County Championship 2022: Division One pocket guides

The Cricketer team takes a glance at Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, Surrey, Warwickshire and Yorkshire

The Cricketer takes a quick look at each of the 10 LV= Insurance County Championship Division One sides ahead of the start of the new season.

In-depth team-by-team guides are also available on thecricketer.com, with every aspect of all 18 teams analysed in detail.

ESSEX

Captain: Tom Westley

Coach: Anthony McGrath

Ins: Simon Harmer (South Africa), Mark Steketee (Australia), Matt Critchley (Derbyshire), Adam Rossington (Northamptonshire, season-long loan)

Outs: Matt Quinn (Kent), Varun Chopra, Ryan ten Doeschate (both retired)

Qualities: This is the most consistent red-ball team in the country. Full of proven champions led by double title winner Tom Westley, spearheaded by the best bowler in division in Simon Harmer and England's all-time leading Test scorer Sir Alastair Cook. And the return of the two-division structure plays into their hands.

Weaknesses: The prospect of not having Harmer and Dan Lawrence fully available is a daunting one. It has been an uncomfortable period off the field at Chelmsford, with multiple changes and damaging stories so it remains to be seen how much that is evident come game time.

Assessment: Finish above them and the title might be yours.

Nick Howson

^{Essex off-spinner Simon Harmer}

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Captain: Graeme van Buuren.

Coach: Dale Benkenstein

Players in: Ajeet Dale (Hampshire), Paul van Meekeren (Durham), Marcus Harris (Australia), Zafar Gohar (Pakistan), Naseem Shah (Pakistan)

Players out: George Hankins, Harry Hankins (both released)

Qualities: If Marcus Harris, James Bracey and Chris Dent can produce at the top of the order, there's no reason why Gloucestershire can't make a major impact in Division One. The additions of Naseem Shah and Zafar Gohar add firepower and quality spin to a solid attack, led by Ryan Higgins and David Payne.

Weaknesses: Back in Division One after a long time away, there is a fair bit riding on the top three. Runs weren't easy to come by last year, so that issue has needed addressing over the winter, while van Buuren is new as captain.

Assessment: Every chance of faring well and mixing it with so-called bigger counties: plenty of seamers to cope with the grind, an excellent top three and middle-order options.

Nick Friend

^{Gloucestershire wicketkeeper-batsman James Bracey}

HAMPSHIRE

Captain: James Vince

Coach: Adi Birrell

Ins: Kyle Abbott (South Africa), Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan, April and May), Nick Gubbins (Middlesex), Ben Brown (Sussex)

Outs: Ajeet Dale (Hampshire), Sam Northeast (Glamorgan), Tom Scriven (Leicestershire), Ryan Stevenson, Brad Taylor (both retired), Tom Alsop (Sussex, loan), Lewis McManus (Northamptonshire, loan)

Qualities: Where to start? On paper, Hampshire have a very exciting team - combining middle-order runs and plenty of wicket-taking potential. A core of James Vince, Nick Gubbins and Ben Brown, with Liam Dawson and Joe Weatherley in support, ought to have enough about it to post good totals and chase with calmness.

It is with the ball, though, where Hampshire can really make their mark in the early season. Mohammad Abbas and Kyle Abbott is the fiercest new-ball attack around, and they are complimented by variation after variation: the left-arm seam of Keith Barker, Mason Crane’s leg-spin, left-arm spin from Liam Dawson, wheels from Brad Wheal, and more besides.

Throw into the mix that lot will now be working with one of the country’s top bowling coaches in Graeme Welch, and there’s an awful lot to be optimistic about.

Weaknesses: A more heavyweight opener could have turned this squad from Championship contenders to outright favourites, perhaps. Maybe you could argue that there are not enough runs in the tail. There’s also a small question about Abbas’s replacement after the first six rounds. Regardless, we’re poking holes. It's a good setup.

Assessment: Title contenders. Seriously. If Abbas and Abbott fire as they ought, and the middle order bats long as they can, this lot will be hard to stop.

Sam Morshead

^{Hampshire captain James Vince}

KENT

Captain: Sam Billings (Jack Leaning while Billings is at the IPL)

Coach: Matt Walker.

Ins: George Linde (South Africa), Jackson Bird (Australia, April and May), Matt Quinn (Essex), Ben Compton (Nottinghamshire)

Outs: None

Qualities: Apparently I'm only allowed 100 words here, which is never enough to talk about Darren Stevens. He is now 45 but is still doing the business, claiming wickets with his 60-something mph trundlers and chopping up oppo attacks with the casual intricacy of a butcher on delivery day. Kent have assembled a seam bowling attack which, while not necessarily eye-grabbing on paper, feels as though it ought to be capable of doing damage.

Matt Henry's arrival in July will be highly anticipated, but Jackson Bird should provide plenty of ammo in the early season, as well as an old head upon which Matt Milnes and Nathan Gilchrist can rely. The county also seems to have solved an issue of last year - wickets from spinners - with the arrival of George Linde, which ought to prevent Joe Denly bowling the most deliveries of any spinner in the squad, as happened in 2021. 

Weaknesses: Is it possible that Stevo is a negative as well as a positive? Kent must make sure they don’t rely on their wily allrounder too much in 2022. There is exciting talent in this team - Jordan Cox, Ollie Robinson, Tawanda Muyeye, Marcus O’Riordan - and they must take the opportunity to grow into their roles this season. Billings’ annual absence takes an important batting option out of the early season. Runs could be the problem.

Assessment: There seems to be a rush to write Kent off to relegation in several places. That feels misplaced, perhaps based on the dismal record at the start of last season. This side has more about them than those results, much more. Expect a midtable finish.

Sam Morshead

^{Kent's veteran allrounder Darren Stevens}

LANCASHIRE

Captain: Dane Vilas

Coach: Glen Chapple

Ins: Phil Salt (Sussex), George Bell (Academy), Hassan Ali (Pakistan, April and May)

Outs: Taylor Cornall (Worcestershire), Alex Davies (Worcestershire), George Burrows, Owais Shah, Ed Moulton (all released)

Qualities: Depth in all departments with four wicketkeepers, eight possible new-ball bowlers, the economical Tom Hartley serving as Matt Parkinson's spin understudy, and a short tail. Squad rotation will be a huge asset, especially in April and May with James Anderson and Hassan Ali bolstering the seam attack.

Weaknesses: It might take a few matches to discover the optimum batting order following Alex Davies' departure, with Keaton Jennings needing a new opening partner. Hassan Ali's mid-season departure maintains the pressure on Tom Bailey to take 50-plus wickets, particularly with Anderson’s involvement likely limited by England.

Assessment: On paper, a top-three finish should be the minimum for this Lancashire side.

Elizabeth Botcherby

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

Captain: Ricardo Vasconcelos

Coach: John Sadler

Ins: Gus Miller (academy), Will Young (Durham, overseas)

Outs: Richard Levi (released), Adam Rossington (Essex, season-long loan)

Qualities: A strong collective approach and sangfroid which is well tailored to seam-friendly bunfights. For a relatively small squad, a stock of seamers with decent experience. Lots of versatile all-rounders. And a decent specialist spinner in Simon Kerrigan.

Weaknesses: Northants' approach is better suited to Division Two; and possibly still a mental block lingers over Division One after the difficult 2014 campaign. Ricardo Vasconcelos aside, they are yet to prove they can rack up the daddy hundreds that dictate four-day games. The surprise demotion of Adam Rossington from the captaincy two weeks out from the season - and his subsequent departure three days before the new campaign - could also be destabilising. The Blast is the club's financial lifeline, which tends to mean rotation in Championship cricket when summer approaches.

Assessment: Have never avoided relegation in three previous attempts, and Northants will have to make a whirlwind start in April and May to escape the bottom two this year.

James Coyne

^{Northamptonshire face a battle to stay in Division One}

SOMERSET

Captain: Tom Abell

Coach: Jason Kerr

Ins: Peter Siddle (Australia), Matt Renshaw (Australia)

Outs: Eddie Byrom

Qualities: Perennial bridesmaids, this Somerset squad is stacked with ability, from top to bottom, from oldest to youngest, from top-order batsmen to spin options. The production line at Taunton continues to churn out a host of talented young players: George Bartlett, Tom Lammonby, Will Smeed, Tom Banton and the like joined by Sonny Baker (an exciting seamer) and Ned Leonard (fast with ball in hand, powerful with the bat).

The formula which has often come so close to delivering first-class silverware for the county has been to temper this next-generation exuberance with thoroughly sensible old heads. And many of those remain: James Hildreth, Lewis Gregory, Steven Davies et al. Chuck in Peter Siddle and Aussie import Matt Renshaw and there is an obvious strength in depth which should deliver for the county when they run into selection issues.

Weaknesses: It remains to be seen where Renshaw bats. If he occupies the middle order - as he has in Australian domestic cricket recently, then it could be argued that Somerset are a little light on an opening option with the bat. Jack Leach's availability will be determined by the ECB, and in his absence, Roelof van der Merwe will be the primary spin option. Selectors will have to fit three overseas players - Renshaw, Siddle and Marchant de Lange - into two spots. Presumably, de Lange will be the man to miss out most often. 

Assessment: Of course they'll be challenging.

Sam Morshead

SURREY

Captain: Rory Burns

Interim head coach: Gareth Batty.

Ins: Kemar Roach (West Indies, April & May), Hashim Amla, Cameron Steel (Durham), Chris Jordan (Sussex)

Outs: Mark Stoneman (Middlesex), Jade Dernbach, Liam Plunkett (both released), Gareth Batty, Rikki Clarke (both retired)

Qualities: There is a lot of quality, on paper, in this Surrey side. A batting line-up that features Rory Burns, Hashim Amla and Ollie Pope in its top four should, really, be making sizeable scores, while the bowling will be led by Kemar Roach in the early season. Roach at his best poses an aggressive, disciplined threat, though he did at times appear down on pace during the recent West Indies-England series. Surrey could, if all goes to plan, field an XI with six Test players during the early rounds; that’s got to count for something.

Weaknesses: As is often the case, whether or not Surrey can challenge towards the top of the table will depend on their ability to force results, particularly at The Oval. Despite having several cupboards full of quicks, there may not be enough in the locker to get the wins they need. Their strong first-choice batting line-up is susceptible to change from late May, depending on the whims of England's selectors - Rory Burns, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes and Sam Curran could all feasibly either be available to Surrey all summer, or miss half their schedule. 

Assessment: Lots of quality, lots of class, but will it come together? We’re not entirely sure. Upper midtable.

Sam Morshead

^{Kemar Roach returns to Surrey in 2022}

WARWICKSHIRE

Captain: Will Rhodes

Coach: Mark Robinson

Ins: Nathan McAndrew (Australia - 10 County Championship matches), Alex Davies (Lancashire)

Players out: Alex Thomson (Derbyshire), Ed Pollock (Worcestershire), Tim Bresnan (retired), Ryan Sidebottom (Derbyshire, one-month loan)

Qualities: The defending champions have kept the majority of the title-winning core together. Dom Sibley has looked excellent in pre-season and will be fighting hard to get his international career relaunched. Warwickshire's success last year was built on the quality of their bowling. Five bowlers took more than 20 wickets, with Liam Norwell top of the pile with 49. Norwell and Craig Miles was a particularly useful combination. 

Weaknesses: It could be argued that Warwickshire may have asked a bit too much of their bowlers in 2021 (which sounds daft given they won the thing). No batsman averaged more than 37.76. Rob Yates, who made four hundreds in 23 innings but totalled 793 runs for the season, will be looked to to help the team get off to strong starts. The arrival of Alex Davies from Lancashire bolsters the batting as much as offers competition for the gloves to Michael Burgess. 

Assessment: Warwickshire did superbly to win the 2021 Championship. It feels, in the extended league structure rather than the conference system in place last year, that defending the title would be an even more significant achievement.

Sam Morshead

^{Warwickshire opener Dom Sibley}

YORKSHIRE 

Captain: Steven Patterson 

Coach: Ottis Gibson 

Ins: Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka, April & May - three matches), Haris Rauf (Pakistan – April & May, six matches)

Outs: Duanne Olivier 

Qualities: A strong first-choice top-order, containing the likes of Adam Lyth, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Dimuth Karunaratne – a shrewd signing to provide some early season security – plus a solid seam quartet of Ben Coad, Matthew Fisher, Jordan Thompson and Steven Patterson.  

Weaknesses: Squad depth in all departments, with their relatively youthful middle order looking particularly vulnerable when Karunaratne and their England contingent aren't present. Injury to one of the four main seamers could also prove costly. The uncertainty surrounding Gary Ballance's future is unhelpful and weakens the top order.  

Assessment: Uncertainty and media scrutiny will hang over Yorkshire all season, but Ottis Gibson has a squad capable of avoiding a performance-based relegation.

Elizabeth Botcherby

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Related Topics

• County Championship 2022: Division Two pocket guides