Who are the players to watch? Who’s in the squad? What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? What is the fixture list? Your questions answered
Coach: Matthew Maynard
Captain: Chris Cooke
Ins: None
Outs: Marchant de Lange (Somerset), Graham Wagg, Kieran Bull, Connor Brown, Owen Morgan (all released), Craig Meschede (retired)
Overseas players: Marnus Labuschagne (Australia), Michael Neser (Australia), Andrew Balbirnie (Ireland, April)
Fixture list: April 8 – Yorkshire (a); April 15 – Sussex (h); April 22 – Northamptonshire (a); April 29 – Kent (h); May 6 – Lancashire (a); May 13 – Yorkshire (h); May 20 – Kent (a); June 3 – Lancashire (h); July 4 – Sussex (a); July 11 – Northamptonshire (h)
Remind me what happened last year?
Glamorgan were one of four counties that did not win a first-class match and they finished bottom of the Central Group. A 289-run thrashing at Taunton in their opening match set the tone.
They desperately missed Marnus Labuschagne, as any first-class side in the world would.
They did take the chance to nurture some youngsters, though.
Callum Taylor, a Newport-born, Queensland-raised 22-year-old marked his first-class debut by making 106 against Northamptonshire, reaching three figures off 88 balls.
Billy Root topped 280 runs in the five matches and Dan Douthwaite’s all-round displays – 14 wickets and 160 runs – confirmed his progress.
Dan Douthwaite, left, is one to watch for Glamorgan
What’s happened over the winter?
The county had it tough last year like their English counterparts. In the year ending December 31 they saw turnover drop from a projected £8.3 to £4.7m.
Hospitality was restricted to January and February, bringing in £250,000 not the expected £1.8m.
Hugh Morris did a masterful job of renegotiating the club’s debts from £17m, but they still stand at £3.3m.
Mark Walton is the new junior academy coach and player mentor. He will be looking at the structure of cricket in Wales. “He’s brilliant,” says Matthew Maynard, “but it will not be happening overnight.”
Glamorgan are staging back-to-back T20s against Sri Lanka on June 23 and 24, and an ODI v Pakistan on July 8.
The county are also desperate to celebrate their first-class centenary in style.
Who’s arrived and who’s left?
Key bowlers have departed Graham Wagg and Marchant de Lange, meaning Michael Hogan, Tim van der Gugten and Lukas Carey need to stay fit.
Douthwaite has signed a three-year contract, and Maynard hopes slow leftie Prem Sisodiya can play eight to 10 first-class matches if pitches permit.
Who will be the key men in 2020?
David Lloyd injured himself in a practice match last summer, sitting out the whole BWT. He and Labuschagne – after he misses the first month – will undoubtedly boost the batting, alongside captain Chris Cooke and Root.
What can we expect from this team this season?
Glamorgan are operating with a first-team squad of only 17 for financial reasons.
They face tough conference opponents in Kent, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Sussex and Yorkshire.
It won’t be easy lifting themselves off the bottom, but Maynard is ready: “It will be a challenge – we’ll face different sides that we haven’t played for a while, but it’s exciting.”
One to watch
Callum Taylor
The 22-year-old was born in Newport but was brought up as a tough Queenslander. He’s an exciting prospect who also bowls handy off-spin.
Maynard said: “He finds a way. Sometimes you see someone with a great technique and you put them in a match and they don’t score runs, but cricket is about being adaptable – look what happened in India. This Callum Taylor, well he is adept. He has a good cricket brain that will take him far, further than people with just great techniques. He is good lad, with a competitive streak.”
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