County Cricket Preview
The Cricket World Cup wasn’t enough to rouse this blog from dormancy, but I can’t resist a preview of the new County Cricket season.
Division 1
Nottinghamshire: Their seam attack is getting on a bit, and Broad and Swann are unlikely to be available that much. David Hussey will score plenty of runs but I don’t think they will be as strong as last season. 4th
Somerset: Very strong batting, and with Kirby and Hussain adding depth to the bowling. If not now, then when? 1st
Yorkshire: Batting seriously weakened by Rudolph’s departure, and unlikely Lyth will be as productive as last season. Lots of good bowlers, but Shahzad and Bresnan are likely to play less than the 15 matches they managed between them last season. Mid-table. 5th
Lancashire: Batting last season was held together, just, by Prince and Chanderpaul, so a slight surprise that they go with a bowling all-rounder in Maharoof. Chapple and Keedy will keep on taking wickets, but the batting will have to improve massively. 7th
Durham: Cursed with injuries and inconsistency last season. If they get their best team out this season they will be a force. Paul Collingwood should be able to play a major part this season, which will be a big boost. Hope to see Onions back fully fit. 2nd
Warwickshire: Batting is shite, and Younis Khan’s county record doesn’t suggest he’s the man to salvage it. Bell and Trott will play less than they did last season. Bowling has lost Imran Tahir, and can’t see Neil Carter matching last season’s Indian summer, particularly with injury problems too. If Chris Woakes bowls well, then they’ll probably lose him to England. 8th
Hampshire: If they can get remotely close to their first choice bowling attack on the field, then Hampshire would be fearsome. The odds of Kabir Ali and Simon Jones both being fit simultaneously are slim, but de Wet has come as a Kolpak and in Imran Tahir and the hugely promising Danny Briggs the best spin bowling will be on the south coast. The batting is solid and Johannes Myburgh should make it more so. 3rd but could do better.
Sussex: Won Division 2 at a canter but Collymore, Martin-Jenkins and Arafat took over 120 wickets between them, and they’ve all gone. Amjad Khan is useful (when fit) and Naved-ul-Hasan and then Wayne Parnell are good choices, but those are big shoes to fill. Batting still depends on Murray Goodwin, but he’s 38 now. This season could be a slog. 6th
Worcestershire: Not good enough. Imaginative overseas signings won’t be enough. 9th
