County Championship 2022: Division Two pocket guides

The Cricketer team takes a glance at Derbyshire, Durham, Glamorgan, Leicestershire, Middlesex, Nottinghamshire, Sussex and Worcestershire

The Cricketer takes a quick look at each of the eight LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two 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.

DERBYSHIRE

Captain: Billy Godleman

Coach: Mickey Arthur

Ins: Shan Masood (Pakistan), Suranga Lakmal (Sri Lanka), Alex Thomson (Warwickshire), Ryan Sidebottom (one-month loan)

Outs: Matt Critchley (Essex), Fynn Hudson-Prentice (Sussex), Nils Priestley (released), Harvey Hosein (retired)

Qualities: Arthur is convinced this is a talented squad still to fulfil their potential. The former Pakistan and Australia coach is Derby's strongest asset heading into the 2022 campaign, given his unquestionable pedigree and proven track record of improving players. For the first time in a while, the prospect of a red-ball season is a welcome one.

Weaknesses: This was already a low-confidence, small group of players prone to injury before the loss of last season's outstanding player Matt Critchley who Arthur has been unable to replace. Six red-ball wins in the last three years speaks to the gravity of the situation.

Assessment: The only way is up.

Nick Howson

^{Mickey Arthur is the new Derbyshire head coach}

DURHAM

Captain: Scott Borthwick

Coach: James Franklin

Ins: Keegan Petersen (South Africa, seven matches)

Outs: Cameron Steel (Surrey), Stuart Poynter (released)

Qualities: A loaded pace attack spearheaded by the seemingly ageless Chris Rushworth and Ben Raine and a stacked top order, featuring Alex Lees, David Bedingham, Scott Borthwick and, for seven matches, Keegan Petersen. Bowling bonus points shouldn’t be an issue while the Bedingham-Petersen axis could produce fireworks.

Weaknesses: Durham were bundled out for under 200 on six occasions last season and Ned Eckersley looks lonely in the middle order once again, particularly when Petersen and Stokes are unavailable. If the top order collapses, they’re soon into Ben Raine, Liam Trevaskis and the tail.

Assessment: This squad looks like their best shot at promotion since their financial relegation in 2016 and anything less would be a surprise.

Elizabeth Botcherby

^{David Bedingham is Durham's run machine}

GLAMORGAN

Captain: David Lloyd

Coach: Matthew Maynard

Ins: Eddie Byrom (Somerset), James Harris (Middlesex), Sam Northeast (Hampshire)

Outs: Roman Walker (Leicestershire), Nick Selman (released)

Overseas players: Colin Ingram (South Africa), Marnus Labuschagne (Australia), Michael Neser (Australia)

Qualities: Marnus Labuschagne is the diamond at the head of a doughty, deep batting unit. Kiran Carlson had a fine 2020 and his best years are ahead of him. Lloyd is a pugnacious batsman. They bat deep and have a host of seam-bowling options.

Weaknesses: Staying power. Glamorgan held their own in the first 10 matches, qualifying for Division Two… in which they finished bottom after a shoddy September. A quality spin option is conspicuously lacking.

Assessment: They can be competitive and be in the promotion mix if they acquire the staying power that they lacked last summer.

Huw Turbervill

^{Michael Neser is a big wicket threat for Glamorgan}

LEICESTERSHIRE

Captain: Colin Ackermann

Coach: Paul Nixon

Ins: Wiaan Mulder (South Africa), Beuran Hendricks (South Africa), Tom Scriven (Hampshire), Roman Walker (Glamorgan)

Outs: Dieter Klein (released)

Qualities: Belatedly, this feels like a Leicestershire outfit properly structured and not just hanging around for the white-ball stuff. There is an exciting core of youngsters including Ben Mike, Sam Evans, Callum Parkinson, and England Under-19-star Rehan Ahmed, who is due more first-team recognition this season. Getting left-armer Beuran Hendricks looks like a shrewd bit of business, the result of Paul Nixon and new director cricket Claude Henderson's data-driven recruitment approach.

Weaknesses: Ultimately, this remains a first-class side who have won five matches in three years. It is one of the younger squads on the circuit who show promise but have already accumulated a degree of scar tissue. Improve on second innings scores, which let them down on multiple occasions last term, should be among the priorities. Chris Wright, at 36, cannot continue to lead the pace attack and needs support.

Assessment: We're in the territory of certain counties, rightly or wrongly, simply having to justify their existence - Leicestershire need to be memorable in 2022.

Nick Howson

^{Leicestershire face a stiff challenge in 2022}

MIDDLESEX

Captain: Peter Handscomb.

Coach: Richard Johnson.

Ins: Mark Stoneman (Surrey), Daniel O'Driscoll (Academy), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan, until mid-July)

Outs: James Harris (Glamorgan), Steve Finn (Sussex), Nick Gubbins (Hampshire)

Qualities: Johnson's squad is armed with a high-quality seam attack that was strong last year – Tim Murtagh and Ethan Bamber shared 110 wickets – and has added Afridi for good measure. Sam Robson and Mark Stoneman are an experienced opening pair, who forged a promising partnership in the second half of last season.

Weaknesses: The middle order failed to fire, and captain Handscomb averaged just 17.46. The Lord's surface doesn't make life easier for batters, and plenty will be needed from Stephen Eskinazi, Robbie White, Max Holden and Handscomb to back up the Robson-Stoneman axis. Afridi's availability could be impacted by Pakistan's ODI series against West Indies.

Assessment: A happy squad under a new coach with a gun overseas fast bowler – a tilt at promotion shouldn't be beyond them.

Nick Friend

^{Tim Murtagh leads Middlesex}

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

Captain: Steven Mullaney

Coach: Peter Moores

Ins: James Pattinson (overseas)

Outs: Ben Compton (Kent), Tom Barber (released), Peter Trego (retired)

Qualities: The strongest squad in the division. Four of the country's best batsmen outside the England side (Ben Slater, Haseeb Hameed, Ben Duckett and Joe Clarke). A stock of seamers (including two overseas players in James Pattinson and Dane Paterson, plus Stuart Broad) well suited to prevailing conditions at both Trent Bridge and Division Two generally.

Weaknesses: A terrible first-class record from 2018 to 2020, which explains why Notts are in Division Two, and the bad vibes may resurface if things don't start well. The impression that, at times, Notts' batting has been a collection of young individuals with franchise priorities, rather than a cohesive team. Their strength in depth might mean out-of-favour players going out on loan. But this is almost certainly clutching at straws.

Assessment: Should win the division with room to spare.

James Coyne

^{Nottinghamshire are the hot favourites to win Division Two}

SUSSEX

Captain: Tom Haines

Coach: Ian Salisbury

Ins: Tom Alsop (Hampshire, season-long loan), George Burrows (Lancashire, first month of the season), Steve Finn (Middlesex), Fynn Hudson-Prentice (Derbyshire)

Outs: Ben Brown (Hampshire), Mitch Claydon, Chris Jordan (Surrey), Stuart Meaker, Phil Salt (Lancashire), Aaron Thomason (released)

Qualities: The enthusiasm of youth (albeit augmented by Steve Finn). Tom Haines and Ali Orr have the makings of a quality opening alliance, even if they are only 24 and 20. Fynn Hudson-Prentice is a quality allrounder. Jack Carson is a spin bowler of much promise.

Weaknesses: If things go badly, there will be accusations that these rookies were exposed too young, and the effect could be ruinous. If Finn doesn't fire, Ollie Robinson struggles with injuries, Carson's comeback is delayed… it's down to the kids again.

Assessment: Sussex manoeuvred themselves into some promising positions last season, especially against Lancashire and Yorkshire at Hove, but their lack of experience ultimately cost them. They finished bottom of Division Three, and start this summer back in the reformed Division Two. Sussex fans would be furious to think that they are merely a white-ball force now. They won the Championship in 2003, 2006 and 2007 after all. They may need to stay patient yet again if they expect their side to return to the top flight, although stranger things have happened. Good young Sussex by the sea? We shall see.

Huw Turbervill

^{Tom Haines has been named Sussex captain}

WORCESTERSHIRE

Captain: Brett D'Oliveira

Coach: Alex Gidman

Ins: Taylor Cornall (Lancashire), Ed Pollock (Warwickshire), Ben Gibbon (Cheshire), Azhar Ali (Pakistan)

Outs: Ross Whiteley (Hampshire), Alex Milton (released), Daryl Mitchell (retired)

Qualities: The addition of Azhar Ali adds steel and experience to a batting line-up that has lost its old-stager in Daryl Mitchell. Jack Haynes is one of the best young players in the country, while fast bowler Dillon Pennington is back from a winter in Australia, hopefully with plenty to show for what he learnt.

Weaknesses: A lack of wins last summer was, as much as anything else, down to a shortage of genuine wicket-takers on flat surfaces. There remains a fair bit of reliance on Jake Libby, who has churned out the runs at a terrific rate since moving across from Nottinghamshire. Another big year for him and who knows where that might take him…

Assessment: They'll be competitive once again. Whether they have the tools to break open a game when the ball isn't moving around remains to be seen.

Nick Friend

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Related Topics

• County Championship 2022: Division One pocket guides