Glamorgan Cricket: Coach Matthew Maynard wants promotion fight

Marnus Labuschagne (right, with Matthew Maynard) is top of the world rankings for Test batters

Glamorgan coach Matthew Maynard says his team should be "fighting all the way" for promotion in the County Championship as they start their season at home to Durham.

Two teams from eight in Division Two will be promoted as the competition reverts to its pre-Covid format.

Australian seamer Michael Neser is included in the squad, but is doubtful after a side strain.

Meanwhile South Africa's Colin Ingram deputises for Marnus Labuschagne.

Australian Test star Labuschagne arrives from Pakistan too late to be considered for the opener, but is likely to play in the second round away to Nottinghamshire, facing England bowler Stuart Broad.

That would give him five Championship matches before a probable call for Australian duties in Sri Lanka.

James Weighell is likely to feature against Durham if Neser is ruled out, while Callum Taylor, Dan Douthwaite and Tom Cullen appear to be contesting one place.

"At times in previous seasons we've started slowly, but last year we started really well in the Championship against a strong Yorkshire side and bred confidence from that first game," Maynard told BBC Sport Wales.

"There's a challenge that 25% of the sides are going up, so we want to be fighting all the way."

New signings

Experienced batter Sam Northeast is set to play a major role after being a key figure at Kent and then Hampshire, though he was unsettled in 2021 with fleeting stops at Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.

"He brings a wealth of experience, he's a quality player and he's one of those guys that really can make a difference in a squad over a whole campaign," said vice-captain Kiran Carlson.

James Harris spent six seasons at Glamorgan at the start of his career before moving to Middlesex, and the county hope his three-year deal will see him become the 'Mr Reliable' of the seam attack after Michael Hogan retires this year.

Somerset batter Eddie Byrom joined on loan at the end of 2021 and will be a leading candidate to open the innings once he has recovered from a minor operation.

New captain

David Lloyd takes over the captaincy from Chris Cooke for four-day and T20 cricket, with Carlson retaining the One-Day Cup role after leading the county to victory in 2021.

Lloyd, who was unbeaten in seven Championship matches as stand-in skipper in 2019, is the first player born in North Wales to be appointed since Wilf Wooller in 1947.

"It's special for myself and my family. My mum and dad did a lot of hard work when I was a kid driving me to Cardiff and back so a lot of it's down to them," said Lloyd.

"Hopefully it can give young kids back home the feeling they can do it as well. There's a huge following up north and hopefully we can get back to Colwyn Bay.

"With the squad we've got, we should be challenging for all three competitions. Winning that [One-Day Cup] trophy has given the whole group a lift, that belief we can win trophies and hopefully we can compete in all formats."

New opener

Spinner Andrew Salter, usually in the lower middle-order, will open the batting against Durham, his pre-season form seeing him preferred to Joe Cooke in Byrom's temporary absence.

"I started at three against Somerset at Taunton, we were blessed with a decent batting deck and it was nice to spend some time in the middle," said Salter.

"I've always enjoyed being chucked up the order, I've done it a couple of times at three so to face the new ball would be a great opportunity and a really good challenge in April."

Prospects

Glamorgan are strong enough on paper to challenge for promotion if they maintain the standards of early 2021 rather than the late-season collapse, while the lack of calls from the Hundred tournament should give them a strong chance of defending the One-Day Cup.

But getting a winning T20 formula is a major concern for supporters after several disappointing campaigns.

First opponents Durham finished third in the second division in 2021, effectively ninth in the rankings to Glamorgan's 12th, after an innings victory in their meeting at Chester-le-Street in September.

They field England opener Alex Lees, but South African signing Keegan Petersen is still on international duty.

Glamorgan (from): Lloyd (capt), Salter, Ingram, Northeast, Carlson, C Cooke (wk), Taylor, Douthwaite, Cullen, Harris, Neser, Weighell, van der Gugten, Hogan.

Durham (from): Lees, Jones, Borthwick (c), Bedingham, Dickson, Clark, Eckersley (wk), Trevaskis, Raine, Potts, Rushworth, Coughlin, Gibson.

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