County Cricket / Editor / 17 April 2007 /

Although the eyes of the cricket world are mainly still on the action taking place in the World Cup over in the Caribbean, the domestic English season started last Friday when County Championship winners Sussex met the MCC in the traditional curtain-raiser at Lord's.

This season in Division One Sussex attempt to defend their title against a strong field which includes the likes of Surrey and Lancashire while there are plenty of sides who have aspirations of promotion from Division Two this time around.

Sussex have been transformed into an annual challenger in recent seasons under the effective leadership of Chris Adams, whose flirtation with a move to Yorkshire would have given some people at Hove a scare over the winter.

But he returns to lead a side full of experience and plenty of promise, and more importantly one that doesn't look likely to be disrupted by international calls - their use of overseas players has been expertly done, and with Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq both available for most of this season they will have the best slow-bowling tandem in the game.

Saqlain moves to the coast from Surrey and, when he gets his British passport in early May, will not count as an overseas player, allowing them to field the superb Rana Naved-ul-Hasan as well - he claimed 35 wickets in only six games last season before going down with injury and should be close to 80 this season if he stays fit.

Those three plus the useful quick bowling options of Jason Lewry and Robin Martin-Jenkins should make them a massive threat to bowl teams out, and it is not a surprise to see them among the favourites at 4.7 in the fledgling outright market. The batting line-up is solid, based around Murray Goodwin, a Kolpak player able to play without any overseas restrictions.

The Zimbabwe batsman tallied 1,649 runs last season and with Adams, Michael Yardy and Matt Prior joining him at the top of the line-up, runs should not really be a problem either - Carl Hopkinson is also an up and coming talent and could be their biggest improver and will fill in while Yardy is recovering from his broken hand.

Current Division One favourites at 3.4 are Lancashire, second last season, another side with plenty of strength in depth and with a superb overseas player line-up that sees Brad Hodge and Muttiah Muralitharan return to Old Trafford.

Muralitharan should be available to the Red Rose county for most of the domestic season, and if he has the sort of success he has enjoyed in brief spells before, might even go close to breaking the 100-wicket barrier - although British pitches do not turn a great deal, he is the one spinner who could turn the ball on the most benign of surfaces.

But the likely absence of Andrew Flintoff and one of James Anderson and Sajid Mahmood is going to put pressure on Glenn Chapple and youngster Tom Smith to bowl them to victory, if indeed Smith does not step up to international class himself. Hodge, Stuart Law and Mal Loye should ensure plenty of fireworks when they are batting.

The other main contender for top spot seems to be Hampshire (3.75), one would imagine mainly because of the return of Shane Warne to the Rose Bowl for a full season as he continues to wind down his career towards full retirement.

Warne should take hatfuls of wickets in all phases of the game, and his decision to quit the international arena means he will be around for every game. That decision enthused Australia team-mate Stuart Clark enough for him to also move to the Hawks and the seamer should provide a more than solid second option.

With Chris Tremlett and Dimitri Mascarenhas also excellent bowling options, Hampshire should compete in most games, but there is a nagging worry that their batting options are slightly on the limited side. John Crawley and Michael Lumb are very good players, but the depth is lacking unless young Chris Benham has the breakout season many are expecting of him.

Surrey are the other 'big team' to consider, but there has been plenty of player turnover at the Brit Oval over the off-season and it has to be a worry that they will not have the seam bowling to trouble the better teams unless Matt Nicholson can show some of the form that caused the Lions to add the Australian former Northants veteran, while Steve Magoffin is the big unknown.

They do still have a very good batting line-up, anchored by Mark Ramprakash and Mark Butcher, but it still appears to be one more suited to the one-day game and the 7 on offer in the early market suggests they will be more of a mid-table side in the Championship.

Warwickshire (13.5) should go well, boosted by the arrival of wicket-keeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara and South African duo Dale Steyn and Paul Harris, but losing Ian Bell to England leaves them with a big hole at the top of their line-up and Darren Maddy will have to excel in the longer version of the game to try and make up for that.

Kent (14) appear to have too many holes to compete this season, with Amjad Khan's season-ending injury leaving them a bowler short despite the addition of Yasir Arafat, who did so well for Sussex last season and could challenge for the leading wicket-taker title, at least in the pace ranks.

Yorkshire, despite the return of Darren Gough and Anthony McGrath's decision not to quit, Worcestershire and Durham could well be battling to avoid relegation with the latter especially hit by potential losses to England in Paul Collingwood (certain), Steve Harmison, Graham Onions and Liam Plunkett (all possibles). Mike di Venuto adds power to the batting line-up, but the rest of their talent is limited.

In Division Two Essex are the early 3.75 favourites despite probably losing Alistair Cook and possibly Ravi Bopara to England for much of the summer.

They will have to hope that Cook's absence does not cause too much damage to their line-up as their bowling attack shapes up as being the best in the Division, with Andy Bichel, Andre Nel and Danish Kaneria all highly-regarded international players. They could do with Alex Tudor or James Middlebrook improving their averages from last season to add depth.

The Flower brothers, Andy and Grant, give them a dynamic duo at the top of the order, but with Cook and Bopara possibly missing, they are going to need plenty of runs from Holland all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate if they are to return to the top flight - his first season in the county game was promising enough to suggest he can cope with added responsibility.

Nottinghamshire are their closest challengers in the market at 4.3 although they are going into the season with just one overseas player in Stephen Fleming - he is replaced by David Hussey until the end of the World Cup.

But they have keyed in on making signings from other counties this off-season, and the addition of Bilal Shafayat, Will Jefferson and Mark Wagh gives them an excellent batting line-up that should be strong competition. Charlie Shreck will again be called on to provide most of the wickets in the seam bowling department, and he is one to watch for possible England recognition later in the season.

After that the market is fairly confused, but if there is to be a team to break through this season it could well be Somerset (10) who, if not winning the title, will most likely be the most exciting side to watch.

Marcus Trescothick will be keen to make England's selectors sit up and watch on his return from a stress-related illness, and with Justin Langer and the exciting Cameron White also rejoining the Taunton side, runs should not be a problem. Youngsters James Hildreth and Arul Suppiah should continue their progress and add valuable middle-order support.

If Steffan Jones, re-signed from Derbyshire, can provide a decent third option in their bowling attack behind the reliable Andy Caddick and Charl Willoughby, doubts whether they can dismiss their opposition consistently may be consigned to the waste bin.

Middlesex will also have their supporters despite a dreadful 2006, but they look a very different side with Chaminda Vaas, Tim Murtagh and spinner Murali Kartik expected to provide plenty of wickets. They may struggle with the bat, though, especially if Ed Joyce is needed by England for the summer Tests, and many hopes will be pinned on the exciting Nick Compton, who looks set for a break-out campaign.

Derbyshire should also compete, with Simon Katich joining to replace the departed Di Venuto, but they look short of bowling options unless Boyd Rankin continues his World Cup heroics in his first full domestic season. Meanwhile, it could well be a very long summer for the likes of Northants and Glamorgan, who many pundits believe will be fighting it out for the wooden spoon come September.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>