Five talking points for the new County season...
Batters’ paradise
THE early season conditions are not much fun, but there can seldom have been a better time to be an English batting prospect, with only three of the Test top seven assured of their places when the new national selector is appointed next week. Joe Clarke, Dan Lawrence, Nick Gubbins (when he returns to fitness), Haseeb Hameed, Liam Livingstone and Sam Northeast have the chance to stake their claims. The formcard will be fascinating, not least to see if Mark Stoneman, James Vince and Dawid Malan can prove they are actually better than the rest.
Bitter disputes
IT wouldn’t be county cricket without some disputes, would it? There’s the compensation clubs feeling they should receive from a player who ups sticks for the IPL at short notice; the players, and the PCA, will surely resist. Then there’s the fact that both players and counties are unwilling to commit to contracts that run beyond 2019 because, frankly, no one is quite sure how the scene will look when the divisive new T20 competition arrives. It’s all a bit of a mess.
Important imports
COUNTY cricket may have been shedding white-ball talent to the IPL, but the domestic game has not struggled to bring in top names this season. Surrey have Morne Morkel and Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla is at Hampshire, Che Pujara at Yorkshire and Aiden Markram at Durham.
Weather watch
THE first weekend last year was bathed in sunshine. That’s not going to happen this year because the weather has been miserable. Indeed, the first day of the season at Canterbury was washed out at 9.15am and this is something we should get used to — such is life when most of the season takes place in spring and autumn. If they ever do get play, captains face a fascinating decision: have a bat on a grim, grassy seamer or don jumpers and warm the hands in the field.
Who will win the thing?
ESSEX were superb last year and start as favourites. Hampshire have bolstered their batting, while Surrey seem strong, too. Look out for Lancashire — their batting is full of England hopefuls.