Warwickshire county cricket preview: New signings, released players, fixtures, predictions
EXPRESS SPORT is previewing the county cricket season and now the spotlight is on Warwickshire.
Ian Bell will continue to captain Warwickshire this season
Warwickshire
Last season
CC D1- 6th
RLODC- winners
T20- group stage, 6th.
New signings
Olly Stone (Northamptonshire)- three-year-deal
Grant Elliott (NZ) - Kolpak signing for T20 Blast
Players out
Richard Jones (Leicestershire)
Recordo Gordon (released)
Jeetan Patel could miss a part of the county season for Warwickshire
The new role at Edgbaston is a great opportunity and I am delighted to return to Warwickshire
Laurie Evans (Sussex)
Varun Chopra (Essex)
Jonathan Webb (released)
Freddie Coleman (released)
Overseas stars
Jeetan Patel (NZ)- all formats, 2017
Colin de Grandhomme (NZ) – T20 blast
Club captain
Ian Bell
Key man
Jeetan Patel – the New Zealander has been with the Bears since 2011 and is the best spinner on the county circuit, so his availability outside the ICC Champions Trophy will be fundamental to their success.
England radar
Sam Hain- another young, top order batsman who is highly thought of around the country and has performed in all three formats for Warwickshire.
Young gun
Andrew Umeed – Scottish batsman who played a handful of County Championship matches last season and scored his maiden first-class century against Durham.
This season's predictions
CCD1- 8th, relegated
RLODC- knockout stages
T20 Blast- group stage
Sam Hain is an exciting talent for Warwickshire
Ashley Giles has returned as sport director and there aren’t many people who know Warwickshire more than him.
Last season they managed to fight off the drop in the last few weeks of the campaign but with Jeetan Patel possibly missing for some part of this year, they could be floundering near the bottom again.
Expect the winners of last year’s Royal London One Day Cup to put in a good defence of their title but the T20 Blast could prove to be a different proposition for the Bears.
First fixture
CCD1- Surrey away, Friday 7th April
RLODC- Northamptonshire away, Thursday 27th April
T20 Blast- Worcestershire away, Friday 7th July