County Championship 2021 – Group 3 Preview

Our final group offers plenty of interest. A battle of the roses, some counties have focused their minds elsewhere and may struggle and others are likely to launch an understated challenge.

As we stated for the other groups, this year takes a slightly different format, though it is fuller than last year’s Bob Willis Trophy. The 18 counties are split into three groups of six, playing each side both home and away. 1 & 2 in each group will go forward to a second group where they will play four further matches against the other 1st and 2nd place finishers across the other two groups (note four and not five fixtures which you may expect). The top two at this stage will play in the Lord’s final for the chance to be crowned County Champions, winning in the process the Bob Willis Trophy. Teams 3 and 4 and teams 5 and 6 will go two further divisions but will more or less be playing for nothing.

Glamorgan

Last season’s finish (Bob Willis Trophy): 6th Central Group

Glamorgan could do with the talents of Marnus Labuschagne as they did in 2019 but his recent success means it will be a case of making the most of when he can play. Around him however is a more balanced team than perhaps their 2020 form suggests. Fellow Australian Michael Neser joins as a bowler who has hovered around the periphery of the Test side and boasts a first class bowling average of just 25.83. Colin Ingram has been brought back into the four day side as a reserve for Labuschagne and will provide some suitable steel at the top of the order in his absence. An evergreen Michael Hogan will hope to add to over 600 first class wickets and Billy Root still averages 33.03 despite not gaining a fraction of the plaudits of his brother.

Player to watch: A strong year over Glamorgan’s T20 campaign last summer, 2021 represents an opportunity for spinner Prem Sisodiya. Highly touted as a youngster the former England U-19 international will hope to add to a limited first class career so far.

Our Predictions: 4th

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Kent

Last season’s finish (Bob Willis Trophy): 2nd South Group

Kent will benefit from the return of Joe Denly to the side, who hit 89 in his only innings in the Bob Willis Trophy last year. Whilst his England career is well over he offers a serious class on the county stage. They will miss Sam Billings to his form in an England shirt and will rely on the experience of Heino Kuhn and an evergreen Darren Stevens. Jack Leaning has proved a very useful signing since his move from Yorkshire last year and Daniel Bell-Drummond will be important provided he has not impressed too much in his participation in the Sri Lankan T20 league.

Player to Watch: Born in Afghanistan, right arm off spinner Hamidullah Qadri will hope to make the most of a winter spent honing his craft in South Africa. Still only twenty-one he came to the country age ten and may hope to make the most of England’s lack of genuine spin options. He has already played for England U-19s.

Our Predictions: 2nd

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Lancashire

Last season’s finish (Bob Willis Trophy): 3rd North Group

Jos Buttler, Jimmy Anderson, Saqib Mahmood, Liam Livingstone, Lancashire have a side blessed with extraordinary talent but unlikely to be seen much in the red rose. Which Lancashire will we get? The side that finished second in 2017 or the damp squib that were relegated the next year. Much will rely on Keaton Jennings and we may not yet have seen the last of him in an England shirt.

Player to Watch: All-rounder Luke Wood is now 25 and will hope lessons learnt at Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire will leave him well placed to step out of the shadows and become a recognised match winner in Manchester.

Our Predictions: 3rd

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Northamptonshire

Last season’s finish (Bob Willis Trophy): 4th Central Group

It remains to be seen whether Northants can translate relative short form success (T20 Blast Winners in 2013 and 2016) to the longer format, and in all honesty it seems it might not be a priority. Who can blame them? It’s a format which has promoted them from being a bit of a laughing stock to a genuine force. Josh Cobb, Richard Levi, Alex Wakely and Luke Proctor will all play to those strengths but they will require more to mount a creditable challenge over the longer format.

Player to Watch: Batsman Charlie Thurston made three notable contributions in the Bob Willis Trophy last year, finishing with an average of 63.19. He will hope to continue that form into 2021.

Our Predictions: 5th

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Sussex

Last season’s finish (Bob Willis Trophy): 6th South Group

Sussex’s may have a very impressive T20 side but in all truth its difficult to back them over four days. In Club Captain Ben Brown they have a useful wicketkeeping batsman (First class average 39.34) but there best players have been signed with the limited overs game in mind. Ravi Bopara, Luke Wright, Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills and Delray Rawlins all have the highest of short game credentials but will play little if at all over four days. Stuart Meaker, Stiaan van Zyl and Mitch Claydon all offer significant experience to the side but they will rely on some big breakthroughs to launch any real challenge.

Player to watch: The twenty-year old spinner from Northern Ireland Jack Carson took a very useful five wicket haul against Surrey last year and has picked up fifteen wickets across four first class matches. They will rely on youngsters such as Carson to fill the hole made by the limited overs focus.

Our Predictions: 6th

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Yorkshire

It is difficult to see Yorkshire not launching some sort of title tilt this year, with an established side now used to the international absences of Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid (who is on a limited overs deal with Yorkshire)

Ben Coad should continue to lead the line and was excellent in 2020, taking twelve wickets at 7.25. With David Willey’s place in the international one day side under consistent pressure, Yorkshire may benefit from the presence of him alongside Steven Patterson and the South African Duanne Olivier. On their day it is a bowling line up that can do damage to any side.

The batting line-up isn’t half bad either, Adam Lyth and Gary Ballance bringing international experience and Tom Kohler-Cadmore now more than justifying his place in the side.

Player to Watch: Matt Fisher clearly has talent, that much is plain to see. The right arm seamer will be hoping 2021 allows a better level of consistency and the wickets to fire Yorkshire to their first County Championship title since 2015.

Our Predictions: 1st

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County Championship 2021 – Group 1 Preview

In an age of T20 internationals, Tests on TV and the new Hundred format it is easy to forget the competition that predates them all. England’s collapse in India underlines its importance more than ever. English cricket needs to go back to basics and there a few better training fields than the outfields of County Cricket.

The fact remains the four-day format still has a crucial role to play in unearthing the next Root or fine-tuning the skills of cricketers who have not quite been ready for the grandest stage.

This year takes a slightly different format, though it’s fuller than last year’s Bob Willis Trophy. The 18 counties are split into three groups of six, playing each side both home and away. 1 & 2 in each group will go forward to a second group where they will play four further matches against the other 1st and 2nd place finishers across the other two groups (note four and not five fixtures which you may expect). The top two at this stage will play in the Lord’s final for the chance to be crowned County Champions, winning in the process the Bob Willis Trophy. Teams 3 and 4 and teams 5 and 6 will go two further divisions but will more or less be playing for nothing.

Here’s your Group 1 preview.

Derbyshire

Last season’s finish (Bob Willis Trophy): 2nd North Group

Derbyshire’s sole County Championship title may have come all the way back in 1936 but the unfancied side punched well above their weight last season, only losing to Lancashire in the Bob Willis Trophy. Such an effort would again come against the odds for one of County Cricket’s less endowed clubs. Wayne Madsen is the most famous name but others enjoyed good 2020’s including batsmen Leus Du Plooy (296 runs at 42.29 last year) and all rounder Luis Reece (277 at 46.17). They will need the bowling attack to step up to mount a creditable challenge.

Player to Watch: Fynn Hudson-Prentice recently turned twenty-five but is slowly making a name for himself on the county circuit. 91 not out versus Notts he can be useful with the ball and will hope to kick on once more.

Our Predictions: 4th

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Durham

Last season’s finish (Bob Willis Trophy): 6th North Group

Durham may be a far cry from the side that won three titles between 2008 and 2013 but they are a side that is nonetheless reinventing themselves in County Cricket. Their much publicised financial woes relegated them from the top division in 2017 but they have provided a second chance to some highly useful players. Cameron Bancroft is of course the most famous but Alex Lees (2020 first class average 48.25) provides experience since joining from Yorkshire in 2019. Scott Borthwick‘s signing from Surrey represents a welcome return home after five years down south. Durham’s success may come down to how they can perform with the bowl with no established match winners outside their international duo of Mark Wood and Ben Stokes (both who will play no county cricket).

Player to watch: David Bedingham may be Durham’s less illustrious overseas player but the soon to be twenty-seven year old South African boasts a first class average of 43.77.

Our predictions: 5th

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Essex

Last season’s finish (Bob Willis Trophy): Champions

Essex will go into 2021 lacking a key player in their recent success in the form of Dan Lawrence to England. That said they still retain the base of squad few in County Cricket can rival, being about as good as it gets on the domestic circuit. Jamie Porter, Sir Alastair Cook, Ryan Ten Doeschate and Simon Harmer form the backbone of a team that, whilst ageing, are still close the best in County Cricket

Player to watch: Given England’s struggles at the top of the order consistent form for Essex could lead to Nick Browne grabbing selectors attention. He had a torrid 2020 with the bat with just one fifty but he has shown form in the past to add himself to the conversation.

Our Prediction: 1st

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Nottinghamshire

Last season’s finish (Bob Willis Trophy): 4th North Group

Nottinghamshire have a seriously talented side over the shorter formats and it will be interesting to see if they can translate this over four days. Plenty talk about Peter Moore‘s track record of strong man-management and there were some signs last summer that he may yet get the best out of Haseeb Hameed. Alongside the opening batsmen there is a nice balance of senior pros and talented youngsters who have had a taste of international cricket. Samit Patel, Steve Mullaney, Luke Fletcher and Peter Trego all provide the experience with Ben Duckett maturing and Jake Ball eyeing one last assault on the England pace line up.

Player to Watch: Batsman Joe Clarke enters the 2021 season with the scandals of his early career in the rear-view mirror. He will hope to kick on and demonstrate his undeniable talent and could form a big role in Notts’ campaign.

Our Predictions: 3rd

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Warwickshire

Last season’s finish (Bob Willis Trophy): 3rd Central Group

Sibley’s struggles may yet benefit Warwickshire and a chance to regain some form could be welcome for all parties. With Chris Woakes and Olly Stone likely to retain some involvement with England it is a team that will increasingly rely on a core of senior players.

Tim Bresnan will always be an asset and Oliver Hannon-Dalby will offer a consistency of line and length. A third former Yorkshire player in captain Will Rhodes will prove crucial should the Edgbaston side launch any kind of challenge.

Player to Watch: 21 year old George Garrett has just signed a contract extension with the club and will be hoping to seize on a promising debut in 2019 should opportunities provide. At 6ft 3 he may have to step into Olly Stone’s role in the side.

Our Predictions: 6th

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Worcestershire

Worcestershire are fortunate in that they possess a squad of highly talented players well versed on the County circuit but are unlikely to be too affected by a congested international summer. West Indian international Alzarri Joseph is a very exciting signing for the start of the season but behind that they possess an effective squad in their own right. Undervalued captain Joe Leach remains ever-reliable with the ball and has a first class average of 26.10 (bowling). Riki Wessels has now amassed over 11,000 runs at an average of 35.05 and Jake Libby had a great 2020, scoring 498 runs at 55.33 across nine Bob Willis Trophy matches. Ross Whitely and Brett D’Oliveira are now fixtures on the domestic scene. Moeen Ali would of course be highly useful but looks set to spend his summer in India, either with England or the Chennai Super Kings.

Player to Watch: Now 25, Ed Barnard is already one of Worcestershire’s senior bowlers and has taken 205 first class wickets. They will need him to have a good season to be in contention come the business end of the season.

Our Predictions: 2nd

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