Cricket: County Championship Division One betting & tips for the 2019 season

Surrey won the Division One title in spectacular fashion in 2018, with captain Rory Burns's 1,359 runs powering them to ten victories in 14 County Championship matches.

While Burns will be hoping for Ashes glory this summer, the man he replaced at the top of the England order is back at Essex, bolstering the 2017 champions’ chances of regaining their crown.

Sir Alastair Cook, no stranger to glittering titles these days, retains his appetite for runs despite retiring from international cricket and he may well help his county side dethrone Surrey.

Best bet
Essex 9-2
Surrey’s title defence may be disrupted by England call-ups for their talented crop of young players with Burns, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes and Tom and Sam Curran all earning international recognition in the last year.

Essex, barring a shock U-turn from Cook, should have more consistency in their team selection and there is plenty to like about their squad.

The men from Chelmsford ended up third last season, inflicting the champions’ only defeat – a one-wicket victory at The Oval in the final round of fixtures.

Cook will add steel and focus to a batting line-up full of talent and experience – Ravi Bopara, skipper Ryan ten Doeschate and Tom Westley all passed 650 runs in 2018 while Dan Lawrence and Nick Browne can improve on their disappointing campaigns.

Adam Wheater is an excellent wicketkeeper-batsman while a bowling attack featuring Jamie Porter, Sam Cook, Peter Siddle and spinner Simon Harmer should seal plenty of victories.

Main dangers
Surrey have to be respected after their wonderful 2018 campaign and they were one wicket away from a miraculous win over Essex, having conceded a first-innings deficit of 410.

Nottinghamshire could be big improvers, having narrowly avoided relegation last season. The signings of Ben Slater, Ben Duckett, Zak Chappell and Joe Clarke look shrewd business and when Jake Ball, Stuart Broad and James Pattinson are available Notts will have a fearsome bowling attack.

Yorkshire, Somerset and Hampshire could come up short once again while promoted Warwickshire have some exciting young batsmen and should fare better than Kent.

Season specials
Trent Bridge is renowned as one of the best batting surfaces on the county circuit and a move to Nottinghamshire could revitalise explosive left-hander Duckett.

He had a disappointing season for Northamptonshire but bedded in well with Notts at the end of last season and began this term with 216 and 82 against Cambridge MCCU.

Duckett played some impressive innings on England Lions’ winter tour of India and his runscoring potential is not in doubt, having amassed 1,338 runs for Northants in 14 Division Two games in 2016.

Warwickshire’s young openers Will Rhodes and Dom Sibley finished their 2018 Division Two title-winning season with a flurry of centuries and both should relish the step up to the top flight.

At the prices, Sibley, who scored 242 for Surrey against Yorkshire at the age of 18 in 2013, merits a small each-way bet to be the top Division One runscorer.

He has scored four centuries in his last six first-class innings – three for the Bears and one for the MCC against Surrey in Dubai last month – and is value to rise to the challenge of facing better bowlers in Division One.

Recommendations
Essex
2pts 9-2 Coral
B Duckett top runscorer
1pt each-way 28-1 bet365, Betfred
D Sibley top runscorer
0.5pt each-way 70-1 Paddy Power

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