County Championship Division One team guide: stats, signings and 2019 prospects

County Championship Division One

Essex

Captain Ryan ten Doeschate

Overseas players Peter Siddle (Australia), Adam Zampa (Australia, T20)

In Cameron Delport (Leicestershire)

Out James Foster (retired), Ashar Zaidi, Callum Taylor, Matt Dixon (released)

2018: CC1 3rd ODC Playoffs T20 7th in South Group

Top runscorer Ravi Bopara 751 Top wicket-taker Jamie Porter 58

Prospects for 2019 2017 champions Essex finished third last year after a pulsating one-wicket win over Surrey in the final round of fixtures. Sir Alastair Cook's availability adds yet more class and experience to the batting and a reliable bowling attack featuring Jamie Porter, Simon Harmer and Peter Siddle means they should go close.

Hampshire

Captain James Vince

Overseas player Aiden Markram (SA)

In Aneurin Donald (Glamorgan), Keith Barker (Warwickshire), James Fuller (Middlesex)

Out Jimmy Adams, Sean Ervine (both retired), Reece Topley (released)

2018: CC1 5th ODC Winners T20 8th in South Group

Top runscorer James Vince 962 Top wicket-taker Fidel Edwards 54

Prospects for 2019 James Vince, set to open the batting this season, leads a side packed with international experience. Aiden Markram is an excellent overseas signing but they found wins hard to come by last season, claiming four victories in 14 games despite the efforts of fast bowlers Fidel Edwards and Kyle Abbott. Mid-table.

Kent

Captain Sam Billings

Overseas players Matt Renshaw (Australia), Adam Milne (NZ, T20), Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan, T20)

In Matt Milnes (Nottinghamshire), Fred Klaassen (Netherlands)

Out Will Gidman, James Tredwell, Matt Hunn (all retired)

2018: CC2 2nd ODC Runners-up T20 Quarter-finals

Top runscorer Joe Denly 828 Top wicket-taker Matt Henry 75

Prospects for 2019 Reaching the One-Day Cup final and winning promotion from Division Two was a great effort but Matt Henry's 75 wickets will be hard to replace. Heino Kuhn will lead the side with Sam Billings and Joe Denly away at the IPL and top-flight survival could be a struggle.

Nottinghamshire

Captain Steven Mullaney

Overseas players James Pattinson (Australia), Dan Christian (Australia, T20)

In Ben Slater (Derbyshire), Ben Duckett (Northamptonshire), Zak Chappell (Leicestershire), Joe Clarke (Worcestershire)

Out Matt Milnes (Kent), Will Fraine (Yorkshire), Riki Wessels (Worcestershire), Billy Root (Glamorgan)

2018: CC1 6th ODC Playoffs T20 Quarter-finals

Top runscorer Jake Libby 662 Top wicket-taker Harry Gurney 42

Prospects for 2019 Notts finished level on points with relegated Lancashire last summer but their squad looks in good shape after the signings of Slater, Duckett, Chappell and England hopeful Clarke. Last season's top wicket-taker Harry Gurney will only play white-ball cricket this term but Jake Ball, Stuart Broad and James Pattinson, when available, form an excellent pace attack.

Somerset

Captain Tom Abell

Overseas players Azhar Ali (Pakistan), Jerome Taylor (WI, T20)

In Jack Brooks (Yorkshire)

Out Johann Myburgh (retired)

2018: CC1 2nd ODC 4th in South Group T20 Semi-finals

Top runscorer James Hildreth 1,089 Top wicket-takers Lewis Gregory & Craig Overton 37

Prospects for 2019 Runners-up in four of the last nine seasons, Tom Abell's side should be competitive again. Jack Brooks, Yorkshire's leading wicket-taker last summer, still has plenty to offer and Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali is a class act but some other counties look more progressive than the Taunton outfit.

Surrey

Captain Rory Burns

Overseas players Dean Elgar (SA), Aaron Finch (Australia, T20)

In Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire), Jordan Clark (Lancashire)

Out Matthew Pillans (Yorkshire)

2018: CC1 1st ODC 5th in South Group T20 5th in South Group

Top runscorer Rory Burns 1,359 Top wicket-taker Morne Morkel 59

Prospects for 2019 An extraordinary one-wicket defeat to Essex denied the champions an unbeaten campaign in 2018 with skipper Rory Burns piling up the runs and former South Africa paceman Morne Morkel terrorising batsmen. Burns, Ben Foakes, Ollie Pope and Sam and Tom Curran all earned England call-ups in the last two years so international commitments could dent the title defence but they set a high standard.

Warwickshire

Captain Jeetan Patel

Overseas players Jeetan Patel (NZ), Ashton Agar (Australia, T20)

In Liam Norwell, Craig Miles (both Gloucestershire)

Out Jonathan Trott, Grant Elliott (both retired), Chris Wright (Leicestershire), Josh Poysden (Yorkshire), Keith Barker (Hampshire), Boyd Rankin (released)

2018: CC2 1st ODC 4th in North Group T20 6th in North Group

Top runscorer Ian Bell 1,027 Top wicket-taker Jeetan Patel 56

Prospects for 2019 The Bears won Division Two in impressive fashion, 21 points clear of Kent and 56 ahead of third-placed Sussex, with three of the four highest runscorers in the division. Young openers Will Rhodes and Dom Sibley ended the summer in spectacular form and fast bowlers Craig Miles and Olly Stone, when fit, can trouble top-flight batsmen. Well capable of staying up.

Yorkshire

Captain Steven Patterson

Overseas player None

In Duanne Olivier (Kolpak), Josh Poysden (Warwickshire), Matthew Pillans (Surrey), Will Fraine (Nottinghamshire)

Out Liam Plunkett (Surrey), Alex Lees (Durham), Jack Brooks (Somerset), Andy Hodd (retired), Azeem Rafiq (released)

2018: CC1 4th ODC Semi-finals T20 5th in North Group

Top runscorer Gary Ballance 906 Top wicket-taker Jack Brooks 51

Prospects for 2019 The big story of the close season was Yorkshire's Kolpak capture of Duanne Olivier, fresh from 24 wickets in South Africa's three-Test series against Pakistan. The fast bowler should do well at Headingley but doubts remain over the White Rose's batting, which was heavily reliant on Gary Ballance last summer. Singing an overseas batsman could be key but regaining the title looks beyond them.

Key to 2018 results
CC1 County Championship Division One CC2 County Championship Division Two ODC One-Day Cup T20 T20 Blast

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