County Championship: Division Two guide

Lancashire and Worcestershire have come down but can expect the road back to Division One to be full of stumbling blocks. We take a look at the nine counties in the second tier with the help of Sky Sports' David Fulton...

GLAMORGAN

Captain: Mark Wallace (Championship), Marcus North (limited-overs cricket)
Coach: Matthew Mott
Overseas: Marcus North (Australia), Dirk Nannes (Australia, for t20)
Ins: Michael Hogan (Western Australia, on UK passport), Murray Goodwin (Sussex)
Outs: Robert Croft (retired), James Harris (Middlesex), Chris Ashling, Aneurin Norman, Mike O'Shea While trophies may possibly be out of Glamorgan's reach this year, it is time for the Welsh county to show some signs of progress. That will not be easy, however, now they are without the talented James Harris and the evergreen Robert Croft. Harris himself played just four first-class games in 2012 but such is his talent that England called him up for the one-day series in India at the end of the year. Croft, meanwhile, bowed out in style with a five-for in a victory over Kent, ending a 23-year career on a deserved high. At least Mark Wallace as captain remains a constant in first-class cricket, and the wicketkeeper seemed to revel in the extra responsibility last year as he managed 775 runs. Only Stewart Walters (813) managed more in the LV= County Championship. Jim Allenby also impressed with both bat and ball, leading a bowling attack that was weakened by a number of injuries over the course of the summer. Speaking of the summer, Glamorgan's cause wasn't helped either by the miserable weather - particularly in one-day cricket. Of course, the biggest thing that overshadowed the season was the death of Tom Maynard. Wallace wrote a very moving tribute to his former team-mate and the Glamorgan and Surrey players combined to help launch the Tom Maynard Trust at a Clydesdale Bank 40 fixture between the two counties in August. With Division Two highly competitive, promotion looks a push. Limited overs action, though, could be a route for success. Marcus North will be in charge instead of Wallace and with Dirk Nannes joining his fellow Australian for the t20 tournament, the Dragons could upset a few. Key player: Jim Allenby - Runs, wickets, Allenby provided plenty of both last season. Glamorgan will need the same, if not more, this year from a seriously talented all-rounder. At 30 it may be too late for international recognition, but the Australian-born Allenby seems to be getting even better with age. Fults says... Glamorgan have struggled in the last few years but Mark Wallace is a good guy to have as captain. Mid-table is probably the best they could hope for. Read his full preview

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Captain: Michael Klinger
Head coach: John Bracewell
Overseas: Michael Klinger (Australia), Dan Christian (Australia, for Twenty20)
Ins: Gareth Roderick, Cameron Herring
Outs: David Wade (released), Jonathan Batty (retired) The disappointment of finishing bottom of Division Two of the LV= County Championship was quelled with some promising one-day form at Gloucestershire. The Gladiators finished bottom of the first-class heap after losing more fixtures than any of their Division Two rivals, although another way of reviewing their campaign is that they were just one win away from fifth spot. A quarter-final run in the Friends Life t20 provided welcome relief from their four-day troubles and they will begin the 2013 season under the captaincy of experienced Australian opening batsman Michael Klinger. Klinger has made the switch to Bristol after a brief stint nearby at Worcestershire last season and faces a tough job in galvanising a largely youthful squad. Up and coming seam bowlers Liam Norwell, David Payne and James Fuller look decent prospects and with Ian Saxelby and all-rounder Will Gidman also more the useful seam-up options, Gloucestershire have one of the stronger bowling units in the second tier. Batting big has long been a struggle, though, and the onus will be on the likes of Hamish Marshall and Alex Gidman to give the young bowlers something to work with. Key Player: Alex Gidman - After giving up the captaincy to concentrate on his batting, Gidman will now be expected to deliver consistently with the bat as one of Gloucestershire's experienced heads. Fults says...I expect them to struggle for a couple more years but they are hopeful of hosting one of the England v India fixtures in 2014 and if they can do that will improve their finances and they can start to build a squad again. Read his full preview

HAMPSHIRE

Captain: Jimmy Adams
Head coach: Giles White
Overseas: George Bailey (Australia, first half of season), Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan, from August)
Ins: George Bailey, Saeed Ajmal, Adam Wheater (Essex), Michael Roberts (Unicorns)
Outs: Kabir Ali (Lancashire), Simon Katich (Lancashire), Bilal Shafayat (released) Kings of one-day cricket in 2012, but a whopping 41 points off the pace in Division Two, Hampshire will prioritise promotion back to Division One this year and they should achieve it. The top six - on paper - is one of the strongest in either division, and the departure of Simon Katich to Lancashire is more than offset by the arrival of George Bailey, Australia's T20 captain and run machine. The whisper from Down Under though is that he may be given a call-up to the Ashes squad and that would see some frantic phoning around the globe for a replacement. Jimmy Adams, the ever-improving Liam Dawson, Michael Carberry, James Vince, Bailey and Sean Ervine should provide enough runs - and the solid Neil McKenzie will bolster the batting options from June when he arrives from South Africa. If Hampshire can stay in the hunt come July, the ace up the Royals' sleeve is Saeed Ajmal, the Pakistan spin magician who will play for the last two months of the season. The big concern for Hampshire fans is the fast bowling. David Balcombe, top wicket-taker last year with 59 and - when fit - James Tomlinson are willing enough, but they need much more help from the likes of Chris Wood, David Griffiths and the team's lynchpin Sean Ervine. Watch out for Adam Wheater, the highly-rated wicketkeeper batsman who arrives from Essex. He will provide competition for Michael Bates, one of the finest glovemen in the country, but short of runs last season. Wheater's average is 20 an innings better. Key player: Sean Ervine - He rarely misses a game, and delivers when Hampshire most need it. A handy bowler and under-rated batsman, the Zimbabwean is a man you want with you in the trenches. Fults says... Wheater's arrival - coupled to the experience and ability of skipper Jimmy Adams, Michael Carberry, Sean Ervine, James Vince, Liam Dawson et al - means Hampshire would be my tip to go up with Lancashire. Read his full preview

KENT

Captain: James Tredwell
Head coach: Jimmy Adams
Overseas: Brendan Nash (West Indies)
Ins: Calum Haggett
Outs: Simon Cook Kent were the nearly men of 2012 - they fought hard for a return to Division One in the LV= County Championship before falling short, while they missed out on a semi-final place in the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition after losing a winner-takes-all showdown with Sussex. However, the fact they fell just short should not take away from a summer of real progress under new coach Jimmy Adams. The West Indian took charge of a much-changed squad that had seen the arrival of several new players. Seamers Charlie Shreck and Mark Davies proved shrewd acquisitions and Adams used his Caribbean connections to bring in a wily left-hander made in the mould of himself in Brendan Nash. For this campaign Kent have a new man in charge - James Tredwell takes over after a successful one-day winter with England, replacing Rob Key, who had been captain for seven years. Key admitted no longer having the responsibility of being in charge would be a 'relief', meaning he can focus fully on his batting. Sam Northeast led the run-scoring charts in first-class cricket and will hope to continue to build on his undoubted potential. Indeed, Tredwell has a superb mix of youth and experience in the squad, suggesting Kent should certainly be challenging on all fronts. Some dry weather would help too; they posted their lowest gate receipts since 2004 in tough financial times. Key player: James Tredwell - Kent will hope the added burden of captaincy will not weigh too heavily on the spinner's shoulders. They will also be keeping an eye on the fitness of Graeme Swann, with any injury to England's leading off-spinner likely resulting in the reliable Tredwell being summoned away during an Ashes summer. Fults says... It will be interesting to see how James Tredwell goes as captain. Rob Key, who Tredwell replaces, looks as fit as I've ever seen him and if he can translate his batting quality into a lot of runs then handing the reins to Tredwell could be a very shrewd move. Read his full preview