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Cricket Betting: Northants, Yorkshire and even Glamorgan are worth a shout

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Ed Hawkins assesses the state of play in the domestic scene before play gets underway for the summer

It snowed last week, so up and down the country cricket aficionados began preparing for the new season; dusting off old Wisdens to check the stats, logging on to the net to see which players have moved where and then, of course, looking at the respective Division One and Two markets on Betfair to work out how best to put to use their new-found knowledge.

Sounds simple doesn't it? The reality is somewhat different, however, with the season kicking off on Wednesday. The two championship divisions look tough to call because of the uncertainty surrounding players' availability and the odd disconcerting bucking of a trend.

Many counties will have to wait for their overseas player to turn up after fulfilling their duties in the Indian Premier League - David Hussey's absence could hit Nottinghamshire particularly hard while Hampshire have allowed Dmitri Mascarenhas to play for Rajasthan Royals instead of captaining them.

Throw in some surprising results over the last few years and the waters muddy further. Somerset came from a ninth-placed finish in 2006 to win the Division Two title last year while unfashionable Durham raised eyebrows in not only the four-day game but one-day arena, too.
So to help punters make a decision on the best bets for the summer ahead - bear in mind even at this late stage the Betfair markets could still be considered fledgling - here's a guide to some wagers which should prove profitable.

Lay Lancashire in Division One at [4.6] - [4.8]

While the world spins in new groundbreaking changes virtually every week, it is comforting to think that nothing is ever different at Old Trafford. As usual, Lancashire start the county season as favourites to win the title and as usual they will probably fail. Normally it is the grim Manchester weather that denies them; last year it was just that they weren't good enough. And that with Muttiah Muralitharan in their team. Without him, how can anyone suggest they have possibly improved into title winners? Lancashire have not won the pennant since 1950 - keep waiting chaps.

Back to lay Yorkshire in Division One at [10.0] - [11.0]

Yorkshire have solid title credentials and should go close to glory. A simple way of supporting them could be to back them for a fast start before laying off at skinnier odds. There are solid reasons to do so. Last year they won their first three matches and found themselves as favourites to fly the flag this term before falling away badly. The reason for that was that they boast a fine seam attack who are often too tricky for batsmen in early-season conditions.

Back to lay Glamorgan in Division Two at [32.0]

Okay, you can stop laughing now, this is serious. Granted Glamorgan have finished bottom and second bottom in their last two seasons - winning only three times in that period - and most punters wouldn't touch them with someone else's money. Yet as disconcerting as that form is, let's ignore it. The reason is that the Welsh county have made some terrific signings. Jason Gillespie, Jamie Dalrymple and Matthew Wood are not all talented players but they have the correct attitude to walk into that dressing room, which must have been a depressing place, and really lift it. The feelgood factor and confidence they will give to some talented young players - look out for all-rounder James Harris - makes them good for a couple of early wins. But as soon as that happens, take the money and run.

Back to lay Northamptonshire to win Friends Provident Trophy at [42.0]. With new captain Nicky Boje joining Lance Klusener and Andrew Hall attempting to overturn a ban to join them, it is quite clear that Northants are keen to taste one-day glory. With the talent they have, Northants, who have had decent one-day plans down the years, should make it out of the Midlands and East division by which time they will be considerably shorter.

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