Fixtures are out

On the face of it, we should do much better next season.

In the Championship, we play the side who I'd see as the strongest in the division (Essex) first, then Surrey and Glamorgan. With Middlesex, Leicester, Northants, Kent and Gloucester in the division, I feel we could do quite well. Kent must also fancy their chances of bouncing back, with a strong batting line-up, but they'll miss their bowling spearhead Arafat who has returned to Sussex.

It is a strange old Championship season though. Three matches in April, then nothing until June. From a purely selfish viewpoint, no home game of any kind at the height of the holiday season when we normally head down there. From the 24th July to August 19th there's not a game at home, which is pretty strange.

I don't expect much from the T20 for two reasons. One, because we're in a strong group, with Durham, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Notts and Leicestershire, and two because - well, we're rubbish at the short game.

The FP Trophy perhaps offers the best hope of one-day success, with Essex, Northants, Glamorgan and Lancashire in the group this year. No Scotland, so bang goes my home game, but the others are sides we could feasibly beat (Essex as long as we get Bopara early).

Its too early just now to do any serious analysis of the season and opposition. How we will fare depends on improvements made by players over the close season and who else we sign.

Who knows, if Morris can pick up Sehwag or Yuvraj for the 20/20, we might even look a side in the shortest form of the game...sorry, that last bit must have been a dream!