Hampshire have eyes on first title in 50 years but Lancashire have recruited well and champions Surrey will be tough to beatCaptain Tom Westley (Championship and 50-over Cup) Coach: Anthony McGrath Last season: 4th Continue reading...
Lancashire and Warwickshire look most likely to fight for the title, with Jimmy Anderson’s availability potentially decisive, while Hampshire benefit from a bolstered batting lineup Continue reading...
Somerset and Surrey look best equipped to battle for the title while Division Two features an intriguing race to make the top three promotion places Related: The Spin | Enjoy the cricket season ahead … it will be the last of its kind | Tanya Aldred Twitter: follow us at @guardian_sport Related: Alex Hales: ‘It takes 10 seconds to get an image, 10 years to undo it’ Related: Joe Root v Stuart Broad kicks off cricket bonanza in summer to savour | Vic Marks Continue reading...
Essex and Worcestershire will remember the 2017 season for ever while Middlesex and Yorkshire cannot forget it soon enoughWith a word for Worcestershire, another of the little guys whose overachievement has been fostered at home, this has to be Essex. Well supported from east London to East Anglia, brilliantly coached and captained, and with the best spinner, seamer and eight blokes who scored a ton. Little wonder they won. Related: Hampshire’s James Vince ensures Middlesex complete slide to relegation Related: County Championship: fans from all 18 counties look back on the season Continue reading...
County Champions begin their defence at Hampshire on Friday and the start cannot come soon enough for their left-handed opening batsmanStaying “humble and hungry” is the mantra that Angus Fraser, the Middlesex director of cricket, has been drilling into his squad during the build-up to their defence of the County Championship title that, after sitting out the first round last week, now whirs into life at Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl on Friday.It is a mindset Fraser pinched from hearing Martin Keown on the radio discussing how the Arsenal team of the late 1990s and early 2000s would deal with a new season following success the year before and one player who appears to embody the approach is Nick Gubbins, the left-handed...