by st_brendy » Sun May 10, 2015 3:40 pm
In five days time, it all starts again. Will the new-look ECB make the international players available to play more? Will county players see it as a chance to break into the England limited overs team at a time of uncertainty following the world cup?
Same format as last season. Two groups of nine. 14 games each. Majority of games played on Friday nights throughout May, June and July. Top four in each group make the QFs. Finals Day again at Edgbaston.
Odds
Hants 6/1
Notts 6/1
Yorks 6/1
Surrey 7/1
Somerset 8/1
Birmingham 9/1
Essex 12/1
Lancs 12/1
Sussex 16/1
Durham 20/1
Glamorgan 25/1
Kent 25/1
Middlesex 25/1
Northants 25/1
Derby 28/1
Gloucs 25/1
Leicester 33/1
Worcs 33/1
I wouldn't be wasting my money on Somerset with those odds.
Overseas players (I might be wrong with one or two, so apologies - note, a lot of the below will only be available for part of the competition)
Hants - Arafat, Bird (when/if he is fit)
Notts - Philander, Sammy, Hilfenhaus
Yorks - Maxwell, Pujara, Williamson, Finch (when/if he is fit)
Surrey - Sangakarra, Henriques
Somerset - Rehman, Gayle, Anderson, Tanvir
Birmingham - Patel, McCullum
Essex - Tait, Ryder
Lancs - Siddle, Faulkner
Sussex - Magoffin, Bailey, Jayawardene
Durham - Hastings
Glamorgan - Rudolph, Parnell
Kent - No-one?
Middlesex - Voges, Burns, Abbott
Northants - Kleinveldt, Afridi
Derby - Guptil, Dilshan, Amla, Rutherford, Rimmington
Gloucs - Klinger
Leicester - McKay, Elliot (and are in talks with Umar Akmal)
Worcs - Senanayake, Ajmal, Munro
Flintoff will not be returning to Lancs this season, and my understanding is that KP's contract with Surrey does not include playing t20 cricket. Veteran t20 players Shah (Hants) and Azhar Mahmood (Surrey) will again be taking to the field. Leicester will be Kevin O'Brien's latest county stint.
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Thanks for everything Pothas. You'll be missed. My nickname for you was apt and I will never forget it. For the last time, arise Sir Nic.