ESPNcricinfo previews the chances of all nine Division One teams
Alan Gardner, Alex Winter and David Hopps11-Apr-2015Last season
IN:
OUT: Azeem Rafiq (released)
OVERSEAS: Cheteshwar Pujara, Aaron Finch, Kane Williamson, Glenn Maxwell2014 in a nutshell
Yorkshire’s first Championship win for 13 years was not just an uncommonly successful season, it became an assertion of all that was right in Yorkshire cricket. It would be a strange world if Yorkshire responded to success modestly, some might carp, but the praise was universal and made for good reason. Yorkshire’s production line of homegrown players, and the pride they displayed in the county, showed county cricket at its best in an era of convenience when too often counties mask shortcomings with short-term Kolpak signings and the public has become dangerously disengaged with county cricket. Not that Kolpaks could be easily discussed in 2014: Andrew Gale did just that in a Roses skirmish with Ashwell Prince and found himself banned by the ECB from lifting the Championship trophy at Trent Bridge.2015 prospects
Six players in the England party to tour the West Indies – a tour scheduled for the first month of the season in another ECB-approved kick in the teeth for county cricket – and the captain, Gale, competing his ban, will be missing for the opening game. It says much for the respect for Yorkshire’s strength in depth that with Root, Balance, Lyth, Bairstow, Rashid, Plunkett all missing the question is whether Yorkshire can realistically retain the Championship, not whether they will be threatened by relegation. Glenn Maxwell’s IPL deal, too, has been undermined by his call up for an Australia A tour of India in July. That Yorkshire’s academy players will be severely tested can be taken for granted.The depth of Yorkshire’s squad will be severely tested this season with so many England call-ups•PA Photos Power brokers
Andrew Gale is a straightforward captain with a pride in the White Rose cap and he is not the first Yorkshire cricketer to come into conflict with mealy-mouthed judges at the ECB. Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of cricket, is a gentle man of good principles who has overseen successful player development first at Durham and now at Yorkshire. Jason Gillespie, just like Darren Lehmann before him, takes Yorkshire ambition and adds Australian optimism, translating the date available to him into a few wise words every now and then.Key player
Yorkshire’s best chance of a trophy this year lies in the NatWest Blast – a competition where they have flattered to deceive – this on the assumption that England will still not be laying claim to half-a-dozen players come the home international season. That requires Aaron Finch, one of the less successful Australians during their World Cup triumph, to set the tone and attract large Friday night crowds to Headingley that will benefit from floodlit cricket and later start times.Bright young thing
Will Rhodes, a former England Under-19 captain, with a name that resonates with Yorkshire’s great heritage, could be the one to find most benefit in the absence of Yorkshire’s Caribbean contingent. A left-handed batsman and medium-paced bowler, Rhodes was given a first-class debut against MCC in Abu Dhabi and a restrained first-innings half century will have increased the temptation for Yorkshire to throw him straight into the top of the order in place of Adam Lyth.ESPNcricinfo verdict
This Yorkshire revival is for real, with a successful Academy based on the eternal verities, but that does not disguise the considerable challenge that lies ahead if England’s calls on their best players last all summer. Yorkshire have been known to philosophise over whether their role is to produce England players or win trophies. The answer is both, but the former is more likely in 2015. At least ECB compensation will help manage the £22m debts, particularly vital now the ex-chairman and benefactor Colin Graves turns his attention to the ECB, but it is a full Headingley for T20 and the May Bank Holiday Test against New Zealand that the county most needs.Bet365 odds: LV=Championship 3-1; NatWest Blast 15-2; Royal London Cup 13-2Battle-hardened Bears eye more successVarun Chopra is now officially Warwickshire’s captain•Getty ImagesLast season
IN:
OUT: Paul Best, Jim Troughton (both retired)
OVERSEAS: Jeetan Patel, Brendon McCullum
2014 in a nutshell
Warwickshire impressed in all three competitions, winning the NatWest Blast, finishing runners-up in Championship to Yorkshire and going to Lord’s for the Royal London Cup final only to succumb as Durham made good use of an excellent bowl-first morning. In Jeetan Patel, the New Zealand born offspinner, they had the most unsung overseas player on the circuit; outstanding in short game and long, his worth was at least recognised by the PCA’s Most Valuable Player award. Sam Hain lived up to his reputation as one of the best young batsmen in the country by averaging 50-plus in Division One in his debut season at 19 and six bowlers took their Championship wickets under 30s. Warwickshire could not claim to be the most exciting or glamorous side in the land but there was something immensely grown-up about them.2015 prospects
Their form in 2014 suggests that if any county is well placed to benefit from England’s debilitating summons for half-a-dozen members of the Yorkshire squad, and win the Championship, it is Warwickshire. A stable squad is unchanged apart from the retirements of Jim Troughton and Paul Best because of injury. The arrival of Brendon McCullum for the NatWest Blast will not only lift their hopes of retaining the trophy, but will surely persuade the city of Birmingham about the attractions of Twenty20. Ian Bell can still expect to be involved with England but the signing of a three-year contract has neatly voiced his commitment to his home county.Power brokers
Dougie Brown had an uncertain start in 2013 when he was promoted from within and replaced Ashley Giles as Warwickshire’s director of cricket, but that emphasis on continuity looked a good decision last year when Warwickshire played consistent, hard-to-beat cricket. Varun Chopra, a highly reliable opening batsman who has never quite turned England’s head, deputised as captain for the injured Troughton for much of last season and was given the job full-time a couple of days before their late-season defeat in the Royal London Cup final.Key player
It sounds odd to parade Brendon McCullum as a key player when his NatWest Blast contract only amounts to seven games at the end of New Zealand’s tour of England. But McCullum’s presence in three home matches is an attempt to awaken the Birmingham public into turning out in force at Edgbaston. If McCullum pulls ’em in the benefits could be long-lasting. He is the leading run-scorer in the history of international T20s, with 2105 runs at an average of 35.67, including two centuries and was one of the leading IPL run-getters in 2014, hitting 405 runs for Chennai Super Kings.Bright young thing
Samhain is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, a time at which the souls of the dead were meant to return home: a forerunner of the modern Halloween. Sam Hain is a less frightening prospect altogether. At 19, he is very much alive, a contender as the most promising teenaged batsman in the country and with a double hundred in the Championship to his name already, duly taken from last season’s bottom club Northants.ESPNcricinfo verdict
Defending NatWest Blast champions they may be, but not everybody is convinced of the Birmingham Bears’ pedigree: Bet365 made them 10-1 sixth favourites before the signing of Brendon McCullum clipped that price in slightly. Surprisingly, Warwickshire are second favourites to Yorkshire for the Championship – a team of battle-hardened professionals at more generous odds than a county that thanks to England calls will be asking a lot of some of its younger players. Interesting.Bet365 odds: Championship: 4-1; NatWest Blast: 8-1; Royal London Cup: 10-1Extra excitement but Sussex need substanceTymal Mills could turn out to be the signing of the season•PA PhotosLast season
IN: Tymal Mills (Essex), Ajmal Shahzad (Nottinghamshire)
OUT: Jon Lewis, Rory Hamilton-Brown (both retired)
OVERSEAS: Steve Magoffin, Mahela Jayawardene2014 in a nutshell
Sussex have been one of the most consistent counties over the past decade but there is a sizeable leap between being a vague contender and a winner. Too often Sussex suffered for a lack of strength in depth, being overly reliant in the Championship on Ed Joyce with the bat (1398 runs at 66.57 last season) and Steve Magoffin with the ball (72 wickets at 19.51), both admirable county cricketers of quality. Luke Wright also had a swashbuckling season with the bat in all competitions, but Sussex’s limited-overs campaigns were best forgotten. Rory Hamilton-Brown retired: a career that briefly burned brightly, only to be touched by personal sadness.2015 prospects
What Sussex could do with is the sight of a bullish Matt Prior announcing as the chill goes out of an English spring that he has recovered from an Achilles injury, is eager to resume his county career and that his cycling ambitions have necessarily been downgraded for a while – but the former England keeper has admitted that his cricket career is on the line and nothing can be taken for granted. Sussex need extra runs from somewhere – Craig Cachopa and Matt Machan perhaps. The same is true of the bowling where Magoffin also needs support. Tymal Mills, a hulking left-arm quick from Essex, and Ajmal Shahzad, latterly with Notts, are two Yorkshire-born pace bowlers who have never fulfilled their potential and England will be eager to see strides forward for Mills, who they have long admired.Power brokers
Mark Robinson was held to be in the running as England assistant coach had he been a more natural side guy to Peter Moores. Lions duties in South Africa suggested England still think highly of him, and his reputation for skilfully rescuing faltering careers – with Chris Jordan’s name to the fore – will be tested in different ways by both Mills and Shahzad. Luke Wright is an ebullient limited-overs captain whose career has matured despite England’s recent loss of interest and Joyce offers solidity as Championship captain.Key player
If Tymal Mills loses his radar running down the hill at Hove then the results could be quite spectacular, but if Robinson helps him make the most of his great physical strength and adds accuracy and devilment to an ability to bowl fast then Sussex could have pulled off the signing of the season. He would not be the first player to leave Essex and better himself elsewhere. After the World Cup, left-armers have never been trendier, and while England chew over the likes of Harry Gurney and Mark Footitt, the sight of Mills knocking over a few batting orders would probably thrill them more than anything.Bright young thing
Considering their elevated Championship finish, Sussex are not exactly replete with youthful talent impressing on a daily basis, so it is hard to look past Craig Cachopa, a 23-year-old South African born New Zealander. He made a solid impression on his introduction to Championship cricket last season and passed fifty in five of his first 10 innings. That was enough to win him a two-year deal for a Sussex side that needs reliable top-order runs. Among the bowlers, Matt Hobden is a name to watch.ESPNcricinfo verdict
The odds suggest that Sussex still lack the depth to make a concerted challenge in any of the three competitions. They might rustle up enough runs, especially if Prior returns and Chris Nash recovers his form of old, and Mahela Jayawardene will be a joy to watch in the NatWest Blast, but their fast bowling looks a thing of great unpredictability – and Magoffin, as indefatigable as he is, needs help. A mix of great victories and bad defeats is the likely outcome, but there are few more charming places to watch county cricket than Hove and that should keep most of the spectators reasonably content.Bet365 odds: Championship: 7-1; NatWest Blast: 16-1; Royal London Cup: 12-1Likeable Notts have bowling to find for title challengeLate bloomer Will Gidman should be ideally suited to conditions at Trent Bridge•Getty ImagesLast season
IN: Will Gidman (Gloucestershire), Greg Smith (Leicestershire)
OUT: Phil Jaques (retired), Andre Adams (Hampshire), Ajmal Shahzad (Sussex)
OVERSEAS: Vernon Philander, Ben Hilfenhaus, Darren Sammy2014 in a nutshell
Considering their reputation as one of the most powerful counties in the land, 2014 was a disappointment for Nottinghamshire. Fourth place in the Championship sounds respectable enough, but the manner of their defeat in the final match at Trent Bridge, as Yorkshire trounced them to win the title, emphasized the gulf that remained between themselves and the top sides. Their failure to maintain a Championship challenge was primarily due to an inability to bowl sides out twice – that, too, in the micro climate of Trent Bridge which assists seam and swing bowlers like no other venue. Notts were strongly fancied in the NatWest Blast, with good reason, only for defeat against Hampshire at Trent Bridge to extend their run of successive quarter-final reverses to four.2015 prospects
Notts’ ambition has been clear in a winter of sizeable recruitment. Vernon Philander and Ben Hilfenhaus are two international bowlers who can be expected to beef up their pace bowling ranks, and looking closer to home they would benefit considerably if Andy Carter could have an injury-free season. Will Gidman can also help to cover for the departure of Andre Adams. Brendan Taylor has swopped Zimbabwe for a Kolpak deal and adds to huge competition for places in the middle order. More problematic are the injuries to Jake Libby and Michael Lumb which will see both absent in early season and ensure traditional Notts uncertainty at the top of the order. Steven Mullaney and Greg Smith – another recruit, this time from Leicestershire – will vie for the job, presumably alongside Alex Hales, who missed out on an IPL deal. Notts’ lack of a specialist spinner remains a frailty, but surely they have the talent to end that T20 quarter-final hoodoo. Power brokers
Mick Newell, who now combines his role as Notts director of cricket with that as an England selector, will be anxious to bring some silverware to Trent Bridge as well as banishing Notts’ reputation as a buying club: his call for regional academies (with Notts to the fore obviously) will not have gone down overly well with fans at neighbouring Derbyshire and Leicestershire. Chris Read’s firefighting with the bat as Notts’ Championship catch-up is forever watchable, and James Taylor can advance his claims as one of the most astute leaders of the game in the limited-overs formats – when not on England duty.Key player
For Gloucestershire to lose both Gidman brothers at the same time was a sizeable blow – and one of them – Will, three years younger than Alex, at 30, and slightly less celebrated – has made his way to Trent Bridge. Will Gidman has been a late developer, his medium-paced bowling developing such a threat that, at a relatively late stage of his career, he boasts the unusual record of 194 wickets at 22 apiece. Trent Bridge would seem ideally suited to him – an ideal replacement perhaps for Adams – but it remains to be seen whether he can workover Division One batsmen in quite the same manner.Bright young thing
Jake Libby had Championship purists purring when he made a carefully-assembled hundred on Championship debut against Sussex at Trent Bridge as the 2014 season drew to a close. His unflappable temperament and decent technique against a Sussex attack pushing for a third-placed finish brought hopes that the young Cornishman would become the reliable opening batsman Notts need. A ruptured cruciate ligament playing grade cricket in Tasmania was a cruel blow, but he will hope for opportunities to restate his qualities in the final two months of the Championship season.ESPNcricinfo verdict
There is so much to like about Notts. Trent Bridge is the model of how cricket in England should be and the ability to create a pleasurable viewing experience, allied to an entertaining side, made them one of places to watch T20 cricket in 2014. To falter at the quarter-finals for the fourth successive summer, though, was a desperate disappointment for a side packed with destructive batsmen, but often a little lacking with the ball. Oh, for a young Harold Larwood to pop into an Academy session. For that reason, unless the Philander/Hilfenhaus combo has a dramatic effect and Gidman chips in, they may fade yet again in the title race.Bet365 odds: Championship: 5-1; NatWest Blast: 6-1; Royal London Cup: 7-1Bowlers ensure Durham should be fearedMark Stoneman has a big role to play at the top of the order•Getty ImagesLast season
IN:
OUT:: Gareth Breese (released)
OVERSEAS: John Hastings
2014 in a nutshell
Given the thin spread of Durham’s resources, a defence of their Championship title was always an outside bet – but the odds shortened on the possibility of relegation after they failed to win a four-day game until mid-June. A one-wicket defeat to Lancashire in August left them in the bottom two but Paul Collingwood’s side reeled off three consecutive victories – including a thrashing of Northamptonshire in which Chris Rushworth took 15 wickets in a day – to pull themselves comfortably clear. Their late-season surge saw them win six in a row in all competitions and was topped by lifting the Royal London Cup on a grey day at Lord’s, the campaign lit up by contrasting Man-of-the-Match performances in the semi-final and final from Ben Stokes.2015 prospects
It would be unwise to write Durham off and they might hope for better luck with injuries this year. The squad remains much the same, with Collingwood extending his contract and John Hastings set to return after a successful spell as overseas player. Graham Onions, who has been awarded a benefit, will return following surgery on a back injury that severely disrupted his 2014 and, if an England recall looks unlikely, he should close in on Steve Harmison as the county’s second-highest wicket-taker in first-class cricket. Mark Stoneman will hope to build on a successful first season as limited-overs captain, but Durham could lose a significant asset if Stokes is called on to help revive England – though his ECB central contract should ease the financial pressures which have been emphasised by a marked lack of activity in the transfer market.Power brokers
In his first full season in charge, Jon Lewis ensured that Durham’s run of locally-sourced success would continue. Lewis, a long-time servant of the club before stepping up to replace Geoff Cook, has not sought to make dramatic changes and the positive environment was enough to convince Collingwood to play on into his 40th year, even as he contemplates a future in coaching. Collingwood will continue to lead the Championship side, with Stoneman being groomed in the shorter formats.Key player
Such is the team ethic at Durham, several names could fit the bill, from Collingwood, to Onions, to Rushworth. Stokes has plenty to prove but England’s disastrous World Cup has paved the way for a swift international return and he will miss the first month of the season with the Test party in the West Indies. The focus, then, will be on Stoneman, whose aggressive batting at the top of the order can help dictate games at seam-friendly Chester-le-Street (until England pick him in the one-day side, that is).Bright young thing
Again, Durham are well stocked in this area. Mark Wood has already made an impact with the Lions, leading to an England Test call-up, while Jamie Harrison and Usman Arshad played their part in Durham’s 2013 Championship win. Paul Coughlin might be the latest seam-bowling sensation to come through the academy. He was the youngest player on the field in last year’s Royal London Cup final but exhibited few nerves as he took the new ball; he can also bat and made 85 on Championship debut.ESPNcricinfo verdict
If they can field their first-choice XI more often than not, Durham should be comfortable enough in the top half, although the likelihood is that the squad will be stretched over the course of the season and that could be a serious concern. They could do with more runs from the top order but are always likely to win matches with the bowlers they can deploy. Whether Lewis can add further trophies to a well-stocked cabinet may depend on how often England come calling throughout the summer.Bet365 odds: LV= Championship: 9-1; NatWest Blast 20-1; Royal London Cup 9-1Maynard has ingredients to make Somerset rise againCraig Overton, and his twin brother Jamie, will be to the fore again for Somerset•Getty ImagesLast season
IN: Tim Groenewald (Derbyshire), Jim Allenby (Glamorgan), Tom Cooper
OUT: James Burke (Surrey), Nick Compton (Middlesex), Craig Meschede (Glamorgan, season-long loan)
OVERSEAS: Abdur Rehman, Sohail Tanvir, Corey Anderson, Chris Gayle2014 in a nutshell
Somerset bettered their showing in the Championship by one win and 52 points yet Dave Nosworthy left as director of cricket at the end of the season. They failed to force enough results – no one drew more matches than Somerset’s 10. A look at their statistics suggests there was a failure to find enough runs but in seven matches they only batted once – and six of those games were drawn. So they suffered for a lack of wicket-takers? Well not really either. Four bowlers took more than 40 wickets and the returns of Lewis Gregory and Craig Overton were fillips for the club’s academy. Perhaps the lack of a consistent spinner cost them but if just three of those draws were turned to victories they would have challenged for the title. T20 was a bigger disappointment as Somerset failed to qualify for the knockout stage for the first time since 2008.2015 prospects
Matthew Maynard is the new director of cricket and inherits a squad full of potential. Three top-order batsman – Nick Compton, Alviro Petersen and Chris Jones – left the club but Australian Tom Cooper, with a European passport, has been signed. Tom Abell is also a promising young player up the order. Jim Allenby has been one of the leading allrounders in recent seasons and appears an excellent signing, with his one-day bowling a particular asset. Alex Barrow is a competent replacement for Craig Kieswetter, who has not recovered from an eye injury and is expected to miss the whole season, with fears his career could be over. But the crucial addition could be Pakistan’s Abdur Rehman. Not much needs to swing in Somerset’s favour for their 2015 to be very successful and they are perhaps worth an outside bet for the title. Power brokers
From a strong shortlist, Maynard won the race to become the new director of cricket and brings a good record from South African domestic cricket, as well as experience of the Caribbean Premier League. But there has been a clear-out of backroom staff, with high performance director Andy Hurry leaving to join the England set-up at Loughborough and batting coach Dave Houghton moving to Middlesex. Marcus Trescothick proved his talent remains with over 1000 Championship runs last season and ploughs on as four-day captain but Alfonso Thomas takes over in one-day cricket.Key player
Somerset needed a quality spinner last season to round off their attack and this year one has been brought in with Pakistan’s Rehman available for the whole season, having been overlooked for international duty. He took 27 wickets at 14.18 during four matches in 2012 and has the potential to win Somerset a few of the matches they failed to get home in last season. He could prove the difference between mid-table and another tilt at a maiden Championship.Bright young thing
It is not so long since Jamie Overton was being hyped up as an outside pick for the 2013-14 Ashes tour after several eye-catching performances. Tall and blessed with natural pace he has the makings of a top-class fast bowler. Injury hampered him last season, and his chances with England Lions, but the hope is he can now continue his development and become a dangerous weapon in Somerset’s attack. But he is only 20 and needs time to get his game together, as other young quicks in England have proven.ESPNcricinfo verdict
There is much to like about Somerset; a fine blend of youth and experience and plenty of exciting cricketers. They have potential to push for an elusive Championship title but whether they have the depth to maintain a challenge is questionable. This season may just be another development step but with Rehman more is possible. Trescothick enters the final year of his contract and, approaching 40, this could potentially be his swansong; what better retirement gift than a Championship pennant.Bet365 odds: Championship: 9-1, T20 Blast: 7-1, Royal London Cup: 8-1Middlesex’s talented squad can start afreshEoin Morgan may feel he has something to prove after England’s dismal World Cup•Getty ImagesLast season
IN: Nick Compton (Somerset), James Franklin
OUT: Gareth Berg (Hampshire), Adam Rossington (Northants), Joe Denly (Kent), Ollie Wilkin (released)
OVERSEAS: Adam Voges (Australia)2014 in a nutshell
After winning four of their first six games – which included pulling off the third-highest fourth-innings chase in the history of the Championship – Middlesex were top of Division One at the end of May. But they failed to record another victory over four days and, by the end of the season, were desperately trying to keep Lancashire at bay – there were extraordinary scenes at Old Trafford as Lancashire celebrated gaining the bonus points they needed but Middlesex batted out 134 overs in the third innings to avoid defeat. In limited-overs cricket, under new captain Eoin Morgan, Middlesex flatlined. Beaten twice in a day during a Lord’s double-header to kick off the NatWest Blast, they finished bottom of the South Group and also failed to make an impression in the Royal London Cup.2015 prospects
Narrowly avoiding relegation was just about the only positive last season but Middlesex face a challenge to be more competitive. Their captain and leading batsman, Chris Rogers, is not available due to his involvement with Australia, who arrive for the Ashes after a tour of West Indies; Rogers’ replacement, compatriot Adam Voges, has also been called up to Australia’s Test squad after leading the Sheffield Shield scoring. Morgan, meanwhile, will be absent for six weeks at the IPL but Sam Robson is available for the start of the season, after being dropped by England, and will form a new opening partnership with the returning Nick Compton. The need for Steven Finn to continue his search for form in county cricket should also boost Middlesex. Power brokers
That the waters remain calm at Lord’s is down to director of cricket Angus Fraser, who has helped re-establish Middlesex as a top-tier side and won’t be panicked by the disappointment of 2014. Fraser hopes Voges will be available to captain in Middlesex’s first four Championship matches and he is already looking at possible replacements for the rest of the campaign. Morgan continues as one-day and T20 leader and may feel he has plenty to prove after England’s dismal World Cup.Key player
Aside from Rogers, the only Middlesex batsman to score 1000 Championship runs was Dawid Malan. Since returning to Division One, the opening partnership of Rogers and Robson has helped shield a soft middle order but Malan’s form suggested he might be ready to shed a reputation for attractive but insubstantial contributions and help shore up the batting. Malan, who spent the winter playing in the Dhaka Premier Division, already had a reputation as a limited-overs swashbuckler and could be a match-winner in all formats.Bright young thing
One of the weapons lacking from England’s World Cup armoury was a left-arm spinner. Middlesex have one in Ravi Patel and last summer, at the age of 22, he won a call-up to the Lions despite having taken just four List A wickets at the time – reward for his success in T20, where he was Middlesex’s most successful bowler. Says he likes to give the ball a rip and provides a more attacking spin option than Ollie Rayner.ESPNcricinfo verdict
Middlesex have a talented squad and the opportunity to start with a fresh slate. Should Compton contribute the sort of scores he regularly did at Somerset, then they will feel Rogers’ absence less keenly, while a bowling attack featuring Finn, Tim Murtagh and Toby Roland-Jones gives them a valuable cutting edge, particularly in first weeks of the season. Division One security and an improved limited-overs showing are the minimum requirements but they remain vulnerable, particularly if England follow Australia in depriving them of key players.Bet365 odds: Championship: 12-1, NatWest Blast: 25-1, Royal London Cup: 25-1Bowling a serious concern for HampshireWill Smith has a big role to play for Hampshire in 2015•Getty ImagesLast season
IN: Andre Adams (Nottinghamshire, player-coach), Gareth Berg (Middlesex), Fidel Edwards (Kolpak)
OUT: David Balcombe (Surrey), Michael Bates, Ruel Brathwaite (both released), Matt Coles (Kent)
OVERSEAS: Jackson Bird, Yasir Arafat
2014 in a nutshell
Hampshire finally won promotion at the third attempt. They always seemed too good for Division Two and in 2014 largely played like it, only losing once; three rain-affected draws kept them close to the pack. There has never been a question over Hampshire’s batting – three players topped 1000 Championship runs last season – including Will Smith who proved an excellent signing – but it was the bowling attack that stepped up with Matt Coles taking 41 wickets and Kyle Abbott proving a shrewd overseas signing with 36 scalps at just 20.33 in his nine matches. Hampshire coped surprisingly well when Abbott was unavailable for the final five fixtures, winning three of them to seal the title. Another T20 semi-final was rather par for the course but they lost comfortably.2015 prospects
Unfortunately the bowling attack that won Hampshire promotion has been broken up with Kyle Abbott only a possible to return late in the season and Matt Coles curiously departing back to Kent. Australian Jackson Bird is a quality operator but with the county season so congested and Bird’s history, his fitness must be a concern. How effective a 33-year-old Fidel Edwards, long since cast aside by West Indies (and only arriving in late July), or 39-year-old Andre Adams will be remains to be seen. It all adds up to significant doubt over whether Hampshire have the bowling to compete in Division One. Survival will be a good achievement in their 150th year. Hampshire fans have become accustomed to a jaunt to T20 Finals Day and they should be very strong in the shortest format once again. Power brokers
Hampshire have a considerable coaching staff with Giles White at the helm. Dale Benkenstein arrived from Durham last season to become first XI coach and this season Andre Adams, the veteran New Zealander, has joined as player-coach. Jimmy Adams remains club captain, a job he has held since 2012, but James Vince has been appointed 50-over captain, adding to the 20-over remit he took on last season. The extra responsibility served Vince well as he enjoyed his best T20 season for three years.Key player
Will Smith has enjoyed a fine career – part of four Championship winning side – without being a consistent performer but his move to Hampshire could address that. He made 1000 Championship runs in a season for the first time last year and proved a calm, steady player that more lavish strokemakers could build around. That is a sound template to take up to Division One and Smith will again have a crucial role to play if Hampshire are to survive. His offspin has also proved very useful.Bright young thing
Hampshire need a bowler to make a breakthrough in the Championship this season and 24-year-old Chris Wood could be the man. A brisk left-armer, Wood has delivered in one-day cricket, closing out big matches, but injury has stalled his progress with the red ball. When he regained fitness for the final four matches of last season he took 15 wickets at 16.80, suggesting he could become a key member of the Championship attack.ESPNcricinfo verdict
There does not appear enough bite in Hampshire’s bowling to match some of the fancied sides in Division One but their batting should make them competitive and a mid-table finish is well within their reach. But it would be no surprise if they are in a relegation scrap. Hampshire should be there or thereabouts once again in T20 and they should bounce back from last season’s aberration in the 50-over competition.Bet365 odds:
LV= Championship: 11-1, NatWest T20 Blast: 6-1, Royal London Cup: 10/1Worcestershire have hell and high water to overcomeAlex Gidman has made the switch up the M5 for Division One cricket•PA PhotosLast season
IN: Alex Gidman (Gloucestershire)
OUT: Nick Harrison, Matt Pardoe, Graeme Cessford (all released)
OVERSEAS: Colin Munro, Sachithra Senanayake, Saeed Ajmal2014 in a nutshell
Worcestershire giggled their way through 2014 with a remarkable Championship season that saw them promoted against all expectations. Saeed Ajmal played a big part – he took 63 wickets at 16.47 in only nine matches, five of which Worcestershire won – but there were other stellar performance too with Daryl Mitchell racking up 1334 Championship runs and Jack Shantry taking 56 wickets at 23.85, including taking 10 wickets and scoring a century in a famous turnaround victory over Surrey that enhanced his folk-hero status. It was one of eight Worcestershire victories and they were only denied the title in the final round. There was also a T20 quarter-final but they performed poorly and lost at Surrey.2015 prospects
As in every other season that Worcestershire have began in Division One, they are favourites for relegation. Like in 2011, it would be considered a fabulous achievement for the club to survive but as that year and last season showed, they are a county capable of defying expectation. They are hindered this year by Ajmal not arriving until mid-July after international duty – his remodelled action is yet unproven too. Sachithra Senanayake has been signed to cover for Ajaml but has also been forced to change his action and is yet to play a first-class match since doing so. Alex Gidman has signed from Gloucestershire and two seasons of over 1000 Championship runs, albeit in Divison Two, suggests he has lost none of his talent. Power brokers
Steve Rhodes has overseen the ups and downs of a decade as director of cricket at New Road – they have been promoted and relegated three times – and is fully aware of the difference between the two divisons. Daryl Mitchell has been captain since 2011 and signed a new four-year deal last year. He led from the front in fine style in 2014 and more runs will be needed this season for Worcestershire to survive.Key player
Daryl Mitchell was Worcestershire’s best batsman by some distance last season and the county will need a similar contribution from someone to be competitive in Division One this year. Mitchell is the ideal candidate given he has made over 1000 first-class runs in the past two seasons and his experience in a squad lacking knowledge of Division One. Mitchell’s captaincy will also be crucial with the challenge of raising a side expected to struggle.Bright young thing
Charlie Morris started the 2014 season representing Oxford MCCU but finished the campaign with over 50 Championship wickets and part of a side that won promotion. Morris, a brisk right-arm seamer who keeps things tight, is just the type of bowler Worcestershire need to make the step up if they are to survive this season: a mystery Sri Lankan spinner cannot take all the wickets.ESPNcricinfo verdict
Worcestershire are perennially written off, so how about Worcestershire for the title? Unfortunately for them, stranger things haven’t happened and it would be truly remarkable if they even challenged for survival given the squad they possess. Unlike 2011 when they managed to stay up, largely thanks to Alan Richardson’s wickets, there is no attack leader with the ball and they will not see enough of Moeen Ali to add genuine class to the batting order. But Worcestershire are a resilient bunch and have overcome hell and high water before.Bet365 odds: Championship: 25-1, NatWest Blast: 33-1, Royal London Cup: 25-1