Patel
Key Players: Ian Bell & Rikki Clarke
One to Watch: Josh Poysden – The leg spinner has been in the T20 side for a while but a dry summer could see him make a First-class impact
Best Odds: 7/1 (Bwin)
Predicted Finishing Position: 1st
Yorkshire
The champions of the last two seasons will be bidding for the hat-trick of titles and with the strength in depth they have it isn’t impossible for them to achieve the feat. They were far better than anything the division had to offer 12 months ago but more and more England call ups are starting to arrive which could be their downfall.
The Yorkshire board have done excellent work in getting the classy Kane Williamson back for the some of the season and while he is around David Willey will have a big impact in all formats of the game but an injury to Tim Bresnan isn’t helpful. They could do with Adam Lyth, Gary Ballance and Adil Rashid not getting Test match call ups.
Yorkshire have plenty of strength in depth and their academy is churning out quality cricketers at an amazing rate. Winning this title twice is hard to do it three times would be immense. I think they’ll be there or thereabouts but they might fall one spot short.
Last season: 1st
Overseas Player(s): Kane Williamson (June-18 July), Travis Head (18 July onwards)
Key Players: Adam Lyth & Adil Rashid
One to Watch: Will Rhodes – No newcomer to the scene but could have a real breakthrough season in all formats.
Best Odds: 7/4 (Sportingbet)
Predicted Finishing Position: 2nd
Check back to kevshatsportsbets later in the week for a full betting preview on both County Championship divisions.
