**Official** County Cricket 2018

[theegyptian]

Root and Bairstow will probably play one championship game for Yorkshire imo over the season. Moeen too. England don't finish in NZ until 3 April. They'll be given the whole of April off, or they will be playing the IPL.

Test only players likely play most of the championship season the way the schedule is. Wouldn't be surprised if Cook, Stoneman plays 8 or 9 games for Essex/Surrey. Broad and Anderson 6 or 7.

The white ball only players (Hales, Roy, Willey, Buttler, etc) are in theory going to be available for a large part of the championship season. Estimate 8/9 games. That assumes no IPL. Well obviously I think they'll all put their names forward and most will get picked up because they will be available for whole IPL season. So in all likelihood they will play 3/4 or so games in September in championship cricket.

So good news for Essex and Lancs imo with Jimmy and Cook around for most of the season.

Somerset apparently won't be producing the turners which is a shame for Leach and Bess.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Last season Stokes only made one appearance for Durham, a washed-out day-nighter v Worcs. He went for a duck, got no wickets then the heavens erupted.

 

[fredfertang]

Last season Stokes only made one appearance for Durham, a washed-out day-nighter v Worcs. He went for a duck, got no wickets then the heavens erupted.

You probably thought his year couldn't get any worse ..................

 

[Jarquis]

Wasn’t Usman Arshad meant to be good at one point?

 

[S.Kennedy]

Wasn’t Usman Arshad meant to be good at one point?

Always knackered. A bit of a Twenty20 player also although his first-class ''allrounder'' stats are fairly impressive, albeit from only 17 matches. I think he was dropped at the end of last season.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Looking at New Zealand's future tours program they have nothing between their domestic series against England wrapping in April and a tour of Pakistan (UAE) in October. So if I'm correct that means Durham could get Tom Latham for an entire season! Extremely good news if true.

And this applies to any other Kiwi who isn't doing the Twenty20 franchise thing.

 

[FBU]

Root and Bairstow will probably play one championship game for Yorkshire imo over the season. Moeen too. England don't finish in NZ until 3 April. They'll be given the whole of April off, or they will be playing the IPL.

Test only players likely play most of the championship season the way the schedule is. Wouldn't be surprised if Cook, Stoneman plays 8 or 9 games for Essex/Surrey. Broad and Anderson 6 or 7.

The white ball only players (Hales, Roy, Willey, Buttler, etc) are in theory going to be available for a large part of the championship season. Estimate 8/9 games. That assumes no IPL. Well obviously I think they'll all put their names forward and most will get picked up because they will be available for whole IPL season. So in all likelihood they will play 3/4 or so games in September in championship cricket.

So good news for Essex and Lancs imo with Jimmy and Cook around for most of the season.

Somerset apparently won't be producing the turners which is a shame for Leach and Bess.

We do have 7 Tests this year in England, (24 May - 5 June then 1 Aug - 11 Sep) so I see Broad and Anderson playing a couple of cc games before the 1st Test.

 

[mackembhoy]

I wonder of Keats rediscovers his form at Lancashire. He was actually more value as a bowler last season, his batting was so bad. If Onions stays fit that is also a good signing for Lanky but he spent the majority of last season on the treatment table so be warned.

Some predictions,

I think Kyle Abbott's wickets might keep Hants up - just. Surrey are going down post-Sangakarra I feel; you cannot lose those runs and not plummet. I have a sneaky feeling that Notts might go down for some reason. Middlesex will probably bounce back up. Kent or Northants also. I'm not sure who'll win the thing.

Keats was excellent at the start of the season was averaging 100 in both formats.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Keats was excellent at the start of the season was averaging 100 in both formats.

The arsehole fell out going into early summer: averaged 123.5 from the first two matches (two not outs) then averaged 14.29 for the remainder of the Championship! The one-day stuff was all done and dusted in May before the collapse.

 

[superkingdave]

I'd expect Onions to sit out when Anderson is available. Mahmood should get plenty of games and Parry will get some.

Little worried on the batting depending on international call ups. Expect the ECB to do something ridiculous like pick Jennings, Davies, Parkinson and Mahmood for the Loins whilst Livo, Hameed and Jimmeh are rested for test duty.

Still it's great to have so many considered for international selection.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Have you heard this Moxon scheme to reform the Championship? From memory,

- fifteen matches (one more than the current system)
- three conferences of six teams each, each playing one and another home and away (10 matches)
- three more conferences are produced from the results. Presumably the top two teams from each of the above go in a 1st division, the 3rd and 4th teams into a division 2, and the bottom two into a division three. These teams then play each other once (five matches)
- the result is a full league decided on points.
- three rounds with (crucially) one round in July.

It sounds a bit complicated but the extra match is drawing me in, as well as a round in the summer. I'd still want to know how the first conferences are decided and the home/away location is decided in the second conferences.

The idea is that there will be incentive for (current) division two teams are are switching their resources to bish bash bosh cricket. The prize money will also be increased.

 

[Woodster]

I hope Mason Crane gets more 4-day game time this season, but it's going to be difficult especially at the start of the season, there's always the inclination to get another seamer in the side, especially when they have Liam Dawson in there who is a more multi-functional cricketer and can be used to strengthen the batting.

 

[Pothas]

Hope so as well but even ignoring the batting Dawson was just a better spinner last year.

Talk of Bailey not coming back, not sure who they could get in at this stage but would be so much better if they could get an opener in.

 

[Woodster]

Hope so as well but even ignoring the batting Dawson was just a better spinner last year.

Talk of Bailey not coming back, not sure who they could get in at this stage but would be so much better if they could get an opener in.

I can understand Dawson is a more certain bet at this stage but Crane is surely more exciting and more of a match-winner? I’m not disagreeing with the safe selection of Dawson at all, especially early season when he’ll at least offer control if not much of a wicket-taking threat.

Yes with Bailey’s injuries it seems there’s a doubt about him returning, be a big loss won’t he?

 

[Pothas]

Sure Crane is more exciting but last year Dawson was both the safer option and the better wicket taking option. I know he was way of his depth for England but he actually had a decent season with the ball last year.

Don't think Bailey would be a huge loss although that would depend on Rossouw being rather less useless than he was last year. Top order is the bigger issue.

 

[Woodster]

Sure Crane is more exciting but last year Dawson was both the safer option and the better wicket taking option. I know he was way of his depth for England but he actually had a decent season with the ball last year.

Don't think Bailey would be a huge loss although that would depend on Rossouw being rather less useless than he was last year. Top order is the bigger issue.

I wonder whether Crane would be better served chancing his arm at another county (perhaps on a loan move for the first part of the season) where he could feature as the main spinner, but I'd imagine most clubs would opt for the more consistent and reliable finger spinner early in the season, if they select a spinner at all. Perhaps a move to a division two club if he's not going to get a sniff at the Rose Bowl early on.

I thought Bailey was both the skipper and top performer with the bat last season ? Not that it was a great season for Hants obviously. As you say I suppose you're just expecting the batsman like Rossouw to stand up a bit more this year.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Durham have basically functioned without a spinner since Ian Blackwell left in 2012! Borthwick wanted to be an allrounder but his batting took off whilst his legbreaks didn't and and he become a number three who bowls a bit of rubbish. He then departed for Surrey after 2016 so all we have is Ryan Pringle, a bits-and-pieces multi-format player whose batting is probably better than his bowling.

Believe it or not but I remember Durham relying on Stoneman's part-time offbreaks as much as anything for long spells.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Yorkies praying Root and Bairstow do not get picked up for this IPL thing.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Yorkies praying Root and Bairstow do not get picked up for this IPL thing.

Not really as they hardly play anyway as it is and once the NZ tour is finished they either go to IPL or get a long break anyway given by the powers that be.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Not really as they hardly play anyway as it is and once the NZ tour is finished they either go to IPL or get a long break anyway given by the powers that be.

That is not quite true although I see your point. In 2017 Root and Bairstow played five matches (from nine) of the Royal London Cup that they couldn't have played if they were in the Indian Premier League: Lancashire and Durham at home, Notts, Northants and Warwickshire away.