Durham was to bid to become the first side since Yorkshire in the 1960s to win three successive titles when a new, much-changed English county season began yesterday.
The usual raft of overseas players, including Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist and Shahid Afridi, added spice to a season that makes its earliest-ever start and which has been revamped in an attempt to bring the crowds back.
While the County Championship remains largely in the same format and should see Nottinghamshire and Lancashire provide the sternest challenge to holders and favorites Durham in Division One, the limited-overs competitions have been tinkered with by the authorities.
The Twenty20 tournament will begin midway through the season and has been expanded so that each county plays eight home matches before the quarter-finals.
A new 40-over competition, meanwhile, replaces the 50-over format and will see Scotland, Netherlands and the ECB Unicorns take part, with the 21 teams split into three groups of seven.
England hardly have the most glamorous of visitors this summer — Bangladesh arrive in May before a Pakistan squad in a sorry state come over in June.
England’s Ashes tour to Australia at the end of the year will also be a carrot for many players dreaming of a Test call-up for the biggest series of them all.
Many of the overseas players have only signed short-term contracts with the counties, mostly to compete in the Twenty20, which will try to ride on the momentum given to the newest form of cricket by the success of the Indian Premier League.
Sussex, the reigning Twenty20 Cup champions after their win over Somerset in last year’s final, have recruited West Indies’ Dwayne Smith and Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan for the tournament.
Surrey will hope the signing of explosive Australian all-rounder Symonds will spark them into life, although how Rory Hamilton-Brown — at just 22 the county’s youngest-ever captain — manages to cope with the increased burden of the armband remains to be seen.
Former Australia wicketkeeper Gilchrist will play for Middlesex in the Twenty20 group stages, while Brad Hodge (Leicestershire), Pakistan duo Afridi and Abdul Razzaq (both Hampshire), and Australia paceman Shaun Tait (Glamorgan) will also provide added entertainment.
Durham may struggle in limited-overs competition but they are being tipped to rule the four-day version once again.
They went through the league unbeaten last year to sweep to the title, which they also won in 2008 for their first ever county championship trophy.
They have a potent mix of experience and talented youth players, more and more of whom are making the step up to the England team, such as Liam Plunkett and Graham Onions.
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