Recent
weeks have seen the usual pre-season news: newly-promoted Worcestershire will
be wearing wetsuits and snorkels thanks to New Road flooding, most of England’s
stars are under orders not to play at all, others are in India to warm the IPL
benches and various overseas internationals have been paid to parachute in for
a few games later in the year. But what impact will these have on the counties’
performances in 2018?
Last
year’s champions Essex were a revelation under coach Chris Silverwood but how will
they cope under his replacement Anthony McGrath? The former Yorkshire captain
has sensibly downplayed expectations but, if Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer
continue to bowl sides out twice, backed by first Peter Siddle then Neil Wagner
and solid batting, they will surely be there or thereabouts come September.
James Foster had been winding down towards retirement but last year’s success
has revived his passion for playing, which can only be a good thing for the
county.
Lancashire
finished a distant second but the arrival of Durham duo Jennings and Onions
will bolster the squad. Liam Livingstone’s improvement with the red ball has
won him the captaincy but Haseeb Hameed could do with rediscovering that early
promise once more. Yorkshire underperformed in 2017, their ageing attack surprisingly
toothless. Ryan Sidebottom has retired but Tim Bresnan trundles on wonderfully and seamer Ben Coad looks to be a real
find after enjoying a breakthrough season. Cheteshwar Pujara should provide
runs alongside Ballance, Lyth, Lees and Leaning, and then Kane Williamson
arrives in July.
Moneybags
Surrey have lost the incomparable Kumar Sangakkara but runs and wickets should
not be a problem. The Curran brothers were less consistent last year despite
Tom’s international debut and for me Surrey’s strengths are not their England
stars; it’s the contributions of Rory Burns, Ben Foakes and the venerable all-rounder
Rikki Clarke which will decide whether they compete for the title.
Hampshire
have struggled in recent summers but Hashim Amla’s early-season signing and Sam
Northeast’s permanent transfer from Kent will boost the middle-order, especially
if James Vince is away on England duty. However, Kyle Abbott apart, I’m not
sure where the wickets will come from.
I
fear for Somerset. We avoided relegation for a point last year by beating
Middlesex in the final match and now Jack Leach has impressed in New Zealand he
could well be absent for long periods, as will Craig Overton. Young spinner Dom
Bess is a potential all-rounder but it is at the top of the order where genuine
problems exist. Marcus Trescothick can’t go on forever and the signing of
Cameron Bancroft which had seemed so promising has bitten us on the bum after his
leading role in the Australia ball-tampering affair. I predict Somerset’s
relegation every year (!) but this year, with wholesale backroom changes, I
think it’s absolutely inevitable.
Nottinghamshire
deservedly bounced straight up from Division Two and surely won’t drop back immediately.
Chris Read has retired but they have signed Sussex veteran Chris Nash and NZ
batsman Ross Taylor for 2018. Paul Coughlin looked a useful recruit from Durham
but a shoulder injury on Lions duty in the Caribbean will delay his debut.
Worcestershire have relied more on their homegrown talent in recent years, and
in the ever-reliable Daryl Mitchell, Brett D’Oliveira and young batsmen Joe
Clarke and Tom Fell, they have plenty of runs in the side. They have also placed
heavy weights on captain Joe Leach’s shoulders, needing his wickets and
late-order runs in the promotion push. Steve Magoffin’s wickets and miserly
economy have been vital to Sussex for several years but, at 38, can he really
be the answer to Worcester’s bowling issues? I think not.
As
for Division Two, I think Middlesex’s promotion is almost a no-brainer, despite
the lack of genuine superstars. Dawid Malan will have captaincy
responsibilities added to his contract, although he will probably feature in
England’s Test plans. Most of the county’s youth potential has grown up now.
Roland-Jones, Rayner, Finn, Simpson and Morgan are all aged 30-odd so need
another crop to step up. Batsmen Gubbins and Eskinazi could do it, while one-time
wonderkid James Harris merits an injury-free season just for a change.
I’m
not convinced Warwickshire are such certainties to bounce back. Their squad is
almost unchanged so, unless the likes of Bell, Barker, Trott and new skipper
Jeetan Patel are all firing at the same time, the squad looks a bit stale and
stodgy. Kent will miss Northeast and surely Darren Stevens can’t continue to dominate
second-tier payers as he scampers towards middle-age! He was incredible last
year and Kent must be wrapping him up in cotton wool.
Jason
Gillespie will need all his powers to build a depleted Sussex side into a First
Division outfit again and Northamptonshire need to improve consistency.
Sanderson and Gleeson are capable of picking up wickets but Rory Kleinveldt’s
all-round contributions will be missing for April. Levi, Duckett, Wakely and
Newton form a useful top order but there’s not much strength in depth.
Glamorgan
must hope their young players like Selman, Salter and Carlsen will continue to
mature, but the overseas/Kolpak contingent of Cooke, Hogan, de Lange and Shaun
Marsh will be vital to the county’s chances of promotion and one-day success. Leicestershire,
Gloucestershire and Derbyshire are bound to struggle, the latter having made a
hefty clear-out. Then there’s Durham. Financial troubles having dumped them in
the second tier after 2016, the Division One vultures have now picked off
almost all their best players, while Jack Burnham is serving a year-long ban
for his coke habit. The former champions are having to start almost from scratch.
I wish them well.
Now for my all-important
(and probably all-wrong) predictions:-
Champions: Essex
or Surrey
Relegated:
Somerset and Worcestershire
Promoted: Middlesex
and Kent
