Durham
Captain: Scott Borthwick
Head Coach: Ryan Campbell
2023 finish: Champions (Division Two)
2023 highest run-scorer: Alex Lees (1,347)
2023 highest wicket-taker: Ben Raine (60)
The most important winter moves: Scott Boland, an Australian cult hero, has signed an overseas deal until the end of July. He could play up to nine Vitality County Championship matches alongside South African batter David Bedingham, who returns for a full summer. Leicestershire has signed England Lions left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson and experienced Netherlands batter Colin Ackermann. Club legend Graham Onions returns as the lead bowling coach from Lancashire with a burgeoning coaching reputation.
Anticipated sights: Durham is not aiming to simply survive in Division One. With the positivity exuded by their coach Ryan Campbell, it is clear that they have big ambitions. Surrey, be warned! Campbell has expressed his disdain for draws, so get ready for an exciting journey.
Who is most likely to play Bazball: Alex Lees, who was the leading run-scorer in Division Two last season, was previously an England opener at the beginning of the Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes era. He is eager to reclaim his position and tends to dominate from the start.
Final note: Durham's seam bowling unit appears formidable for the upcoming 2024 season. Boland, who is starting his first county campaign, has high expectations. Additionally, Ben Raine and Matthew Potts, both fast bowlers, took over 50 wickets in Division Two last season. The team also boasts Brydon Carse, Bas de Leede, Paul Coughlin, and young gun Ollie Gibson. Furthermore, the wily left-arm spinner Parkinson adds to the team's strength. It is no wonder that there is a lot of excitement building in the North East.
Essex
Captain: Tom Westley
Head Coach: Anthony McGrath
2023 finish: Second (Division One)
2023 highest run-scorer: Tom Westley (1,130)
2023 highest wicket-taker: Simon Harmer (61)
The most important winter moves: Essex acted quickly and intelligently to address the departure of Sir Alastair Cook and the move (to Surrey) of Dan Lawrence. They recruited South African Dean Elgar, a former Test captain, to bolster their top-order batting and secured the services of talented wicketkeeper-batsman Jordan Cox from Kent to strengthen their middle-order.
The main question: Which player from the Academy will be the next to emerge? Charlie Allison, Luc Benkenstein, and Noah Thain all played for England's under-19 team last winter and demonstrated enough potential in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup last season to merit consideration at some point this summer.
Anticipated sights: For the first time since 2019, the two dominant teams in domestic red-ball cricket over the last decade, Essex and Surrey, are scheduled to play each other both at home and away. It would be a spectacle to relish if the season's finale at Chelmsford in late September was to determine the winner of the title.
Who is most likely to play Bazball: If the conditions are favourable, Matt Critchley has the ability to rise to the occasion, accelerate the scoring rate and seize control of the game by hitting a flurry of boundaries. Additionally, his leg-breaks can be highly disruptive to the opposition.
Final note: Despite the loss of Cook and Lawrence, Essex still boasts one of the most balanced and penetrative bowling attacks in the competition. Seamers Jamie Porter and Sam Cook will soften up the opposition batsmen and take their fair share of wickets, while Simon Harmer will confound any survivors with his relentless off-spin.
Hampshire
Captain: James Vince
Head Coach: Adi Birrell
2023 finish: Third (Division One)
2023 highest run-scorer: James Vince (1,007)
2023 highest wicket-taker: Mohammad Abbas (53)
The most important winter moves: Ali Orr has relocated to the coast to strengthen the top-order batting. Australian fast bowler Michael Neser has primarily joined for the Vitality Blast, but may also feature in the Championship. Aneurin Donald is the only significant departure, while Scott Currie and Mason Crane are on season-long loans away from the newly rebranded Utilita Bowl.
The main question: Can Hampshire finally end their title drought after 52 seasons since their last Championship win? With Kyle Abbott and Keith Barker entering their twilight years, this may be the last chance for this highly-talented era.
Anticipated sights: Observing Ali Orr's performance in Division One, those who have regularly watched the left-handed batter have praised his shot-making abilities and predicted that he will achieve England honours. Hampshire has been searching for a reliable opener since the days of Michael Carberry and Jimmy Adams, and the 22-year-old may be the ideal candidate to establish a foundation for James Vince and Liam Dawson to capitalise on.
Who is most likely to play Bazball: England has already given John Turner a Development Contract after being impressed by his performances in 31 professional matches. He is very quick, accurate, and likely to dismantle batting line-ups this season.
Final note: After three successive third-place finishes, they have all the ingredients to make another run at the title, but can they do it this time? They concluded the previous season by defeating the top two teams, with only Surrey matching their eight victories throughout the campaign. Erratic performances have hindered them in recent seasons, but if they can achieve consistent performance in all sessions, they should be able to win some silverware. A visit to the Kia Oval in late April will be a good indicator of their chances.
Kent
Captain: Daniel Bell-Drummond
Head Coach: Matt Walker
2023 finish: Eighth (Division One)
2023 highest run-scorer: Ben Compton (735)
2023 highest wicket-taker: Wes Agar and Matt Quinn (both 21)
The most important winter moves: The departure of Jordan Cox to Essex caused some concern, but the arrival of Matt Parkinson from Lancashire and the availability of Xavier Bartlett for the first three months have more than made up for it. Additionally, George Garrett and Michael Cohen are expected to strengthen the bowling attack, which struggled towards the end of last season.
The main question: Was Kent fortunate or unfortunate last year? Critics may argue that surviving on the final day indicates the former, but the club could argue that they were dealt a bad hand after losing six potential overseas bowlers to injuries and having to do without Nathan Gilchrist for almost the entire season. Despite this, they played as well as they could.
Anticipated sights: Canterbury: A paradise for spinners? Parkinson is arguably Kent's biggest transfer coup in a generation, providing them with a genuine match-winner and a front-rank spinner, which they may have lacked since James Tredwell retired. Hamid Qadri is improving continuously, and 18-year-old Jaydn Denly, a nephew of Joe, made his way into the white-ball squad last year.
Who is most likely to play Bazball: Grant Stewart has a tendency to either score quickly or not at all. His lower-order pyrotechnics have saved several failing innings.
Final note: Can Kent hope for anything more than survival this year? They managed to stay up by beating Northamptonshire twice and drawing five, but 2023 was an often grim experience that ended with players, staff and supporters alike huddled around phones and laptops to watch Middlesex's nerve-wracking defeat at Trent Bridge. However, with canny reinforcements, there is at least some hope for this season.
Lancashire
Captain: Keaton Jennings
Head Coach: Dale Benkenstein
2023 finish: Fifth (Division One)
2023 highest run-scorer: Josh Bohannon (1,257)
2023 highest wicket-taker: Tom Bailey (50)
The most important winter moves: Dale Benkenstein has replaced Glen Chapple as head coach. The ex-South Africa batter has moved from Gloucestershire. The Red Rose have made an eye-catching overseas signing for the winter, bringing in Australian off-spin legend Nathan Lyon. Initially, he was signed for a full season, but Cricket Australia recently revised his availability to seven matches during the first half of the summer. New Zealand batter Tom Bruce will also be joining Emirates Old Trafford for the full summer.
Anticipated sights: The arrival of Lyon is an exciting prospect. However, from an English perspective, it will be interesting to see if Josh Bohannon, the England Lions skipper and the county's new vice-captain, can replicate his brilliant performance from the 2023 summer. Bohannon was the leading run-scorer in the top flight. If he can maintain his form, he may earn a Test call-up.
Who is most likely to play Bazball: Lancashire has several potential candidates, including the dynamic young wicketkeeper-batsman Matty Hurst, provided he gets a chance to play. However, the imposing and experienced opener Luke Wells can dismantle a bowling attack if he gets into his stride.
Final note: A fifth-place finish in the Championship last season was disappointing, but Lancashire has finished second in all three competitions in 2022. They faced difficulties in obtaining results on flat pitches at Emirates Old Trafford, which led to the signing of Lyon. Following his impressive 22-wicket return in the India v England Test series, there will be a lot of attention on left-arm spinner Tom Hartley. During the first half of the summer, when playing two spinners in English conditions is not always possible, how will Lancashire's management handle his development?