COUNTY BY COUNTY GUIDE TO THE 2010 SEASON by Marcus Hook 

DERBYSHIRE
The ECB recently granted Derbyshire permission to rotate the square at Derby, but is their long wait for silverware - currently the longest of any county - about to turn around? Not if the odds-setters are to be believed. However, the batting looks strong. It will be led once again by the prolific Chris Rogers. Last summer saw Wayne Madsen burst on to the cricket scene in England. It will be a major surprise if the South African fails to rack up one thousand first-class runs this term. Garry Park's move away from Durham bore fruit. Greg Smith caught the eye without really cashing in and Dan Redfern gave us a glimpse of what the future may hold for the 19-year-old southpaw. Jamie Pipe's retirement sees the wicketkeeping gloves pass to Lee Goddard, who returns to Nottingham Road following a stint at Durham. Goddard will be keeping to one of the better seam attacks in Division Two, which now has a viable spin threat following the arrival of Robin Peterson. But don't expect much from the Falcons in one-day cricket - they have won just five 40-over matches in the last four years and only once have they reached the last eight of the Twenty20 Cup.
Ins: Mark Footitt (Not), Lee Goddard (Dur), Steffan Jones (Som) and Robin Peterson (as a Kolpak)
Outs: Dan Birch, Nantie Hayward, Wavell Hinds, Frederick Klokker, Charl Langeveldt (gave up Kolpak status to play international cricket), Stuart Law, Mark Lawson, James Pipe (Ret), Stephen Stubbings and Dom Telo
Overseas 2010: Loots Bosman (RSA, Twenty20 only) and Chris Rogers (Aus)
New captain/coach: no change
Could miss the start of the season: Jon Clare (shoulder) and Ian Hunter (knee)
Other news: Changed one-day nickname to the Falcons
LV County Championship Div Two: 16-1 joint outsiders
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 25-1
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 28-1 joint outsiders

DURHAM
Not since 1968 has a county carried off the championship title three years running, but due to Durham's strength in depth only a brave man would cast doubt on their chances of achieving a "three-peat". Whenever a Durham seamer is carrying a niggle, there always seems to be a top quality replacement waiting in the wings. It obviously helps that Stephen Harmison and Liam Plunkett are no longer shoe-ins for England, but in 2009 the competition for places was such that up-and-coming all-rounder Ben Harmison didn't get a look-in in the championship. Ian Blackwell slotted straight into the role of front-line spinner, but that did not stop Scott Borthwick, 19, catching the eye. With the bat, Michael Di Venuto and Dale Benkenstein were in outstanding form, which, perhaps, was just as well with Kyle Coetzer, Gordon Muchall, Mark Stoneman and skipper Will Smith failing to live up to expectations. But, with such a strong attack, runs were not as essential as they might otherwise have been. South Africa's Albie Morkel and New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor have been signed up for this summer's Twenty20 Cup, but, with the introduction of the salary cap, the size of Durham's wage bill means that any more overseas signings this year are unlikely.
Ins: Michael Richardson and Ben Stokes
Outs: Lee Goddard (Der) and Paul Wiseman (Ret)
Overseas 2010: Albie Morkel (RSA, Twenty20 only) and Ross Taylor (NZ, Twenty20 only)
New captain/coach: no change
Could miss the start of the season: Paul Collingwood (IPL), Mark Davies (ankle) and Graham Onions (back)
LV County Championship Div One: 6-4 favourites
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 9-1
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 12-1

ESSEX
Back in Division One of the County Championship for the first time since 2003, the worry for Essex is whether they will be capable of batting their way out of trouble this summer, having not had a batsman record a 1,000-run season in the championship in 2010. Danish Kaneria, the leading wicket-taker in last summer's competition, is pencilled in for a sixth stint at Chelmsford, though only for the first half of the 2010 campaign; which means that Essex will need to make the most of Kaneria when he is around. David Masters is a big-hearted and dependable seamer. All-rounders ten Doeschate and Napier are assets. So, if Chris Wright can just hit a more consistent line and length, Mark Pettini's men should be capable of holding their own in the top flight on top of challenging for silverware in the two limited-overs competitions. The batting will be stronger if, when he returns from the Indian Premier League, Ravi Bopara is overlooked by England. But rather than continue relying on the lower middle-order duo of Ryan ten Doeschate and James Foster for runs, it would be timely if two 21-year-olds, Billy Godleman and Tom Westley, could find their feet at first team level this year.
Ins: Michael Comber, Billy Godleman (Mid) and Max Osborne 
Outs: Jahid Ahmed, Varun Chopra (War), Jason Gallian (Ret) and James Middlebrook (Nor) 
Overseas 2010: Danish Kaneria (Pak) 
New captain/coach: no change 
Could miss the start of the season: Ravi Bopara (IPL) and Graham Napier (IPL) 
LV County Championship Div One: 16-1 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 8-1 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 12-1

GLAMORGAN
Having not managed higher than eighth in Division Two of the County Championship since being relegated in 2005, Glamorgan, led for the first time by Jamie Dalrymple, hoisted themselves up to fifth place last summer on the back of only two victories in four-day cricket. But, as just eight wins in all competitions last season would suggest, it would be wise not to get too carried away. The batting continues to look in need of shoring up, so Mark Cosgrove has been retained as Glamorgan's primary overseas player. The performances of Dalrymple and Gareth Rees were more consistent in 2009, but Michael Powell showed worrying signs of going backwards. With the ball, Robert Croft is not getting any younger, but nobody bowled more overs in last year's championship than the 39-year-old, who took 56 wickets at precisely thirty. On pitches conducive to spin, such as those at Cardiff, the Welshmen have Dean Cosker up their sleeve. The seam attack is still a work in progress, but Adam Shantry and James Harris are starting to look like an effective new-ball pairing. The joker in the pack come Twenty20 time will be Australian speedster Shaun Tait, who either gives the appearance of being a world beater or an expensive luxury.
Ins: James Allenby (Lei), David Brown (Glo) and Nick James (War) 
Outs: Garnett Kruger, Mike O'Shea, Ryan Watkins and Alex Wharf (Ret) 
Overseas 2010: Mark Cosgrove (Aus) and Shaun Tait (Aus, Twenty20 only) 
New captain/coach: no change Could miss the start of the season: Robert Croft (back) 
LV County Championship Div Two: 12-1 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 29-1 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 25-1

GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Having failed to win a championship match in 2008, Gloucestershire recorded six victories last summer and, for a time, flirted with the prospect of promotion to Division One. But, once again, a lack of runs proved their undoing. Skipper, Alex Gidman appears to have rediscovered his form with the willow and the arrival of keeper-batsman Jonathan Batty, from Surrey, should bolster the top order, but last year's ever present trio of Kadeer Ali, Hamish Marshall and Chris Taylor only produced two hundreds between them. The new-ball pair of Jon Lewis and Steve Kirby combined for 121 championship wickets in 2009, helped by the groundsman at Bristol preparing a few juicy green tops, but Lewis is showing signs that years of racing in from the Ashley Down Road End are beginning to take their toll. James Franklin's all-round contribution will, therefore, be crucial. While there would appear to be bowling reserves in the shape of Anthony Ireland, Ian Saxleby and slow left-armer Vikram Banerjee, the lack of further ready-made options in the batting department does not augur well for another promotion push in 2010. Gloucestershire's recent sporadic record in limited-overs cricket - the highlight of which was reaching the final of the Twenty20 Cup in 2007 - suggests it will be a lean year all-round for the Gladiators.
Ins: Jonathan Batty (Sur), Chris Dent and David Payne 
Outs: Steve Adshead, David Brown (Gla), Matthew Gitsham, Grant Hodnett, Craig Spearman and Tom Stayt 
Overseas 2010: James Franklin (NZ) 
New captain/coach: no change 
Could miss the start of the season: Jonathan Batty (knee) and Ian Saxelby (shoulder) 
LV County Championship Div Two: 12-1 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 28-1 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 25-1

HAMPSHIRE
Having been the leading wicket-taker in the County Championship in 2008, left-arm seamer James Tomlinson came back down to earth with a bump. But then, Hampshire often seemed to be lacking a cutting edge last term. It therefore came as no surprise to see overseas spinner Imran Tahir jettisoned in favour of Sri Lanka's Ajantha Mendis and the arrival of a proven seamer in Kabir Ali, who joined the exodus from New Road, Worcester. If the likes of Danny Briggs and David Griffiths, 18 and 24 respectively, can continue making an impression with the ball, 2010 could be a big year for the Rose Bowl outfit, who are unlikely to be short of runs. In 2009, Nic Pothas confirmed he is the most complete keeper-batsman in county cricket, Michael Carberry added a touch of panache to his capacity to play long innings and Jimmy Adams is now a batsman whom one expects to put a decent score on the board. With Liam Dawson being talked about as a future England player and Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi lined-up to boost Hampshire's assault on the Twenty20 Cup, there really is no shortage of strength in depth where last season's Friends Provident Trophy winners are concerned.
Ins: Kabir Ali (Wor), Simon Jones (Wor) and Neil McKenzie (as a Kolpak) 
Outs: Tom Burrows, John Crawley (Ret), Chris Morgan, Tom Parsons, Billy Taylor and Chris Tremlett (Sur) 
Overseas 2010: Abdul Razzaq (Pak, Twenty20 Cup only), Rangana Herath (SL, for the first two months of the season), Ajantha Mendis (SL, for the second half of the campaign) and Shahid Afridi (Pak, Twenty20 Cup only) 
New captain/coach: no change Could miss the start of the season: Michael Lumb (IPL), Dimitri Mascarenhas (Achilles) and Kevin Pietersen (IPL) 
Other news: Changed one-day nickname to the Royals, after joining the Royals2020 "brand" 
LV County Championship Div One: 9-2 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 17-2 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 13-2 favourites

KENT
After returning to Division One of the County Championship at the first attempt and having persuaded skipper Rob Key to stay, the hop county should be on the up and up. But due to financial losses totalling £1.5m in the last two years, Kent's professional squad remains the smallest in the country. With their batsmen hitting twenty-five centuries in last season's championship, one should be wary of writing off the Spitfires' chances of remaining in the top flight, but their bowling resources look worryingly thin following the departures of Ryan MacLaren and all-rounder Justin Kemp. Other than James Tredwell, who took 69 wickets at an average of 26.63, only Simon Cook and Amjad Khan showed any real consistency last term. Kent will be keen, therefore, to have Robbie Joseph returned to full fitness following a shoulder injury, Azhar Mahmood similarly firing on all cylinders again and for Phil Edwards, who has promised so much for so long, to finally come of age. If Joe Denly and Sam Northeast can continue their development as high-class batters, it may not be as sorry a year as some are predicting. Indeed, having made the last four in the Twenty20 Cup in each of the last three seasons, expect the Spitfires to be there or thereabouts again.
Ins: Adam Ball and Dewald Nel 
Outs: Justin Kemp (no longer qualifies as a Kolpak), Ryan McLaren (gave up Kolpak status to play international cricket) and Martin Saggers (Ret) 
Overseas 2010: Malinga Bandara (SL, but only for the second half of the season) 
New captain/coach: Paul Farbrace succeeds Graham Ford as coach 
Could miss the start of the season: Robbie Joseph (shoulder) 
LV County Championship Div One: 9-1 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 17-2 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 10-1

LANCASHIRE
After rounding off the Nineties with six one-day trophies, Lancashire have not captured any silverware since the turn of the Millennium. One senses the Red Rose faithful will have to wait a while longer to see their team carry off the championship title. But, as only seven four-day losses in the last four years suggests, Lancashire are a resilient side, despite question marks against their batting. In both 2008 and 2009, no Lancashire batsman managed one thousand championship runs in a season. Mal Loye came close last term. Loye is now back at Northants, but in comes Stephen Moore, who is still talked about as having international potential even though his performances for Worcestershire last year suggested he had lost all interest. Kumar Sangakarra has been drafted in as a specialist batsman, but with a Test series between Sri Lanka and India in the offing, Lancashire are currently sweating on the availability of the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper. Luke Sutton will don the gloves again, but don't be surprised to see his understudy Gareth Cross break into the first team in 2010. The Lancashire attack, of which Glen Chapple is pivotal component, has strength in depth, especially with the likes of all-rounder Tom Smith and slow left-armer Simon Kerrigan pushing for inclusion.
Ins: Gary Montgomery, Stephen Moore (Wor), Daren Powell (as a Kolpak) and Luke Procter 
Outs: Francois du Plessis (no longer qualifies as a Kolpak), Mal Loye (Nor) and Steven Mullaney (Not) 
Overseas 2010: Ashwell Prince (RSA, for the start of the season) and Kumar Sangakkara (SL, for the remainder of the campaign)
New captain/coach: no change 
Could miss the start of the season: James Anderson (knee), Andrew Flintoff (IPL/knee) and Gary Keedy (shoulder) 
LV County Championship Div One: 9-1 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 10-1 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 10-1

LEICESTERSHIRE
Leicestershire's biggest concern ahead of the new season is whether they will be able to overcome the departure of two key batsmen - HD Ackerman and Boeta Dippenaar. With Matthew Hoggard moving down from Yorkshire to take on the captaincy, Nadeem Malik said to be winning his fitness battle and the signing of Andrew McDonald as overseas player the Foxes' seam bowling will have added bite. But, at just 20 years of age, it is a lot to expect the prodigious James Taylor to carry the batting, although Tom New is developing into useful keeper-batsman. Will Jefferson and James Benning have been recruited to provide some competition for the likes of Matthew Boyce and Josh Cobb, but their records do not suggest that imminent top order changes are on the cards. As the season progresses, however, watch out for Nathan Buck and Harry Gurney to advance their claims with the ball. With Brad Hodge returning for the Twenty20 campaign to fill the second overseas berth and a more than useful all-rounder in Wayne White, perhaps the Grace Road outfit will cause a few upsets in the shortest version of the game. But, in general, expect 2010 to be yet another transitional year for Leicestershire.
Ins: James Benning (Sur), Will Jefferson (Not) and Matthew Hoggard (Yor) 
Outs: HD Ackerman, James Allenby (Gla) and Boeta Dippenaar 
Overseas 2010: Brad Hodge (Aus, Twenty20 only) and Andrew McDonald (Aus) 
New captain/coach: Matthew Hoggard takes over from Boeta Dippenaar as captain 
Could miss the start of the season: James Benning (back) 
Other news: Paul Nixon will not feature in the Twenty20 Cup because of his past involvement in the Indian Cricket League 
LV County Championship Div Two: 10-1 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 28-1 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 25-1

MIDDLESEX
To Middlesex's closest rivals, Surrey, the arrival of Pedro Collins at Lord's may well be viewed with indifference, but to many others Collins gives the North Londoners more than enough depth in the seam department to be challenging for promotion in the County Championship again (having twice finished third in Division Two in the last three years). Middlesex will be looking to Steven Finn, Tim Murtagh and New Zealand's Iain O'Brien to make the early inroads with the ball and for Shaun Udal and the under-rated Tom Smith (who moves up from Sussex) to forge a useful spin combination. If the bowling doesn't fire, Middlesex may well pay for letting batsmen Nick Compton and Billy Godleman go, not to mention the early season absence of both Eoin Morgan and Owais Shah, who will be appearing in the IPL. Scott Newman, who has also been drafted in from Surrey, will open the batting. But, with David Nash retiring, new coach Richard Scott seems to be taking a huge risk by naming 21-year-old John Simpson as his first choice wicketkeeper ahead of Ben Scott, who, for many, is the tidiest stumper in the country. Scott has therefore been granted permission to start the summer as a Worcestershire player.
Ins: Pedro Collins (Sur), Josh Davey, Scott Newman (Sur), Toby Roland-Jones, Tom Smith (Sus) and Paul Stirling 
Outs: Nick Compton (Som), Billy Godleman (Ess), Tyron Henderson, David Nash (Ret), Alan Richardson (Wor), Ben Scott (on loan to Wor) and Chris Silverwood 
Overseas 2010: Adam Gilchrist (Aus, Twenty20 only), Iain O’Brien (NZ) and David Warner (Aus, Twenty20 only) 
New captain/coach: Richard Scott succeeds Toby Radford as coach 
Could miss the start of the season: Eoin Morgan (IPL) and Owais Shah (IPL) 
LV County Championship Div Two: 13-2 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 20-1 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 10-1

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
One can only assume that Nicky Boje's tongue was firmly in cheek when he said that his Northants side were eyeing up silverware this season. Other than the return of Mal Loye from Lancashire and David Sales's new found fitness, following a serious knee injury, things have not been going Northamptonshire's way of late. In February the club lost its appeal against the Home Office's immigration rules, which meant that Riki Wessels and Johannes Van der Wath no longer qualified for working visas. Not long after signing up India's Virender Sehwag for the Twenty20 campaign, the BCCI vetoed the move. Still, there shouldn't be any such problems with Zimbabwe all-rounder Elton Chigumbura, who must rate as one of this summer's more obscure overseas signings. In 2009, van der Wath formed a productive new ball partnership with left-armer David Lucas, who enjoyed his best season to date. Andrew Hall also proved highly effective as first change. David Wigley, who had another indifferent year, seems the obvious replacement for van der Wath, but the hope must be that 25-year-old seamer Jack Brooks builds on his performances at the back end of last summer. In the spin department Boje is joined by James Middlebrook, who moves up from Essex to replace Monty Panesar.
Ins: Paul Harrison, Mal Loye (Lan), James Middlebrook (Ess) and Vishal Tripathi 
Outs: Shaun Bailey, Steven Crook, Ryan Cummins, Mark Nelson, Monty Panesar (Sus), Johan van der Wath (no longer qualifies as a Kolpak), Riki Wessels (no longer qualifies as a Kolpak) and Graeme White (Not) 
Overseas 2010: Elton Chigumbura (Zim) 
New captain/coach: no change 
LV County Championship Div Two: 16-1 joint outsiders 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 33-1 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 20-1

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
Runners-up in the County Championship in each of the last two seasons, many expect Nottinghamshire to be in the title mix again. Not only is Chris Read captain and wicketkeeper, he was also the Outlaws' leading run-maker in the championship last season, which underlines the degree to which he had to bail his side out at times. Australia's David Hussey has therefore been signed up for a sixth stint as overseas player, though initially his berth will be filled by South Africa's Hashim Amla, who averaged over one hundred in three outings for Essex last term. Neil Edwards has also been drafted in from Somerset to provide competition for places at the top of the order. When Graeme Swann is only England duty, which, these days, is pretty much all of the time, Samit Patel is Notts' sole spin threat - although, with a bowling average of 47.84 in last year's championship, perhaps "threat" is flattering him. There is no shortage of firepower in the seam department, though, which is as it should be given that Trent Bridge is a popular ground amongst the fast bowling fraternity. Amazingly, apart from reaching the final in 2006, Nottinghamshire have only made the last eight in the Twenty20 Cup on one other occasion.
Ins: Neil Edwards (Som), Scott Elstone, Steven Mullaney (Lan) and Graeme White (Nor) 
Outs: Jason Brown, Mark Ealham (Ret), Mark Footitt (Der) and Will Jefferson (Lei) 
Overseas 2010: Hashim Amla (RSA, for the first seven weeks of the season), David Hussey (Aus, for the remainder of the campaign) and Dirk Nannes (Aus, Twenty20 only) 
New captain/coach: no change 
Could miss the start of the season: Ryan Sidebottom (thigh) and Mark Wagh (shoulder) 
LV County Championship Div One: 6-1 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 14-1 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 12-1

SOMERSET
Somerset were one of only two sides able to boast three 1,000-run makers in 2009. Marcus Trescothick, who takes over the captaincy from Justin Langer, was in the form of his life, hitting eight hundreds on his way 1,817 championship runs at an average of 75.70. But, more pleasing, perhaps, were the strides taken by Craig Kieswetter and Arul Suppiah, who made the number two spot his own. The arrival of Nick Compton from Middlesex may see that change, although it seems more likely that Trescothick will fill the Langer role in more ways than one by going in first down. The Somerset manager and former captain, Brian Rose has said he would love to see the Cidermen claim the championship title for the first time in their history this year, but that might be asking a lot with Durham, Hampshire and Notts looking a good deal more superior. But one can see why Rose is optimistic. There are few seamers more consistent than Charl Willoughby and if Murali Kartik, Somerset's new overseas player, can forge a spin alliance with Munday or Suppiah the bowling will tax most sides. But one feels that Zander de Bruyn and James Hildreth would also need to excel with the bat.
Ins: Nick Compton (Mid) and James Hayman 
Outs: Omari Banks, Andy Caddick (Ret), Wes Durston, Neil Edwards (Not), Carl Gazzard (Ret) and Steffan Jones (Der)
Overseas 2010: Murali Kartik (Ind), Kieron Pollard (WI, Twenty20 only), Cameron White (Aus, Twenty20 only) and Damien Wright (Aus, for the first month of the season) 
New captain/coach: Marcus Trescothick takes over from Justin Langer as captain 
LV County Championship Div One: 9-1 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 15-2 favourites 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 8-1

SURREY
Surrey's manager, Chris Adams has imparted his vision, but do the Lions have the ammunition to challenge for silverware this summer? Probably not, but expect a marked improvement on their dismal showings in 2008 and 2009. An almost unprecedented clearout of players has been followed by some quality signings plus, it's also fair to say, one or two eyebrow-raising acquisitions. Rory Hamilton-Brown returns to the Brit Oval as captain after two seasons with Sussex in which the 22-year-old was handed just six championship starts. Chris Tremlett, signed on a three-year contract from Hampshire, represents another gamble. Still seen as one of the best fast bowlers in the country, the 29-year-old has a reputation for being injury prone. Indeed he misses the start the new campaign due to a groin problem. Another name on the injury list is seamer Chris Jordan, who is sidelined for at least six weeks with a recurrence of a back complaint, however the fiery Andre Nel is fit again after pulling a hamstring. Jade Dernbach, a genuine rising star, and overseas signing Rao Iftikhar Anjum may well share the new ball. As the season progresses, expect up-and-coming seamers Stuart Meaker, Tom Jewell and Matthew Dunn to feature on occasions. With Gareth Batty returning from Worcestershire, Surrey will have no shortage of spin options, but if the Board of Control for Cricket in India refuses to ratify Piyush Chawla's signing, the Lions' spin department may well be unimposing once again. That said, Hamilton-Brown and Matthew Spriegel's occasional spin will make Surrey an interesting proposition in the Twenty20 Cup and the 40-over League, and it would be no real surprise to see off-twirler Simon King advance his claims to a regular first team place this summer. The Lions' batting is built around Mark Ramprakash, who could conceivably end the season with more first-class runs for Surrey than he racked up in 14 years for Middlesex. Usman Afzaal and wicketkeeper-batsman Steven Davies should give the middle-order more solidity, but the top of the order remains a potential Achilles heel. Michael Brown, who joined the Lions from Hampshire a year ago, has not always cashed in on the batsmen-friendly pitches at the Brit Oval, while the departures of Jonathan Batty (to Gloucestershire) and Scott Newman (Middlesex), on top of Mark Butcher's retirement, leaves a gap at number two. Following a productive pre-season, 23-year-old left-hander Arun Harinath will be given first refusal, but Laurie Evans and Stewart Walters will no doubt be knocking on the door by dint of some big scores for the second eleven. In the two limited-overs competitions expect to see Spriegel to come in for Harinath and one of Hamilton-Brown and Davies, or even both, being deployed as pinch-hitting openers. Predictions for Surrey's 2010 season: Pushing for promotion in the County Championship, especially if Chawla and Tremlett are prominent, and not to be under-estimated in the Twenty20 Cup and the 40-over League.
Ins: Gareth Batty (Wor), Steven Davies (Wor), Rory Hamilton-Brown (Sus) and Chris Tremlett (Ham) 
Outs: Jonathan Batty (Glo), James Benning (Lei), Mark Butcher (Ret), Pedro Collins (Mid), Murtaza Hussain, Chris Murtagh, Scott Newman (Mid), James Ormond and Alex Tudor 
Overseas 2010: Rao Iftikhar Anjum (Pak, for the opening weeks of the season) and Piyush Chawla (Ind, for the remainder of the campaign) 
New captain/coach: Rory Hamilton-Brown takes over from Mark Butcher as captain 
Could miss the start of the season: Chris Jordan (back) and Andre Nel (hamstring) 
Other news: Changed one-day nickname back to the Lions 
LV County Championship Div Two: 9-4 joint favourites 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 10-1 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 16-1

SUSSEX
With Sussex adding the Pro40 League Division One and Twenty20 Cup titles to their tally in 2009, the most successful side of the so-called Noughties (in terms of major trophies won) find themselves in Division Two of the County Championship for the first time since 2001. The Martlets share joint favouritism with Surrey for the second division title, but other than the arrival of Monty Panesar from Northants, there is little to suggest their attack is as well equipped for four-day cricket as it is in the shorter versions of the game. With the bat, Chris Nash played with much greater confidence last summer, but the loss of Matt Prior and Luke Wright to England put the onus on skipper Michael Yardy and Murray Goodwin. Yardy rose to the challenge of opening the batting, but Murray Goodwin appeared to be a spent force for the first time in his career. Making runs against the less demanding attacks in Division Two will help the Zimbabwean rediscover his form. Over the winter, Sussex were frustrated in their efforts to secure overseas players, but with Rana Naved-ul-Hasan deputising for Yasir Arafat and, in the Twenty20, Brendon McCullum replacing Tillerkeratne Dilshan, the Sharks have come out of their negotiations smelling of roses as usual.
Ins: James Anyon (War), Matthew Machan, Monty Panesar (Nor), Luke Wells and Craig Young 
Outs: Rory Hamilton-Brown (Sur), Carl Hopkinson (Ret), Jason Lewry (Ret), Pepler Sandri, Dwayne Smith (no longer qualifies as a Kolpak) and Tom Smith (Mid) 
Overseas 2010: Yasir Arafat (Pak, following the conclusion of the World Twenty20), Brendon McCullum (NZ, Twenty20 only), Rana Naved-ul-Hasan (Pak, for the opening weeks of the season) and Dwayne Smith (WI, Twenty20 only) 
New captain/coach: no change 
Could miss the start of the season: Ed Joyce (right hip) 
LV County Championship Div Two: 9-4 joint favourites 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 8-1 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 8-1

WARWICKSHIRE
Fifth place in their first summer back in Division One of the County Championship was probably no more than Warwickshire could have hoped for twelve months ago. If they repeat that in 2010, they will be even more relieved given that Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott - the Bears' leading run-makers in four-day cricket last term - are unlikely to feature due to England calls. Whereas it was assumed that Darren Maddy would be returning to the breach, the former Leicestershire man suffered nine fractures around his eye socket and cheekbone in pre-season nets, when a bouncer from team-mate Neil Carter went through the grille of his helmet. It is vital, therefore, that Tim Ambrose, Varun Chopra and Rikki Clarke push their batting averages up above forty. With the ball, the hope is that the Tahirs - seamer Naqaash and leg-spinner Imran - can carry their good form in 2009 into this summer's campaign. The first championship fixture of the season, against the equally unconvincing Yorkshire could set the tone. Quarter-finalists in the Twenty20 Cup in five out of the last six seasons, Warwickshire will be looking to go one better this term by reaching Finals Day for the first time since finishing runners-up in the inaugural year of the competition.
Ins: Varun Chopra (Ess) 
Outs: James Anyon (Sus), Shaaiq Choudry, Tony Frost (Ret), Nick James (Gla) and Navdeep Poonia 
Overseas 2010: Imran Tahir (Pak) 
New captain/coach: no change 
Could miss the start of the season: Darren Maddy (facial injury) and Naqaash Tahir (ankle) 
LV County Championship Div One: 11-1 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 15-1 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 14-1

WORCESTERSHIRE
Apart from a decent crack at last summer's NatWest Pro40 League, Worcestershire endured a torrid campaign in 2009, with various departures being announced even before the season had run its course. That was enough for Kabir Ali, the fulcrum of their attack, to seek pastures new with a year left to run on his contract. In common with a number of the sides in Division Two of the County Championship, the objective for 2010 is, therefore, to rebuild. Richard Jones, Jack Shantry and Chris Whelan have been lined-up to fill Kabir Ali's boots. But it's not hard to identify the main reason behind Worcestershire's abysmal showing in four-day cricket last term - their batsmen struck just seven championship hundreds. Steven Davies, now at Surrey, hit two, as did Moeen Ali, who did little else, but in whom manager Steve Rhodes has high hopes. One upgrade is that the overseas berth should be occupied throughout. Opening batsman, Phil Jaques will return to New Road to undertake the early season shift before handing the baton to Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan in July, while Australian leg-spinner Steve Smith has been pencilled in for the Twenty20 Cup. Ill equipped for all the three domestic competitions.
Ins: James Cameron, Ben Cox, Alan Richardson (Mid) and Ben Scott (on loan from Mid) 
Outs: Mehraj Ahmed, Kabir Ali (Ham), Gareth Batty (Sur), Steven Davies (Sur), Ian Fisher, Simon Jones (Ham), Josh Knappett and Stephen Moore (Lan) 
Overseas 2010: Phil Jaques (Aus, for the first half of the season), Shakib Al Hasan (Ban, from mid-July) and Steve Smith (Aus, Twenty20 only) 
New captain/coach: no change 
Could miss the start of the season: Matt Mason (rib) 
LV County Championship Div Two: 12-1 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 33-1 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 28-1 joint outsiders

YORKSHIRE
With Deon Kruis retiring and following a winter that saw Matthew Hoggard move on to pastures new and Tim Bresnan advance his claims to a regular England place, Yorkshire's seam attack would appear to be the flimsiest in Division One of the championship. The main threat with the new ball will be Ajmal Shahzad, who was on a number of other counties' wishlists at the end of last season. The Tykes had hoped to see Ryan Harris running in at the other end from Shahzad, but with Harris being advised by Cricket Australia to rest that job will fall to West Indian all-rounder Tino Best. But it's not all doom and gloom on the bowling front. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid, left-arm spinner David Wainwright and off-spinner Azeem Rafiq represent three of the finest up-and-coming slow men on the county circuit. Jonathan Bairstow, seemingly set to follow in his father's footsteps, will start the season as Yorkshire's first choice stumper. His late order runs will come in handy if, as expected, the batting proves to be a let down. Andrew Gale has been handed the captaincy. Along with his predecessor, Anthony McGrath, Gale would do well to step up with the bat and support the likes of Rudolph and Sayers.
Ins: None 
Outs: James Finch, Simon Guy, Matthew Hoggard (Lei), Deon Kruis (Ret), Chris Taylor and Michael Vaughan (Ret) 
Overseas 2010: Herschelle Gibbs (RSA, Twenty20 only), Tino Best (WI, for the beginning of the season) and Ryan Harris (Aus, for the remainder of the campaign) 
New captain/coach: Andrew Gale takes over from Anthony McGrath as captain 
LV County Championship Div One: 20-1 rank outsiders 
Clydesdale Bank 40 League: 15-1 
Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup: 20-1

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