Change can be scary – it can also be exciting – and the
wholesale changes that have been made over the winter signal a new era at
Emirates Old Trafford.
That being said, Lancashire find themselves in an
all-too familiar position, relegated to the second division and odds-on
favourites to make an immediate return, hoping to sustain a longevity if they
are able to complete this task.
Ashley Giles has been appointed as the new
Director of Cricket and Head Coach and since the inception of his tenure there
have been a number of alterations to personnel in both a playing and general
capacity. Lancashire also have a new club captain in Tom Smith, who was their
Player of the Season for 2014 after claiming 54 Championship wickets. The two
key signings thus far have been Alviro Petersen and Peter Siddle, who should
both be capable of achieving high standards in Division Two, but the alarming
concern is the departure of several bowlers including Kyle Hogg and Kabir Ali.
Lancashire must not succumb to complacency and assume that another season in
Division One beckons for them.
Ashwell Prince revoked his decision to retire at the end of last year and will be a vital player once again this season. |
Lancashire can consider themselves as the unluckiest of teams
in English T20 history. The team with the most victories is yet to win the
title and last year was as close as they have come to a maiden T20 trophy. If
disappointing was the best way to describe their T20 endeavours then their
50-over campaign would be best described as woeful. Not necessarily because
Lancashire finished second-bottom of their group with only two victories in
eight matches, but because they suffered monumental defeats to Yorkshire and
Hampshire in their first two games, which affectively ended the Lightning’s
interests in the campaign. The 50-over contest is being used as a vehicle for
introducing youth players to the first team, although Lancashire may be more
desperate for a one-day title after a long absence of limited-overs silverware.
Ins: Nathan Buck (Leicestershire), Haseeb Hameed (Youth), Matthew
Parkinson (Youth), Saqib
Mahmood (Youth), George
Edwards (Surrey), Alviro
Petersen (Kolpak)
Outs:
Andrea Agathangelou (Released), Oliver Newby (Released), Kabir
Ali (Released), Wayne White
(Derbyshire)
Andre Agathangelou has been released by Lancashire. |
Key Player:
In a new era for Lancashire their
newly appointed club captain Tom Smith has a lot of expectation to fulfil, but
his all-round capabilities make him the one-to-watch in 2015. Smith was the
undisputed Player of the Season last year, not just because of how well he
performed, but due to the lack of consistency shown by others, as Lancashire
were relegated for the second time in three seasons. Not only was Smith
Lancashire’s leading wicket-taker in Championship cricket, he also played a
prolific role in the group stages of the Natwest t20 blast at the top of the
order and his ability to contribute with bat and ball will be invaluable if
Lancashire become involved in a race for promotion. A tip of the cap must also
be given to his second in command, Steven Croft, who also had a promising
season despite the disappointment of relegation. The way in which these two
lead will be crucial and with a number of young players coming through the
ranks, Smith and Croft have an unenviable task ahead of them.
Tom Smith replaces Glen Chapple as club captain. |
Player to Watch:
Tom Bailey enjoyed a brief spell of
success towards the end of 2014 and after the departure of several club
mainstays he is likely to be the future of Lancashire’s bowling attack.
Injuries to the likes of Hogg and Ali provided Bailey with a chance in the first
team and being thrown in at the deep end proved to be worthwhile to his
development. The 23-year-old featured in three County Championship matches and
four 50-over games claiming 13 wickets, but his best is yet to come and the
experience of Siddle will be enlightening for not just Bailey but the likes of
Buck and also Edwards. Bailey made his debut in 2012 and his inclusion in
Lancashire’s pre-season matches have been encouraging to say the least, but
whether or not he has the potential to fill the enormous shoes of Glen Chapple
remains to be seen.
Tom Bailey is the future of Lancashire's bowling attack. |
Overseas Signings:
Peter Siddle |
The signing of Peter Siddle came as welcome news to the Old
Trafford faithful, who were starting to worry how they were going to replace
the likes of Hogg and Ali, not to mention the possibility that former captain
Chapple could be playing a very shrouded role at the club in a coaching
position. Siddle was set to be available for the first half of the season, but after receiving a recall to the Australian side, Lancashire will have to look for a replacement, meaning the pace bowler can play in a maximum of four Championship fixtures if Cricket Australia consent to it.
His previous experience at Nottinghamshire and Ashes-winning
pedigree should provide the Red Rose with a destructive talent and in the
second division Siddle could be a formidable presence. A one-year spell at
Trent Bridge proffered 37 wickets in just 11 County Championship matches and
Siddle’s time with the Australian side has seen a return of 192 wickets in 56 Tests at an average of 30.45. Who will replace Siddle
remains a mystery, but there have been suggestions that Junaid Khan could
return in a t20 capacity.
How they’ll fare:
After being relegated in 2012, Lancashire were expected to
make an immediate return to Division One and the weight of expectation will be
no lighter this time around. Anything other than promotion would be seen as
failure in the County Championship and with a number of quality players in
their ranks, Lancashire can and should be contending for the Division Two
title. A top order consisting of Horton, Prince and Petersen ought to be
capable of posting scores which eluded Lancashire for most of last season and,
despite wholesale changes to the bowling attack, the Red Rose have a superb spinner
in Simon Kerrigan and should be able to take 20 wickets on a regular basis.
The Lightning were narrowly beaten by the Birmingham Bears on Finals Day at Edgbaston last year, |
Limited
overs success has eluded Lancashire for too long now, but the frustration of
falling at the final hurdle in last year’s t20 competition may be a sign that
the Lightning are close to silverware in white-ball cricket and as one of the
most consistent teams in t20 history they regularly find themselves in
contention for Finals Day.
Opening Fixture:
v Derbyshire, Sunday 19th April 2015, 3aaa County Ground,
Derby.
Season Odds (SkyBet):
LV County Championship Division: 3/1
Royal London One-Day Cup: 16/1
Natwest Twenty20 Blast: 12/1
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