County Championship 2022 predictions: Lancashire can go the distance

Best bets and outright predictions for the 2022 County Championship season.

Best bet

Lancashire to win Division One
1pt 9-2 general

Season preview

An abysmal showing from England in the latest Ashes series against Australia emphasised once again the importance of improving the County Championship and fans will be pleased to see it return with a more familiar format in 2022.

After tweaks last year, the County Championship will return to a two-division structure this year with ten teams in Division One and eight in Division Two, while the Bob Willis Trophy will not be making a return.

Warwickshire won both competitions in 2021 and they look strong again but the team they beat in the Bob Willis Trophy final, Lancashire, could represent the best value to reign supreme in county cricket this time around.

Limited game time for England means bowler James Anderson could be in the mix for Lancs on a more regular basis and he could form a dangerous seam attack with Pakistan's Hasan Ali, who is set to play six matches for the county.

Phil Salt has also been drafted in to bolster the batting, while Josh Bohannon will be looking to build on a strong 2021 campaign in which he struck 853 runs in 18 innings.

Lancashire topped Group Three in a truncated format last season, placed second in the final Division One standings, and they look poised to go one better this season.

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