42 pts staked.
Div 1
Somerset 10/1 3 pts e.w Very tough and tight division to call imo and Somerset, after a brilliant season last year have enough about them to if not win the division at least go close and from an e.w perspective I think can be in the three. They were transformed last season under Langer and their batting looks very strong once again. Langer, Trescothick, Hildreth, Edwards all were over 1200 runs last year and thats not to mention the likes of Blackwell, Kieswetter, Trego, Jones who all provide batting depth. Given this batting power, it may well prove hard to beat Somerset this season and then you have to take into account the flat nature of the wickets at Taunton too. Regards bowling it is the weaker area but in the veterans Caddick and Willoughby they have two bowlers who can take wickets and the lead the attack well, the support bowlers are not as strong but that department has even been improved with Banks and Munday who is a young leg spinner of promise and has already an 8 for to his name, should feature more. Warwickshire won the championship a few years back with a team that rarely won but because of their hugely strong batting line up did not lose often and Somerset have the type of line up that could go fairly close @ 10/1.
Key 16/1 3 pts e.w top bat in div 1 Only players in the list stand for these markets which include the main names and Key who has been top run scorer before can go quite close again. Having had a poor 2006 by his standards, Key had a very good 2007 in all forms of the game and the 4 day version was no different. He was fifth (one spot outside e.w place) in this last year as he cruised past 1000 runs (1250 overall at an average of just under 57.) He could well have been in the England set up this winter on the back of that but was ignored and England suffered in truth due to the lack of substantial runs by the main batsman until the final test of winter/spring. There is the danger he could be called up by England but i would think someone like Shah may just be above him and the Eng. selectors could easily ignore him to leave their chosen line up in tact and it would be surprising if New Zealand did anything to change their minds, maybe only the better quality of South Africa latter in the summer. Anyway Key, if he stays fit and playing for Kent, should score lots of runs.
Div 2
I cant put my side Middlesex up as despite their good squad on paper we are consisitent underachivers and third place in this last year flattered us. Hope Im wrong and there is enough talent especially in the batting to do so but last year, facing weaker bowling than the past, we did not score the runs we should have on talent at least (only Smith over 1000 runs and he only performed at the end of the season, when nothing really mattered, Shah would be the exception as but for Eng he would have.) In the first innings especially we were poor, 35 batting points I think, might have been less. The bowling improved a bit on past seasons but a lot depends on if they can stay fit (Silverwood, Richardson especially) and how Kartik comes back form IPL? Still
Worcestershire 8/1 3 pts e.w Much shorter elsewhere, Worcestershire had an awful year last year in div 1, everything that could go wrong did and they were down a long time before the finish but saved themselves in the one day format when they impressively won the pro 40. They did get promotion two years ago so they have some pedigree and in this div. bowling teams out is most important imo in this div. and on paper at least, they have more than enough capability to do so. Jones if fit (huge doubt) is a big signing, Ali always seems to take wickets even if he can be expensive and Mason another one with fitness problems in the past is very useful. Magoffin and Edwards provide more wicket takers, Jones and Edwards together could be explosive. Batty provides the spin option but I do not see taking wickets a problem. Batting depth possibly is but then again Hick, down the order know but still hugely effective and arguably better in a more positive role, Solanki, Smith, Moore to name 4 are all players who can score 1000 runs and have done so in the past. Jaques is a loss but he was a loss last year really because he did little (30 average only.) They maybe on batsman short but someone could step up (M Ali?) i think they can have a good season.
Dippenaar 14/1 3 pts e.w top bat in div 2 I thought Dippenaar would come close to be leading this market, a batsman of genuine quality, in tests probably underachievd but his ODI record (42 av.) shows his class and that was achieved in an old school style way with a strike rate of 'only' 67. Has scored lots of runs in South Africa for many years, nearly 10000 in first class cricket (43 av.) and I think the majority of bowling attacks he will find to his liking.
Maddy 16/1 2 pts e.w top bat in div 2 Maddy along with Ambrose was one of the best players for Warwickshire last year in an awful year. The move from Leic. where he underachieved in the 4 day format having been a test player at one point helped him and captaincy did not stop him either. He scored nearly 800 runs at an average of over 46 and that remember in a higher division in a struggling team. The Bears should perform better this year and Maddy can have a good year.
Ali 8/1 3 pts e.w top bowler in div 2 This is Kabir Ali from worc. Ali is a sometimes frustrating bowler as whilst he can bowl wicket taking deliveries one minute he can bowl absolute please hit me stuff the next. However what he has always done even in the ODI/test he played is take wickets, he will always be quite expensive but 56 wickets in a year not many bowlers reached 50 wickets was a fair return in a struggling team last year and in a higher div. He is not really interenational class and there are many ahead of him in that regard but he is capable of taking lots of wickets this year although should have more competition to do so.
Hick to score 1000 championship runs 5/6 8 pts. Final one. Hick is a fantastic ambassedor for the game and even at his age still can dominate bowling attacks around the circuit. He keeps himself extremely fit and in his middle order role last season he had a very good year when many around him didnt, he was just short of 1000 runs but surley but for weather would have reached that landmark and in the one day game especially was sensational and one of the key reasons to the pro 40 title. Dropping down a div I think he can score 1000 runs even at no.5