Bevan bears heavy load

Bevan has already played for two other counties

Test Match Special commentator Simon Mann assesses Leicestershire's prospects for the 2002 county season.

After several seasons of relative success, Leicestershire look to be in decline and will do well to finish out of the bottom three.

The club's tight budget has convinced several leading players to leave and, inevitably, they have not been adequately replaced.

The club also enters the new season with an inexperienced coach. Jack Birkenshaw has been eased into an advisory role and replaced by former player, Phil Whitticase

The departures of Aftab Habib, Ben Smith and James Ormond are major losses.

  Championship prediction

Relegation on cards

In 2001, Habib averaged 41, Smith 46.03, and Ormond took 48 wickets in 11 championship games.

They were key members of a side that was still only good enough to finish fifth.

Of those who remain, Devon Malcolm took a remarkable 68 championship wickets last season, but the former England fast-bowler is in his 40th year and it is unreasonable to expect the same again.

Phil De Freitas, meanwhile, is 37 and missed half of last season with injury.

Jamie Grove from Somerset and Charlie Dagnall from Warwickshire have been signed with a view to bolstering the pace attack.

Neither is a proven performer and they played little championship cricket last summer.

Leicestershire will argue their pace attack has a mixture of experience and promise, but it might prove to be a blend of the old and the unexceptional.

Jamie Grove adds youth to an ageing attack

It could work, but the signs are not promising.

At least Michael Bevan's arrival will strengthen the side - in both forms of the game.

He begins his fifth season in county cricket after successful spells with Yorkshire and Sussex.

Bevan is a world class performer in one-day cricket but is also capable of heavy scoring in the first-class game. For Sussex in 2000, he compiled 1,124 championship runs at 74.93.

There is no reason to believe the runs will dry up.

His left-arm wrist spin will also be useful. Leicestershire, like many other counties, are woefully short of quality in the spin department and Bevan's all-round success rate will have a big bearing on Leicestershire fortunes.

The loss of Smith, the only Leicestershire player to pass 1,000 runs last season, and Habib is likely to have a considerable effect on the team's batting strength.

  Leicestershire 2002

Captain: Vince Wells

Coach: Phil Whitticase

Overseas player: Michael Bevan

Main signings: Jamie Grove (Somerset), Charlie Dagnall (Warwickshire), Rob Cunliffe (Gloucestershire)

Departures: Aftab Habib (Essex), James Ormond (Surrey), Ben Smith (Worcestershire), Jonathan Dakin (Essex), Scott Boswell, Billy Stelling

Rob Cunliffe has been signed from Gloucestershire but is not of the same calibre. He is a dangerous player on his day, especially in one-day cricket, but he has been inconsistent and made little impact in 2001.

Vince Wells is in charge for his third season and faces his biggest challenge.

It will be interesting to see how much damage has been done by the loss of two trophies last season and the winter exodus. Most teams would falter.

For him to succeed, it would help if Darren Maddy rediscovered the form that won him an England call-up in 1999 and if Trevor Ward and wicket-keeper/batsman Neil Burns followed up their fine efforts in 2001.

Darren Stevens and Iain Sutcliffe have their parts to play as well. Both underachieved last season with Stevens' form was particularly disappointing (218 runs at 21.80).