As ever when the county season is about to begin various player markets get priced up across the two divisions. The markets were a lot later to go up this year hence why this preview is so close to the beginning of the season and sadly there is a lack of firms offering prices this year which has restricted the value but we’ve managed to pick out a number of bets to go at.
Top Batsman
We’ll kick off with the top batsman market, always a competitive heat with the class on show in the top flight and this year is no different with Chris Rogers once again leading the way. He is over at Taunton now so you would think his output would be large but it remains to be seen whether he opens. Either way he’s a little short.
The same can be said for Ian Bell really. Bell’s England career isn’t totally over and we need to remember that before steaming into him at a short price. In fact anyone who is on the England radar we need to tread carefully with because if an England call up doesn’t catch you out a blasted Lions one so easily could.
That takes out the likes of Sam Robson, Alex Lees, James Taylor, Mark Stoneman and even players like Scott Borthwick and Steve Davies. All of those must have chances of call ups this season.
In the end I’m taking two in this market and they are on renowned run machines. The first is the man who led the run scoring in the top flight in 2014. That is Adam Lyth.
Although Lyth is young enough to come again for England I’m not sure he is the next cab back on the rank and that gives me enough encouragement to take him from the off here. Lyth is a real heavy run scorer at this level and the fact Alex Hales seems to be in favour at the minute means we should get close to a full season out of Lyth.
Lyth rammed in nearly 1500 runs in Yorkshire’s title success of 2014 even though he only actually batted in 23 of a possible 32 innings that season. That shows the potential he has at this level and under a solid coach he’ll have had time to clear his head and get stuck in again this season.
Adam Voges has been topping the run charts in Australia for too long now and we’ve seen the impact he has had in his Test match career too where he is bashing in centuries for fun. Voges might be in the twilight of his career but like many Australian batsmen before him he is absolutely flourishing in his 30s.
Voges might miss the odd game as Australia play a Test series in Sri Lanka at the end of July going into August but the Championship has a break around that time so that should in theory work out quite well. Voges will be looking to lead by example at Lord’s, where most overseas players are always inspired to play, and I expect him to continue to churn out the runs for the capital side this year.
Top Bowler
As with the batsman market with the few bookies offering prices there is a bit of a cramped look about the top of the betting. Mark Footitt is the second favourite and based on his Derbyshire exploits you can see why but with the Curran’s around and the likes of Meaker and Dunn when they are fit you would expect Surrey’s wickets to be shared around. Footitt is also on England’s radar too which isn’t ideal.
I would think both Curran brothers are going to be in an England set up of some kind before the summer is out too so that isn’t exactly ideal for betting on them either.
I keep thinking England can’t keep ignoring Chris Rushworth but season on season they do. If he goes ignored again this season then he could easily lead this division a merry dance in terms of the wickets taking but either that potential call up over his shoulders and a really short price where you have no room for injuries or anything I’m happy to look elsewhere.
There are many others to consider here such as Graham Onions, Kyle Jarvis, James Harris, Toby Roland-Jones and Jack Brooks but it is important to get value and a standout player in a bowling attack is helpful too.
That leans me towards Fidel Edwards. The West Indian made a big impression at the Ageas Bowl last season with 45 wickets in eight matches which basically kept Hampshire in the division and with a longer spell signed up for this season he should in theory improve his wicket tally.
Edwards has a slingy action which is tough on any wicket be it the April puddings or the quicker ones later in the summer and he has pace which kills and that is an excellent combination as Mark Footitt has shown in recent times albeit in the second division.
Edwards has true West Indian Test class about him and at 16/1 he’s the one slight piece of value in this market in my eyes.
Top Team Batsman/Bowler
There are a few more markets to get stuck into for the team markets and I’ve picked out four to have a go at beginning with the Top Hampshire Batsman one.
Jimmy Adams is missing the start of the season through injury which looks like it is going to give Tom Alsop the chance to deputise for him and if he goes well from the start I just wonder if Adams will force someone else out of the side when he returns.
Of course Adams, Carberry and James Vince all rate as huge dangers but Alsop has been improving all the time in the second XI and has first level runs under his belt already in pre-season. He’s a massive price, mostly because he is unlikely to play too much but just in case he does impress enough to keep his place I’m happy to chance him in that market.
The Top Lancashire Batsman market is all about Alviro Petersen and that isn’t a huge surprise but anything can happen where he’s concerned. He could get injured, lose form or anything so I’m prepared to take him on with the young and talented Haseeb Hameed.
Hameed is making a decent name for himself at this level already and now that he looks like getting in the first team from the beginning of the season I think he is worth a small bet at a price far too big for someone who has the shirt in his hands for him to keep if he is good enough.
My final team batsman is the Warwickshire market where understandably Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott are the centres of attention. They will undoubtedly score lots of runs this season but at a much bigger price than the two I wonder if Varun Chopra is something of a forgotten man in the field.
I’ve no doubt that captaincy pressures in a side who were ravaged by injuries accounted for Chopra’s rough season last year but with no leadership issues to weigh him down this season he can get back to doing what he is best at – scoring runs.
At his best Chopra is a regular 1000 runs a season man and with his recent drop in form probably enough for him to fall away from the England radar Warwickshire should be seeing the classy opener for the entire season. If they do he can lay down a real challenge to Bell and Trott at a big price.
I’m going with one bowler market too and that is also for Warwickshire. Wickets look like being shared around the dressing room at Edgbaston but I just wonder if Keith Barker isn’t a little overpriced.
He certainly is if he avoids injury that’s for sure. Jeetan Patel took this market down last year with 58 wickets but Barker was only 12 wickets short of that tally despite playing three fewer matches.
Barker isn’t a one season wonder for the Bears either. He took 50 wickets the season before despite missing a game so if he can get on the park for the entire year then this could be the season that he leads the wicket taking for the Bears.
Warwickshire have a seam attack to really roll top orders over and that might mean that Patel doesn’t bowl as frequently as previous seasons which should in theory play into Barker’s hands even more.
Tips
Back A.Lyth Top Division One Batsman (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 21.00 with Stan James (1/4 1-4)
Back A.Voges Top Division One Batsman (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 23.00 with Bet365 (1/4 1-4)
Back him here:
Back T.Alsop Top Hampshire Season Batsman for a 1/10 stake at 29.00 with Betway
WON – Back H.Hameed Top Lancashire Season Batsman for a 1/10 stake at 11.00 with Stan James
Back V.Chopra Top Warwickshire Season Batsman for a 2/10 stake at 7.00 with BetVictor
Back K.Barker Top Warwickshire Season Bowler for a 2/10 stake at 5.00 with Stan James
