Wicketkeeper Luke Sutton is back at Derbyshire and takes charge of a team that endured a miserable summer in 2010.
Batting duo Khawaja and Guptill to split overseas duties
The only way is up for Derbyshire after a disappointing campaign last summer - but can Luke Sutton work wonders on his return to the county?
Last season
It was nothing but a tale of woe for the Falcons in 2010, with little going right on or off the field, where financial concerns added to the troublesome results Chris Rogers' side put up.
They struggled for runs and wickets all season and that left them facing the ignominy of bottom spot in Division Two with only three wins.
Although they finished in mid-table in their one-day groups, records of 4-8 in the Clydesdale Bank 40 and 6-8 in the FP T20 won't have had anyone making handstands.
Rogers was the only batsman to average more than 50 in the County Championship and although there were signs of life from Chesney Hughes and Wayne Madsen, the positives were minimal.
The bowling was just as bad, although the loss of Graham Wagg to injury for the rest of the season in April was a blow that many counties would have struggled to overcome.
None of their regulars took wickets at an average of under 30, and although Robin Peterson managed 51 victims, he also has left the County Ground to leave the cupboard looking bare.
Ins and outs
Despite the negativity there are reasons for Derbyshire members to get excited ahead of the coming season, most notably the addition of their two overseas players, Usman Khawaja and Martin Guptill.
Khawaja is rated as one of the most exciting players to have emerged in Australia in recent years, having made his Test debut in the final Ashes Test in Sydney in January at the tender age of 24.
The left-hander averages over 50 in first-class cricket and he should hopefully fill the gap Rogers left behind.
Guptill is a well-established New Zealand international and should be an ideal replacement for Khawaja when he leaves after the Twenty20 campaign - his quick-scoring nature has been evident in his international one-day career so far.
Summer forecast
It must get a little clearer for Derbyshire, surely? However, the worry remains that Derbyshire will not take enough wickets to contend.
The additions of Mark Turner and Antonio Palladino do give them two added seam options, but neither player is likely to be a game-changer in four-day cricket.
Batting duo Khawaja and Guptill are exciting names for overseas players, though neither has a lot of experience of playing in English conditions.
Once again, Derbyshire seem to be going into a season with more questions than answers, and Sutton certainly has plenty on his plate as he begins his second spell with the county.
One to watch... Chesney Hughes
The 20-year-old took only five Championship innings to net his first century, and although he proved to be a little inconsistent, he clearly has the talent to become a star.
With the county in a definite state of flux, Hughes is one of the bright young things they really need to come through if they are to get away from the basement.
