Richard Mann takes a look at the each of the teams in Division One ahead of the start of the Specsavers County Championship season.
Essex
Winners in 2017 and acquitted themselves well again last summer, overcoming a slow start to finish third in the table following a notable defeat of new champions Surrey in the final round of matches. Jamie Porter, Sam Cook and Australian Peter Siddle will lead a potent seam attack once again with the former striving to put his name in the hat for England selection in an Ashes summer. Old hands Ryan ten Doeschate and Ravi Bopara will ensure the middle order batting remains very serviceable but it is at the top of the order where Essex look to hold all the aces with Alastair Cook having now retired from international cricket and sure to enjoy strong returns back in the county game.
Hampshire
Hampshire failed to hit their straps in the County Championship last summer but enjoyed a terrific run in white-ball cricket, particularly in the Royal London One-Day Cup which they won by defeating Kent in the final at Lord's in late June. Their red-ball cricket was less consistent but they produced when it mattered most, finishing the season well having been dragged into a relegation battle. Captain James Vince is another who will be pushing hard for an England selection, possibly at the top of the order, and don't rule out Sam Northeast, either. Northeast is a fine player who boasts a strong first-class record and he made a promising start to his Hampshire career early last summer until a broken finger put paid to his England aspirations. With a bowling unit boasting the likes of Kyle Abbot, Fidel Edwards and Liam Dawson, Hampshire certainly have the tools to mount a bold County Championship challenge this time around.
Kent
Promoted back into the top tier of county cricket having filled the runner-up spot in Division Two last summer, Kent could struggle this time around, much like 2017 Division Two champions Worcestershire did last year. Joe Denly was a key performer for Kent last season and he will be missed at Canterbury if he retains his place in the England side for this year's Ashes - he may yet make the World Cup squad, too. Sam Billings will again captain a side that has drafted in Australian batsman Matt Renshaw for the early part of the season but his presence means Kiwi fast bowler Matt Henry doesn't return and the latter leaves a huge hole to fill with the ball.
Nottinghamshire
Narrowly avoided a swift return to Division Two by ending last season third bottom of the table following a chastening season and the Outlaws have been busy shopping ahead of the new campaign. Club stalwarts Samit Patel, Jake Ball and captain Steven Mullaney will joined by new signings Ben Duckett, Ben Slater, Joe Clarke and Zak Chappell while Paul Coughlin is finally back to full fitness having missed the whole of 2018 with a shoulder injury. The batting certainly has plenty of depth to it and with Stuart Broad available for the early part of the campaign and Australian paceman James Pattinson also confirmed for a good chunk of the season, the bowling stacks up very well, too. A big season beckons at Trent Bridge.
Somerset
Runners-up yet again last season but there were few complaints this time given Surrey's dominance throughout the year. Still, Somerset can look back on another fine campaign where they again packed a significant punch in all three forms of the game. Veteran Marcus Trescothick returns for another season at the top of the order, similarly James Hildreth and Lewis Gregory, while the Overton brothers will be hoping to press their international claims further. Similar comments apply to spin twins Dom Bess and Jack Leach and another dry summer would certainly play into Somerset hands, especially following the signing of Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali.
Surrey
Deserving winners of the top prize in country cricket last season following a fine season that saw Sam Curran, Ollie Pope, Joe Burns and Ben Foakes all propelled into England's Test team. New signing Morne Morkel proved a brilliant acquisition, both on and off the field, while Rikki Clarke and Amar Virdi enjoyed fruitful campaigns with the ball. Winning back-to-back championships has proven a tough task over the years and international call-ups could hit Surrey hard in the next few months. Nevertheless, coach Alec Stewart is steering a well-run ship nowadays and Surrey might just have the squad depth to absorb such losses.
Warwickshire
The Bears return to Division One having sealed promotion from Division Two as champions following a brilliant 2018 campaign that was a fitting way for Jonathan Trott to end a stellar career. Trott's retirement will leave Warwickshire with a huge hole to fill in the batting department but Ian Bell was back to his brilliant best last season - 1027 runs at 54.05 - while new signing Will Rhodes was a revelation at the top of the order and fell only marginally short of 1000 County Championship runs. The bowling will again lean heavily on veteran off-spinner Jeetan Patel with Chris Wright having left for Leicestershire and Olly Stone sure to be minded somewhat as he returns from injury. This is a big summer for England all-rounder Chris Woakes so expect him to be keen to make his mark when available.
Yorkshire
Following the retirements of Ryan Sidebottom and Andrew Hogg and departures of Jack Brooks and Liam Plunkett, the rebuilding phase at Yorkshire is firmly under way - and the early signs are promising. Coach Andrew Gale seems intent on building for the future and the likes of Matthew Fisher, Ben Coad and Tom Kohler-Cadmore were seen to really good effect in Yorkshire's run to the semi-finals of the Royal London One-Day Cup last season where only a magnificent James Vince hundred denied them a place in a Lord's final. Their County Championship form was less impressive but South African paceman Duanne Olivier has signed on a Kolpak deal to bolster bowling stocks that also include veterans Tim Bresnan and skipper Steven Patterson. The batting doesn't boast the same depth but in an Ashes summer, Gary Ballance and Adam Lyth will be desperate to show up well while Harry Brook is a serious young talent who could make a significant impact. This season might come a year too soon for a championship title bid but expect a resurgent Yorkshire in the next few months nonetheless.
