County Championship cricket captains overwhelmingly back England to win Ashes
A survey of all 18 County Championship captains has revealed that an overwhelming number – 83 per cent – of first-class leaders back England to win the men’s Ashes this summer.
Just two of the 18 captains backed the Green and Golds to triumph in the five-Test series while one backed a draw – and therefore an Australian win by proxy given this summer’s tourists currently hold the urn.
The same question surrounding the women’s Ashes drew a closer result with 10 captains backing the hosts and eight backing the away side.
County Championship captains speak their minds
This summer’s Ashes will feature the men’s and women’s competitions side-by-side for the first time with a number of the women’s matches sold out or close to capacity.
Elsewhere in the survey, Surrey and Lancashire were joint favourites to land the top tier County Championship title while Yorkshire, Durham and Gloucestershire are seen as those set to vie for promotion.
Five captains believe Lancashire’s Keaton Jennings will be the leading run scorer in the top tier while four back Rory Burns and Dom Sibley – in division two four captains back Adam Lyth of Yorkshire to knock the most runs.
Seven captains believe Essex’s Simon Harmer will top the wicket-taking stats, more than double second-placed Kyle Abbott of Hampshire.
Recent England debutant Rehan Ahmed, plus Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith, Jordan Cox, Jack Haynes, George Hill, Dan Mousley, Tom Prest, Top Price and James Rew all get a mention for the most exciting England-qualified player not from the captain’s own county.
The County Championship begins tomorrow as Surrey look to defend the title they won in 2022 while Gloucestershire and Yorkshire aim to bounce back into the top flight having been relegated last year.
This year’s division one additions, Middlesex and Nottinghamshire, will be hoping to stay in the top flight given the effort put in to make it to the top level of county cricket in England.