COUNTY BY COUNTY GUIDE TO THE 2013 SEASON by Marcus Hook 

DERBYSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Unless you count topping Division Two, to win promotion in the County Championship last summer, the most recent addition to Derbyshire's trophy cabinet came in 1993, when they lifted the Benson & Hedges Cup.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Being back in Division One following a twelve-year absence, during which they finished in the bottom half of Div Two on nine occasions.
PROBLEM AREAS: The batting lacks strength in depth. Derbyshire are one of only two teams yet to reach Twenty20 finals day, Worcestershire being the other.
KEY PLAYER: Shiv Chanderpaul - Last year, Derbyshire's two overseas batsmen made a combined 1,009 championship runs at an average of 45.86, on some sporty wickets at times. Chanderpaul has to do likewise for the Peakites to avoid an immediate return to Division Two.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old left-hander, Chesney Hughes.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 7th; YB40: 6th in Group B; FLt20: 5th in the North Group.
INS: Billy Godleman (Ess), Richard Johnson (War) and Jonathan Marsden.
OUTS: Matt Lineker, Jake Needham (ret), Garry Park and Hamza Siddique.
OVERSEAS 2013: Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: All fit and raring to go.
OTHER NEWS: Derbyshire's members are voting on whether to accept proposals to improve the look of the County Ground and to streamline the way the club is run, including cutting the size of the committee down from the current 15 to nine. The result to be announced at a special general meeting straight after the AGM on March 27.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 20-1 outsiders. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 40-1 outsiders. Friends Life Twenty20: 28-1 outsiders.

DURHAM
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: County champions in 2008 and 2009.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Gordon Muchall, Phil Mustard and Mark Stoneman all averaged over 45 in last year's Clydesdale Bank 40 and Gareth Breese's off-spin continues to frustrate opposition batsmen in the two limited-overs competitions.
PROBLEM AREAS: Durham start the their championship campaign on minus 2.5 points for exceeding the ECB's salary cap. A paltry 18 batting points in four-day cricket last season underlines Durham's lack of runs almost as much as having no batsman with 700 or more runs in last season's County Championship.
KEY PLAYER: Graham Onions - The leading championship wicket-taker, up and down the land last year, with 64 victims at 14.98 runs apiece. Given Durham's batting frailties, the same will be needed again if the Riversiders are going to be competitive.
RISING STAR: 20-year-old left-hander, Keaton Jennings.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 9th; YB40: 5th in Group B; FLt20: 4th in the North Group.
INS: None.
OUTS: Ian Blackwell (ret), Michael Di Venuto (ret) and Liam Plunkett (Yor).
OVERSEAS 2013: To be announced.
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Paul Collingwood took over from Phil Mustard as Durham's championship captain in July of last year.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Paul Collingwood (recovering from surgery on a ruptured tendon in his right thumb).
OTHER NEWS: While several counties head overseas to prepare for the new season, Durham will have to settle for four days at Loughborough. In the past they have been to South Africa and Dubai, but they are now restricted by the same financial constraints that forced the search for an overseas player to be suspended. Prior to that, Durham had been linked with South Africa batsman, Jacques Rudolph.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 6-1. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 14-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 18-1.

ESSEX
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won three one-day trophies between 2005 and 2008.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: When the likes of Ravi Bopara, Owais Shah and Ryan ten Doeschate are available, the Eagles continue to be a match for anyone in limited-overs cricket.
PROBLEM AREAS: Essex have gained a reputation for allowing handy players to move on, e.g. Tony Palladino and Chris Wright. Is Adam Wheater the latest example? Also, they're the only first-class county with fewer than ten championship wins in the last three years.
KEY PLAYER: Ravi Bopara - Tempting as it was to say David Masters, now that Ravi has dropped down the pecking order in terms of England, he can concentrate solely on racking up some big scores for his beloved Essex.
RISING STAR: 20-year-old left-arm seamer, Tymal Mills.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 4th; YB40: 2nd in Group B; FLt20: 4th in the South Group.
INS: Sajid Mahmood (Lan).
OUTS: Michael Comber, Billy Godleman (Der), Adam Wheater (Ham) and Charl Willoughby (ret).
OVERSEAS 2013: Rob Quiney (Aus, for the first half of the season and the Twenty20) and Shaun Tait (Aus, Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Owais Shah (IPL) and Ryan ten Doeschate (IPL).
OTHER NEWS: Essex have signed an £80m agreement to redevelop the county ground at Chelmsford. The club will build several apartment blocks around the ground to finance a new pavilion, cricket school, car park, public square and bridge. A separate agreement has been reached with Chelmsford City Council to incorporate the New Writtle Street car park into the development plans. The first phase in the redevelopment will see a block of 62 apartments being built on top of the current cricket club car park.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 13-2. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 14-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 15-1.

GLAMORGAN
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: The last addition to the trophy cabinet came in 2004, when they won the totesport League.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Michael Hogan, who joins as a UK national, has been in cracking form down under this winter, taking 30 wickets in nine Sheffield Shield appearances. Sadly, his Western Australia team-mate, Marcus North has made little or no impact with the bat.
PROBLEM AREAS: No Glamorgan bowler reached the 40-wicket mark in last season's County Championship, while in the CB40 and FLt20 it was a case of the batsmen failing to come to the party.
KEY PLAYER:Graeme Wagg - The departure of James Harris, the retirement of Robert Croft and Dean Cosker's loss of form makes it all the more important that Graeme Wagg delivers with the ball. Let's hope, for Glamorgan's sake, Wagg has overcome the ankle injury that blighted his season in 2012.
RISING STAR: 20-year-old right-hander, David Lloyd.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 7th; YB40: 6th in Group C; FLt20: 6th in the Midlands/Wales/West Group.
INS: Murray Goodwin (Sus) and Michael Hogan (as a UK national).
OUTS: Chris Ashling, Robert Croft (ret), James Harris (Mid), Aneurin Norman and Mike O'Shea.
OVERSEAS 2013: Marcus North (Aus) and Dirk Nannes (Aus, Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Mark Wallace will continue to captain the Welshmen in the County Championship, but Marcus North has been appointed Glamorgan's new one-day and Twenty20 skipper.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: All fit and raring to go.
OTHER NEWS: Glamorgan have parted company with Colin Metson, the county’s former wicket-keeper and managing director of cricket. Metson’s appointment as head of cricketing matters in November 2010 proved so unpopular coach Matthew Maynard, skipper Jamie Dalrymple, president Peter Walker and vice-chairman Nigel Roberts all departed the club. Metson was demoted in February 2012, to community and development manager. But, just 11 months later, needing to cut costs, Glamorgan announced that Metson had been made redundant.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 14-1. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 40-1 outsiders. Friends Life Twenty20: 28-1 outsiders.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: The last addition to the trophy cabinet came in 2004, when they won the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: For once, Gloucestershire have held on to their first choice bowling attack. Nevertheless, Jack Taylor, an off-spinning all-rounder, and David Payne are likely get plenty of chances to advance their game in 2013.
PROBLEM AREAS: The batting looks decidedly light. New skipper, Michael Klinger has struggled for runs in the Sheffield Shield. Gloucestershire really could do with Ian Cockbain and Chris Dent kicking on.
KEY PLAYER: Will Gidman - Despite missing five four-day games with a side strain, he still ended up being Gloucestershire's leading wicket-taker in 2012 with 44 championship scalps at 21.43 runs apiece.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old left-arm seamer, David Payne.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 8th; YB40: 4th in Group C; FLt20: 4th in the Midlands/Wales/West Group.
INS: Cameron Herring, Craig Miles, Matt Taylor and Gareth Roderick.
OUTS: Jonathan Batty (ret) and David Wade.
OVERSEAS 2013: Michael Klinger (Aus) and Dan Christian (Aus, Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Michael Klinger takes over from Alex Gidman as captain.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Paul Muchall (knee) and Ian Saxelby (shoulder).
OTHER NEWS: Gloucestershire members will be able to watch both Hampshire and Worcestershire's home LV= County Championship matches free of charge in 2013, thanks to a reciprocal agreement. The deal also means that Hampshire and Worcestershire fans will be able to attend Gloucestershire’s LVCC matches at Bristol and Cheltenham. The deal does not, however, include each club’s away fixtures against each other.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 20-1. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 40-1 outsiders. Friends Life Twenty20: 20-1.

HAMPSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Last year, Hampshire completed a limited-overs "double" by winning both the Friends Life t20 and the Clydesdale Bank 40.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Hampshire are THE team to beat in limited-overs cricket, particularly in the Friends Life Twenty20, which the Hawks have won twice in the last three years. The arrival of Adam Wheater, from Essex, is likely to make them even more dominant.
PROBLEM AREAS: Last summer, Carberry, Dawson and Vince all struggled for runs in the championship. Also, George Bailey, who will fill the overseas berth initially, has endured a dreadful season in the Sheffield Shield; registering just one fifty for Tasmania.
KEY PLAYER: Jimmy Adams - Last year, no batsman racked up one thousand runs in Division Two of the County Championship, but Adams came mighty close. The defection of Simon Katich, to Lancashire, coupled with Neil McKenzie's early season break means the Hampshire captain will have to continue setting the tone with the bat.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old left-arm seaming all-rounder, Chris Wood.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: Winners; YB40: Runners-up; FLt20: Semi-finalists.
INS: Michael Roberts, Jack Sheppard and Adam Wheater (Ess).
OUTS: Kabir Ali (Lan) and Bilal Shafayat.
OVERSEAS 2013: George Bailey (Aus, until late August) and Saeed Ajmal (Pak, thereafter).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Neil McKenzie (resting) and Dimitri Mascarenhas (IPL).
OTHER NEWS: Rose Bowl plc, the company that owns Hampshire Cricket, lost more than £3m. Last October, the accounts, detailing losses for 2011, were posted to Companies House several months late. Reasons for the sizeable deficit include the Ageas Bowl’s rain-affected inaugural Test match and the continued redevelopment of the ground. Eastleigh Borough Council has since invested £30m of public money in the building of the Ageas Bowl's four-star hotel, which is underway.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 4-1. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 12-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 9-1.

KENT
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the Twenty20 Cup in 2007.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Sam Northeast continues to go from strength to strength and Brendan Nash is back for a second stint as overseas player. Always there or thereabouts in limited-overs cricket, the Spitfires' 40-over form is improving steadily. Unfortunately, they have been drawn in the same YB40 group as Sussex and Warwickshire.
PROBLEM AREAS: The size of Kent's squad means they'll struggle to mount challenges on all three fronts. 2013 could well be a make or break year for a couple of batsmen - Alex Blake and Ben Harmison.
KEY PLAYER: Matt Coles - After being sent home early from the England Lions' tour of Australia, for unprofessional conduct, Matt Coles has much to prove. That said, he's of undoubted value to Kent, for whom he claimed 52 championship wickets in 2012, not to mention a maiden first-class hundred against Yorkshire early doors.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old right-arm seamer, Matt Coles.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 3rd; YB40: 4th in Group A; FLt20: 6th in the South Group.
INS: Calum Haggett (Som).
OUTS: Simon Cook.
OVERSEAS 2013: Brendan Nash (WI).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: James Tredwell takes over from Rob Key as captain.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Azhar Mahmood (IPL).
OTHER NEWS: Kent's chief executive, Jamie Clifford has warned that the county are likely to post a loss when they publish their financial results for 2012. Clifford told BBC Radio Kent: "It is probably not going to be a pretty set of numbers. We made no secret of the fact 2012 was a difficult year." He added: "In terms of investment, there are things we are doing. We continue to invest in our cricketers and youth programmes. It's not about a quick fix or chucking money at an overseas player and hoping you win a trophy. It's long-term sustainability. I think that's kind of where we are in our story."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 4-1. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 16-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 16-1.

LANCASHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the County Championship in 2011, only to be relegated the following season.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Lancashire have never spent more than a single season in Division Two of the County Championship. Last year the Lightning reached the semi-finals in the CB40 - thanks to some superb knocks from Moore, Croft and Brown - plus they've threatened to go all the way in the FLt20 for a while now.
PROBLEM AREAS: Only three Lancastrians reached three figures in last summer's County Championship - Ashwell Prince, Paul Horton and Steven Croft. Also, their skipper, Glen Chapple isn't getting any younger.
KEY PLAYER: Simon Katich - Given Lancashire's dependence on Ashwell Prince last year, the overseas berth is occupied, once again, by a proven run-getter. A word of warning, though - Katich averaged just 35.14 for Hampshire in 2012.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old right-arm seamer, Tom Bailey.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 2nd; YB40: 3rd in Group B; FLt20: Quarter-finalists.
INS: Kabir Ali (Ham), Alex Davies, Gavin Griffiths, Arron Lilley, Luis Reece and Wayne White (Lei).
OUTS: Gary Keedy (Sur), Sajid Mahmood (Ess) and Naqaash Tahir.
OVERSEAS 2013: Simon Katich (Aus).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Kabir Ali (knee).
OTHER NEWS: Lancashire won’t be forking out on a string of big-name players following their record-breaking sponsorship deal with Emirates. The Red Rose recently signed the biggest deal in the history of county cricket, thought to be worth up to £10m, which will see the ground renamed Emirates Old Trafford and the airline’s branding on the club’s Twenty20 shirts for the next 10 years. But cricket director Mike Watkinson said: “I don’t see this deal changing our landscape as far as how we put our squad together. When you look at the table of payers and where we are in terms of the salary cap, we are not right at the bottom, and we are probably not top, but we are in the top band because we look after our players well without doing outrageous things."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 11-4 favourites. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 17-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 12-1.

LEICESTERSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Three-time winners of the Twenty20 Cup.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: I'm really struggling to come up with positives, other than the emergence of Ned Eckersley and Shiv Thakor. The departure of Wayne White leaves a big hole, especially in the bowling department. The batting doesn't inspire a great deal more confidence, although Matthew Boyce and Josh Cobb did at least manage to lift their championship batting averages back over thirty last year.
PROBLEM AREAS: The Foxes' total of 33 bowling points in last season's championship was the fewest, by any county, since the move to two divisions. Also, other than winning the Twenty20 in 2011, Leicestershire have under-performed massively, of late, in limited-overs cricket.
KEY PLAYER: Joe Burns - Joe who?! I have to admit, I've never seen him play either. But, on paper at least, he appears to be a Test number three in the making. Trouble is, if Burns does come good for Leicestershire, there is a danger he'll be snapped up by the touring Australians.
RISING STAR: 19-year-old right-hander, Shiv Thakor.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 9th; YB40: 5th in Group C; FLt20: 6th in the North Group.
INS: Ollie Freckingham, Anthony Ireland (Mid), Niall O'Brien (Nor), Angus Robson, Tom Wells and Robbie Williams (Mid).
OUTS: Paul Dixey, Jacques du Toit, Will Jefferson (ret), Will Jones, Robbie Joseph, Nadeem Malik and Wayne White (Lan).
OVERSEAS 2013: Ramnaresh Sarwan (WI, initially) and Joe Burns (Aus, from mid-May onwards).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Ramnaresh Sarwan, and then Joe Burns will succeed Matthew Hoggard as Leicestershire's captain in the County Championship, while Josh Cobb continues as one-day captain.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: All fit and raring to go.
OTHER NEWS: Despite making a £250k loss in 2012, Leicestershire's board believe better times lie ahead, particularly with a new sponsor already on board. Chief executive Mike Siddall said: "We have exciting ground development plans including the building of a Community Sports Arena at Grace Road with our partners, Leicester Riders and Leicester College. These plans will aid the financial sustainability of the club. The club has started the 2013 financial year well - we are currently performing to budget - and has a new sponsor in Global Payments."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 20-1 outsiders. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 33-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 28-1 outsiders.

MIDDLESEX
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the Twenty20 Cup in 2008.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Not satisfied with having two of the most consistent seamers in the country, in Tim Murtagh and Toby Roland-Jones, the North Londoners have lured the talented James Harris away from Glamorgan. If and when Steven Finn is available, Middlesex will be armed with a formidable attack. Post-IPL, they might also see more of Eoin Morgan.
PROBLEM AREAS: Wicketkeeper John Simpson's loss of form with the bat resulted in him being dropped last summer. His replacement, Adam Rossington, fared even worse. Also, the Panthers have only reached the knockout phase of the Twenty20 Cup once in the last seven seasons.
KEY PLAYER: Chris Rogers - It's not that Middlesex are short of batting, but Rogers was one of just four batsmen to make over one thousand runs in last year's County Championship.
RISING STAR: 21-year-old slow left-armer, Ravi Patel.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 3rd; YB40: 2nd in Group C; FLt20: Quarter-finalists.
INS: Nick Gubbins and James Harris (Gla).
OUTS: Steven Crook (Nor), Anthony Ireland (Lei), Scott Newman, Tom Scollay, Andrew Strauss (ret) and Robbie Williams (Lei).
OVERSEAS 2013: Chris Rogers (Aus) and Adam Voges (Aus, Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Chris Rogers takes over from Neil Dexter as captain in the County Championship, but Dexter will continue to be the one-day captain.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Eoin Morgan (IPL).
OTHER NEWS: Middlesex have appointed former batsman Mark Ramprakash as their new batting coach. Managing director of cricket, Angus Fraser, said: "Mark will offer our batsmen something different. His record speaks for itself, and in the past 25 years there has not been a better batsman in county cricket. As a professional cricketer his attention to detail and work ethic were second to none. It is Mark's love of the art of batting that makes me believe he will become an outstanding coach."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 7-1. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 11-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 25-1.

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: The last addition to the trophy cabinet came in 1992, when they won the NatWest Trophy.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: The acquisition of Matthew Spriegel, from Surrey, could prove to be the "moneyball" signing of the year. Early doors, the Aussie seamer, Trent Copeland should prove at least as steady as Chaminda Vaas before him.
PROBLEM AREAS: Along with Leicestershire, this will be Northants' tenth successive season in Division Two of the County Championship. Just one win in last year's CB40 also underlined the Steelbacks' ailing limited-overs form.
KEY PLAYER: Rob Newton - It's hard to believe Newton is just 23-years-old. His hundreds in both innings against last summer's eventual Division Two winners, Derbyshire set him aside as a batsman to take very seriously indeed.
RISING STAR: 21-year-old right-hander, Rob Keogh.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 6th; YB40: 6th in Group A; FLt20: 3rd in the Midlands/Wales/West Group.
INS: Muhammad Azharullah, Steven Crook (Mid), Christian Davis, Ben Duckett, Rob Keogh, James Kettleborough and Matthew Spriegel (Sur).
OUTS: Jack Brooks (Yor), Dave Burton, Ben Howegego, Niall O'Brien (Lei) and Rob White.
OVERSEAS 2013: Trent Copeland (Aus, until early June) and Cameron White (Aus, Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Stephen Peters takes over from Andrew Hall as captain in the County Championship, while Alex Wakely has been appointed one-day skipper. David Ripley replaced David Capel as head coach in August of last year.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: All fit and raring to go.
OTHER NEWS: On July 14, prior to the FLt20 game between the Steelbacks and Glamorgan, Wantage Road will host a 12-over Memorial Match, between a Northants XI and Gloucestershire XI, in honour of former all-rounder Kevin Curran, who died last October at the age of 53. The former Northants player and organiser, Alan Fordham said: "The Northamptonshire dressing-room that I enjoyed for many years lost its first member in Kevin Curran. A popular member of the team, I set about organising this Memorial Match in Kevin’s honour and have managed to get together two teams from his playing days."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 20-1 outsiders. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 33-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 22-1.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: County champions in 2010.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: They have reached the knockout phase of the FLt20 in each of the last three years. If only the Outlaws' attack could back up their batsmen, they'd be serious contenders for the Twenty20.
PROBLEM AREAS: The bowling isn't just a worry in the shorter forms of the game. Ajmal Shahzad has been recruited, like Harry Gurney before him. Ideally, Notts could do with both of them enjoying a decent season with the ball.
KEY PLAYER: Andre Adams - Looking at the Notts bowling, one name seems to stand out season after season. Adams's haul of a 54 championship wickets, in 2012, was down on previous years, which is a slight worry, but he was the only Notts bowler to pick up five wickets in a championship innings last term.
RISING STAR: 20-year-old left-hander, Sam Wood.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 5th; YB40: 3rd in Group A; FLt20: Quarter-finalists.
INS: Ajmal Shahzad (Yor).
OUTS: Neil Edwards, Scott Elstone, Darren Pattinson (now classed as an overseas player) and Karl Turner.
OVERSEAS 2013: Ed Cowan (Aus, for the first half of the season) and David Hussey (Aus, for the Twenty20 and until the end of August).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: All fit and raring to go.
OTHER NEWS: Last November, Notts County Council came under fire for donating £900,000 towards a new scoreboard at Trent Bridge. The Labour opposition claimed that spending the money was difficult to accept when public services were being cut. The ruling Conservatives argued that the money was needed to make sure the Ashes came to Notts, bringing a potential £30 million boost to the area. Labour leader Alan Rhodes said that frontline services for the county were more important than scoreboards. He said: "The notion of us all being in it together has never seemed more offensive. This was an outrageous decision."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 5-1. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 10-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 7-1.

SOMERSET
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the Twenty20 Cup in 2005.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Somerset have finished in the top four of the County Championship in each of the last five seasons. They have also qualified for each of the last four T20 finals days. Slow left-armer Abdur Rehman, who impressed as overseas player at the end of last season, has been pencilled in for the all-important run-in.
PROBLEM AREAS: For all their consistency, silverware continues to elude the Cidermen. And just who will get the nod with the wicketkeeper's gloves - Buttler or Kieswetter?
KEY PLAYER: Alfonso Thomas - Somerset's bowling attack is so much more potent when Thomas is around. So much so, they're probably counting down the days until the end of the IPL season.
RISING STAR: 20-year-old slow left-armer, George Dockrell.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 2nd; YB40: Winners; FLt20: Runners-up.
INS: None.
OUTS: Calum Haggett (Ken), Kevin O'Brien and Steve Snell.
OVERSEAS 2013: Alviro Petersen (RSA, for the first half of the season and the Twenty20) and Abdur Rehman (Pak, for the second half of the season).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Alfonso Thomas (IPL) and Peter Trego (side strain).
OTHER NEWS: Marcus Trescothick has backed up his commitment to play for Somerset until his forties by signing a new three-year contract with the county. The 37-year-old said: "It's always nice to sign a new contract with Somerset. I have been here at the club for 20 years now, and this is just another extension to my playing career." Meanwhile, plans to bring international cricket to Taunton took another step closer to becoming reality after the community scrutiny committee of Taunton Deane Borough Council gave their backing to a £1 million loan to support the development and rebuilding of the old pavilion.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 5-1. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 5-1 favourites. Friends Life Twenty20: 11-2 favourites.

SURREY
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the Clydesdale Bank 40 in 2011.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: The arrival of Graeme Smith as captain is a real statement of intent. As if that wasn't enough, Ricky Ponting will deputise for him during the ICC Champions Trophy. The South Londoners have also been one of the most consistent 40-over sides in recent years.
PROBLEM AREAS: Just one Surrey batsman - Zander de Bruyn - made over 700 runs in last season's County Championship. Since the introduction of two divisions, no team has won the championship title after finishing seventh the year before. Having roared into the first four Twenty20 finals days, the Oval outfit haven't qualified for the knockout phase since.
KEY PLAYER: Stuart Meaker - There's consistency and then there's real consistency. The 24-year-old speedster has now taken 44 championship wickets at an average of 22.56 two years running.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old left-hander, Rory Burns.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 4th; YB40: 4th in Group B; FLt20: 5th in the South Group.
INS: Gary Keedy (Lan) and Vikram Solanki (Wor).
OUTS: Rory Hamilton-Brown (Sus), Chris Jordan (Sus), Tom Lancefield, Mark Ramprakash (ret) and Matthew Spriegel (Nor).
OVERSEAS 2013: Graeme Smith (RSA) and Ricky Ponting (Aus, for June and July).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Graeme Smith takes over from Rory Hamilton-Brown as captain.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Kevin Pietersen (knee).
OTHER NEWS: Gareth Batty described the atmosphere in the Surrey dressing room following the death of Tom Maynard last summer as "absolutely horrendous". The former England off-spinner, who signed a new two-year deal in September, said: "I've never witnessed anything like it in my career. It almost makes cricket secondary to everything else." Batty added that it "was a bit of comfort" to be "out there playing cricket, knowing Tom loved it" but admitted the passing of the former Glamorgan player affected a lot of people. "On a daily basis, there would be people in tears in the corner," he said. "It was not a pleasant situation by any stretch. The club were great, doing their best to offer people support and comfort, but, in the immediate aftermath of Tom's death, it was so difficult to try and look after everyone."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 6-1. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 17-2. Friends Life Twenty20: 17-2.

SUSSEX
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won six trophies between 2006 and 2009.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Up there with the best in the limited-overs arena, Sussex have generally managed to steer clear of trouble in the championship. The return of Hamilton-Brown will make the Sharks even more competitive in the shorter forms of the game.
PROBLEM AREAS: In four-day cricket the bowling is overly dependent on Steve Magoffin and Monty Panesar, who, between them, bowled 318 maiden overs in last year's County Championship.
KEY PLAYER: Chris Nash - As consistent as they come with the bat, Nash is also more than capable of chipping in with his off-spin. Last summer he picked up 21 championship wickets at average of 21.23 and was arguably Sussex's most effective bowler in the Clydesdale Bank 40.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old left-hander, Luke Wells.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 6th; YB40: Semi-finalists; FLt20: Semi-finalists.
INS: Rory Hamilton-Brown (Sur), Chris Jordan (Sur) and Andrew Miller (War).
OUTS: Will Adkin, Naved Arif, Murray Goodwin (Gla), Andrew Hodd (Yor) and Kirk Wernars (ret).
OVERSEAS 2013: Steve Magoffin (Aus), John Hastings (Aus, Twenty20 only) and Scott Styris (NZ, Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: Ed Joyce takes over from Michael Yardy as captain.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Luke Wright (IPL).
OTHER NEWS: On June 15, Sir Cliff Richard returns to the UK with Midsummer Nights at the County Ground, Hove. The outgoing chief executive of Sussex CCC, Dave Brooks said: "We are delighted to have secured such a high profile concert for 2013, to build on the success we had in 2011 with Sir Elton John and 2012 with JLS. The County Ground is becoming established as a leading outdoor venue in the South and we are sure that Cliff Richard will prove to be another huge success. Bringing acts of this quality and standing to the city is a real coup and we look forward to another great day out."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 8-1. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 8-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 8-1.

WARWICKSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: The current county champions.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: The only side last year to boast three bowlers with 50 or more championship wickets - in Keith Barker, Jeetan Patel and Chris Wright - not to mention nine different four-day hundred-makers.
PROBLEM AREAS: Since reaching the first Twenty20 finals day, in 2003, the Bears have not progressed further than the quarter-finals. In two seasons at Edgbaston, Will Porterfield has averaged a meagre 24.76 with the bat in the County Championship.
KEY PLAYER: Rikki Clarke - Overlooked by England, which is a huge advantage to Warwickshire. Clarke's contribution with the bat, the ball and in the field, was one of the reasons behind the Bears' championship success in 2012.
RISING STAR: 20-year-old right-arm seamer, Tom Milnes.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: Winners; YB40: Semi-finalists; FLt20: Winners.
INS: Freddie Coleman and Oliver Hannon-Darby (Yor).
OUTS: Neil Carter, Richard Johnson (Der) and Andy Miller (Sus).
OVERSEAS 2013: Jeetan Patel (NZ).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: The former Warwickshire all-rounder Dougie Brown replaces Ashley Giles as director of cricket.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Chris Metters (shoulder) and Boyd Rankin (foot).
OTHER NEWS: Warwickshire's bowling coach, Graeme Welch reckons the Bears have "the materials" to retain the championship title this year, even though they are likely to be hit by England calls during the months ahead. Welch said: "We are a victim of our own success, in a way, because we have so many people in the England teams, but that's where you want to be. It's going to be difficult because all the other counties are looking at us and a lot of people have copied the way we play. They will be looking to go in with a lot of big lads bowling seam on quicker wickets. But that's easy enough to try. You have got to have the quality to pull it off and our lads are absolute quality."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 4-1 favourites. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 10-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 14-1.

WORCESTERSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: Won the NatWest Pro40 League in 2007.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Worcestershire's last two relegation seasons have been followed by an immediate return to the top flight in the championship. All-rounder Gareth Andrew, who opted to spend the off-season in New Zealand, hit a maiden first-class century in December. It was a big one too - an unbeaten 180 for Canterbury against Auckland.
PROBLEM AREAS: The Pears' total of 17 batting points in last season's championship was the fewest, by any county, since 1998, when Essex collected 16. Worcestershire are also one of only two teams yet to reach Twenty20 finals day, Derbyshire being the other.
KEY PLAYER: Moeen Ali - Limited to a single championship hundred in two years in Division One, but the last time Worcestershire were in Div Two he averaged 48.46 with the bat. Ali's ability to hold up one end with his off-spin is also an asset.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old left-hander, Matt Pardoe.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div Two: 5th; YB40: 5th in Group A; FLt20: 5th in the Midlands/Wales/West Group.
INS: Graeme Cessford and Michael Johnson (as a UK national).
OUTS: James Cameron (ret), Jack Manuel, Ben Scott (ret) and Vikram Solanki (Sur).
OVERSEAS 2013: Thilan Samaraweera (SL) and Jacob Oram (NZ, Twenty20 only).
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Alan Richardson (quadricep).
OTHER NEWS: Worcestershire face a race against time to have their new executive facilities completed in time for this summer’s prestigious fixture with the Australian tourists. which starts on July 2. Work on the £10m redevelopment of New Road, which includes a Premier Inn hotel as well as executive areas and office facilities, has been delayed because the ground was hit by flooding no less than four times over the winter. Steve Rhodes’s side have already agreed to start the season with five consecutive away fixtures - three in the LV= County Championship, one Yorkshire Bank 40 game and the university match against Oxford MCCU - to allow the project to reach a stage where New Road can host matches.
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div Two: 6-1. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 33-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 28-1 outsiders.

YORKSHIRE
JUDGED BY SILVERWARE: The last addition to the trophy cabinet came in 2002, when they won Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: The only team to finish the 2012 championship campaign with an unbeaten record, they also reached Twenty20 finals day for the first time. If they can tempt David Miller back for the T20, you wouldn't bet against the Vikings reaching the last four again.
PROBLEM AREAS: On top of Anthony McGrath's retirement, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root now form part of Andy Flower's long-term England plans, which is likely to leave the Tykes short of batting on occasions. Time for Andrew Gale to rediscover the form he showed in 2010 and 2011?
KEY PLAYER: Steven Patterson - He carried the Yorkshire attack last summer, with 48 championship wickets at an average of 20.81. Ideally, the acquisition of Brooks, assuming he has regained full fitness, and Plunkett, if he can rediscover his mojo, will serve to share the burden more evenly.
RISING STAR: 22-year-old off-spinning all-rounder, Azeem Rafiq.
MARCUS'S PREDICTION: LVCC Div One: 8th; YB40: 3rd in Group C; FLt20: Quarter-finalists.
INS: Jack Brooks (Nor), Andrew Hodd (Sus) and Liam Plunkett (Dur).
OUTS: Gerard Brophy, Oliver Hannon-Dalby (War), Anthony McGrath (ret) and Ajmal Shahzad (Not).
OVERSEAS 2013: To be announced.
NEW CAPTAIN/COACH: No change.
COULD MISS THE START OF THE SEASON: Tim Bresnan (elbow).
OTHER NEWS: Yorkshire have announced that from this season onwards their one-day team will be known as the Vikings. Following the conclusion of their sponsorship deal with Leeds Metropolitan University, the limited-overs teams that played as Carnegie will now be known as the Vikings. The name change was announced outside the Jorvik Viking Centre in York on March 6, with players Andrew Gale, Ryan Sidebottom, Moin Ashraf and Adam Lyth all getting into the spirit of the occasion. Gale said: "It definitely can make a difference. The Vikings have got an identity in Yorkshire. I'm told they were nestled here for 1,300 years. There’s a history of vikings in Yorkshire so why not call us the Vikings? You can just imagine 20,000 at the Roses match at Headingley all wearing viking helmets with their horns on. It should be entertaining."
PRE-SEASON ODDS: LV County Championship Div One: 9-1. Yorkshire Bank 40 League: 11-1. Friends Life Twenty20: 10-1.

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