Monday 2 January 2017 08:10, UK
The year 2016 was certainly memorable for England fans.
From illuminating individual performances from the likes of Ben Stokes and Alex Hales, to Middlesex's stunning title win on the final day of the County Championship, there was something for just about everybody to enjoy.
But what can we expect from the next 12 months? Two ICC events on home soil top the bill but there is also a clear sense that change is in the air - both on and off the field; 2017 is a big year for…
Eoin Morgan and England's ODI side
England have never won an ICC ODI tournament, but can put this right in June when they host the ICC Champions Trophy. On the two previous occasions the tournament has been played in this country, in 2004 and 2013, they were runners-up. Will Eoin Morgan's team deliver?
The ODI side enjoyed a prosperous 2016 - winning 11 of 18 games (11 wins, five defeats, one tie, one no result) but question marks surround the future of the captain. Morgan decided not to tour Bangladesh last October because of security concerns and averages 29.00 from his last 18 innings. Some much-needed runs and a victory in England's upcoming three-match ODI series in India will help silence the doubters.
England Women
Later in June the ICC Women's World Cup gets under way in this country. England have won the tournament twice before when it was hosted here (1973 and 1993) and were also victorious on Australian soil in 2009. But after being knocked out of the ICC World T20 by Australia at the semi-final stage last year, head coach Mark Robinson decided he wanted a younger, fitter and more dynamic side to lead the charge for a fourth World Cup title.
Consequently, Charlotte Edwards' 20-year international career was curtailed while Lydia Greenway decided to retire after 13 years in the team. Wicketkeeper-batsman Sarah Taylor has taken an indefinite break after suffering from anxiety, and so new captain Heather Knight took control of a young and inexperienced team last summer. But series wins against Pakistan, West Indies and Sri Lanka have boosted confidence and helped blood new players in the lead-up to the biggest tournament in the women's game.
Alastair Cook and the Test captaincy
Will he stay or will he go? That was the question on most people's minds regarding Cook's future as the captain of England's Test team, after a demoralising defeat in Chennai rounded off a humiliating 4-0 series loss to India. Cook's side struggled in 2016 - as reflected by eight Test defeats in a year - and you wonder if the draining side effects of the captaincy have taken their toll on the leader.
Since taking charge in 2012, the opening batsman has captained his country in 59 Tests - more than any other England captain. Cook has now held the job for four-and-a-half years which is comparable to the captaincy spells of several of his recent predecessors - Michael Atherton (1993-98), Nasser Hussain (1999-2003), Michael Vaughan (2003-2008) and Andrew Strauss (2009-2012). England's next Test match assignment is the first Test against South Africa at Lord's in July. That gives Cook and the selectors plenty of time to decide; who is the right man to lead the team through the summer and beyond?
Day-night cricket
For the first time this summer, fans will get the opportunity to experience day-night cricket, pink balls and all that goes with it. In late June a full round of County Championship matches will be played as day-night games with Essex, Hampshire, Warwickshire and Yorkshire in Division One, and Durham, Glamorgan, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Sussex in Division Two, the venues chosen.
This set of fixtures was designed largely to give England players experience of the conditions before the first day-night Test later in the summer against West Indies at Edgbaston. It will be interesting to see how much a pink Dukes ball moves under lights and how the players adapt. It will also be interesting to see whether fans flock to the grounds in great numbers after work, or give it the thumbs down.
Domestic reform
Last September a vote at an ECB board meeting was passed 16-3 in favour of further exploring the board's proposal of a new city-based T20 competition. Having seen the success of the Big Bash and the Indian Premier League, the sport's governing body are keen to launch a similar model in this country - comprising eight teams with matches played over a condensed period during the school holidays in July and August.
The first year of the tournament is likely to be in 2020 and would supplement the three competitions that make up the existing domestic structure. Three of the counties, believed to be Surrey, Sussex and Kent, are opposed to the proposal of a new tournament. In early 2017 we can expect more details from the ECB about their T20 reform plans. It will be fascinating to see whether the 18 counties embrace or reject change.
Stand by for a bumper year of cricket in 2017 on Sky Sports, including the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Women's World Cup.
