Pressure on youth to perform
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Revolving door
Luke Sutton arrives to replace
Warren Hegg as keeper. Several
players who featured in last year's
overseas merry-go-round (Muttiah
Muralitharan, Andrew Symonds,
Marcus North, Murali Kartik) are
not expected to reappear. Nor is
Steven Crook.
Winter wonderland
The new physiologist Sam Bradley, a
lifelong Warwickshire supporter
recruited from the ECB Academy
at Loughborough, is reported
to have once taken part in a
marathon ... dressed as a nurse.
Strengths
Mal Loye and Iain Sutcliffe passed
1,000 Championship runs last year
and should feature alongside Mark
Chilton, Brad Hodge, Stuart Law
and Luke Sutton in a top order
that looks full of runs.
Weaknesses
Why only one overseas player?
And, bizarrely, Lancashire's home
record in the Championship
leaves plenty to be desired. In
the last four years they have won
only five times at Old Trafford
while winning 17 away from
Manchester. Must do better at
headquarters.
Best-case scenario
More silverware, probably of the
one-day variety, even though
England calls will probably
deprive them of James Anderson
as well as Andrew Flintoff for
much of the season.
Worst-case scenario
A first outright Championship
since 1934 remains the Holy Grail.
The burden of expectation has
affected the players before, most
recently in 2004, and may do so
again. And a worrying capacity
to fluff their lines on the big
occasion, as in last year's C&G
semi and Twenty20 final, could hit
their one-day ambitions too.
Young one to watch
Sajid Mahmood. England called
up the Bolton-born 24-year-old
for the one-day series in India,
despite a moderate 2005 in which
he collected only 11 wickets in
six Championship appearances.
Needs to convert potential into
performance.
Key man
Gary Keedy. After a promising
start the left-arm spinner's 2005
campaign was cut short by a hand
injury after eight Championship
matches. In the absence of
Muralitharan he will have an
important role to play.
What they say
"I am looking for more first-team
performances from our young
players," says the cricket manager
Mike Watkinson. "For the time
being we are keeping our options
open about a second overseas man
and I'm throwing out a challenge
to the young players to be ready to
take their chance."
Mark Wagh
Due a trophy? A big club
whose present team have
struggled to write their own chapter
in the history books. Quality players
in all departments. They should be a
potent threat in the Championship
but will need to find one-day runs.
Predictions County Championship 4th (D1) Pro40 6th (D1)
Odds 7/2. Click here for full odds and to place your bet.