County Championship: Team-by-team guide to new season – and the England hopefuls to look out for

The County Championship returns with fresh hope and fresh opportunities for talents established and new up and down the land. Nottinghamshire will be looking for another strong season after ending Surrey’s run of titles in fabulous fashion last year as Peter Moores again proved himself one of the finest coaches in the county game. Leicestershire, meanwhile, caught the eye with their entertaining and imaginative brand of cricket as they romped to Division Two success last season, and join Glamorgan as newbies to the top flight.

Durham and Worcestershire, meanwhile, must bounce back from relegation, while Sussex’s hopes of a title challenge have been dented by a points deduction. On individual matters, the review of England’s tough Ashes tour to Australia potentially leaves places up for grabs, with Rob Key urging international hopefuls to press their case in the opening weeks of the season amid a softening of stance on the county game. Here’s our county-by-county guide to all 18 teams ahead of the new season.

DIVISION ONE Nottinghamshire Captain Haseeb Hameed (left) and coach Peter Moores led Nottinghamshire to last year's title (Getty Images) Coach: Peter Moores Captain: Haseeb Hameed So impressive on their way to the title last season, defending their crown will be tough for Nottinghamshire but most of the pieces remain the same. The loss of Mohammad Abbas to Derbyshire is a blow compensated for, somewhat, by the return of Australian Fergus O’Neill after a standout short stint last year, while Ben Duckett ’s availability as he looks to secure his Test spot by forgoing IPL riches is a boon. The battle between Liam Patterson-White and 18-year-old Farhan Ahmed for spin duties is a good headache for Peter Moores to have.

England hopeful to watch: Haseeb Hameed. History says that few players get three cracks at a Test career but Hameed looks a more complete batter now than in his two previous periods at the top of England’s XI. His 1258 runs last year came at an average of 66.