RILEY TAYLOR picks a player from each county to look out for ahead of the beginning of the red-ball competition
The 24-year-old had a bright 2020, playing in four of Derbyshire’s five Bob Willis Trophy games, scoring 108 runs at an average of 36 and taking two wickets as his side performed admirably in the North Group, finishing second only to Yorkshire.
Dal, who spoke to The Cricketer last week about his new role as PCA vice-chair and the issue of racism, is one of several promising young players in Dave Houghton’s squad, alongside the likes of Ben Aitchison, Michael Cohen, Sam Conners and Fynn Hudson-Prentice.
The fast bowler may have only played 25 first-class matches, but he has already made his mark on county cricket. The South Africa-born seamer was part of England’s back-to-training group after lockdown in 2020 and has taken 61 wickets in red-ball cricket since his debut in 2016.
Although Carse had an underwhelming Bob Willis Trophy, taking just three wickets in three games, Durham have high hopes that he might be the next of their famed production line to earn international honours.
After being a key part of their Bob Willis Trophy win last year and their County Championship win during the season prior, it is remarkable to think that Sam Cook is still just 23.
He has taken 104 wickets since his debut season in 2016 and the seamer has formed a handy partnership with fellow homegrown bowlers Jamie Porter and Aaron Beard, who have formed a tremendous attack alongside key spinner Simon Harmer.
Sam Cook has become an integral part of Essex's winning unit
Glamorgan had a difficult Bob Willis Trophy, finishing bottom of the Central Group and not picking up a single win, but one shining light from the season was the form of Dan Douthwaite, with the allrounder making himself a regular of the Glamorgan side.
While he only averaged 16.55 with the bat, he was more than useful with the ball, taking 14 wickets at 33.78 apiece to finish as his county’s top wicket-taker. Yet another success story for the MCCU scheme.
It was a whirlwind 2020 for Bracey, with the 23-year-old selected as part of numerous England squads, including on tours to Sri Lanka and India, even if he is still yet to make his international debut.
Due to his commitments in England's summer bio-secure bubble, he played just one game in the Bob Willis Trophy. However, after a 2019 campaign where he scored 617 runs at an average of 33.85, he will hope to turn potential into runs and push home a case for a first Test cap, with the added responsibility of taking on the vice-captaincy to Chris Dent at Bristol.
After missing the entire 2020 season through injury, Aneurin Donald will want to show the form that made him such hot property at Glamorgan. Donald joined Hampshire in 2019 and displayed why he was so highly touted, making a magnificent 173 off 144 balls against Warwickshire in 2019.
However, after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in December of the same year, he was ruled out of the Bob Willis Trophy. The Welshman will want to make up for lost time in 2021, though he is a fitness doubt for the start of the season.
Last year, Jordan Cox became the first man born in the 21st century to make a first-class hundred in England
It is not often that players in their debut season break as many records as Jordan Cox managed. The 20-year-old enjoyed an extraordinary 2020; he and teammate Jack Leaning broke the record for Kent’s highest-ever partnership against Sussex, adding 423 for the second wicket, with only Bob Willis Trophy over regulations preventing them from piling on further misery.
Cox ended unbeaten on 238, becoming the first man born in the 21st century to score a first-class hundred in England. Other than that high, he only scored 86 runs in the rest of the competition, but knowing he has the game to go big will give him confidence going forward.
After a 2019 which saw him named as Lancashire’s young player of the year, Josh Bohannon pushed home that tag after another successful season in 2020.
The allrounder scored 257 runs in just seven innings at an average of 36.57, including top-scoring 75 off 190 balls in a win over Durham, helping to establish the 23-year-old in the plans of his home county.
Only one player outscored Marnus Labuschagne in 2019, and that was Leicestershire’s Hassan Azad. The opener finished as the top run-scorer in Division Two, churning out 1,189 runs in 14 matches an average of 54.04.
He failed to hit those heights again in the Bob Willis Trophy, scoring just 144 runs, so he will hope to return to the form that earned him a two-year contract extension. Alongside Australian Marcus Harris at the top of the order, it has the makings of a solid opening stand.
At just 24 years of age, Martin Andersson went from strength to strength in the Bob Willis Trophy. He had impressed in 2019 with the bat, though a back problem was preventing him from bowling and showing off his all-round game.
With those troubles behind him last season, however, he finished only behind Tim Murtagh in the county’s wicket-taking stakes, as well as making his highest first-class score of 92 against Hampshire.
2020 was a big year for Charlie Thurston, who beforehand had not yet properly begun to impose himself in Northamptonshire colours.
But after a match-saving vigil against Warwickshire and a maiden first-class ton shortly afterwards in a win over Glamorgan, he finished the campaign as the club’s leading run-scorer and will enter this year’s County Championship with renewed confidence. Alongside Emilio Gay, Ben Curran and Ricardo Vasconcelos, he forms part of a youthful, intriguing batting line-up.
A player with the goodwill of all cricket fans, there was something joyful to watch in return to form of Haseeb Hameed in the Bob Willis Trophy after his release by Lancashire.
Recently appointed as Nottinghamshire’s Royal London Cup captain, Hameed showed signs of the player that impressed on England duty in 2016, with the Bolton-born opener finishing as Nottinghamshire’s second-highest run-scorer with 272 runs at an average of 38.85.
Charlie Thurston took a significant step forward in his Northamptonshire career last year
Tom Lammonby’s season could only have been bettered if Somerset had ended 2020 as Bob Willis Trophy champions, but the young opener still had plenty to be proud of.
The 20-year-old finished as the third-highest run-scorer behind Jake Libby and Alastair Cook with 459 runs, including his first three hundreds for the county, carrying his bat in the second. If he can continue that form into a full season – he reached three figures in a warmup game for good measure - Lammonby will have a very bright future ahead of him.
Young left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty introduced himself in the Bob Willis Trophy in remarkable fashion, finishing with 17 wickets at just 20.11 apiece despite playing just two games.
He came seemingly from nowhere after Surrey signed him to little fanfare in 2019. Only teammate Amar Virdi and Essex’s Simon Harmer were more potent among the spinners on the circuit.
What a season it was for one of Sussex’s brightest talents. George Garton scooped both Sussex's young player and player of the season awards – and rightfully so.
The left-arm fast bowler starred with bat and ball, taking 12 wickets in the Bob Willis Trophy, including match figures of 9 for 76 against Essex, which included the dismissals of Alastair Cook and Dan Lawrence twice.
Henry Brookes is highly regarded by many observers
Brookes has had a bright start to life at Warwickshire and, after catching the eye of the England selectors last season, he will hope to go one further in this year’s County Championship, having seen his limited-over cricket overtake his red-ball exploits in recent times.
Brookes was called up to England’s 55-man training group against Ireland but did not make the final squad. However, among the expert judges who have championed his cause are Ashley Giles and Ian Bell, both of whom rate the fast bowler highly. Watch out, too, for his brother Ethan, who has also emerged from the Edgbaston county’s academy.
With 124 first-class wickets already to his name at the age of 23, Josh Tongue has had an excellent start to his career, injuries notwithstanding.
His Bob Willis Trophy form was good, with the fast bowler taking 14 wickets at 26 apiece as part of Worcestershire’s excellent seam quartet, which also includes club captain Joe Leach, Ed Barnard and Charlie Morris.
Jordan Thompson enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2020, finishing as his side’s leading wicket-taker in the Bob Willis Trophy with 15 wickets. Thompson had previously played just two first-class games for the county, but he has now surely earned a longer-term position?
The Leeds-born allrounder showcased his ability with both bat and ball, going so close to scoring his maiden first-class century last season when he scored 98 against Nottinghamshire.
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