County Championship 2018 preview (part 1)

The 2018 Specsavers County Championship season starts on Friday (13 April) with the visit of Gloucestershire to The Spitfire Ground.

The ECB Reporters’ Network assesses Kent’s opponents in the push for promotion to the top flight.

DERBYSHIRE
Specsavers County Championship: Division 2 (2017 performance – 8th)
Royal London One-Day Cup: North Group (2017 performance – 7th)
Vitality Blast: North Group (2017 performance – quarter-finals)
Captain (s): Billy Godleman , Gary Wilson was T20 captain in 2017.
Coach / Director of Cricket: Kim Barnett (cricket advisor), John Wright (T20 coach), Steve Stubbings (first team coach).

Overseas Players: Duanne Olivier (April-June)

In: Ravi Rampaul, James Kettleborough.

Out: Imran Tahir, Matt Henry, Shiv Thakor, Ben Cotton, Tom Taylor, Greg Cork, Rob Hemmings, Tom Milnes.

Man on a Mission: Hardus Viljoen will be aiming to hit the ground running next month after injuries kept him out for a big chunk of last season.

The South African fast bowler showed why Derbyshire signed him on a three year contract when he took 15 wickets against Sussex at Hove in September, the first player to achieve the feat for the county since 1952.

If the 29-year-old stays fit, his pace and hostility will be a key weapon in both red and white ball cricket.

One to Watch: Duanne Olivier’s pace promises to provide Derbyshire with a menacing new ball attack in the first half of the season.

The 25-year-old already has experience of English conditions having played two Tests for South Africa last summer and he also brings consistency and control in the one-day format.

Derbyshire are hoping his hunger to develop and improve as a cricketer will help them make a strong start to the season.

Local Hero: Alex Hughes enjoyed his best season in 2017 when success in all formats was recognised with the award of his county cap.

The 26-year-old all-rounder is a fine advertisement for the academy system and is looking to play a bigger role as a bowler this summer after making big strides as a batsman last year when he was the county’s leading scorer in first-class matches.

A cricketer who puts team success above personal goals, he is an important part of Derbyshire’s plans going forward.

Prospects for 2018: Although there has already been a setback with the news that Mitchell Santner will be unable to take up his contract as overseas player for the second half of the season because of a knee problem, there are certainly grounds for optimism.

The pace attack should be formidable if Viljoen and Olivier stay fit and with the experience of Tony Palladino and Ravi Rampaul in support, Billy Godleman will have a strong bowling unit to take into the first three months. Will Davis is also looking to build on some promising performances with the new ball at the start of 2017 before injury halted his progress while Alex Hughes and Luis Reece offer further seam options.

Derbyshire are hoping Matt Critchley’s experience with the England Lions will help his development and the return of John Wright as specialist T20 coach has encouraged expectations that the team can reach another quarter-final at least.

Wayne Madsen had an outstanding tournament although the County Championship season was a lean one by his high standards and it is important he resumes normal service this year.

A first four day home win since September 2014 is a priority although performances towards the end of last summer were encouraging and Godleman believes the squad should be better equipped to compete. “On paper, it’s considerably more experienced than it has been over the last three or four years,” he said. “We have a nice blend and balance in the squad.”

DURHAM

Specsavers County Championship: Division 2 (2017 performance 9th)
Royal London One-Day Cup: North Group (2017 performance 5th)
Vitality Blast: North Group (2017 performance 9th)

Captain (s): Paul Collingwood (County Championship) Tom Latham (50 over captain) T20 TBC
Coach / Director of Cricket: Jon Lewis

Overseas Players: Aiden Markram (four CC Matches), Tom Latham, Akshar Patel (last six CC matches)
Ins: Nathan Rimmington, Will Smith
Outs: Paul Coughlin, Keaton Jennings, Graham Onions

Man on a Mission: Cameron Steel – The 22-year-old enjoyed an impressive first season with Durham, with only Paul Collingwood scoring more first-class runs. His tally totalled 899 at an average just over 40, scoring two centuries and four fifties. The highlight of his 2017 campaign was an outstanding knock of 224 against Leicestershire – Steel’s highest career score.

The departure of Jennings has left a void in the batting line-up. It will be up to Steel to maintain the levels he displayed last season to ease the pressure on Collingwood.

One to Watch: Matthew Potts – Durham have a proud history of producing high-quality fast bowlers. The next one off the production line could well be Potts, who burst on to the scene last season. The 19-year-old played five matches, but took 14 wickets and had the knack of striking at crucial times.

His consistent line and length gave even the best of batsmen issues, with Potts notching the crucial scalp of Jacques Rudolph in Durham’s win over Glamorgan at the Riverside.

Injury curtailed his 2017 campaign, and also ruled him out of the ICC Under-19s World Cup, after he had been a regular in England’s team last summer. But should he return fit and firing, he will be a potent weapon in the four-day game.

Local Hero: Paul Collingwood – He remains the heartbeat of the club and continues to perform at a high level even as approaches the age of 42. Collingwood’s leadership was perhaps more vital than ever last term as Durham dealt with the repercussions of ECB sanctions.

He ensured that they remained competitive in all formats, refusing to allow the standards to drop even when at times Durham were fighting a losing battle.

Collingwood surpassed the 1,000-run mark, scoring three centuries in his 14 first-class matches, while he was also just as impressive in the limited-overs formats. Durham must continue to rely on their skipper’s experience as he leads a youthful side in the 2018 campaign.

Prospects for 2018: After entering last season with points deductions in all three formats, Durham have a clean slate for the 2018 campaign. However, Jon Lewis and his team once again must deal with the loss of key players. The departure of Jennings, Onions and Coughlin stripped them of further quality so soon after Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick left the Emirates Riverside.

The signing of Markram will give the impetus in the batting line-up at the start of the campaign, with Latham on international duty with New Zealand. If Markram’s performances are of a similar calibre to those he produced against Australia in a series that will be remembered for very different reasons, Durham will be well placed for the return of Latham.

He was outstanding in his limited action last term and will carry the run-scoring burden. His experience in the 50-over format will ease the pressure on Collingwood.

The Royal London One-Day Cup provides Durham with perhaps their best chance of success. They were Lord’s winners as recently as 2014 and were only denied a passage through to the knockout phase by that two-point deduction. The depth of all-rounders gives them an intriguing edge in the competition.

The 20-over format has not been a strong point for Durham other than their run to the final in 2016. They won three matches last term, finishing bottom of the North Group. So improvement will again be a priority.

GLAMORGAN

Specsavers County Championship—Division2- Last season 7th.
Royal London One Day Cup-South Group- Last season 4th.
Vitality Blast- South Group. Last season, beaten in Semi Final.

Captain (Championship) – Michael Hogan.
One Day Captain – Colin Ingram.
Head Coach – Robert Croft.
Overseas Player – Shaun Marsh.
Out: Jacques Rudolph (retired), William Bragg.

Man on a Mission: Nick Selman. The 22-year-old Australian opener was Glamorgan’s leading run scorer in Championship cricket last season, scoring four centuries. After a successful winter playing grade cricket in Sydney, he has the attributes to improve further and develop into the solid opening batsman that the county have lacked in recent years.

A keen student of the game- last season he sought Steve James’s advice after reading the former Glamorgan and England opener’s book The Art of Centuries – he also played three T20 games, and showed plenty of aggression by scoring 66 from only 42 balls against Somerset.

One to Watch: Lukas Carey. After taking seven wickets against Northants on his Championship debut in 2016, the 20yr old seamer from Pontardulais continued to improve during his second season. A

fter being assessed by ECB’s Geoff Arnold, he spent time at Loughborough during the winter, and much is expected of Carey, who took 35 wickets at 30 last year, and also featured in white ball cricket. He has a good action, is strongly built, and moves the ball sufficiently through the air and off the pitch to trouble top order batsmen.

Local Hero: Colin Ingram. He may be from South Africa – but ask any young supporter “who is your favourite Glamorgan player?” and the reply is always the same.

The hard-hitting left-hander continues to delight young and old with his entertaining approach, and after winning trophies for sixes struck during the past two seasons, they will hope for more of the same – as he leads Glamorgan for the first time in white ball cricket this summer.

Although Ingram will not be playing Championship cricket this year, there will be plenty of opportunities for his fans to watch their hero despatch the white ball into the River Taff.

Prospects for 2018: The emergence of several young players, and the arrival of Shaun Marsh, one of Australia’s most successful batsmen in the winter Ashes series, have renewed hopes of an improved season for Glamorgan.

Marsh, with his sound technique and experience of English (and Welsh) conditions, should stabilize the top order, while his presence in the dressing room and advice to the younger players will be invaluable.

Glamorgan ended last season in style, with a five- wicket victory against Kent – achieved by a team that included six Welsh born players. They confirmed the promise they had shown throughout the season and most of them will start the new campaign in the first eleven.

Nick Selman, the club’s leading scorer in championship cricket last year, and Kiran Carlson, who scored a career best 193 against Gloucestershire, should develop further with Marsh and Chris Cooke providing a solid middle order.

The bowling unit with an established group of seamers, led by Michael Hogan, should again prosper, and if Andrew Salter has benefited from his winter in New Zealand, where he was coached by the former Kiwi Test spinner Jeetan Patel on an ECB Overseas Placement, his off spin will add variety to the attack.

Glamorgan will be hoping to continue the good form they showed in one day cricket, where they narrowly missed qualifying for the latter stages of the Royal London One Day Cup, before reaching the semi- finals of the T20 Blast competition.

With Marsh available for all formats, the omens are favourable for an improved season.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Specsavers County Championship: Division 2 (2017 performance – 6th)
Royal London One-Day Cup: South Group (2017 performance – 7th)
Vitality Blast: South Group (2017 performance – 9th)

Captains: Chris Dent (County Championship and Royal London One-Day Cup)
Michael Klinger (Vitality Blast)

Head Coach: Richard Dawson

Overseas Players: Dan Worrall (County Championship and Royal London One-Day Cup) Andrew Tye (Vitality Blast)

Ins: Ryan Higgins (Middlesex)
Outs: Brandon Gilmour, Patrick Grieshaber, Phil Mustard

Man on a Mission: Chris Dent – Appointed captain for four-day and 50-over cricket by his beloved home county for the first time, the 26-year-old batsman will be desperately keen to make his mark with a successful campaign. A vitally important cog in Gloucestershire’s batting machine, Dent will be determined to contribute big runs while leading the team in a characteristically laid-back style. He has refused to set specific targets, but wants to see progress in all three competitions after a season of under-achievement in 2017. Maybe there will be a wicket or two with his occasional left-arm spin as in previous years to boost the cause.

One to Watch: Dan Worrall – Head coach Richard Dawson is expecting big things of his latest overseas signing, who looks sure to strengthen a pace attack, which relied too much on Liam Norwell in Championship cricket last season. South Australia seamer Worrall, who will also play in the Royal London One-Day Cup, comes highly recommended as a bowler capable of suiting English conditions. He bowls a full length and hits the pitch hard, according to Michael Klinger and Cameron Bancroft, who have played against him back home. At the age of 26, Worrall has six seasons of State cricket under his belt. He finished second leading wicket-taker in the 2015-16 Sheffield Shield with 44 victims and has been making a strong finish to the current Australian season.

Local Hero: James Bracey – Bristol-born and a product of Winterbourne Cricket Club, as well as Gloucestershire’s Academy, the 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman made his Championship debut in the final match of the 2016 season, having already played first class cricket for Loughborough University against Australian Universities. But it was in the last four matches of last summer that left-hander Bracey began to make a significant impact, with scores including 63, 156, 82 not out and 44 in the space of six innings to end the campaign top of the county’s batting averages. The century, in only his fourth Championship appearance, came against Glamorgan at Cardiff and stamped the youngster as an exciting talent.

Prospects for 2018: If new overseas signing Dan Worrall proves a success, Gloucestershire will have a seam attack to more than match most in the Championship Second Division and could prove surprise packets. Liam Norwell claimed 59 wickets in the competition last summer, while Craig Miles can be expected to set up on his tally of 27.

David Payne’s imminent ankle surgery is a concern, while the suspension of off-spinner Jack Taylor from bowling because of a suspect action, which will cover the entire season, is a another blow, but might offer more opportunities to promising Bristol teenager George Drissell, who made his Championship debut against Northamptonshire last season.

New four-day and 50-over captain Chris Dent will need to inspire a batting line-up, which badly missed Michael Klinger, who played only one-day cricket, and the retired Hamish Marshall in 2017.

This summer Klinger will feature in only Vitality Blast and there has to a question-mark over the top order batting in the Championship, which the likes of Benny Howell, Gareth Roderick, James Bracey, Ian Cockbain, Will Tavare and new recruit Ryan Higgins, along with Dent, will be looking to answer.

Worrall will also be central to hopes of success in the Royal London One-Day Cup, which Gloucestershire won only three years ago, while Klinger will shoulder major responsibility for a decent T20 campaign in which Higgins should add some power hitting. A county with a comparatively low budget will again be up against it in all competitions, but in Richard Dawson and Ian Harvey have coaches who will demand high standards and ensure a battling team ethos.