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Back after knee surgery, the bowler is working on his strength training and variations for the second leg of IPL 2021

Deivarayan Muthu21-Sep-20213:48

‘I didn’t expect to play the T20 World Cup – you can’t get in without match practice’

Left-arm seamer T Natarajan is “confident” with his rhythm as he prepares to return to top-flight cricket in the second leg of IPL 2021 in the UAE, after undergoing a knee surgery in April. The 30-year-old had sustained the injury during the Australia tour and aggravated it during the first chunk of the IPL in India.”I was very happy coming into the [Sunrisers Hyderabad] team after a long time,” Natarajan told ESPNcricinfo. “Working with my old team-mates with that same feel made me happier. I made good progress by having a lot of bowling sessions at the NCA (National Cricket Academy) and that was helpful. So, coming from the [NCA], the first session in the UAE was slightly easier for me.”I think at the NCA, I didn’t have much control in the first two sessions, but once I kept bowling more overs, I kept improving and gained confidence from that. That preparation gave me the confidence that I can do anything at any time. I had a lot of bowling sessions at the NCA. After coming here [to the UAE], I worked on my strength training and also my variations with the ball. So, I’m confident going into the IPL.”Related

• Washington Sundar to return to action with Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

• T Natarajan in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19

• R Ashwin picked, MS Dhoni named mentor for T20 World Cup

• T Natarajan undergoes knee surgery

• Natarajan: 'If I make an error, I back myself to come back with yorker'

A fit-again Natarajan’s return comes as a significant boost to the Sunrisers, who are languishing at the bottom of the points table, with just one victory in seven games. Natarajan admitted that the pressure will be on Sunrisers to turn the tables, but he backed his side to hit the ground running in the UAE.”The pressure is always there,” Natarajan said. “If we start winning initially, there are chances that the table might change. Yes, the pressure is there, but we will go in with the motive of winning a number of games at the start.”Natarajan, however, won’t be in action in the T20 World Cup, which will also be hosted by the UAE, and Oman. India’s chief selector Chetan Sharma said that although Natarajan’s name came up for discussion during the meeting, his injury had pushed him down the pecking order. Natarajan himself said he hadn’t expected to make the cut, given his recent time on the sidelines. His last competitive game was for Sunrisers against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai in April and he subsequently missed the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), which was also held in Chennai.”A lot of people have told me that I would make the [World Cup] squad, but I didn’t expect to be picked in the 15-man squad•Ron Gaunt/BCCI”I didn’t have any disappointments [at not being selected for the T20 World Cup],” Natarajan said. “I knew it was hard to reach there in a short period of time. A lot of people have told me that I would make the squad, but I didn’t expect to be picked in the 15-man squad. I knew I was coming back from injury; I hadn’t played competitive cricket for five or five-and-a-half months.”If maybe the [World Cup] selection was after the IPL, I would have had a chance to make the squad. You can’t expect to be picked in the squad without match practice. I thought of at least going [to the World Cup] as a net bowler. I had ambitions of being a net bowler, but I didn’t expect to be in the 15 at all. My mindset was just to recover from the leg injury, play the IPL, and the rest will happen automatically.”The quarantine in the UAE provided Natarajan a chance to reflect on his breakout IPL in the UAE in 2020. He emerged out of the bench that season and bowled 71 yorkers, which ultimately vaulted him into India’s squad across formats.”Last year I had a bit of fear and some confidence of doing well,” Natarajan recalled. “I had proven myself, and this year I’m more confident of doing well than I was in 2020 because I’ve learnt a lot by watching and practising with India players. I did think of my 2020 performances when I was in quarantine and mostly I’m very confident. Yes, I had a bit of fear last year, but I’ve overcome that and looking to focus on what I can do for the team.”Natarajan isn’t the only bowler from Chinnappampatti (Salem) in the Sunrisers camp this IPL. His protégé G Periyaswamy, who is bit of a TNPL sensation with his slingy yorkers, is travelling with the squad as a net bowler. Back in the day, Natarajan and Periyaswamy used to hop from one village to another in Salem, in share autos, to play tennis-ball gully cricket. Several years later, the pair opened the bowling for Tamil Nadu in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and now they are sharing dressing rooms at the IPL.T Natarajan will look to lift Sunrisers Hyderabad off the bottom of the table•BCCIDuring his injury-enforced break, Natarajan had also travelled from Bengaluru, where he was training at the NCA, to Chennai to watch Periyaswamy face up against V Gowtham, another product from Natarajan’s Cricket Academy, in the TNPL. Gowtham has also had a taste of the IPL, having been a net bowler for Chennai Super Kings over the past couple of seasons.”I’m very proud,” Natarajan said of Periyaswamy’s progress. “I was also very proud when we opened the bowling together for Tamil Nadu. It was a big deal for us – coming from a small village and opening the bowling for Tamil Nadu. As far as I’m concerned, that itself is a big achievement for us. He will get more experience by practising alongside myself in the IPL. He will get to know the IPL atmosphere – he was with KKR as a net bowler last year. That would have been a good experience and since I’m here with him now, he will feel more confident. If he keeps doing well in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali, there are chances of him progressing to the next stage.”I was looking forward to watching the TNPL. Three of my academy boys were in TNPL sides this year – [G] Aravindh my Lyca Kovai Kings team-mate, V Gowtham (Madurai Panthers) and Periyaswamy (Salem Spartans). Aravindh didn’t get a chance to play, but we wanted to see the game where Gowtham and Periyaswamy faced each other. So, I planned with Jayaprakash (Natarajan’s mentor) (brother) and friends to come and watch them play for the first time in the TNPL. Looking from outside, it was a super feeling for all of us.”Natarajan is also excited at reuniting with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has had a strong influence on his career. “I’ve been with the SRH team for three-fours years. We’ve shared a lot of things with each other,” Natarajan said of his relationship with Bhuvneshwar. “When I didn’t get a chance to play for two years, he encouraged me that my chance will come, but advised me to keep working on my bowling without any expectations. He said he has also been on the bench, so asked me not to get disheartened.”Often at the nets, I ask him about the field setting and match-related inputs, he always tells me to go with what I’m confident about and not to worry even if that goes for runs. When I’m confused, I ask him for inputs and he has shared his experience. So, he has asked me to call him anytime. So, this journey with him I’m so happy.”Natarajan – and Sunrisers – will first run into the Delhi Capitals in Dubai on September 22. Natarajan carved out his own identity when he bowled yorker after yorker and kept nailing them against the Capitals in the league match in 2020. A lot has transpired since then and Natarajan is now back to the scene of his emergence, this time to relaunch his career.

There was no last-minute panic, no agonising self-destruction, just a straightforward win playing better cricket

Danyal Rasool25-Oct-2021I looked up in disbelief, mortified by how unfair things seemed. Six-year-old me had just been told, in fairly unequivocal terms, that no, I couldn’t be allowed to stay up well past midnight to watch the game right through to the end. It was much too late. That might sound fair enough, but it was June 8, 1999. Pakistan were playing India, and well, Pakistan were going to beat them.Or so I thought when I went to bed that night at the halfway stage, spending the night dreaming of a routine Pakistan win. India had set Pakistan 228; below par, one felt, even in 1999. Besides, aside from an inexplicable loss to Bangladesh in a dead rubber a couple of games before, Pakistan had sailed into the Super Sixes in red-hot form, beating West Indies, New Zealand and Australia in a World Cup classic.Related

• Babar, Rizwan break Pakistan's World Cup jinx against India

• Stats – Pakistan end their India hoodoo with record 10-wicket mauling

• Starman Shaheen Shah Afridi's night out in Dubai

• 'The behind-closed-doors start of the 2021 season felt miles away'

India, meanwhile, had begun the campaign with losses to South Africa and Zimbabwe, and only sneaked into the Super Sixes. Four days earlier, Australia had thumped them by 77 runs. It didn’t feel like they had the runs, or indeed the bowlers, to seriously challenge Pakistan – not to my six-year old self anyway.I checked the score first thing next morning. Apparently, Venkatesh Prasad had done again what I’d been told he’d done three years earlier in a World Cup quarter-final between the sides. Pakistan, who would finish top of the Super Six table, had been hammered by the side that would end up bottom; it was the only match India won against a Super Six side. My introductory experience of Pakistan vs India was perhaps the first time it really began to feel like a jinx.

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Over the next two decades, these games – nine of them, to be precise – took on a bizarre, amnesic shade, each World Cup contest hyped and promoted as if the previous one had never happened. It was a marketer’s dream; in Pakistan, the fans were sold hope -which they bought by the crate load. In India, it was another chance to have that sweetest kind of fun – the kind that came at Pakistan’s expense. Tickets sold out in minutes, were scalped and rebought at obscene prices. The day arrived, people tuned in by the hundreds of millions, or even a billion, depending on which ratings metric you chose to believe. India cruised to victory, the cycle continued.The T20 World Cup in 2007 saw this curiously one-sided streak extend to a second format, with a group stage win in a bowl-out – which now feels like one of those science experiments too ludicrous to be allowed to happen – followed by a five-run victory in a gloriously agonising final. Misbah-ul-Haq had looked like he was making amends for the group stage with a heroic one-man counterattack but would end up giving India one of its most iconic moments of sporting triumphalism, and provide the origin myth for the advent of the IPL.It seems a long time ago, and not just because it was 2008, that Sohail Tanvir pulled one through midwicket to win his side the IPL final. At the time, this inclusive, nascent competition promised to usher in a fresh era in Indo-Pak relations. Hindsight would tell you that’s as good as it got for Pakistanis at the IPL. Or, indeed, for Rajastan Royals.Relations soured, and Pakistan found their players locked out of the IPL. The cricketing gulf between the two countries widened, both in terms of administrative power and on-field performance. By now, an Indian win over Pakistan didn’t feel like a jinx so much as it did the right cricketing result.Misery for Misbah: India win the 2007 World T20•Saeed Khan/AFPEven if the pain had been numbed by repeated exposure to it, a bruising semi-final defeat at India’s hands in Mohali stood out. It had its classic Pakistani cast of characters – Wahab Riaz playing the bowling wizard with a five wicket-haul, the highlight of which involved Player of the Tournament Yuvraj Singh being yorked for a golden duck. There was the scapegoat – poor Misbah again for supposedly batting too cautiously in the chase. There were the fielders happily putting down anything Sachin Tendulkar hit right at them. There was the conspiracy theory of Tendulkar’s non-lbw, a rabbithole best avoided here.And above all, of course, there was a Pakistani defeat and an Indian victory that saw MS Dhoni – who might have looked perfectly at home in a Pakistan side of the ’80s – lead his side to a World Cup trophy. Five further World Cup games yielded five heavy Pakistani defeats, with a famously bizarre victory in the 2017 Champions Trophy final the only balm for Pakistan’s psychological wounds.It was that context in which Babar Azam and Virat Kohli’s sides stood side by side for the anthems in Dubai on Sunday. Even when Pakistan won what looked a vital toss and began brilliantly, India’s dominance over this fixture meant it was difficult to really feel comfortable from a Pakistan perspective. Sure, the exhilaration of Shaheen Afridi’s first over was considerable, but that’s more of a universal experience, like a Jasprit Bumrah yorker or a one-legged Rohit Sharma pull. Sure, 151 in Dubai was perhaps a below-par total, but so was 227 in Manchester 22 years ago, remember?I interviewed Babar last month. It was a cordial enough chat, but there was one occasion where he’d allowed irritation to flicker on his face. I’d just asked him if opening alongside Mohammad Rizwan was indeed the most progressive thing Pakistan could do.”Yes, absolutely,” he said, irritated by the audacity of the query. “Look at how well that’s gone, at our performances in the past year, at the records he has broken. The year’s not done yet and he has already scored the most-ever T20I runs in a calendar year. What more do you need, really?”

Two men who weren’t born the first time India beat Pakistan in a World Cup match had helped Pakistan remove a stone from their shoe that had been chafing away for 29 years

If it was any other opposition, or any other tournament, you’d have known six overs into the chase that Babar and Rizwan had an unassailable, vice-like grip on this contest. The target didn’t require explosive hitting, the ball was coming onto the bat nicely, and there were no hiccups at the start. These two are the most prolific T20 opening pair since the start of the year by some distance; in April, they’d put on 197 in under 18 overs at Centurion to help chase down 205. They were in that sort of mood. But India were the opposition, so you couldn’t quite see it just yet.But the runs kept getting knocked off. Bumrah was negotiated with maturity; the whole chase in general was being pursued with a sort of cold ruthlessness completely alien to Pakistan and their supporters. Even as the asking rate was dragged down over by over, it felt as if the game was in a holding pattern; what really mattered was what happened once a wicket fell. Following the game on your smartphone was a different experience altogether, WhatsApp groups abuzz with nightmarish worst case scenarios from Pakistan fans looking to inoculate themselves from the pain when (or was it “if”?) their side found a way to muck up this chase.That, mercifully for Pakistan fans, was a sporting experience they didn’t have to endure. In the 18th over, the excitement levels rising to a crescendo, Rizwan walloped Mohammad Shami for six over fine leg. Four balls later, Babar whipped one through the leg side, called his partner over for two, and that was that. Two men who weren’t born the first time India beat Pakistan in a World Cup match – all the way back in 1992 – had helped Pakistan cricket remove a stone from their shoe that had been chafing away at them for 29 years. There is much that divides Pakistan, but for a few days, the country can bask in a therapeutic moment of harmony, fleeting and illusory as it might be.So how, then, did it feel? Well, somewhat numbing for how it happened. There was no last-minute panic, no agonising self-destruction, no letting the pressure of a nation weigh them down. There was no salvaging of national pride, no one-upmanship in a bitter rivalry. Pakistan had just beaten India in a cricket match in the only way it was possible to do so – by playing better cricket on the day.”What more,” as Babar might put it, “do you need, really?”

Our correspondent finds that the hottest face-offs in cricket now are currently happening off the field

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Mar-2022Faulkner vs the PSL
Come on PCB. What are you doing? Why are you mistreating him?James Faulkner. Player of as many as one Test, and an international cricketer from a mere five years ago. All he wanted was to be paid. Or to be paid twice, depending on who you believe. (Faulkner alleges the PSL didn’t pay him. The PSL claims he wanted to be paid twice.) Whatever happened, what we know is this. One day, horrified at his treatment at the PSL, Faulkner ragequit the tournament, throwing a bat and a helmet at a massive hotel chandelier, because how else will you get the common man to sympathise with your plight?”It hurts to leave as I wanted to help to get international cricket back in Pakistan,” Faulkner later tweeted. Don’t cry for Faulkner, folks. He’s not the victim here. I mean… he is the victim. But not as much as Pakistan.IPL vs PSL
The IPL wishes it had this kinda drama, don’t @ me.Saha vs journalist
We’ve all read the tweet by now, right? Wriddhiman Saha, who, on top of being dropped from the Test squad, was threatened by an unnamed journalist over text. Essentially, the journalist wanted an interview with Saha, but Saha seemingly ignored the request, and the journalist responded by “threatening” Saha, stating: “I don’t take insults kindly. And I will remember this.”Obviously this is terrible. Terrible that not all interactions between players and journalists don’t conform to this power dynamic. Can you believe there are media people throwing daggers at this journalist, when it would clearly be so much easier for all of us if players were so scared they’d never knock back interview requests?Taking a page out of this guy’s book, we’re taking this opportunity to threaten cricketers who dare to deny interview requests from the Briefing and its subsidiaries (the Light Roller). Please find the list of threats below.- Your ESPNcricinfo profile pic will be changed to a photo of you getting clean-bowled.
– If you gain weight, you will be body-shamed in only the most emasculating language (“Chubby-wub Perera bags four”*).
– All non-match-winning performances will be described as “flaccid”. When people google that word, a photo of you appears.
– No big-cat comparisons. The only animals you will be likened to are goats, donkeys, and warthogs.

– Justin Langer will be told you are looking for daily coaching videos, as intense as he can make them, please.
– All poor performances from age 30 onwards will be framed as a decline in ability (we do this anyway, but still).*Not aimed at any Perera in particularAustralia vs their own nature
New Zealand cited a security threat and pulled out of their matches in Pakistan at the last minute. England withdrew because of [look up whatever this nonsense was]. But, so often criticised for pulling out of tours if so much as a baby sneezes unexpectedly, Australia have landed in Pakistan marking the first, momentous return to the country by a… wait, how do we say this since Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Bangladesh have all been there in the last few years? The first return to Pakistan by a Europea… wait, that’s not right… first-wor… nope. Hmm, look, don’t make us say it. If it’s safe for them, it’s safe for, umm, other teams like them. (Pack away the chandeliers in case, though.)Next month on the Briefing:
– World’s most popular cricketers line up for exclusive interviews with the Briefing.- Faulkner inspires a generation of Pakistani kids to get rich enough playing cricket to throw a chandelier-level tantrum. #Hero

We assess the Division One contenders in our County Championship preview

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-2022

Essex

Last season: 1st in Division Two
Head coach: Anthony McGrath
Captain: Tom Westley
Overseas: Simon Harmer, Mark Steketee (April-May)
Ins: Matt Critchley (Derbyshire), Adam Rossington (Northamptonshire, loan)
Outs: Ryan ten Doeschate, Varun Chopra (both retired), Matt Quinn (Kent)The most-successful red-ball side in the country over the last five years, Essex nevertheless experienced a disappointing 2021. Attempting to defend both their County Championship title (won in 2019) and the Bob Willis Trophy, Tom Westley’s team could only place fourth in a tightly congested Group One – they only lost twice but those defeats, crucially, came against the top two, Nottinghamshire and eventual champions Warwickshire. Condemned to Division Two in the latter part of the campaign, there was little solace to be taken from securing the “title” with a two-day hammering of Northants in the final round. “It’s not something we are actually going to celebrate,” said Dan Lawrence, bluntly.The core of the squad remains, and they will be looking to make amends. Alastair Cook has signed on for another two years of run-harvesting (his 2021 was unusually subdued, with only 165 in the penultimate game bringing his average above 30), but there will be a big hole to fill following the retirement of Ryan ten Doeschate. The return of Simon Harmer to South Africa’s Test set-up will limit his availability, too, and Anthony McGrath has hinted at a change to the balance of the side: Matt Critchley, the legspinning allrounder signed from Derbyshire, is expected to have a key role in supporting a four-man seam attack, with Jamie Porter and Sam Cook once again setting the standard and Mark Steketee, the leading wicket-taker in the 2021-22 Sheffield Shield, potentially a shrewd early-season recruit.One to watch: The departure of ten Doeschate, after nearly two decades in Essex’s engine room, will likely mean opportunities for homegrown batters, including Michael Pepper, Feroze Khushi and Josh Rymell, who turned 21 this month. Rymell debuted in last season’s Royal London Cup and was soon opening alongside Cook, scoring his maiden hundred in the quarter-final victory over Yorkshire and finishing the campaign with an average of 55.16.Diversity action: Essex have long championed community outreach work in east London, and the club runs numerous engagement initiatives, around faith, ethnicity, disability and gender – examples include tape-ball cricket in Leyton, Super 1s and table cricket, an Afghan refugee programme, and events around Diwali and Ramadan. A faith and reflection room has been installed at Chelmsford, with dedicated family and non-alcohol areas at the ground. Also ongoing is an independent investigation into historic claims of racism at the club, conducted by Katherine Newton QC. Alan GardnerBet365: 7/2Dan Lawrence and Tom Westley will be key to Essex fortunes•Getty Images

Hampshire

Last season: 4th in Division One
Director of cricket: Giles White
First-team manager: Adi Birrell
Captain: James Vince
Overseas: Mohammad Abbas, Kyle Abbott
Ins: Nick Gubbins (Middlesex), Ben Brown (Sussex), Ross Whiteley (Worcestershire, white-ball contract)
Outs: Sam Northeast (Glamorgan), Ajeet Dale (Gloucestershire), Tom Scriven (Leicestershire), Brad Taylor, Ryan Stevenson (both retired), Tom Alsop (Sussex, loan), Lewis McManus (Northants, loan)Hampshire finished fourth in Division One last year but were a wicket away from their first title since 1973. Lancashire’s nerve-wracking run chase at Aigburth in late September ended in a one-wicket defeat; victory would have seen Hampshire pip Warwickshire to the pennant by half a point. They have strengthened over the winter with the addition of Ben Brown, who will keep wicket and bat in the middle order, while Mohammad Abbas will resume his new-ball partnership with Kyle Abbott.Giles White and Adi Birrell are confident enough about the depth of their squad that Tom Alsop (Sussex) and Lewis McManus (Northants) have been allowed to leave on loan and there are a handful of young players coming through – notably Tom Prest, the England Under-19s captain, and the tall seamer Scott Currie – who are likely to come into first-team contention. As the season wears on, the spin combination of Liam Dawson and Mason Crane will come to the fore.One to watch: Nick Gubbins arrived from Middlesex halfway through last season and, at 28, it is time for him to deliver on his obvious potential; his development has not been helped by playing home games on green seamers at Lord’s but his game should be better-suited to the flatter pitches at the Ageas Bowl. Alongside James Vince, Ben Brown and Liam Dawson, he will be part of one of the strongest middle orders in the country.Related

• Gough, Gibson look to the future after Yorkshire's winter of discontent

• Burns readjusts to life on England fringes after putting Ashes 'to bed'

• Rossington joins Essex on loan after losing Northants captaincy

Diversity action: Rod Bransgrove described allegations at a DCMS select committee that he had told fellow county chairmen that he knew understood racism because he was a white man in his 60s as “absolute nonsense”. The club launched an Inner City State School Partnership over the winter and appointed a non-executive communities adviser to its board last month. Matt RollerBet365: 7/1

Gloucestershire

Last season: 2nd in Division Two
Head coach: Dale Benkenstein
Captain: Graeme van Buuren
Overseas: Marcus Harris, Naseem Shah, Zafar Gohar
Ins: Ajeet Dale (Hampshire), Paul van Meekeren (Durham)
Outs: George Hankins, Harry Hankins (both released)No team in the country won as many Championship games as Gloucestershire last summer but three defeats in four games at the end of the conference stage saw them miss out on the top division. This season, they have the chance to prove their mettle in Division One, belatedly taking their place in the top flight for the first time since 2005 after two years in which the format was affected by Covid.They do so with a new coach in Dale Benkenstein and a new captain, with Graeme van Buuren taking the reins after he was granted British citizenship at the end of last year following a season in limbo. They have recruited well, bringing in Marcus Harris after his success with Leicestershire last summer, while Chris Dent and James Bracey will expect to contribute with the bat after stepping back from the captaincy and overcoming a disappointing first taste of international cricket respectively. Ryan Higgins and David Payne will lead the attack again and hope to prove they can be as effective against the country’s best batters.One to watch: Naseem Shah is among the most exciting young fast bowlers in the global game, as evidenced by his reverse-swing masterclass against Australia in Lahore last month. This is his first taste of county cricket – he is due to be available for the first half of the season though selection for Pakistan’s ODI series against West Indies might cut his time short – and while he struggled against England two summers ago, his pace will make him a handful at county level.Diversity action: Ebony Rainford-Brent’s African-Caribbean Engagement programme launched in Bristol last year and several England players have been involved in coaching sessions over the winter. The club invited Afghan refugees to play at the County Ground in late 2021. David “Syd” Lawrence was offered an “unreserved apology” after recounting abuse he suffered while playing for the club in the 1980s. MRBet365: 16/1Darren Stevens: still on the run from Father Time•Getty Images

Kent

Last season: 1st in Division Three
Director of cricket: Paul Downton
Head coach: Matt Walker
Captain: Sam Billings
Overseas: George Linde, Jackson Bird (April-May), Matt Henry (July-Sept)
Ins: Matt Quinn (Essex), Ben Compton (Nottinghamshire)
Outs: While being able to call themselves “Division Three champions” – as things stand a unique accolade in the history of the Championship – might not quite rank alongside their Vitality Blast success, there were reasons for Kent to feel encouraged by their red-ball form come the end of the summer. That said, having held their own on their return to Division One in 2019 and finished second to eventual champions Essex in the Bob Willis Trophy South Group a year later, it was undoubtedly a disappointment to find themselves scrapping it out in the bottom tier once the conference system had played out in the first half of 2021.Three defeats in their opening four games – to Yorkshire, Lancashire and Glamorgan – meant they were in trouble from the outset, and in July they were forced to summon an entire replacement squad for the home fixture against Sussex after a Covid-19 outbreak. Nevertheless, they shored things up to go unbeaten through the rest of the summer, winning four games out of four in Division Three to pip Middlesex to top spot on the final day. Despite a disjointed campaign, there was plenty of talent to pick from, including encouraging displays from youngsters such as Nathan Gilchrist and Tawanda Muyeye, and the sempiternal brilliance of Darren Stevens, who finished as leading wicket-taker and third-highest run-scorer. His three hundreds included a whirlwind 190 off 149 balls against Glamorgan, and the ink was dry on another one-year contract extension by late June.One to watch: Born in Zimbabwe but arriving in the UK as a teenage asylum seeker, Muyeye was being talked about in exalted terms even before he signed for Kent at the beginning of last summer. Muyeye was named Schoolboy Cricket of the Year in 2020 for his run-scoring feats at Eastbourne College, and gave an indication of his talents with a composed 89 as Kent chased 372 in the fourth innings against Middlesex to seal top spot in the final round.Diversity action: Kent are one of a number of clubs to have benefited from increased central funding from the ECB for Rainford-Brent’s ACE programme, which is to be rolled out in the county’s Greenwich and Lewisham catchment areas. AGBet365: 14/1Tom Hartley celebrates a wicket with his Lancashire team-mates•Getty Images

Lancashire

Last season: 2nd in Division One
Director of Cricket: Mark Chilton

Coach: Glen Chapple
Captain: Dane Vilas
Overseas players: Dane Vilas (South Africa), Hasan Ali (Pakistan, until May 22)

Ins: Phil Salt (Sussex)

Outs: Taylor Cornall (Worcestershire), Alex Davies (Warwickshire)
The last time James Anderson bowled in a county fixture, at Old Trafford in July last summer, he ripped out his career-best figures of 7 for 19 against Kent… and he didn’t even have a burning desire for vengeance that day. Anderson’s axing by England, and his clear determination to prove the folly of that decision, could be the impetus that Lancashire need to go one step beyond their spirited title bid last summer, and land their first title since 2011. Certainly his early-season alliance with Pakistan’s Hasan Ali, and with Saqib Mahmood eager to cement his own status after the tour of the Caribbean, promises one of the most potent pace attacks on the circuit.On the batting front, there may be a similar urge to impress from the highly rated Josh Bohannon – a gritty batter whose consistent excellence over the past few seasons had put him in the frame for a Test call-up in the Caribbean. A similarly solid run of scores in April and May could yet propel him into the mix before New Zealand arrive. Phil Salt is another one to watch – nominally a white-ball signing after moving north from Sussex, he’s expressed a desire to give the red-ball game a good go.One to watch: It may not feel like the ideal weather for his art right now, but in 2021, Matt Parkinson set about demonstrating that April need not be the cruellest month for legspinners with a startling “ball of the century” clone to Adam Rossington, in his first Championship appearance since 2019. “Sack it, I’m going to try and rip it,” was his plan after a frustrating winter in England’s bio-bubbles in Sri Lanka and India… you suspect he might be feeling a similar desire to let off steam after his nearly-man status in the Caribbean.Diversity action: Manchester is one of the target cities for the expanded ACE programme. In terms of meeting the ECB’s targets for 30% female representation at boardroom level, Lancashire are closer than most counties, but still have work to do. Six of the 16 attendees at their board meetings are women, but only two of eight are full members. Andrew MillerBet365: 9/2

Northamptonshire

Last season: 4th in Division Two
Coach: John Sadler
Captain: Ricardo Vasconcelos
Overseas: Will Young, Matt Kelly (April-May)
Ins: Lewis McManus (Hampshire, loan)
Outs: Adam Rossington (Essex, loan), Richard Levi (released)Northants will finally get to enjoy the fruits of their 2019 promotion, though the perennial juggling around playing resources at Wantage Road means new head coach, John Sadler, faces a significant challenge in attempting to keep them up (they have been relegated straight away on three previous campaigns in Division One). Sadler, who took over from the long-serving David Ripley at the end of last season, has already stirred things up by deciding to change the captaincy – a decision that caused a rift with Adam Rossington, the man who led them up three summers ago, and prompted a move to Essex on loan three days before the start of the season.Ripley’s Northants always had something of 1990s Wimbledon about them, and the “Crazy Gang” nearly managed a significant upset in last year’s conference system; in the end, a heartbreaking one-run defeat to Yorkshire at Headingley at the start of May was the difference between them ousting the White Rose and claiming one of the top two spots in Group Three. But being skittled for 81 and 45 at Chelmsford in the final game of the season – the shortest four-day Championship contest on record – was a rude reminder of their position in the pecking order. Squad depth could be a problem but Ricardo Vasconcelos, the new red-ball captain, is a prolific run-scorer at the top of the order and Ben Sanderson (287 first-class wickets at 20.89) is one of the nibbliest county seamers around.One to watch: Dynamic allrounder, England Under-19 talent, son of a local legend? James Sales ticks all three boxes but “Mini Jumble” – after his father, David – will be looking to make a name for himself this summer. Has already made his first-class and List A debuts, and was part of the England team that reached the ICC U19 World Cup final in February.Diversity action: Northants have launched the Luton Steelbacks Cricket Academy, a joint partnership with The Shared Learning Trust and run by Ripley, in an attempt to better tap into secondary schools; a similar scheme is being run in Peterborough. Free cricket sessions are also offered to those on free school meals. The club has made EDI a priority for its welfare group and also established a whistleblowing and complaints procedure. AGBet365: 20/1Can Tom Abell’s Somerset catch a break?•Getty Images

Somerset

Last season: 6th in Division One
Director of cricket: Andy Hurry
Head coach: Jason Kerr
Captain: Tom Abell
Overseas: Marchant de Lange, Matthew Renshaw, Peter Siddle
Ins:
Outs: Eddie Byrom (Glamorgan)After topping a strong initial conference last season despite an eight-point deduction, Somerset were given a reality check in the final weeks of the summer. They lost four games in a row – two by an innings, another by ten wickets – to finish bottom of Division One as it became apparent that their young batters were still a work in progress. The return of Matthew Renshaw – who will arrive in time for their second game against Essex on April 14 – should strengthen their top order but Tom Lammonby, George Bartlett and Tom Banton will be expected to step up after lean summers last year. Banton suffering a broken finger in pre-season training won’t help his cause.Craig Overton and Jack Leach are both rested for the first round after England’s tour to the Caribbean but should be available for much of the season, while Peter Siddle will be expected to lead the attack in their absence. Tom Abell, who turned 28 last month, is already in his sixth season as captain and a strong start to the season will see him mentioned as an England contender.One to watch: Lammonby caught England’s eye with three consecutive hundreds in the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020 but his form fell off a cliff last summer and he ended the season averaging 19.60 in the Championship despite a shot-a-ball century against Lancashire. Now 21, he spent the winter playing club cricket in Sydney and had a brief taste of franchise cricket but needs early-season runs to get his red-ball career back on track.Diversity action: One of two counties, along with Durham, with no non-white players or coaching staff, reflecting both the demographics of the region and the club’s reliance on its private-school production line. Reprimanded Jack Brooks over the winter, following revelation of historic racist tweets and involvement in nicknaming Cheteshwar Pujara “Steve” while at Yorkshire. MRBet365: 13/2Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, takes his place at the pre-season photocall•Getty Images for Surrey CCC

Surrey

Last season: 5th in Division Two
Director of Cricket: Alec Stewart

Coach:Gareth Batty
Captain:Rory Burns
Overseas players: Kemar Roach, Hashim Amla
Ins: Chris Jordan (Sussex), Cameron Steel (Durham), Dan Worrall (Gloucestershire)

Outs: Mark Stoneman (Middlesex), Jade Dernbach, Liam Plunkett (both released), Gareth Batty, Rikki Clarke (both retired)There was talk of “dynasties” when Surrey romped to the Championship in 2018 – a feature of their record tally of 19 titles has been their tendency to win big for seasons on end whenever they get on top. But that triumph remains an outlier for coming up to 20 seasons now, and after a deeply unimpressive mid-ranking finish in 2021, an end to the drought doesn’t feel entirely imminent.A glut of old stagers have cleared their lockers in the off-season. Liam Plunkett has upped sticks to the USA, Jade Dernbach has moved across the river to take up a coaching role at Middlesex, and Rikki Clarke is now putting schoolboys through their paces as head of cricket at King Edward’s, Witley. Gareth Batty, meanwhile, has moved upstairs, straight off the pitch and into Vikram Solanki’s hot seat as head coach, after the lure of the IPL became too strong.For the start of the season at least, there will be plenty of players with some urgent points to prove – none more so than the Ashes casualties, Rory Burns and Ollie Pope, and to a lesser degree, Ben Foakes, whose long-awaited recall as England wicketkeeper in the Caribbean didn’t quite turn into the coronation that had been envisaged. Sam Curran, returning from a stress fracture and missing the IPL as a consequence, has a rare chance to major on his red-ball batting. Hashim Amla and Kemar Roach offer quality and experience in abundance as the overseas pros.One to watch: Amid the furore of Anderson’s and Broad’s sackings, Burns was the forgotten fall-guy of the Ashes disaster. The indignity of his first-ball duck at Brisbane was a hard one to endure, and there was a sense that his quirky technique had deserted him by the back-end of a miserable tour, on which mutterings about his attitude also lingered. But no England opener since Alastair Cook has looked a longer-term bet than Burns. If his game is back on track, then it’s not too late for the same to happen with his England career.Diversity action: The ACE programme was pioneered at Surrey by Rainford-Brent, and last week it went nationwide with overdue funding from the ECB. The Surrey Cricket Foundation continues to push opportunities for young and disadvantaged people in South London, with almost 11,000 children benefitting from a range of junior programmes in 2021. AMBet365: 8/1

Warwickshire

Last season: Champions
Director of Sport: Paul Farbrace
First team coach: Mark Robinson
Captain: Will Rhodes
Overseas: Nathan McAndrew
Ins: Alex Davies (Lancs)
Outs: Ed Pollock (Worcestershire), Alex Thomson (Derbyshire), Tim Bresnan (retired)Sensible, safety-conscious cricket, with consistency and a strong team ethic at its core, was the basis of Warwickshire’s surprising Championship success in 2021. They were hardly the most flamboyant side, and their matches could be a grind, but they displayed many of the qualities that have been sorely lacking by England at Test level. They do not strike you as a flash in the pan. Once again, Warwickshire will take some bowling out twice. Dom Sibley’s front-on stance was ultimately found out at Test level, but if England reject his limited, obdurate ways, Warwickshire could reap the benefit at the top of the order, although if Rob Yates repeats last season’s success at No. 3 (Alex Davies, signed from Lancashire is expected to open as well as rival Michael Burgess for the keeper’s gloves) England might give him the once-over instead. Jonathan Trott, now installed as an assistant coach, will observe their willingness to bat time with delight.Warwickshire took some time before announcing an overseas signing and they have settled on Nathan McAndrew, a South Australian medium-paced allrounder who neatly fills the gap left by Tim Bresnan’s retirement. McAndrew, much less experienced, has shown an ability to take top-order wickets and Paul Farbrace, Warwickshire’s director of sport, believes that he will revel in English conditions. Warwickshire’s pace attack owes much to the ability of the former Gloucestershire pair, Craig Miles and Liam Norwell, to kick on their careers at Edgbaston. They took 86 wickets between them and, even with the addition of McAndrew, Warwickshire could do with some contributions at some point over the summer from England’s Chris Woakes or the talented young quick Henry Brookes if he can put injury problems behind him.One to watch: England reached the final of the U19s Men’s World Cup for the first time since 1998 before losing to India and, in allrounder Jacob Bethell, they possessed one of the most eye-catching players of the tournament. Bethell’s 88 off 42 deliveries in England’s quarter-final win against South Africa had plaudits pouring in. In Birmingham, this came as no surprise. An impact in one-day cricket is more likely, but signs are good.Diversity action: Where to start? A multifaith charter, open trials, an Edgbaston for Everyone strategy, prayer rooms, alcohol-free zones, diverse food outlets, the second year of the Ramadan Midnight Cricket League and a GLOW Festival for girls as part of the South Asian Core Cities programme: Warwickshire’s commitment to diversity sets the standard. David HoppsWarwickshire also won last year’s Bob Willis Trophy at Lord’s•Alex Davidson/Getty ImagesBet365: 6/1