Hussey targets promotion

Skipper Hussey has been in the runs over the winter

Test Match Special's Simon Mann assesses Northamptonshire's prospects in the 2002 County Championship.

No other county has undergone such an overhaul of playing staff during the winter and the emphasis has been on replacing veterans with youth.

After the disappointment of double relegation last season, they should be strong enough to challenge for promotion in the championship as they were only six points short of staying up last time round.

Five pace bowlers have been signed and the team has a new captain, its fifth in the last seven years, in Australian Mike Hussey.

He made 2,055 championship runs at 79.03 last summer and his appearance in the Second Division will not be good news for average bowlers hoping for a quiet day.

  Championship prediction

Promotion contenders

Of the five seamers brought in, Ricky Anderson from Essex and Michael Cawdron from Gloucestershire are the more proven.

Anderson turned down the chance of a new contract at Essex and he should be a useful signing. Injury restricted him to 7 matches last summer but his 29 wickets came at just 22.93.

Carl Greenidge, son of the great West Indian batsman Gordon, is another for whom a change was essential.

Competition for places was intense at Surrey and like Ben Phillips, who has joined from Kent, he did not play a championship game last summer.

Phillips' career has been blighted by injury and he has barely any first-class cricket in the last three seasons.

Darren Cousins is an able spearhead when fit

The fifth addition is 20 year-old Tom Baker, who did not play a championship match for Yorkshire and will probably have to wait a while for his chance at Northampton.

Last season's skipper David Ripley has retirerd after 18 seasons and his replacement is South African-born Gerard Brophy, who qualifies for county cricket through his British passport and has signed a two-year deal.

Northamptonshire's promotion in 2000 was built on the success of opening bowler Darren Cousins, who took 67 wickets, and the spin partnership of Jason Brown and Graeme Swann, who were helped by the pitches at Wantage Road and shared 98 wickets.

Last season, Cousins was restricted to eight matches because of injury, while the spinners found life hard against first division batsmen - Swann's 30 wickets came at 45 apiece and Brown's 28 at 50.

  Northamptonshire 2002

Captain and overseas player: Mike Hussey

Coach: Bob Carter

Main signings: Carl Greenidge (Surrey), Ben Phillips (Kent), Michael Cawdron (Gloucs), Ricky Anderson (Essex), Tom Baker (Yorks), Gerard Brophy

Main departures: Alec Swann (Lancs), David Ripley(retired), Paul Taylor, Michael Strong, Kevin Innes, Lesroy Weekes

Brown somehow needs to rebuild his confidence after his failure to make any impact on England's winter tour to Sri Lanka in 2001.

It affected his performances last summer but his bowling carried enough menace the season before to suggest he could re-establish himself.

If Northamptonshire are to challenge and improve their wretched one-day form, then the return to fitness of David Sales is important.

A knee injury forced him to miss the entire championship programme in 2001 but, encouragingly, he played with success in New Zealand during the winter.

The responsibility will be on him and the experienced Mal Loye, Russell Warren and Tony Penberthy to produce a significant weight of runs to back up the bounty expected from the new captain.