County Championship preview: Leicestershire

2009 in a nutshell Don't ask. Bottom of Division 2 of the championship, managing just two wins all season. Only two batsmen scored more than 1,000 runs and one of them, Boeta Dippenaar, has gone. Fared slightly better in limited-overs cricket but any improvement was of the finding a penny having lost a pound variety. LV County Championship Division 2 9th Pro 40 Division 2 8th Friends Provident Trophy Eliminated at group stage Twenty20 Cup Eliminated at group stage What they'll be playing in this season LV County Championship Division 2 Clydesdale Bank Pro40 Group C Friends Provident Twenty20 – North Captain Matthew Hoggard. Also head chef, bottle washer and inspiration in chief, Oggie, recently of Yorkshire and not so long ago of England, has a great deal riding on his shoulders. Coach Tim Boon. Just had his contract extended to at least 2011 and told to push ahead with local talent. Boon, 48, was a key player for a decade around the mid-1980s and had immediate success winning the Twenty20 Cup when returned as coach in 2006. Ins and outs In Andrew McDonald, Will Jefferson (Nottinghamshire), James Benning (Surrey), Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire), Brad Hodge Out Jim Allenby (Glamorgan), Boeta Dippenaar, HD Ackerman Overseas players Andrew McDonald (Australia), Brad Hodge (Australia – Twenty20). Having invested heavily in these two Australians, plus James Benning, Leicester seem to be directing their fire at the Twenty20 Cup, the competition they won in 2004 and 2006, although there are whispers that they might have to do it without veteran wicketkeeper Paul Nixon because of past links with the ICL. Key man Hoggard. It is impossible to look any further than the new captain who must still be smarting at getting the elbow from Yorkshire despite being their leading wicket-taker last summer. Otherwise there is the up-and-coming England Lion, James Taylor, who got his cap and 1,184 championship runs last season. Ashes factor Hoggard is still hoping but… Prediction for 2010 Sixth in Division 2. It looks like Twenty20 is the best bet while Boon goes about getting more homegrown talent in place. Taylor, Josh Cobb, Greg Smith, Nathan Buck, Alex Wyatt, Shiv Thakor, Ben Collins and Tom Wells are all part of the England age-group set-up. Otherwise it is going to be mid-table at best everywhere.