Class May Be Permanent But Form Wins You Championships

So the 2012 campaign is about to get underway; two jumpers a must at this time of year. A chilly county cricketer hit the nail on the head on twitter last week when he moaned: "love it when it's the first day of the season and I'm scraping ice off my car!" At The Middle Stump we are not worried about the cold, we are going to look back at last season and the players that were on fire!

This is a quick look at last season's run getters and wicket takers in Division 1 of the 2011 County Championship. In batting order, of course.

1. ME Trescothick

    Somerset

   

    Innings- 23  

    Runs- 1673

    Average- 79.66

    Highest Score- 227

2. EC Joyce

    Sussex

    Innings- 29

    Runs – 1269

    Average- 45.32

    Highest Score- 140

3. AD Hales

    Nottinghamshire

    Innings- 22

    Runs- 1023

    Average- 51.15

    Highest Score- 184

4. NRD Compton

    Somerset

    Innings- 22

    Runs- 1010

    Average- 56.11

    Highest Score- 254*

5. DM Benkenstein

    Durham

   

    Innings-26

    Runs-1353

    Average- 61.5

    Highest Score- 150

 

6. JM Bairstow (WK)

    Yorkshire

    Innings- 24

    Runs- 1015

    Average- 46.13

    Highest Score- 205

    Catches/Stumpings 43/0

7. SR Patel

    Nottinghamshire

    Overs- 265.4

    Wickets- 31

    Runs- 798

    Average- 25.74

8. CR Woakes

   Warwickshire

    Overs- 406.4

    Wickets- 56

    Runs- 1220

    Average- 21.78

9. S C Kerrigan

    Lancashire

    Overs- 183

    Wickets- 24

    Runs- 437

    Average- 18.2

10. KW Hogg

      Lancashire

      Overs- 309

      Wickets- 50

      Runs- 940

      Average- 18.8

11. G Chapple

      Lancashire

     Overs- 412.4

     Wickets- 55

     Runs- 1090

     Average- 19.81

A team blending greenness with experience, young with old. A team with a handful of England caps and surely a lot more to come. There are a lot of runs in that side and a lot of wickets! Will the same players prosper this season? What are your thoughts?