Nottinghamshire, armed with the signing of Hashim Amla, look a force in all formats heading into the new season.
Outlaws add plenty of quality ahead of new campaign
Nottinghamshire have played second-fiddle to Durham over the last two seasons. But, with the arrival of Hashim Amla at Trent Bridge for the opening weeks of the summer, the Outlaws are on the hunt for silverware.
Last season
Notts retained a trophy in 2009, the runner-up trophy that is, after finishing some 47 points behind Division One champions Durham.
After threatening for large parts of the summer to regain the title they last won in 2005, the Outlaws eventually fell well off the pace, while their performances in the Twenty20 Cup, Friends Provident Trophy and Pro40 left a lot to be desired.
It's hard to put your finger on exactly what prevented them from winning a trophy in 2009, however the inconsistency in selection was certainly a factor.
A total of 23 different players represented the first XI in the four-day format while director of cricket Mick Newell used the Pro40 event to blood a number of promising youngsters coming through the ranks.
Australians Dave Hussey and Adam Voges shared overseas responsibility at Trent Bridge last summer, and the former, who hit two centuries and one fifty in his three County Championship matches, is returning again this season.
Captain Chris Read was the only player to surpass 1,000 runs for the season, while Andre Adams (43), was the only bowler to threaten the 50-wicket mark.
Ins and outs
Notts have signalled their intent to start the campaign with a flourish with the signing of South Africa batsman Amla for the opening seven weeks of the campaign.
The prolific right-hander arrives in England in the form of his life having scored 490 runs in three innings during South Africa's recent tour of India.
In a bid to improve their Twenty20 fortunes, Notts have signed a one-day specialist in Australian paceman Dirk Nannes. The left-armer, who regular clocks 90mph, was instrumental in Middlesex's winning campaign in 2008.
Nannes joins fellow Victorian Darren Pattinson at Trent Bridge and there will be another Aussie in the home changing room this season with the return of Hussey. The right-handed batsman will rejoin the Outlaws after Amla departs.
Other signings of note in the off-season are Northants off-spinner Graeme White, Lancashire all-rounder Steven Mullaney and Somerset batsman Neil Edwards.
After six years at the club, influential all-rounder Mark Ealham retired at the end of last season and is a notable absentee in pre-season training.
Lanky opener Will Jefferson and young pace bowler Mark Footit have also left Trent Bridge in an attempt to reignite their careers at Leicestershire and Derbyshire respectively.
The other departure saw off-spinner Jason Brown's injury-ravaged stint end prematurely when he was released one year into his two-year contract.
Summer forecast
In Mick Newell and Chris Read, Nottinghamshire have one of the shrewdest coach/captain combinations in the country.
The early season arrival of an in-form Amla, who enjoyed a fruitful spell at Essex last summer, is a real coup - especially with home games against title rivals Somerset and Durham to come during his time at the club.
The Outlaws may have been left in Durham's shadow in the past two seasons, but man-for-man Notts have the strength to reverse the trend this time around.
After underperforming in the Twenty20 Cup last summer, the arrival of paceman Nannes is a clear indication that the hierarchy want a better showing when the tournament comes by in June. If the Victorian does the business with the ball and Ali Brown, Hussey, Samit Patel, Alex Hales and captain Read fire with the bat, we could see a trophy arriving at Trent Bridge.
The future also looks bright for the Robin Hood county and hot batting prospect Hales will look to kick on this season after dazzling
Sky Sports viewers with a magnificent 150 in the Pro40 last term.
David Fulton's one to watch...Alex Hales
Hales produced one of the knocks of the season when he whacked Worcestershire all over Trent Bridge in the Pro40 last year. Tall and powerful, he plays attractively off the front foot and should get good opportunities in all forms of the game this year.
