County Championship 2014

[kevshat]

The new domestic cricket season is less than a week away now so it's time to start the 1st thread of the year, the County Championship. I'll start it with one thread but if it overflows I'll cut it into a thread for each division. I've done a preview for each division which I'll put up in the next two posts but just a quick overview of the rules and format for those new to domestic cricket and the wonderful betting opportunities it brings. We have two divisions of 9 counties. At the end of the season the top 2 from Division 2 replace the bottom 2 of Division 1. You now get 16pts for a win, 3 for a draw and nothing for losing. All matches in this competition are 4 days long and 2 innings per side. You also score bonus points in the 1st innings of each match and they are scored as follows: Batting: 200-249 runs = 1pt 250-299 runs = 2pts 300-349 runs = 3pts 350-399 runs = 4pts 400 runs and over = 5pts Bowling: 3-5 wickets = 1pt 6-8 wickets = 2pts 9 or 10 wickets = 3pts Note: You can only score bonus points in the 1st 110 overs of each 1st innings. Season runs from April to September and begins on Sunday. Let's hope it's a decent season with plenty of involvement like the recent cricket threads on PL. I know we've lots of county fans on PL so this should be another good thread. Previews to follow shortly.

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 Division One preview: Durham secured the County Championship thanks to a wonderful effort from two of their bowling attack last season but defending the title is going to be much more difficult. They have lost a couple of key batsmen in Will Smith and Dale Benkenstein while it remains to be seen whether Paul Collingwood will be away coaching for much of the season. Ben Stokes looks like missing the first month or two of the campaign with injury and is likely to be away with England a lot too so Durham’s line up looks very strained until John Hastings comes over as overseas player. If Durham are to defend their title a lot will rest on Graham Onions and Chris Rushworth again while someone will need to assist Mark Stoneman in scoring runs. Scott Borthwick could be that man but there’s every chance he could be a one season wonder with the bat too. A successful season for Durham with all their financial restraints could be avoiding relegation, which I think they have the bowling to do, and a good run in a one day competition. Last season: 1st Overseas Player(s): John Hastings (after IPL) Key Players: Mark Stoneman & Graham Onions One to watch: Usman Arshad – Young all rounder who broke into the side last season and may get a more important role given the financial restrictions Best Odds: 11/2 with Coral Predicted Finishing Position: 6th Lancashire cruised back into the big time with the title in Division Two last season and now they will be looking to regain the title they won in 2011. They have strengthened their squad with the signature of Jos Buttler although he’ll be away with England at various points of the season. One absence will be Simon Katich but Lancashire’s younger batsmen have enough experience to step up and cover that absence. Ashwell Prince retires from cricket at the end of the season and will hope to go out on a high. Lancashire have a bowling attack to go very close this season and if their batting line up can stick up the runs for the likes of Chapple, Hogg, Smith and Kerrigan to defend then the Red Rose will enjoy a very strong domestic campaign. I think a couple of other sides look stronger but there is no reason why Lancashire can’t book a top three finish in this and have a good tilt at the two limited overs competitions. Last season: 1st in Division 2 Overseas Player(s): TBA (Mitchell McClenaghan hopes to return for T20) Key Players: Ashwell Prince & Kyle Hogg One to watch: Luis Reece – Impressed in Lancashire’s title winning campaign last season and should be full of runs at the top of the order again. Best Odds: 15/2 with BetVictor/Stan James Predicted Finishing Position: 3rd Middlesex were touted as title challengers last season but they just ran out of steam the longer the season went on. They have a young squad by and large with the potential to improve but they will need to avoid international call ups if they are to make that improvement. Chris Rogers now has a central contract with Australia and can be called away at any time while Sam Robson is expected to be called up by England or the Lions throughout the summer. Steven Finn has fallen away from international level so he could spend much of the season in the Middlesex side. If Middlesex avoid international call ups then they can build on last season’s campaign but I don’t believe they will avoid those call ups. If Rogers and Robson are away at the same time or for long periods their batting looks much too light to compete at the top of the table but they have the bowling to avoid relegation although I don’t expect much more than that. Last season: 5th Overseas Player(s): Chris Rogers Key Players: Chris Rogers & Steven Finn One to watch: Adam Rossington – wicket keeper batsman impressed in the limited overs fomats last summer and a First-class run looks likely in 2014 Best Odds: 8/1 General Predicted Finishing Position: 7th Northamptonshire had one of the all time great season’s in 2013. They gained promotion in the County Championship, won the Twenty20 and had a good run in the YB40 and now they have to back up that season. That won’t be easy though because they have had a pre-season to forget. Alex Wakely picked up an injury which will see him miss most of the season while David Sales and David Willey are expected to miss the start of the campaign. To make matters worse Jackson Bird had been signed up as overseas player but was forced to pull out of that stint recently with a back problem. Maurice Chambers has been signed from Essex to boost the bowling resources. This will be a long season for the Steelbacks. Their batting lacked depth before Wakely and Sales went down injured but it looks extremely light now. Their tail rescued them last season but that is unlikely to happen as often at this level. With Willey not fit and Bird out of his overseas stint even the bowling looks flimsy although an overseas bowler is expected to be signed before the season begins. Even so I see nothing but relegation for Northants and the best they can hope for is a run in a one day cup. Last season: 2nd in Division 2 Overseas Player(s): Richard Levi (T20 & One day only) Key Players: Stephen Peters & Steven Crook One to watch: Richard Keogh – Keogh isn’t young but he hasn’t got the experience of others in the squad. He nailed a double century in the Championship last year and there should be more to come. Best Odds: 25/1 General Predicted Finishing Position: 9th Nottinghamshire were expected to go well in all three competitions last season and they managed to win silverware in the form of the Yorkshire Bank 40, a title they will hope to defend in the competition’s new 50 over format this season but their priority remains regaining the Championship and they have their best chance of recent times in doing that. Peter Siddle looks an excellent choice as overseas player and with none of their batsmen being picked up in the IPL auction they remain with the strongest batting line up in the division particularly with the signing of Phil Jaques. Nottinghamshire just managed to avoid relegation last season but they lost a few matches they should have won. Bowling sides out was an issue last season but with Siddle around and Adams back from injury that should be sorted and their wickets coupled with the multitude of runs their batting line up can supply should ensure the Outlaws are the team to beat in the Championship this season. A successful one day campaign can’t be ruled out either. Last season: 7th Overseas Player(s): Peter Siddle Key Players: Samit Patel & Peter Siddle One to watch: Brett Hutton – youngster who made his debut last season and will hope to push for a much more prominent role in 2014 Best Odds: 6/1 Paddy Power Predicted Finishing Position: 1st Somerset have been toying with relegation for the last couple of seasons and will hope for a much stronger campaign in 2014. Whether that plays out remains to be seen. One man they will miss is Jos Buttler who has joined Lancashire. He was a key member of their batting line up and while they have a few youngsters coming through one of them will need to provide a lot of runs to ease Somerset away from danger particularly if the aging Trescothick struggles like he did last season. They have signed Johann Myburgh but maybe the signing of Dave Houghton as batting coach could be their best one. Somerset have struggled for 20 wickets at Taunton for as long as anyone can remember and they will need to find a way to take those wickets if they are to avoid the drop. Jamie Overton will lead their attack but it still lacks another strike bowler so once again there will be a lot of pressure on their batting line up. I think it will be third time unlucky for Somerset as they face relegation straight in the face this season. They should continue to go well in one day cricket but that will be little consolation if they are relegated. Last season: 6th Overseas Player(s): Alviro Petersen Key Players: Nick Compton & Jamie Overton One to watch: Jamie Overton – Lightning quick bowler has impressed over the last season or so and an England call up of some kind may not be far away Best Odds: 10/1 BetVictor Predicted Finishing Position: 8th Sussex have been a competitive side at this level for quite some time and while times are hard in county cricket they seem to be able to find the personnel to perform for them on the field. Sussex went well in the Championship last season, finishing third, and will be hoping for a stronger campaign this time around. Matt Prior may have lost his place in the England side which would be a benefit to Sussex although that gain has to be lessened by the likelihood that Chris Jordan is going to be away a lot. Chris Nash looks set to miss the start of the season which is a further blow. As is often the case Sussex haven’t done a lot of business in the close season but they have strengthened their bowling resources with the signings of Steffan Piolet and Jon Lewis while Yasir Arafat returns for T20. I have no issues with their seam bowling but if the hot summer we are predicted to have arrives then they lack a quality spinner which could be their undoing in the Championship. As a one day side they remain strong and are capable of strong runs in both competitions. Last season: 3rd Overseas Player(s): Steve Magoffin, Yasir Arafat (T20 only) Key Players: Ed Joyce & Steve Magoffin One to watch: Matthew Hobden – the bowler played some limited overs cricket last season and will hope to push for a spot in the Championship side this season Best Odds: 9/1 General Predicted Finishing Position: 4th Warwickshire know how to win the County Championship having won it in 2012 but that was under Ashley Giles and they haven’t been the same side since he left for England. Injuries hurt them badly last season while England call ups didn’t help and they will need to avoid both if they are to have a successful season in 2014. Jonathan Trott is expected to start the season with the Bears and if he doesn’t walk back into the England side that would be a bonus. Boyd Rankin’s poor winter could also have played into Warwickshire’s hands and if Varun Chopra and Chris Woakes can avoid England call ups Warwickshire should go close. Richard Jones has made the short move from Worcestershire to pep up the Warwickshire attack and if their batsmen can avoid injuries there looks to be a lot of runs in them. Warwickshire have plenty of quality with the ball and only international call ups look like hurting a title challenge. Without them they should go very close but with them they may just find a few too strong for them. Another tilt at one day glory can’t be ruled out either. Last season: 4th Overseas Player(s): Jeetan Patel, Shoaib Malik (T20) Key Players: Varun Chopra & Boyd Rankin One to watch: Sam Hain – talented opening batsman has already been touted as a future England opener. If Chopra is away Hain could show his talents in the first team this season Best Odds: 9/2 General Predicted Finishing Position: 5th Yorkshire were Durham’s closest challengers for the title last season and Jason Gillespie’s men will be hoping to go one better this season. They have signed Kane Williamson which is a massive boost to their batting line up which can sometimes have a flimsy look to it especially when Joe Root is away on England duty. Jonny Bairstow and Gary Ballance could both be away too so Yorkshire will need to cope with those but if they do then they have a bowling attack which can win any match especially on green wickets. Tim Bresnan may be seen a lot more in 2014 too. The fact that Yorkshire have only given professional contracts to youngsters and brought nobody other than Williamson in shows that Jason Gillespie is happy with his squad and he has every right to be. If their batsmen provide the required amount of runs then Yorkshire should push very close for the title once again but I just fancy they’ll find one too good for them again especially if England come calling as regularly as they did last season. Last season: 2nd Overseas Player(s): Kane Williamson, Aaron Finch (T20) Key Players: Kane Williamson & Jack Brooks One to watch: Will Rhodes – Rhodes has played some one day cricket for Yorkshire in the last season or two and should be pushing for a four day role at some point this season Best Odds: 7/1 Winner Sports Predicted Finishing Position: 2nd

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 Division Two preview: Derbyshire find themselves back in Division Two of the County Championship after a year away in the top flight but they look well equipped to make an immediate return to Division One this season. Apart from Dan Redfern, whose departure was more for personal than playing reasons, they have kept the same batting line up from last season and strengthened it with the signature of Stephen Moore, a very accomplished performer at this level. Having Shiv Chanderpaul back is a good thing too. Tony Palladino and Tim Groenewald were among the wickets last time Derbyshire were at this level and should be again. Derbyshire haven’t done a lot of work with their squad but they have made a significant change off the field with Karl Krikken getting the chop and Graeme Welch coming in as head coach. He comes with a good reputation and should really help Derbyshire’s bowlers. His batsmen look to have a lot of runs in them so don’t be surprised if Derbyshire head straight back up at the first time of asking. They still look a little light in terms of a decent one day campaign but that can be forgiven with four day promotion. Last season: 8th in Division One Overseas Player(s): Shiv Chanderpaul Key Players: Wayne Madsen & Tony Palladino One to watch: Tom Knight – the spinner has played plenty of one day cricket for Derbyshire now and a run in the four day side can’t be ruled out if the heatwave that is predicted arrives Best Odds: 7/1 General Predicted Finishing Position: 2nd Essex finished last season strongly and they will hope that sees them in good stead with regards to starting this one well and if you look down their squad list you would say they have every chance of going well this season too. Graham Napier was a huge player for them last season and if he can recreate his all-round heroics and the likes of Monty Panesar can continue taking wickets alongside him then Essex certainly have the firepower to compete this season. Ravi Bopara isn’t away at the IPL so if he avoids an England Test call up that will help too. Essex were very inconsistent last season. Their batting line up was very flimsy. They were bowled out for 20 in one innings last year and their coach Paul Grayson was constantly having to apologise on behalf of his squad. If they can find some consistency there is no reason why they won’t push for promotion but that consistency needs to come. It may be that one day cricket is their best route for success. Last season: 3rd Overseas Player(s): TBA Key Players: Ravi Bopara & Monty Panesar One to watch: Tymal Mills – Mills has been around a year or two but the fact he was with England in Australia shows he is highly thought of. This could be the season he shows why Best Odds: 5/1 Skybet/Boylesports/Winner Sports Predicted Finishing Position: 5th Glamorgan had one of their more successful campaigns of recent years in 2013 and they will look to back that up in 2014. They made a Lords final last year and almost went through to the quarter finals of the T20 and went well in the main in the Championship. Jacques Rudolph looks to add an extra dimension to their batting line up and his experience along with that of Murray Goodwin and Jim Allenby gives Glamorgan a solid middle order. Michael Hogan shone with the ball last season and if gets the support he needs from others this should be another excellent campaign for the Welsh side. Glamorgan go into the season with Michael Reed on the sidelines so they will need someone to step up and replace him to begin with. Michael Hogan will take wickets at this level but he can’t do it all on his own. If Glamorgan can get 20 wickets regularly they’ll be right in the promotion shake up. Another improvement in one day cricket can’t be ruled out either for an improving and largely youthful side. Last season: 8th Overseas Player(s): Jacques Rudolph Key Players: Jim Allenby & Michael Hogan One to watch: Ruaidhri Smith – he played some games towards the end of last season and looks set to step up in a big way in 2014. Best Odds: 16/1 Stan James Predicted Finishing Position: 7th Gloucestershire continue to overachieve in County Championship cricket but maybe this is the year that they should be expected to deliver. They have a young side but a side who have played a couple of years at this level so having got to understand what is required they should be set to go well. Michael Klinger brings a mountain of runs as well as a winning mentality as captain and the signing of Tom Smith could be a good one. If Gloucestershire have a concern it is that their squad is small and they do rely heavily on a few players and if any of them picked up an injury for whatever reason that could hurt their chances but if they get lucky with injuries then they have every right to improve on what was a solid campaign last year. An underrated bowling attack and a solid and lengthy batting line up is often the secret to success in this division. A one day title may not be out of the question either if everything goes their way. Last season: 6th Overseas Player(s): Michael Klinger Key Players: Michael Klinger & Will Gidman One to watch: Miles Hammond – Hammond broke through thanks to injuries last season but showed he wasn’t out of place. With that experience behind him the youngster can really impress this term Best Odds: 12/1 Boylesports Predicted Finishing Position: 6th Hampshire have been the kings of one day cricket in this country over the last couple of years but four day success has eluded them. County Championship promotion will be the priority for everyone at the Ageas Bowl this season and Hampshire have recruited wisely with that in mind. Will Smith, Joe Gatting and Matt Coles all come in to the squad while Kyle Abbott looks an excellent choice as an overseas player in a side who struggled for 20 wickets last season. Dale Benkenstein is now the coach and he knows how to get success in the Championship having won the title with Durham in the past. His knowledge should be invaluable. Hampshire have always had the batting to go well in this division and that is even more the case with Smith’s arrival. It would be a help if England leave the likes of Carberry and Vince alone. There is now a feeling that Hampshire have an attack to take 20 wickets too although they may lack a quality spinner which could ultimately prove to be their undoing. If their batting gels and performs how it should Hampshire will go close but a couple of others may just pip them to the post. A one day title can never be ruled out and that’s the case this season. Last season: 4th Overseas Player(s): Kyle Abbott, Glenn Maxwell (T20) Key Players: Michael Carberry & Matt Coles One to watch: Sean Terry showed at the end of last season that he has the ability to stake a place at the top of Hampshire’s order. There is plenty of competition this season but he’s good enough Best Odds: 4/1 Skybet/Ladbrokes Predicted Finishing Position: 3rd Kent had a season to forget last year and such was the disappointment of the campaign that they have turned back to Rob Key to lead the side to success and that has to be a very good decision. Key is a wonderful leader and he now has a squad at his disposal which is capable of success. Dougie Bollinger is a very shrewd choice as overseas player while David Griffiths and Mitchell Claydon provide plenty of pep to the bowling attack. Young batsmen are a year more experienced now and Darren Stevens avoiding sanctions for a Bangladesh Premier League matchfixing sting is another benefit to Kent. England may come calling for James Tredwell but it is unlikely anyone else will go missing during the season and that will be a help. With a batting line up consisting of Key, Brendan Nash and Stevens along with talented youngsters like Bell-Drummond, Northeast and Billings, Kent have everything in place for success in both the four day competition and the one day competitions too. Expect silverware to be heading to Canterbury this season. Last season: 7th Overseas Player(s): Doug Bollinger Key Players: Rob Key & Mitchell Claydon One to watch: Fabian Cowdrey – he has been on the fringes of the Kent side for a while but went well in one day cricket last season and a spot in the Championship side could be his this season Best Odds: 9/1 General Predicted Finishing Position: 1st Leicestershire had a season they would rather forget in 2013 with problems on and off the field but things are looking a little rosier ahead of the 2014 campaign. Ramnaresh Sarwan is back as overseas player and he gets on well at Grace Road and a young side is a year more experienced too. Talking of experience Charlie Shreck is a good signing with the ball and there is a lot of runs in Dan Redfern if the Foxes are the ones to bring it out of him. Leicestershire couldn’t take 20 wickets last season on a road of a Grace Road wicket but if they have sorted that out, and they have some promising young bowlers who should come on by playing with someone like Shreck, then they should have plenty of improvement in them. They will need improvement but I think they have enough to avoid finishing bottom again although I don’t expect a lot more. Any success they do have will most likely come in one day cricket. Last season: 9th Overseas Player(s): Ramnaresh Sarwan Key Players: Ramnaresh Sarwan & Charlie Shreck One to watch: Angus Robson – brother of Middlesex’s Sam will look to leave the same impression his brother has done at Lords Best Odds: 50/1 General Predicted Finishing Position: 8th Surrey are the big names in Division Two this season and they are probably too big for this division but the rut they have been in over the last season or two needs to be sorted out and that may take more than a season. In Graeme Smith they have the man to lead them out of adversity on the field and Graham Ford is a strong leader off the field but this is a young Surrey side by and large now. Kevin Pietersen’s appearances in the four day competition will be welcome but perhaps few and far between. Surrey gave spots in their side to a number of youngsters last season and they will be relying on those youngsters to deliver around the likes of Smith, Chris Tremlett and Gareth Batty this season. England leaving Tremlett alone would be a big boost to the fortunes of those at The Oval and if they can find a settled side early on in the campaign they should go along nicely but I think promotion is asking a lot of a young side who still have a losing mentality. One day cricket looks their most likely route to success this season. Last season: 9th in Division 1 Overseas Player(s): Graeme Smith Key Players: Graeme Smith & Chris Tremlett One to watch: Dominic Sibley – the opener made a triple century last season and once he’s finished his exams he should score well again this season Best Odds: 7/2 Bet365/BetVictor Predicted Finishing Position: 4th Worcestershire enjoyed an up and down campaign with a young squad last season and they look set for a season of struggle this time around. Their squad is even younger and Alan Richardson’s retirement and move to become Warwickshire’s bowling coach leaves their bowling attack looking light especially if Saeed Ajmal does a no show as overseas player which can never be ruled out. With Tilan Samaraweera not retained Worcestershire will be hoping Moeen Ali isn’t away too much else Daryl Mitchell will need to lead a very young batting line up. Worcestershire look like they will struggle to bowl sides out unless Ajmal waves magic throughout the season. He isn’t the most reliable for turning up though so relying on him may not be the best move. England could decide how well Worcestershire do this season. If they pick Moeen Ali in the Test side he will miss a lot of the season and that is almost 1500 runs Worcestershire will need to replace. That won’t be easy so I expect a season of struggle at New Road this year. Last season: 5th Overseas Player(s): Saeed Ajmal Key Players: Daryl Mitchell & Moeen Ali One to watch: Tom Fell – impressed on the outings he had last season and he is likely to have a permanent role in the middle order this season. Expect lots of runs from him – but Worcestershire will need every one Best Odds: 12/1 Skybet/Boylesports Predicted Finishing Position: 9th

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 [TABLE=class: couponTable]

[TR] [TH][/TH] [TH=class: firstColumn]Sunday 6 April 2014[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Nottinghamshire v Lancashire (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.66[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.25[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]104.44 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Sussex v Middlesex (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.9[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]102.38 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE=class: couponTable] [TR] [TH][/TH] [TH=class: firstColumn]Sunday 6 April 2014[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Hampshire v Worcestershire (11:00 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.5 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 3 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.00 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Leicestershire v Derbyshire (11:00 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.87 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.53 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.00 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Surrey v Glamorgan (11:00 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.44 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 3 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]102.59 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

[fishy25]

Re: County Championship 2014 Top work as ever mate! Will look to contribute to the cricket threads as I've been massively absent as of late. :ok

[travisbickle]

Re: County Championship 2014 Had a quick look at top run scorer market.Division 2, Wayne Madsen looks value at 14/1.Scored over 1200 runs last season in division one and has vastly improved over the last few seasons.class act.

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 Division 1 preview: 4pts Nottinghamshire to win Division One 11/2 Betfred Nottinghamshire have done a good piece of business in signing Peter Siddle for the season and their star studded batting line up remains intact too with none of them picking up IPL deals. There is more depth in their batting too in the form of quality back up and that competition for places should see Nottinghamshire go very well here. With a bowling attack capable of 20 wickets in all conditions and a run filled batting line up the Trent Bridge side could be the ones to beat this season. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/county-championship-division-one-betting-nottinghamshire-can-reign-in-2014

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 Division 2 preview: 2pts ew Kent to win Division 2 9/1 Coral (1/5 1-3) One side who could well have improvement in them is Kent. Admittedly they will need all of that improvement but Dougie Bollinger is a reliable overseas player who has a fantastic record and Kent have a batting line up full of runs. Rob Key is back as skipper and that’s a massive positive because he is an excellent captain and if the likes of Griffiths, Claydon, Tredwell and Davies can give Bollinger the necessary support then Kent have the class to go all the way this season. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/county-championship-division-two-betting-kent-can-surprise-all-in-second-tier

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 Been a crazy busy couple of weeks so not been able to sort outright bets out sooner than this but have had a few and will shove them in a few posts. Top batsmen in this one. 3pts ew N.Compton Top Division 1 Batsman 12/1 Skybet (1/4 1-5) Nick Compton is a renowned run scorer in Division One and with his England days behind him by the look of it I think he'll go well this season. He gets to bat for half of his matches on the Taunton road and was a clear top scorer in this division two seasons ago. England took him away for much of last summer so he had no chance of top scoring but he still managed 1001 runs in 12 matches at an average over 50. With Trescothick beginning to age and Buttler now playing for Lancashire, Somerset will need every one of Compton's runs and with the opener unlikely to be with any England side this summer he looks a standout bet to top score this season. 1pt ew L.Reece Top Division 1 Batsman 33/1 William Hill (1/4 1-5) Luis Reece broke a record in Division 2 last season when he hit half centuries in seven successive innings and while he is new to this level I think he has the quality to compete. He does nothing risky when he bats and that is a good position to be in and Lancashire know a thing or two about producing good opening batsmen. While he's inexperienced at this level one thing in his favour is the bowlers in this division won't have seen much of him and so he has that to build on. It is probably a year or two too soon for Reece to be on England's radar but that suits us here because he looks a shade overpriced in this market. 4pts ew W.Madsen Top Division 2 Batsman 14/1 Stan James (1/4 1-5) I echo what travisbickle says here. Only Chris Rogers scored more runs than Wayne Madsen last season and that was in the top flight in a season which was a disappointing one for Derbyshire. The season before when Derbyshire were promoted Madsen was in the top five runscorers in Division Two that season so he is clearly one of the best batsmen in the county game today and loves leading by example. This should be a good season for Madsen but anyone who is scoring over 1200 runs in the division above is entitled to be shorter than 14/1 when in the division below. I accept there's some good batsmen in this division this season but Madsen's record speaks for itself and I very much like him here. 1pt ew G.Roderick Top Division 2 Batsman 80/1 Stan James (1/4 1-5) Gareth Roderick is a player who caught my eye last season. He is a very accomplished batsman who actually ended last season batting up at three for Gloucestershire and it would be no surprise if he bats that high again this season. Even if he doesn't he is more than good enough to put runs together down the order for the Gladiators and with him possibly not keeping with Herring being fit now he can concentrate on his batting. He hit a couple of centuries last season and averaged 48.07. I suspect he will have improved going into this season and he's been scoring runs in Gloucestershire's friendlies. He isn't as certain to go well as Madsen is but the Gloucestershire player could just surprise a few at a dangerously crazy price here.

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 Top bowlers: 2pts ew C.Rushworth Top Division 1 Bowler 18/1 William Hill (1/4 1-5) Chris Rushworth is a big price here for a player with his record in his career. Admittedly his new ball colleague Graham Onions is a rightful favourite in this market but he isn't adverse to injuries which could hamper him a little bit and while there are a number of high profile overseas players in the division this season they are often called away at the drop of a hat so I like Chris Rushworth here. Rushworth took 54 wickets last season even though he missed a couple of matches and there might well be more wickets for him this season as I'm sure batting line ups will try and see off Onions rather than taking any risk against him. I wouldn't be completely surprised were England to go calling for Onions either so at double the price I think Onions' teammate provides the value in this division. 3pts ew T.Groenewald Top Division 2 Bowler 16/1 Stan James (1/4 1-4) Tim Groenewald took 45 wickets in the top flight last season and that is a record which need respecting this season where in theory he will be bowling to weaker batting line ups. Those 45 wickets last term earned Groenewald a spot in the top 11 bowlers in the top flight so he can clearly bowl, especially when you consider that Derbyshire were getting walloped most weeks and weren't taking 20 wickets all the time. The last time Derbyshire were in this division he took 42 wickets in 14 matches and he's a better bowler now. He is taking the new ball every week and skittled Durham Uni last week in a warm up match so he will go into Derbyshire's delayed season in good form and well worth backing at 16/1.

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 Some top team bets: 1pt L.Evans Top Warwickshire Batsman 6/1 Boylesports Laurie Evans is a player who I have a lot of time for and I think now he has settled down at Birmingham and found himself a familiar position in the side he can really launch his career. He finished last season in good nick and I expect him to go well this season too because he has a good technique and is very patient. Jonathan Trott will clearly be a danger if England ignore him all season but I can't see how England can. Varun Chopra is another who would be a danger but I expect him to feature in the England sides this summer especially if Ashley Giles gets the England job. Everyone else looks to lack the improvement of Evans so at 6/1 there is a lot to like about the former Surrey man here. 2pts A.Adams Top Nottinghamshire Bowler 9/2 BetVictor Andre Adams is a serial wicket taker in this country and while he's getting no younger I don't see that being a problem because he'll only play four day cricket this season. He was injured last season which hampered his wicket taking but he's had a good campaign in New Zealand and gets the ball to swing which always makes him dangerous in this country. I expect Nottinghamshire to rotate their bowlers a bit this season especially those who are playing in all formats. Adams won't be in all formats so his freshness could see him home again at a bigger price than I could have him. 1pt G.Roderick Top Gloucestershire Batsman 8/1 Stan James As above really although he is overpriced in the Gloucestershire batsman market. This guy is a serious batsman and although Michael Klinger is a run machine Roderick is a big price to push him all the way. 2pts D.Redfern Top Leicestershire Batsman 6/1 Boylesports Dan Redfern is a player I have liked for a while and rated a fair bit and I think the move to Leicestershire could be perfect for both parties. This guy has bags of talent and can score big runs at Grace Road off the back of joining having fallen out with Derbyshire. Ramnaresh Sarwan is at Grace Road this season but he's under pressure to deliver and captaining a young side who may struggle a fair bit could take its toll. I expect Redfern to be high up in the batting order so he should get lots of time at the crease and a man of his talent is a big price here even allowing for Sarwan and Eckersley if the latter can back up his excellent campaign last time out. 2pts M.Coles Top Hampshire Bowler 5/1 BetVictor Matt Coles is a big price here if he delivers his best form for Hampshire this season. He was easily Hampshire's best bowler at the end of last season and although Kyle Abbott has joined as overseas player I still think Coles is overpriced here. Coles has genuine pace and he can get the red ball moving about and takes wickets in batches. He'll have England ambitions and will need a good season with Hampshire to fulfil those ambitions but there is nothing stopping him going well. I don't see him missing many games unless he gets injured and with the threat he poses with the ball this 5/1 looks a lot bigger than I could possibly make it.

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 Couple of cross division doubles too. 4pts Northants to finish bottom of Division 1 x Glamorgan to win Group F (vs Leics/Worcs) 4.94/1 BetVictor This looks a cracking double to me. Northants were going to struggle in Division One regardless of injuries but the injuries they have got at the minute only make those struggles look even more certain to arrive whereas Glamorgan look comfortably the pick of the group in Division 2. I expect Leicestershire and Worcestershire to be fighting it out for the wooden spoon this season whereas once Jacques Rudolph arrives and Michael Reed is back fit Glamorgan should have enough to finish mid table at least if not push hard for promotion. One of these sides looks out of its depth and the other is up against two who are in the same boat so this looks like a good value double to me. 2pts E.Joyce Top Sussex Batsman x D.Mitchell Top Worcestershire Batsman 11.25/1 Stan James I like this double too. The Worcestershire batting market is a two horse race for me between Mitchell and Moeen Ali but with the latter likely to be off with England for a fair bit of the summer the former looks the one to be on in that list while Ed Joyce is the class act of the Sussex side. Joyce was the fourth top scorer in the top flight last season even though he missed a couple of matches and I would expect similar from him this season. If we go by last season Chris Nash would be a big danger but he misses the start of the season which could be costly. It may just be that Luke Wells is the big danger to Joyce but for me the Irishman is full of class and he can top Sussex's run lists come the end of this season and with it land this tasty priced double.

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 First match bets of the season. Remember all match bets in the CC are DNB. 4pts Sussex to beat Middlesex 10/11 Bet365 I like Sussex in this match. Admittedly it is a blow that Chris Jordan is being rested by England but Steve Magoffin is back in the squad and James Anyon and Lewis Hatchett go into the season in good form. The positive is this isn't the strongest batting line up which could be opposing them. Middlesex are very good in the top three but unless Eoin Morgan does something in the middle order that area looks very light for the side from the capital. Morgan's record in First-class cricket isn't overwhelming so there's enough to suggest Sussex have enough with the ball to get through Middlesex here. Sussex have much the stronger looking batting line up with Ed Joyce and Matt Prior both available for this match. The likes of Luke Wells, Michael Yardy and Hamilton-Brown can all score well with the bat although they'll need to against a decent Middlesex attack. Overall though I think Sussex have the stronger looking all round side here and should be slightly bigger favourites than they are. 3pts Glamorgan to beat Surrey 2/1 Bet365 I'm going to try not to take Surrey on all season long but I can't resist a little dabble on the Welsh side here. Glamorgan are a side on the up and I expect them to improve on last season whereas we won't really know where Surrey are until after this match. One thing I am confident with is that this is a good time to take Surrey on. Everyone will still be a little rusty and if you take Graeme Smith out of their batting line up it looks very young. Glamorgan have plenty of batting depth and in Michael Hogan they have one of the bowlers of the division and he arrives here in good form. Even Surrey's bowling has a youthful element to it aside from Tremlett so all in all it could pay to side with the progressive more experienced Welsh outfit in the season opener.

[Marshland]

Re: County Championship 2014 Best of luck Kev and Travis. Madsen looks like a very good call. I've had a few coins e/ w on Jaik Mickelburgh for Div 2 runs at 33/1, 850-ish in only 13 matches last year, looks a talented lad and could feature in the places if he kicks on. Madsen does look the one to beat though. i've also gone for Laurie Evans top Div 1 runs at 33/1, he was impressive last season and, if Warks are to go well with Troughton, Bell and (presumably) Trott absent at various times, he could feature if he can maintain form. Finishing top probably a big ask. I'll be delighted if your Kent prediction turns out to be correct Kev ! Bollinger could be a good signing, hopefully he avoids substitute duty for Aus over the summer. Notts do look solid this year don't they, will be surprising if they are not shaking the tree for some silverware come the autumn. Good luck guys :)

[fishy25]

Re: County Championship 2014 GL with those mate. I'm agreeing on Glamorgan, opposing Sussex though. Middlesex to beat Sussex- 11/10 Ladbrokes- (4/10) I think it's a huge boost having Stephen Finn available for the game and he'll have a massive point to prove this season given how he's fallen down in the pecking order in the England setup. Along with Roland-Jones and James Harris, Middlesex have an abundance of seam quality amongst their ranks and whilst you'd say their batting is their weaker field, the likes of Robson, Denly, Rodgers and Morgan can score heavily so they look a decent side on paper. Sussex are without a few of their big names for this one, including Chris Jordan who has been superb for them in the past couple of seasons. Chris Nash and Luke Wright are also missing, whilst Matt Prior is carrying a niggle so I'm not sure how fit he will be to bat anyway. With the quality of Middlesex's bowling attack, I think that gives them an advantage in this one to be honest so I'm happy to back them at odds against. Glamorgan to beat Surrey- 2/1 Bet365- (3/10) Yeah I'm happy to oppose Surrey for the first game of the season as well. Surrey have had all sorts of problems in the past few years where at one time they had the most promising side in the country but with what's gone on in the past few years, their side looks very different. Graeme Smith will need to score tons of runs this season as the rest of their batting lineup looks very hit or miss and the amount of youngsters who will be under pressure worries me a touch. Glamorgan are not world beaters but they do have some quality players on their books. They have some good bowling options, none other than Michael Hogan who can cause any batsman in the country problems, whilst as Kev says, their batting has a decent amount of depth as well so I'll have a little play at Glamorgan at a decent price here. Not sure Stan James have done these bets before for individual matches but one has caught my eye... James Anderson Top 1st Innings Bowler- 10/3 Stan James- (1.5/10) Andre Adams Top 1st Innings Bowler- 7/2 Stan James- (1.5/10) Well I've taken a bet on both of these guys as I don't see how either of them won't win this little market. When you consider only these two above, Harry Gurney, Glen Chapple, Luke Fletcher and Kyle Hogg count in this market, I'm astonished by the prices on Anderson and Adams. When you consider how Kyle Hogg and Glen Chapple aren't even in the squad to play for Lancashire it's only Gurney or Fletcher who can spoil the bets. Both are decent bowlers but Anderson and Adams in truth are a few levels above them so it's only one of the above who can win top the market I think.

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014

Best of luck Kev and Travis. Madsen looks like a very good call. I've had a few coins e/ w on Jaik Mickelburgh for Div 2 runs at 33/1, 850-ish in only 13 matches last year, looks a talented lad and could feature in the places if he kicks on. Madsen does look the one to beat though. i've also gone for Laurie Evans top Div 1 runs at 33/1, he was impressive last season and, if Warks are to go well with Troughton, Bell and (presumably) Trott absent at various times, he could feature if he can maintain form. Finishing top probably a big ask. I'll be delighted if your Kent prediction turns out to be correct Kev ! Bollinger could be a good signing, hopefully he avoids substitute duty for Aus over the summer. Notts do look solid this year don't they, will be surprising if they are not shaking the tree for some silverware come the autumn. Good luck guys :)

Was very close to taking Evans in the division myself mate. Think he'll find someone too good for him though and the place price is the same as his Warwickshire price so as long as the one that's too good doesn't come from Warwickshire its near enough the same bet. Definitely a talent though for sure. The thing I like about Kent is it isn't all about Bollinger. They'd done good business before they signed him in bringing in Claydon and Griffiths (a bowler I seriously rate and wished we'd given more chances to). Bringing Joseph back could be a masterstroke too. There's a tasty bowler in there if someone can get it out of him.

[Marshland]

Re: County Championship 2014

First match bets of the season. Remember all match bets in the CC are DNB. 4pts Sussex to beat Middlesex 10/11 Bet365 I like Sussex in this match. Admittedly it is a blow that Chris Jordan is being rested by England but Steve Magoffin is back in the squad and James Anyon and Lewis Hatchett go into the season in good form. The positive is this isn't the strongest batting line up which could be opposing them. Middlesex are very good in the top three but unless Eoin Morgan does something in the middle order that area looks very light for the side from the capital. Morgan's record in First-class cricket isn't overwhelming so there's enough to suggest Sussex have enough with the ball to get through Middlesex here. Sussex have much the stronger looking batting line up with Ed Joyce and Matt Prior both available for this match. The likes of Luke Wells, Michael Yardy and Hamilton-Brown can all score well with the bat although they'll need to against a decent Middlesex attack. Overall though I think Sussex have the stronger looking all round side here and should be slightly bigger favourites than they are. 3pts Glamorgan to beat Surrey 2/1 Bet365 I'm going to try not to take Surrey on all season long but I can't resist a little dabble on the Welsh side here. Glamorgan are a side on the up and I expect them to improve on last season whereas we won't really know where Surrey are until after this match. One thing I am confident with is that this is a good time to take Surrey on. Everyone will still be a little rusty and if you take Graeme Smith out of their batting line up it looks very young. Glamorgan have plenty of batting depth and in Michael Hogan they have one of the bowlers of the division and he arrives here in good form. Even Surrey's bowling has a youthful element to it aside from Tremlett so all in all it could pay to side with the progressive more experienced Welsh outfit in the season opener.

Well done on Glamorgan gents, and Kev on Sussex :ok 98 for Mr Evans as well, I see ( shame none of them count towards our bets ! ) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 [TABLE=class: couponTable]

[TR] [TH][/TH] [TH=class: firstColumn]Sunday 13 April 2014[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Middlesex v Nottinghamshire (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.14[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.8[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]102.28 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Northamptonshire v Durham (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.75[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.53[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]101.58 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Somerset v Yorkshire (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.1[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.81[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]102.87 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Warwickshire v Sussex (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.72[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.25[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]102.34 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE=class: couponTable] [TR] [TH][/TH] [TH=class: firstColumn]Sunday 13 April 2014[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Essex v Derbyshire (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.8[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.2[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]101.01 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Gloucestershire v Hampshire (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.3[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.72[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]101.37 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Worcestershire v Kent (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.1[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.9[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.00 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 Few bets for me in this round. Been a crazy long day so I'm not going to do massive write ups but we're still early enough in the season that my preview pretty much covers it. 5pts Nottinghamshire to beat Middlesex 4/5 Ladbrokes As I've stated above I believe Nottinghamshire will win the Championship this year and their win over Lancashire last week did nothing to make me change my mind. They have Peter Siddle and James Taylor back this week too so they look a long side. I was worried about the Middlesex batting line up going into the season should the openers not fire and that was how it played out last week. Neil Dexter is away with his wife who is about to give birth this week so they lose his batting ability which makes Notts look a very good all round proposition and a good bet here. 2pts S.Borthwick Top Durham Batsman vs N'hants (1st Inns) 10/1 BetVictor Absolutely no idea where this price has come from because Borthwick will bat at three for Durham and he was one of their best batsmen last season. Northants don't have the strong new ball attack they had last season and Wantage Road isn't likely to be a batsman's graveyard anyway. Durham have lost Smith and Benkenstein since last season and Collingwood has been coaching all winter rather than playing. Jennings and Stoneman are dangers but not big enough dangers for Borthwick to be a 10/1 poke. 4pts Yorkshire to beat Somerset 10/11 Betfair Yorkshire look a much stronger side to me here even though they are without Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow. Somerset will be adjusting to life without Jos Buttler and he will be a big loss in a batting line up which is slowly weakening. Their bowling attack is lacking a strike bowler unlike Yorkshire's which is very strong. I expect the White Rose to get their season off with a win. 3pts Gloucestershire to beat Hampshire 13/10 Bet365 Gloucestershire are being underrated here. Similar to Middlesex I'm not convinced by Hampshire's batting just yet whereas the home side look very strong with the bat going into this match even allowing for the annoying injury to Gareth Roderick. Dent, Herring and Tavare have scored runs in a warm up game and with a bowling attack which is very comfortable in home conditions Gloucestershire should go well. Hampshire will have Kyle Abbott available here but in what is likely to be a low scoring game I just feel the home side have the batting strength to edge this one. 4pts Kent to beat Worcestershire 10/11 Ladbrokes Kent were my pick to win this division this season and I expect them to go well in this match. Worcestershire put up 350 last week but their main two men - Mitchell and Moeen - both scored. There will be a time when they don't both get stuck in and Kent can take advantage if that is this week. Dougie Bollinger has joined up with Kent now and will make his debut here which will be a massive boost to an already competent bowling attack. Worcestershire's bowling attack still looks a little light to me so they won't have wanted Saeed Ajmal's arrival be delayed. Kent look stronger with bat and ball and can win this one.

[fishy25]

Re: County Championship 2014 Good shout on Sussex bud, Middlesex were never really in it after Prior came to the crease. With Glamorgan doing the job comfortably, and Anderson taking the wicket bet (Adams didn't play so that was voided), I'm on +7 going into the second round of fixtures. Again I'm completely with Kev this week, with a couple of further additions. BTW that Borthwick price is down as short as 4/1 now so that looks a steal currently. :ok Nottinghamshire to beat Middlesex- 4/5 Stan James- (5/10) Notts 1st Innings Lead- 10/11 Stan James- (4/10) I was expecting Notts to be a much shorter price this week so I was pleasantly surprised to get them around the 1.80 mark. They are a team very much in the reckoning for the title with the only slight concern the future of Mick Newell with regard to the England job. He's there at the minute though so that's not a factor, and when you look at their side on paper, it really does look a strong one. They had far too much for Lancashire last week, and they are strengthened by the fact that Peter Siddle and James Taylor, two players who would get into any side, are available to play in this one. Middlesex were in truth blown away by Matt Prior last week and didn't get a sniff after he came to the crease, but their batting was really poor in both innings, and you feel if Notts can get rid of Chris Rogers early enough, then the rest of the batting lineup is pretty much their to be attacked. Notts' batting stars are probably the best in the country, and with Siddle around to bolster the bowling this week, they look a good bet to me get their second win and also lead the runs after both sides have batted. Yorkshire to beat Somerset- 4/5 Stan James- (4/10) The bowling is a huge worry for me here with Somerset. When you look at the squad, you really think to yourself have they got 20 wickets in them and I'm inclined until I see otherwise to say no to that at the minute. Batting they do have some quality players even without Jos Buttler who has signed for Lancashire, but there's really nothing in the bowling department to worry Yorkshire I feel. Even though they are without Root, Bairstow and Bresnan, Yorkshire have a far more balanced look to them. They've got runs in Williamson, Gale, Ballance amongst others and unlike Somerset, they have the bowlers to back it all up. Sidebottom, Brooks and Plunkett are all dangerous with the new ball and they have decent spin options as well so they just look the far more likely to pick up a win here. Warwickshire to beat Sussex- 8/11 Ladbrokes- (4/10) I'm going to go against Sussex again for the second week running but this time in the shape of Warwickshire. I know Sussex easily beat Middlesex, but a large part of that was down to Matt Prior and Middlesex's batting weaknesses. However for this one, they are without Prior who's nursing an achilles problem, whilst the home side have runs throughout their team. Ian Bell captains the side, whilst Trott, Chopra, Evans and Clarke are also playing so there's plenty of runs you feel in them. Sussex are boosted by Chris Jordan for this one, but I do feel the Sussex bowlers will struggle far more than they did last week. In Barker, Wright and Woakes, the hosts are no mugs with the ball either, and we've seen how effective Jeetan Patel has been in recent seasons so it's a home win for me to make amends for Middlesex's failures with the bat. Kent to beat Worcestershire- 10/11 Ladbrokes- (4/10) Worcestershire impressed me against Hampshire but you have to say but for that superb knock from Mitchell, the scorecard probably would have looked a lot different. Kev has summed in up perfectly, if Kent knock over Ali and the captain early, you struggle to see where the rest of the runs will come from in truth. Saeed Ajmal was expected to play today but there's been a hold up there which hasn't done them any favours whilst Kent have Bollinger around for them so two bits of bad news for Worcester here and I expect Kent to take the points. Essex to beat Derbyshire- 4/5 Ladbrokes- (4/10) I'm not a massive fan of backing Essex regardless in the Championship but I'm going to risk them here. On Paper, their side looks a competitive one in division 1 let alone the second tier. All of their England players are available, so in Cook and Bopara they have runs, with the likes of Mickleburgh, Westley, Smith and Foster to contribute whilst they have a strong seam attack and it's good news for them that Graham Napier was firing in the warm up game. To be fair Derbyshire have a good look to their side as well but I still feel a lot of the runs, a bit like Worcestershire, are only going to come form predominantly two sources; Madsen and Chanderpaul. If they both struggle in their opening game, I make Essex bit favourites given their strong batting lineup for this one. Again same with the batting, a lot comes down to Tim Groenewald in taking wickets so with Derbyshire heavily relying on a few key players, whereas Essex have a few more options, I think they are the more likely in this one.

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 [TABLE=class: couponTable]

[TR] [TH][/TH] [TH=class: firstColumn]Sunday 20 April 2014[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Durham v Somerset (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.62[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.75[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]98.09 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Lancashire v Warwickshire (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.2[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.83[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.00 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Yorkshire v Northamptonshire (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.44[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]3.25[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.00 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE=class: couponTable] [TR] [TH][/TH] [TH=class: firstColumn]Sunday 20 April 2014[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Derbyshire v Hampshire (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.2[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.72[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]103.35 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Glamorgan v Gloucestershire (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.83[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.2[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.10 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Kent v Leicestershire (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.57[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.62[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]101.73 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Surrey v Essex (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.9[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.1[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.00 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 Shocking week last week. Hoping for better this week. 2 to begin with. 4pts Lancashire to beat Warwickshire 6/5 Bet365 Lancashire look a big price to me here. I can understand why with Peter Moores taking over with England leaving a hole in the coaching staff but I would imagine Mike Watkinson will have that covered in the interim. On the pitch the return of Glen Chapple is a big boost to an already competent bowling attack which still has Jimmy Anderson available. Lancashire aren't the only side who are having off field problems. Jonathan Trott's winter issues have returned and he will sit out for a while and Rikki Clarke is out of the squad for this match too. They are big losses to a batting line up which was rolled for 80 odd last week. Both sides lost their opening match of the season but Lancashire put up good efforts with the bat and the ball whereas take Ian Bell's wonder innings out last week and Warwickshire would've been soundly beaten. If Lancashire deal with Bell they should win this game. 4pts Essex to beat Surrey 11/10 Ladbrokes I mentioned in the opening week how I'm concerned for Surrey's young looking batting line up if Graeme Smith doesn't fire and I was proved correct as Glamorgan rolled them over for just 81 to complete a simple enough win. Nothing has changed in my view about Surrey either. I managed to catch some of that match and how Tim Linley has been overlooked for Chris Tremlett I've really no idea. The two were polar opposites in their performance and while I accept Tremlett got some wickets for the seconds I'm amazed Linley has been dropped. Surrey's batting is talented but it is just too young after Smith for my liking. Essex turned a poor position around nicely to beat a Derbyshire side who I expect to go very close this season. Alastair Cook's knock helped that but most of the Essex key men got runs and if they keep scoring runs then they'll go well because they have a perfect blend to their bowling attack. Essex look powerful with the bat and the complete opposite to Surrey so I'm happy to take the visitors here.

[fishy25]

Re: County Championship 2014 Less said about last week the better, few horrible performances in there. Let's hope for better this week... Lancashire to beat Warwickshire- 6/5 Bet365- (4/10) Both sides have had their fair share of off field problems this week with Jonathan Trott ruling himself out of cricket for a while and Peter Moores taking over England again so both teams haven't had the ideal preparation going into this one. Based on last week's performances though, I'd have Lancashire as favourites going into this one. The return of Glen Chapple is huge for the Red Roses as he has been their best bowler by far in the past few years. He'll back up Jimmy Anderson well and they should cause problems to Warwickshire's batting lineup. As mentioned, there's no Jonathan Trott, and Rikki Clarke is missing as well so a huge effort is required from Ian Bell like last week you feel if the home side are to put up some decent runs in this one. Lancashire have runs in them and if their quality bowlers can get rid of Ian Bell early, I fear for Warwickshire here. Derbyshire to beat Hampshire- 6/5 Bet365- (4/10) I'm still not totally convinced by Hampshire in all honesty. Although they got past Gloucestershire last week, at times they must have been biting their nails a bit which doesn't bode well for me to be honest. On paper, their side looks extremely strong with international talent throughout the side, but recent performances have suggested to me that something isn't completely right. Derbyshire put up a monumental effort against Essex and if it wasn't for a big innings from Alastair Cook in the second innings, they would have won that game even after not making the runs they would have liked in the first innings. Tim Groenewald has started the season on fire with the ball, and Shiv Chanderpaul looked as solid as ever against Essex. Add in the likes of Moore and Madsen at the top of the order who can score well, and Tony Palladino back in the side, I think Derbyshire look a solid bet at odds against. Glamorgan to beat Gloucestershire- 8/11 Bet365- (4/10) The Welsh side look a more balanced side to me and have more match winners in their ranks. They've already managed to beat Surrey which shows they are no mugs and in Wagg and Hogan, they have an attack which has really fired in the early stages this season. Batting wise they are vastly experienced with Wallace, Rudolph, Goodwin and Allenby in the middle order whilst their openers can make healthy contribution as well. Gloucestershire have Ian Saxelby back for this one which is a boost but their batting looks rather thin to me, especially if Hogan and Wagg make the most of the new ball as they usually do. Gloucestershire haven't won in Cardiff for a long while, and I don't expect that trend to be broken over the weekend and early next week. Essex to beat Surrey- 11/10 Ladbrokes- (4/10) I'll try my luck with Essex again for the second week running as they did have their impressive moments in that win over Derbyshire. Alastair Cook is still available and fresh off that century against Derbyshire, he'll look to go well again. I think what was more important for them though was that David Masters and Tymal Mills were amongst the wickets which is a really good sign for them, as when out together with Napier and Panesar, you have a really strong looking bowling attack. Surrey looked to be on top against Glamorgan in their first game, but then were rattled out for 81 which shows the inconsistencies and inexperience in their batting, Graham Smith aside. Far too much relies on the South African in my opinion, whilst their bowling is still a weakness for me as Kev alluded to, I'm not convinced they quite know their best XI yet. Essex should be on a high so I'll back them to deliver the goods once again.

[fishy25]

Re: County Championship 2014 4 draws last week, albeit a little fortunate to come out of that round unscathed. Like a few this week but I'll kick off with just the one as I doubt this price will last. Essex to beat Gloucestershire- 8/11 Ladbrokes- (5/10) Going with Essex again as this price looks way too high on them in my opinion. They were a tad unlucky that their first day was rained off against Surrey as they were going okay in that one. They're sticking with the same side though and that can only be a good thing with Cook scoring runs for fun at the minute. What I really like about them is that they have a few individuals with both bat and ball who can make consistent contributions and as I say, with Cook at the top, that must give their side a huge boost given he hasn't been around much in recent seasons. Gloucestershire were all over Glamorgan in their last game in truth, and but for some late heroics by Michael Hogan with the bat in BOTH innings, Gloucestershire would have come away with that game with the win. Although they outplayed the Welsh side, I'd say it's probably 90% down to a poor showing from their opponents last week. Will Gidman had a really good game, but still with the bat, when up against a decent bowling attack like this Essex one, there's always a decent risk they could get skittled out in one of their innings in truth. They aren't helped this week with the news that David Payne is out injured as he is a big player in their bowling attack and even with him, I'd still have Essex as solid favourites so I have to have a play on the men from Chelmsford here.

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 Two for me. Been a long day so no massive write ups. 4pts Derbyshire to beat Worcestershire 11/10 Skybet Not sure I understand these odds. I'm still concerned about Worcestershire's batting line up especially if Moeen doesn't get going and even though Saeed Ajmal has arrived he may take a week or so to acclimatise. Derbyshire remain strong looking with bat and ball despite their indifferent start so I like them here. 4pts Hampshire to beat Surrey 4/5 BetVictor Surrey still look like a side worth opposing here. Their batting line up fills me with no confidence at all and their bowling isn't pulling up any trees. Hampshire have shown competence with the bat while Kyle Abbott has given them an extra dimension with the ball so I like the better looking all round side here.

[Marshland]

Re: County Championship 2014 Good luck this week Kev and Fishy. I've had small play on Sussex x Yorks double, 2.80 skybet. Sussex look bang on it, 2 wins this season. Ciders have managed two draws, i think they might have a tough season in 2014. Sssx look stronger just now in my humble opinion. Yorks also look solid, massive win vs Nants last week and now Root available again to augment a decent order. I wouldn't like to dismiss Middx, people like Robson and Finn are on it. However Yorks I believe won at HQ last season and look like they have enough belief to do so again. Prices were perhaps a bit thin but let's see how we go. Think weather not great for next couple of days so it might be draws again for us. Best of luck :)

[fishy25]

Re: County Championship 2014 Running short on time so quick write ups for me. Notts to beat Warwickshire- 10/11 Stan James- (4/10) Still not overly convinced about Warwickshire. Granted they were desperately unlucky to not get the win against Lancashire but that game could well have affected morale so it will be interesting to see how they bounce back. Notts haven't been exceptional this season, but their batting lineup is still formidable as anything and it's only a matter of time before Peter Siddle fires with the ball you feel so they deserve to be bigger favourites for this one on home soil. Derbyshire to beat Worcestershire- 11/10 Stan James- (4/10) Totally agree with Kev here. Derbyshire to me look one, if not the strongest championship side in the division. They have been scoring runs and taking wickets comfortably with Shiv Chanderpaul and Groenewald in particular starting the season fabulously. Worcestershire still are very heavily reliant on Ali and Mitchell with the bat whilst although they have Saeed Ajmal, it's his first game so there's certainly no guarantees he's going to blow any batsman away this early. Expect a Derbyshire win here. Hampshire to beat Surrey- 4/5 BetVictor- (4/10) I'm still not going anywhere near Surrey. I actually think they were pretty fortunate that the first day of their game against Essex was washed out otherwise I think they would have been struggling to bat on the last day. We've already seen this season how their batting can struggle after Glamorgan skittled them out and alot comes down to Smith to fire. Hampshire look a pretty strong outfit, with runs throughout their side and as Kev says, Kyle Abbott has been a good signing for them with the ball. Until Surrey put in a performance of note, I'm happy to go against them once more. Leicestershire to beat Glamorgan- 11/8 BetVictor- (4/10) After last week, there's no way I can resist opposing Glamorgan here. In truth, they were absolutely shocking against Gloucestershire. Nobody made any runs, and it's purely down to Michael Hogan that they escaped with a draw last week. Hogan is back in Australia for this one though as his wife is having a kid which is a huge blow for the Welsh side. He is the main man with the ball for them so it'll be interesting to see how they cope without him. Leicestershire are no world beaters, and they have injuries themselves with Sarwan and Thakor amongst others still out, but they have spoken about how important home form is to them so they will want to put that into practice this week. They come into this game full of confidence one would expect after a really good showing against Kent where they were on top and could have taken it but for the rain around. That should set them up for this one though and with Glamorgan's performance last week, Leicestershire could get into them and win this one.

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 [TABLE=class: couponTable]

[TR] [TH][/TH] [TH=class: firstColumn]Sunday 4 May 2014[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Durham v Yorkshire (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.9[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]102.38 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Lancashire v Sussex (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.1[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.9[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.00 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Somerset v Nottinghamshire (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.9[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]102.38 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Warwickshire v Middlesex (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.9[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.1[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.00 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE=class: couponTable] [TR] [TH][/TH] [TH=class: firstColumn]Sunday 4 May 2014[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Essex v Leicestershire (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.61[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.75[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]98.27 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Glamorgan v Worcestershire (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.37[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.72[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.00 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Kent v Surrey (11:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]2.2[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd]1.72[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]103.35 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 TV preview: (rest of my bets to come later) 4pts Durham to beat Yorkshire 10/11 Coral Middlesex’s run chase last week has to hurt Yorkshire and the fact that their top runscorer this season Gary Ballance is missing in this match isn’t going to help matters. Tim Bresnan will boost their bowling resources if fully fit but they only thing Durham have done wrong this season is fail to bowl sides out twice, one of them being down to running out of time because of the weather. Yorkshire have won a game this season but it was only against an abject Northants so I like Durham especially with Sangakkara in town. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/durham-vs-yorkshire-betting-durham-can-open-their-account-for-the-season

[kevshat]

Re: County Championship 2014 Forgot to write these up last night. Apologies for the short notice. Will keep write ups small. 4pts Sussex to beat Lancashire 10/11 Boylesports Sussex are without Joyce and Jordan this week but I think Anderson's absence hurts Lancashire more and with all their off field issues with coaches and things I would expect Sussex to take advantage here. Sussex walloped Middlesex in the opening week without Chris Jordan so we needn't worry about their firepower. They still have plenty of it in Magoffin, Lewis and Anyon. Chris Nash's return covers for Joyce so Sussex aren't that badly off. Lancashire have been relying on Jimmy with the ball, as you would expect, and haven't really been firing with the bat so without Jimmy they look there for the taking. 5pts Middlesex to beat Warwickshire 11/10 Ladbrokes I like Middlesex here. They will be buzzing after that amazing run chase last week and although Eoin Morgan is missing for them here he hasn't done enough to suggest he's a monumental loss. Tim Murtagh would be more of one but Toby Roland-Jones is an adequate replacement for him. The key thing is that Middlesex have Finn available and he's on fire. Warwickshire will be without two of their higher run scorers this season in Ian Bell and Will Porterfield and Chris Woakes' absence leaves a hole in their batting especially with Rikki Clarke still not fit. Woakes also leaves a void with the ball and while Wright and Barker are in good touch I'm not sure they can win this one on their own so I like Middlesex here. 3pts Leicestershire to beat Essex 7/4 Ladbrokes Leicestershire are worth chancing here I think. Essex are decimated by injuries with the ball and Jesse Ryder hasn't got a visa yet which isn't ideal either because Essex will be without Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara with the bat while another possible replacement - ten Doeschate is still away at the IPL. It is with the ball Essex have most problems. Masters and Napier miss out through injury which leaves only Tymal Mills of their regular seam attack and while Oliver Newby has been brought in he won't be match sharp. Leicestershire have started the season well and if they could time a declaration right they might have two wins by now but as it is they look to be getting better and are worth a go in this one.