County Championship Preview | Division Two
1 April 2025
DERBYSHIRE
Previewed by Nigel Gardner - ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Wayne Madsen
Head Coach: Mickey Arthur
2024 finish: Eighth
2024 highest run-scorer: Wayne Madsen 1005
2024 highest wicket-taker: Zak Chappell 31
Key winter moves
The 27-year-old Tasmanian opener Caleb Jewell has been signed for the season to bring aggression to the top order while 31-year-old New Zealand fast bowler Blair Tickner returns for a second season after his first spell was cut short following his wife's leukaemia diagnosis. With Sarah now on the road to recovery, Tickner will bring his international quality and experience to the seam attack.
What we’re looking forward to seeing: Derbyshire have points to prove as well as play for after a desperately poor red-ball season in 2024 when they won only one game and lost six. David Lloyd has stepped down as captain to focus on his own game and will be looking to forge an attacking opening partnership with Jewell.
Caleb Jewell raising the bat in the Sheffield Shield
Player to watch
Although he only turns 18 in April, Harry Moore has already made a big impression. The fast-bowling product of the club's academy won plaudits with his control and accuracy after making his first-class debut in September and his potential has been recognised by call-ups for England Under-19s and England Lions along with a three-year contract until the end of the 2027 season.
Harry Moore appearing for England U-19s
Final thought
At the age of 41, the evergreen Madsen resumes the captaincy role he relinquished in 2016 to take on the challenge of reviving the county's fortunes in four-day cricket. For the team to be competitive, it will require another productive season from one of Derbyshire's greatest players plus far better support from the rest of the batting unit which mustered only two centuries between them in 2024.
GLAMORGAN
Previewed by Blake Bint – ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Sam Northeast
Head Coach: Richard Dawson (interim)
2024 finish: Sixth
Highest run-scorer: Colin Ingram (1,351)
Highest wicket-taker: Timm van der Gugten and James Harris (30)
Key winter moves
On and off the pitch there’s been changes in South Wales. A new coaching staff to accompany a new overseas – Asitha Fernando – who will join Colin Ingram for the first seven matches of the season. Meanwhile, Mir Hamza and fan favourite, Marnus Labuschagne, aren’t renewed. Somerset duo, Ned Leonard (permanent) and Shaoib Bashir (three-match loan) also sign alongside local youth prospect Callum Nicholls.
Asitha Fernando taking a wicket for Sri Lanka
What we’re looking forward to seeing
A third head coach in as many years, Richard Dawson already has vast experience taking Gloucestershire to white-ball success and has been part of the England set-up across the Men’s, Lions and U19s teams. Timm van der Gugten always provides excitement with the ball, with the addition last year of Mason Crane, the frontline spinner Glamorgan have cried out for. Will Smale’s breakout season can hopefully transfer to red-ball success and combine with Eddie Byrom for a formidable opening partnership; another area of question marks in recent years.
Final thought
Colin Ingram is plying his trade in Cardiff once again and with Sam Northeast and Kiran Carlson for top-order company, Glamorgan will be disappointed to win just two matches in their sixth-placed finish in 2024. The area of concern this year could be the all-rounder slot. Ambidextrous-bowling, hard-hitting 21-year-old Ben Kellaway could turn heads if preferred to Dan Douthwaite and Zain-Ul-Hassan.
Colin Ingram batting for Glamorgan
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Previewed by Richard Latham - ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Cameron Bancroft
Head Coach: Mark Alleyne
2024 finish: Seventh
2024 highest run-scorer: James Bracey (1,089)
2024 highest wicket-taker: Marchant de Lange (30)
Key winter moves
Australian Test all-rounder Cameron Green will strengthen Gloucestershire’s batting with five appearances in the first block of Championship matches, starting with the third game against Kent at Canterbury. The 25-year-old is recovering from back surgery and unlikely to bowl. But he boasts a top score of 174 not out in Test cricket and will be keen to score runs ahead of Australia’s World Test Championship Final against South Africa at Lord’s in June.
What we’re looking forward to seeing
Gloucestershire’s pace attack may well turn out to be the quickest in the Second Division, with Marchant de Lange, Ajeet Singh Dale and England Lions seamer Zaman Akhter all capable of generating pace and bounce. With quality back-up in Matt Taylor, Josh Shaw and Tom Price, bowling points should be plentiful.
Ajeet Singh Dale celebrate taking a wicket
Final thought
The shrewd Alleyne was expected to make an impact on his return to the club as head coach last season and duly delivered when his unheralded team were crowned T20 champions, beating arch-rivals Somerset on a memorable day for players, staff and supporters at Edgbaston. That success will surely breed confidence for red ball cricket and new four-day captain Cameron Bancroft can realistically target promotion in his first season at the helm.
Miles Hammond & Cameron Bancroft celebrate a milestone
KENT
Previewed by Fred Atkins - ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Daniel Bell-Drummond
Head Coach: Adam Hollioake
2024 finish: 10th (Division One)
2024 highest run-scorer: Daniel Bell-Drummond (853)
2024 highest wicket-taker: Matt Parkinson (36)
Key winter moves
Adam Hollioake’s appointment as Head Coach was a surprise to everyone, including the man himself. Chris Benjamin will provide competition to Harry Finch in the wicket-keeper/batter role, although arguably the biggest surprise was the news Ben Compton had decided to stay put, as he was rumoured to be leaving after being inexplicably excluded from the 50-over squad.
Ben Compton batting for Kent
What we’re looking forward to seeing
Not turning up to every single match in the sure and certain knowledge of a looming, heavy defeat. Before Hollioake was appointed there was a suggestion that white ball-cricket would be prioritised, but senior players like Joe Denly dismissed this idea as “rubbish” and the new coach won’t tolerate playing in any other way than to win.
Player to watch
Harry Finch has one of the great back stories in county cricket. Having all but given up on his career after he was released by Sussex, he was given a chance by Kent when the entire first team squad went into isolation during the 2021 season. He scored a century on debut (against Sussex), reinvented himself as a wicket-keeper, was player-of-the-year last year and has even been tried as an opener in pre-season.
Final thought
The top order still looks strong and against Division Two attacks they should post enough to give Parkinson something to work with on day four. The worry is that a bowling unit ruined by injuries last year still looks vulnerable and Director of Cricket Simon Cook is finding that trying to sign overseas players is like trying to nail jelly to a wall.
LANCASHIRE
Previewed by Graham Hardcastle - ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Keaton Jennings
Head Coach: Dale Benkenstein
2024 finish: Ninth (Division One)
2024 highest run-scorer: Keaton Jennings (1,006)
2024 highest wicket-taker: George Balderson (36)
Key winter moves
The Red Rose have signed versatile Scotland international batter Michael Jones from Durham. Jones was a Lancashire junior before moving away in search of greater opportunity. Experienced Australian opener Marcus Harris is locked in for the bulk of this season’s promotion push, while West Indian quick Anderson Phillip returns until the end of July. Aussie T20 Blast recruits Chris Green and Ashton Turner will also be available for any mid-summer Championship cricket.
What we’re looking forward to seeing
Jimmy Anderson’s return! Test Match Cricket’s most prolific seamer (704 wickets) has signed a one-year contract to feature in this summer’s Championship and Blast, a deal which takes his career beyond his 43rd birthday. Anderson hasn’t played at all since his final Test against the West Indies at Lord’s last July. Lancashire begin their campaign against Middlesex at the same venue. His second appearance of 2025 will be the 300th of his first-class career.
James Anderson made his Lancashire debut in 2000
Final thought
Lancashire are the bookmakers’ firm favourites to win Division Two, something which will be the main aim for the players and coaching staff this summer. As much as the county have some exciting youngsters in their ranks - none more so than teenaged England Lion Rocky Flintoff - they really need their senior players to stand up. That was something which hurt them badly as they were relegated last summer.
LEICESTERSHIRE
Previewed by Jon Culley - ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Peter Handscomb
Head Coach: Alfonso Thomas
2024 finish: Fifth
2024 highest run-scorer: Peter Handscomb (894)
2024 highest wicket-taker: Scott Currie (29)
Key winter moves
Leicestershire’s off-season signings suggest that winning promotion to Division One of the Rothesay County Championship is at the top of their priorities. Aussie Peter Handscomb, who hit five hundreds in his first two seasons at the club, returns for a third as captain. In a strong hand of overseas players, he is joined by the New Zealand-born Netherlands international seam bowler Logan Van Beek and Pakistan captain and master batter Shan Masood.
Peter Handscomb plays in for Victoria the Sheffield Shield
What we’re looking forward to seeing
Masood made 1,074 runs in eight Championship matches for Derbyshire in 2022, including a double hundred against Leicestershire at Grace Road, so he clearly has a liking for the Uptonsteel County Ground. After two years skippering Yorkshire this will be his fourth consecutive English summer, so no time will be needed to adjust to conditions here after a winter in which he has made Test hundreds in India (against England) and in South Africa.
Shan Masood has 40 Test caps for Pakistan
Player to watch
After the emergence of two precociously-talented teenage bowlers in leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed and beanpole pace man Josh Hull in the last couple of seasons, the Foxes have another up their sleeve in Alex Green, a fast bowler potentially in the Hull mould, standing just an inch shorter than his lanky team-mate at 6ft 6ins. Leicestershire have already backed the England Under-19 international for a big future by handing him a three-year professional contract.
Final thought
Bottom of the Division Two table without a win as recently as 2022, the erstwhile perennial whipping boys of the County Championship have proved a different proposition over the past two seasons. A good crop of home-grown youngsters, combined with some shrewd signings, have made for a properly competitive team. If Shan Masood can add some magic, there’s a genuine possibility that a 21-year-exile from the top flight might be about to end.
MIDDLESEX
Previewed by Ben Kosky - ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Toby Roland-Jones
Head Coach: Richard Johnson
2024 finish: Third
2024 highest run-scorer: Ryan Higgins (1,133)
2024 highest wicket-taker: Toby Roland-Jones (52)
Key winter moves
With no overseas players in 2024, Middlesex have now secured one of the world’s best in Kane Williamson. New Zealand’s top Test run-scorer will feature in at least five Rothesay County Championship games later this summer, while seasoned South African seamer Dane Paterson joins for the first half of the campaign. Top-order batter Ben Geddes has crossed the Thames after leaving Surrey, with spinner Zafar Gohar also signing from Gloucestershire.
Kane Williamson has over 9,000 Test match runs
What we’re looking forward to seeing
Watching Williamson in action at Lord’s is an exciting prospect in itself, but the greater question is how much impact his runs can make on Middlesex’s expected bid for promotion. A botched second-innings display with the bat against Gloucestershire in September effectively cost Middlesex a top-two place last season, so calm, experienced heads could prove vital at the business end of the campaign.
Player to watch
The departure of ex-England opener Mark Stoneman leaves a vacancy at the top of the order and Nathan Fernandes could well be handed an opportunity to fill it. Having hit a red-ball debut hundred as opener against Northamptonshire, the 20-year-old reverted to a middle-order spot later in the summer but he strikes the ball with power and would maintain a left and right-hand combination alongside the experienced Sam Robson.
Final thought
Toby Roland-Jones topped the 50-wicket mark last year, while Paterson is more than proven at this level – yet the pair will be 37 and 36 respectively when the season begins. Ethan Bamber was earmarked as the next leader of Middlesex’s seam unit, but his winter move to Warwickshire means the county may need younger pacemen like Henry Brookes and Noah Cornwell to step up and fill more prominent roles.
37-year-old Roland Jones has 17 Test wickets for England
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
Previewed by Jeremy Blackmore – ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Luke Procter
Head Coach: Darren Lehmann
2024 finish: Fourth
2024 highest run-scorer: Luke Procter (923)
2024 highest wicket-taker: Ben Sanderson (41)
Key winter moves
Darren Lehmann’s appointment as head coach was a real statement of intent. Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who made a huge impact late last season, returns from 22 June for the Championship run-in and One-Day Cup. Lehmann has bolstered the seam bowling stocks, providing extra pace and variety by signing left-arm quick Liam Guthrie on a three-year deal and former Australian U19s seamer Harry Conway for four Championship matches in May.
Liam Guthrie has signed for Northants on a three-year deal
What we’re looking forward to seeing
Lehmann has promised an Australian brand of attacking cricket with an emphasis on trying to win games and not settling for draws. With the head coach’s infectious optimism rubbing off on the players, it should make for some entertaining cricket at Wantage Road after two tough seasons.
Player to watch
James Sales scored his maiden century last summer and backed it up with another ton when moved up the order later in the season. A winter playing grade cricket in Brisbane has given the young all-rounder valuable experience, finishing his stint with an average of 64 with the bat and 23 with the ball.
Northants all-rounder James Sales
Final thought
With Emilio Gay’s departure and Matt Breetzke unavailable through IPL commitments, the club needs its talented young batters to fire, but this year will provide plenty of opportunities for them to step up under the charismatic Lehmann. If Northamptonshire’s attack has lacked variety of late, its new Australian quicks offer more depth. Chahal’s return at the business end meanwhile, should help Northamptonshire’s promotion push provided they record some wins early season.
