Hollioake, Anderson, Williamson - Big names headline scrap for promotion

Last season: 8th in Division Two
Head of cricket: Mickey Arthur
Captain: Wayne Madsen
Overseas: Caleb Jewell, Blair Tickner
Ins: Martin Andersson (Middlesex)
Outs: Sam Conners (Durham), Matt Lamb (retirement)

The good news is Derbyshire's 2024 season was an improvement (of sorts) on the year before. The bad news is, having gone winless in 2023, their one County Championship victory last summer could not prevent them finishing bottom of Division Two.

The lead-in to 2025's campaign has not been smooth. David Lloyd, handed the captaincy upon joining from Glamorgan last year, relinquished it in March, with a view for better returns after posting sub-par numbers with bat (23.47) and ball (31.00). Club legend Wayne Madsen, 41, steps up to reprise the role he had between 2012 and 2016.

A lot of pressure rests on Mickey Arthur. Since his arrival in 2021, there has been little by way of tangible progress. And though this summer is the third of a "four-year project" he set in motion in 2022, there will need to be a big uptick to keep that on track. A public vote of confidence from Derbyshire chief executive Ryan Duckett last July summed up the disgruntlement among the county's fans towards Arthur, who has since taken a "hands off" role as director of cricket at Northern Superchargers.

Reinforcements have been made, with Australian Caleb Jewell and Kiwi Blair Tickner on hand for all formats for the entire season, reinforcing the batting and bowling, respectively. Allrounder Martin Andersson has joined permanently from Middlesex, and will need to hit the ground running to supplement the likes of Madsen, Anuj Dal, Luis Reece and Zak Chappell, who shouldered more than their share of responsibility last time out.

One to watch: The excitement around 17-year-old Harry Moore can be gauged by his winter, spending both sides of the New Year in South Africa, first training with England Lions and then impressing on an U19 tour, before rejoining the Lions for a bowling camp in the UAE last month. Very much part of England's fast-bowling future, he was picked up by Birmingham Phoenix for £41,500 in last month's Hundred draft. At 6ft 7in, with an imposing action that generates exciting bounce and nip off the pitch, Moore has been likened to Morne Morkel. Oh, and he can bat, too. Vithushan Ehantharajah

Last season: 6th in Division Two
Director of cricket: Mark Wallace
Head coach: Richard Dawson (interim)
Captain: Sam Northeast
Overseas: Colin Ingram, Asitha Fernando (April-May)
Ins: Ned Leonard (Somerset), Shoaib Bashir (loan, April)
Outs: Harry Podmore, Prem Sisodiya (both retired)

The sacking of head coach Grant Bradburn in January had the potential to rock Glamorgan, particularly given the nature of his dismissal. But the county have worn it well, not least because of their swift dealing with the situation. In the months that followed, they came to an agreement in principle with Washington Freedom owner Sanjay Govil for 50% of Welsh Fire, securing a significant windfall. But perhaps the most beneficial deal for Glamorgan on the field came with the acquisition of Richard Dawson as interim head coach.

Dawson is highly regarded, which made it a little odd that the ECB was happy to part ways with the 44-year-old at the end of last year. Nevertheless, England's loss (for now) is Glamorgan's gain, and with former England white-ball head coach Matthew Mott returning to the club to work part-time, the Cardiff brains trust is in rude health.

As for the squad, it is one of the more peculiar in the Division. For all its mix of experience - led by 39-year-old South African Colin Ingram - seasoned talents and up-and-comers, success has been sporadic, even taking into account 2024's One-Day Cup win. A solid Welsh core has sated local desire for better attachment to the county, and meaningful success does not feel far off. The acquisition of offspinner Shoaib Bashir for the first three games of the season as cover for the injured Mason Crane brings plenty of English interest, too. There remains uncertainty around how much they will see of Australia's Marnus Labuschagne.

One to watch: A batting allrounder, whose ability to bowl both left-arm and right-arm orthodox is more than just a gimmick, Ben Kellaway will get the chance to establish himself in Glamorgan's middle-order this season. His 12 wickets in 2024 came at an average of 22.50 from four matches and exceeded his exploits with the bat (80 at 13.33). With the county keen to explore the option of playing two spinners in their XI, he'll get the chance to improve on the latter. VE

Last season: 7th in Division Two
Head coach: Mark Alleyne
Captain: Cameron Bancroft
Overseas: Cameron Bancroft, Cameron Green (April-May)
Ins:
Outs: Zafar Gohar (Middlesex)

Nothing could take the shine off Gloucestershire's 2024, as they lifted the domestic T20 trophy for the first time. But while they made progress in Championship cricket, too, it was only incremental - up a place to second from bottom, having finished with the wooden spoon the year before.

They showed fight in early season encounters with Yorkshire and Sussex, both of whom eventually won promotion, before winning their first red-ball game since September 2022 when crushing Northants by 256 runs. There was also the drama of salvaging a tie against Glamorgan off the final ball at Cheltenham, just when the visitors seemed poised to pull off a world-record chase of 593. The batting was strong, led by James Bracey's 1089 runs at 60.50, but draws predominated and their only other victory came in the last month of the season at Lord's.

The man who hit the winning runs that day, Zafar Gohar, has since decamped to Middlesex as a locally registered player, adding to the sense that Gloucestershire are under-resourced with the ball - albeit a pace attack of Ajeet Singh Dale, Zaman Akhter and Marchant de Lange is among the quickest on the circuit (if they can all stay fit).

One to watch: The signing of Australia's Cameron Green, funded by an unnamed benefactor, for a five-game spell at the start of the season was eye-catching, but for local flavour look to loose-limbed seamer Archie Bailey. An academy product, Bailey has only played two first-class games but 4 for 30 on debut helped set up Gloucestershire's surprise win over promotion-chasing Middlesex. Alan Gardner

Bet365: 20/1

Last season: 10th in Division One
Director of cricket: Simon Cook
Head coach: Adam Hollioake
Captain: Daniel Bell-Drummond
Overseas: Wes Agar (May-July), Kashif Ali, Keith Dudgeon (both April-May)
Ins: Chris Benjamin (Warwickshire)
Outs: Hamidullah Qadri, Arafat Bhuiyan (both released)

Adam Hollioake joked that he didn't know how he'd ended up at Kent, given that the fans all "hated" him during his legendary stint as Surrey captain, but after a self-imposed 20-year exile from English cricket, Kent's new head coach is back as one of the most fascinating appointments imaginable.

He arrives at a club that could hardly be more down on their luck. Last summer's Championship relegation was compounded by a rock-bottom finish in the T20 Blast South Group, but such is Hollioake's force of personality, it encourages the belief that he can instil the same sort of mindset shift that Brendon McCullum achieved with England's Test team.

It could prove to be quite the cultural shock at Canterbury, however, with Hollioake's renowned backstory meaning there'll be no room for self-pity among his charges - including Zak Crawley, one of Bazball's ultimate acolytes, whose form across formats has fallen off a cliff this winter, and whose alarmingly plumb second-ball duck against Loughborough UCCE was not the most auspicious of starts to 2025.

Already Hollioake has taken aim at basic standards, such as the management of the club's practice balls, as an example of the one-percenters that he hopes can get the club punching above its perceived weight. "We need to respect ourselves and expect more from the club," he told ESPNcricinfo last month. "If that message is helping them, then great. If it's not, then they'll learn."

One to watch: The sky ought to be the limit for Tawanda Muyeye, a sumptuous strokemaker with a compelling backstory, whose career has just begun to click into a higher gear in recent seasons, including bit-part roles in Oval Invincibles' two title-winning campaigns. His challenge is to add more substance to his style, and as templates go, his superb 211 against Worcestershire last August is hard to better. Andrew Miller

Bet365: 9/2

Last season: 9th in Division One
Director of cricket: Mark Chilton
Head coach: Dale Benkenstein
Captain: Keaton Jennings
Overseas: Marcus Harris, Anderson Phillip (April-July), Ashton Turner (May-July)
Ins: Michael Jones (Durham)
Outs: Steven Croft (retired), George Lavelle (released)

James Anderson's highly anticipated career extension beyond the age of 43 hit pause on the eve of the Championship amid news the ex-England stalwart had suffered a calf niggle, expected to keep him sidelined for the first three games. During that time, Lancashire will be looking to start well in their bid to bounce straight back into Division One following their relegation at the end of last season, their fourth demotion since they last won the title in 2011.

Captain Keaton Jennings again looks to be key after amassing 1006 runs at 45.72, including an unbeaten 187 in a draw with Nottinghamshire. He and Josh Bohannon are set to be bolstered at the top of the order by Australia's Marcus Harris. Lancashire's bowling stocks will be boosted by the return of another Anderson, West Indies quick Anderson Phillip, who is available for the first 11 games after taking 15 wickets from the last three matches of 2024.

One to watch: Rocky Flintoff, the son of England legend Andrew who turns 17 on the final day of the opening round, has already drawn attention to himself with four outings for Lancashire last season. With a highest Championship score of 32 so far, a century for England Lions against a Cricket Australia XI in a four-day game in January and a maiden half-century for Lancashire in last year's One-Day Cup suggest he is ready to build on his considerable pedigree. Valkerie Baynes

Bet365: 7/4

Last season: 5th in Division Two
Director of cricket: Claude Henderson
Head coach: Alfonso Thomas
Captain: Peter Handscomb
Overseas: Peter Handscomb, Logan van Beek, Shan Masood (May-Sept)
Ins: Ian Holland (Hampshire)
Outs: Sam Evans (released)

Leicestershire solidified their midtable position in Division Two - the first time they had avoided the wooden spoon across two consecutive seasons of the County Championship since 2007-08 - but it was nevertheless a turgid campaign for the Foxes, with 10 draws and only one win from their 14 games. Notably there was a lack of incision among the bowling, with no one averaging below 30; their best performer was Scott Currie, with 29 at 31.17, but he has returned to Hampshire after a season on loan.

Nevertheless, Alfonso Thomas still has credit in the bank after overseeing the club's feelgood One-Day Cup success in 2023 - a competition in which Leicestershire also reached the semi-finals last year. While Lewis Hill resigned the captaincy after a tough season in which he averaged 20.52, Australia international Peter Handscomb, the club's leading run-scorer last term, is back to take the reins. He will be supported from the end of May onwards by Shan Masood, who averages 64.27 in the Championship across spells at Derbyshire and Yorkshire.

Chris Wright's availability should provide a lift after the veteran seamer missed most of the 2024 summer serving a doping ban. If Rehan Ahmed and Josh Hull can live up to their billing as England wildcard picks, Leicestershire's prospects of upward mobility will only increase.

One to watch: At 6ft 7in ("and still growing" according to his most recent interview on the Leicestershire website), teenaged fast bowler Alex Green is the latest Foxes academy product to get tongues wagging. He has made rapid strides at age-group level, playing for the Young Lions at 16 and England Under-19s at 17 - bagging a five-for in his second appearance. Green only turned 18 in February but is already on a three-year deal with his county. AG

Bet365: 10/1

Last season: 3rd in Division Two
Director of cricket: Alan Coleman
Head coach: Richard Johnson
Captain: Toby Roland-Jones
Overseas: Kane Williamson (May-Sept), Dane Paterson (April-May), Josh Little (May-Sept)
Ins: Ben Geddes (Surrey), Zafar Gohar (Gloucestershire, UK passport)
Outs: Martin Andersson (Derbyshire), Ethan Bamber (Warwickshire), Mark Stoneman (Hampshire), Thilan Walallawita (released), Robbie White (retired)

The existential angst hangs heavy over St John's Wood, where Middlesex's stark financial hardships have been an especially awkward look given the vast sums of money that their landlords MCC are about to rake in from the Hundred equity sale. But, even if the club's long-term future is hard to gauge, the short-term outlook seems unusually upbeat, after a near-miss 2024 in which their third-place finish wasn't quite enough for an immediate return to the top flight.

That mood-boost is thanks, in part, to London Spirit's largesse. Middlesex forewent an overseas player in 2024, but Kane Williamson will be rocking up this summer for at least five County Championship fixtures ahead of his role in the Hundred, while Dane Paterson's arrival from Nottinghamshire is a valuable signing too - with South Africa set to play at Lord's in June's World Test Championship final, it's a win-win for all parties as he seeks to get to grips with the ground's renowned dimensions.

Ireland's Josh Little will take the overseas mantle thereafter, to provide quality seam support to a hard-toiling attack that will led once again by Toby Roland-Jones but has a big hole to fill following Ethan Bamber's departure to Warwickshire. Zafar Gohar - the former Pakistan spinner who now has a UK passport - has arrived from Gloucestershire too, a big signing that takes pressure off Josh De Caires, who had been the club's frontline spinner almost by default in recent seasons.

One to watch: Middlesex's batting has been notoriously flaky in recent years, and Mark Stoneman's departure for Hampshire robs them of further experience. However, Ben Geddes' arrival from Surrey is a potential coup. At the age of 23, his eight first-class matches to date have been spread across four seasons, but include two hundreds in 2022. The chance for a regular starting berth will be a step-up from his bit-part opportunities at The Oval. AM

Last season: 4th in Division Two
Head coach: Darren Lehmann
Captain: Luke Procter
Overseas: Matthew Breetzke (April-July), Harry Conway (May), Yuzvendra Chahal (June-Sept)
Ins: Dom Leech (Yorkshire), Liam Guthrie (Queensland, UK passport)
Outs: Emilio Gay (Durham), Jack White (Yorkshire), Alex Russell, George Gowler, George Weldon (all released)

It is not often a coaching appointment ranks as one of the highest-profile moves ahead of a County Championship season. But the big job at Northamptonshire now belongs to a big name (and personality) in Darren Lehmann.

The former Australia head coach has already proclaimed his hatred for draws, which is just as well given his side played out nine of them last term. Without Jack White, converting those into wins will prove harder, but the bowling has been reinforced by an array of acquisitions from beyond these shores, including sprightly left-armer Liam Guthrie who has used his British passport to sign a three-year deal at Wantage Road from Down Under. Factor in Indian legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal for the last four months of the season and South Australian Harry Conway's four-match stint in May, and there is a well-rounded attack brewing. They have also yet to see the best of George Scrimshaw after injury restricted him to two appearances in 2024 following his move from Derbyshire.

As ever, Luke Procter will operate as the lynchpin of the side, the skipper leading the club run-charts last summer while also contributing 21 wickets with his wrong-foot wobblers. Coping for the loss of Emilio Gay will require others to step up with the bat in meaningful ways. That they've managed to keep hold of Ricardo Vasconcelos is a huge boost, particularly if Lehmann can liberate the classy left-hander. Likewise James Sales - son of Northants legend David - who is a real talent.

One to watch: When Phil Rowe was academy coach at Wantage Road, he regarded a 16-year old Saif Zaib as one of the most gifted batters he had seen at that age. Ten years on - Zaib turns 27 in May - it is fair to say that potential has yet to be fully realised. And yet, while he only has three first-class centuries to his name, there remains a sense of excitement around the left-hander. Classy to watch, tidy with his left-arm orthodox and one of the club's better fielders, he will need a statement summer. Gay's depature leaves a vacancy for a reliable stylist that Zaib has the wares to fill. VE