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Durham
Captain Dale Benkenstein Coach Geoff Cook Overseas Neil McKenzie, Albie Morkel (SA), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI)
After a coming-of-age season in 2007 where they won the Friends Provident Trophy and were runners-up in the Championship, Durham are now established as a force in the county game. The challenge is to continue the progression and the good news is that they have the core of last year’s team still around, minus the heroic Ottis Gibson. The batting will be well served by McKenzie and Chanderpaul, but it will need one of the young bowlers such as Liam Plunkett or Graham Onions to fill the hole left by Gibson. Andrew McGlashan
High value Phil Mustard – likely to be away with England for parts of the season, but is a crucial part of Durham’s one-day jigsaw.
Long-term investment Moneeb Iqbal – a raw legspinner at the moment but a talent worth persevering with.
Prospects Have the right balance of youth and experience to challenge for silverware again, especially in the one-day game.
Hampshire
Captain Dimitri Mascarenhas Coach Paul Terry Overseas Shane Bond (NZ), Shane Watson (Aus)Hampshire have had a trying time pre-season, what with the departures of Shane Warne and Shaun Udal, the conflicting aspirations of Dimitri Mascarenhas, the retirement of James Bruce, and uncertainty over whether Shane Bond would be joining the club. That last, at least, has now been resolved, and Jimmy Adams is likely to lead the side while Mascarenhas is with the IPL in India. At present the new captain is expected to miss only two weeks’ cricket, but many another county chairman would not have been as forgiving of him as Rod Bransgrove has been. Warne’s great regret will have been not winning the County Championship and much will depend now on the fitness of Chris Tremlett and how many wickets the two spinners, Liam Dawson and Greg Lamb, take between them. Ivo Tennant
High value Kevin Pietersen – but for how many matches will he be available?
Long-term investment Liam Dawson – the teenage left arm spinner with an England future ahead of him.
Prospects A difficult summer ahead. Relegation not out of the question in the Championship.
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Kent
Captain Robert Key Coach Graham Ford Overseas Yasir Arafat (Pak)
The captaincy of Rob Key, arguably prematurely discarded by England, is beginning to earn impressive notices. It is 30 years since Kent were last county champions, and although their side does not compare with that of 1978, they have a chance of replicating that success. For a club that has taken much pride in nurturing talented players, too many discarded cricketers from other counties have been signed over the past decade or more, but in Joe Denly and Sam Northeast, Kent have unearthed two exciting young batsmen. Ryan McLaren, described by Key as “a seriously serious cricketer,” took a hat-trick in the Twenty20 final, helping Kent win a knockout competition for the first time since the 1978 side achieved that, also. Alas for the club, Justin Kemp’s registration has been turned down by the ECB, and less enticing is the re-development of the St Lawrence, Canterbury, which will affect the ground’s aesthetic charm. Ivo Tennant
High value McLaren – with both bat and ball, and who is intent on playing for England.
Long-term investment Denly – unless England claim him for a central contract.
Prospects Probably their best in both first-class and instant cricket since, well, 1978.
Lancashire
Captain Stuart Law Coach Mike Watkinson Overseas Brad Hodge (Aus)
Last season was Lancashire’s most agonising Championship near-miss in their history, and the ECB fixture computer clearly has a sense of humour, having pitted them against Surrey at The Oval in the opening match this time around. How well the squad have moved on from the crushing disappointment of last year is crucial, and in Stuart Law, the no-nonsense Australian who has taken over the captaincy from Mark Chilton, they have the ideal man to ensure no dwelling. Once again they don’t have the youngest squad around and it is time some of the next generation started pushing through on a regular basis. Tom Smith needs to recover from a poor 2007, while Kyle Hogg and Oliver Newby must to keep Dominic Cork and Glen Chapple on their toes. Andrew McGlashan
High value Andrew Flintoff – will have his longest stretch of county action since becoming an England regular and has the incentive of needing runs and wickets.
Long-term investment Steven Croft – an attacking batsman and useful medium-pacer who gave a glimpse of his talent last season, especially in the one-day game.
Prospects A strong squad should be a force in all competitions and the Championship is well within their grasp.
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Nottinghamshire
Captain Chris Read Coach Mick Newell Overseas David Hussey (Aus), Adam Voges (Aus)
Without Stephen Fleming’s nous and wisdom, a lot rests on Chris Read’s shoulders. Elevated to captain over the winter, he doubtless has a point to prove after again slipping out of favour with the England selectors. He will lead a side who ought to be bubbling with confidence following their promotion to the first Division, though (England fans hope) he won’t have much use of Stuart Broad who hopped north from Leicestershire over the winter. Though Jason Gallian has fled to Essex, the batting line-up has a reassuringly solid feel to it. Adam Voges, the Western Australia batsman, will cover for the prolific David Hussey who is on IPL duty. Will Luke
High value Hussey – scores big runs, quick runs and lots of them.
Long-term investment Bilal Shafayat – disappointing last year(560 runs at 31.11 with no hundreds) but a gifted strokemaker who has youth on his side.
Prospects Notts’ bowling is light when the England stars are away, but their batsmen ought to keep them afloat in the Championship.
Somerset
Captain Justin Langer Coach Andy Hurry Overseas Justin Langer (Aus)
Can Somerset become county champions for the first time in their history after storming to the second-division title? It is not improbable, given that Langer has put off joining the IPL until next year – to the appreciation of many at Taunton – and that Marcus Trescothick, whose first scoring shot in Somerset’s initial pre-season friendly match was to put the ball out of the ground, will not be playing any international cricket. Then there is Omari Banks; the ever-willing Andy Caddick, who took 75 wickets last year and understandably felt he should play for England again; and a number of talented young players, including James Hildreth and Michael Munday, who should have played more often last year. And do not forget the clubbing of the ball that Ian Blackwell perennially provides. Ivo Tennant
High value Trescothick – will almost certainly score a heap of runs in this his benefit year.
Long-term investment Off the pitch, a £50m ground redevelopment; on it, Munday’s legspin, so effective at the very end of last season.
Prospects A fair chance of becoming champions, but much will depend on whether the highly respected Phil Frost can maintain an even balance between bat and ball on the Taunton square.
Surrey
Captain Mark Butcher Coach Alan Butcher Overseas Matt Nicholson (Aus)
The Butcher family alliance has helped Surrey rediscover their street-cred resilience: they fought tooth and nail to claw their way up the Championship and finish fourth last summer. Father and son have not, however, halted a few familiar faces from leaving over the winter. Out go Ian Salisbury, Azhar Mahmood, Rikki Clarke and Nayan Doshi – a strong bowling quartet – and in come Pedro Collins and Saqlain Mushtaq – “a Surrey legend”, in Butcher senior’s words. There is enough talent there to urge them to a trophy in one-dayers – 40-year-old Chris Lewis is back for the Twenty20s – but the powerhouses of Lancashire and Sussex will probably be too strong in the Championship. Will Luke
High value Mark Ramprakash – who is approaching his 100th first-class hundred and shows no sign of fading. Or ageing. Will England be tempted if and when one of their top six loses form or fitness?
Long-term investment Chris Jordon – a fast bowler of West Indian heritage and not yet 20 years old. It’s still not certain where his future allegiance lies, but Surrey will want to keep hold of him as long as possible.
Prospects Mid-table beckons in the Championship; possibly challenging for the title if their bowlers fire. Ramprakash to fill his boots again.
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Sussex
Captain Chris Adams Coach Mark Robinson Overseas Mushtaq Ahmed (Pak)
Aiming for a hat-trick of Championship titles, Sussex went through a nervous pre-season waiting to hear if they would have the services of Mushtaq Ahmed after his time in the ICL. His availability means Sussex will again be the team to beat over four days, while Ryan Harris looks a useful acquisition from South Australia. The batting should look after itself, especially with Matt Prior back to boost the middle order and prove his worth to England. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan’s bowling will be missed, but Sussex know what it takes to win titles. The main issues are off the field as they try to develop Hove to keep up with changing times. Whatever the final plans, let’s hope it doesn’t lose its character. It’s part of the Sussex package. Andrew McGlashan
High value Mushtaq – one of the shrewdest county buys of all time and continues to handsomely reward Sussex.
Long-term investment Ragheb Aga – a pace bowler who has played ODIs for Kenya and made a good impression during pre-season.
Prospects They will be in the Championship mix throughout, but should be pushed all the way in a strong division. Harris and Prior will help their one-day chances.
Yorkshire
Captain Darren Gough Coach Martyn Moxon Overseas Rana Naved-ul-Hasan (Pak), Morne Morkel (SA)
The confirmation of Rana Naved’s availability is a boost and Yorkshire will boast an international-class bowling attack, with Matthew Hoggard eager to prove his England worth and Morne Morkel on early-season cover. Darren Gough’s first season back promised much before Yorkshire faded in the final stages, but there is still a positive vibe around the club. This will probably be Gough’s final year and you wouldn’t put it past him to go out on a high. However, the squad doesn’t appear quite strong enough for the Championship crown. All eyes will be on the further development of Adil Rashid; his England days are drawing closer. Andrew McGlashan
High value Jacques Rudolph – will need to fill his boots as some of the top order are unproven.
Long-term investment Ajmal Shahzad – another locally produced player of whom much is expected in the near future.
Prospects The squad appears more suited to one-day success as they aim to give Gough a fitting send-off.
