On The Circuit

One promotion, in the one-dayers, but nowhere near a second. Still, few matched their 20 wins and heads are held higher than last autumn. The bad news came early: signing the injured Shane Bond (who will probably get a second chance, so bare is the overseas cupboard) left the attack a one-man band, with only the occasional parp from the others. When Jon Lewis was captaining, and neither knackered nor peeved by all that 11th-hour motorway-pounding for Queen and country, he was never knowingly underbowled or underbold. Otherwise only Steve Kirby offered anything that could be mistaken for menace, as allowing lowly Glamorgan to pile up 597 underlined. Martyn Ball was typically canny in the abridged version but, when you play on puddings, spin is seldom the sweet option. The batting, by comparison, was a full orchestra. Hamish Marshall entered with a bang; Craig Spearman returned with one after personal problems in 2005; Alex Gidman and Kadeer Ali (who finally hit a first-class hundred at the 82nd try) enjoyed their most fruitful seasons; Phil Weston signed-off ruggedly; and, best of all, Chris Taylor shrugged off losing the captaincy and looked as nifty as any man can reasonably expect to in two-tone blue pyjamas.

Rob Steen The Wisden Cricketer

Once again a Derbyshire man lifted the County Championship. Unfortunately Chris Adams was leading Sussex at the time. But after a decade of squandering talents like Adams sensible management produced a warm glow at Derby. Kindled by a pre-season darts night in Graeme Welch

The last-day blow out that ended Essex

As soon as Robert Croft inserted Essex in the first Championship game and watched them rack up 639 for 8 declared, one sensed it was not going to be Glamorgan

The Essex allrounder Ryan ten Doeschate has signed a new two-year contract to keep him at the club until the end of the 2008 season.

Ten Doeschate, 26, notched his maiden hundred in 2006

Bill Gordon of the The Oval has been awarded the groundsman of the year honour for both the four-day and one-day category with Mick Hunt of Lord

Tim Phillips, the Essex left-arm spinner, has signed a deal that will keep him at Chelmsford until 2009. He took 60 wickets in all cricket during 2006 but will face more competition next summer with Danish Kaneria due back as an overseas player.

"To be given this new contract is another reflection of how I've progressed this year," said Phillips. "Now that I've established myself I want to push on by taking more wickets, scoring more runs and generally improving on what I've done this year."

"Hopefully I can still do that with (fellow spinners) Danish Kaneria and James Middlebrook also here and playing for places."

Ian Salisbury, Surrey

Michael di Venuto has joined Durham as their only overseas player for the 2007 season. di Venuto left Derbyshire at the end of the recent summer and will replace Jimmy Maher in the north east.

From 2008 counties will only be able to field one overseas player but Martyn Moxon, the Durham coach, says the club's position is open to review next season.

Will Smith, the former Nottinghamshire batsman, has also joined the club as has Mitchell Claydon, who was recently released by Yorkshire. Will Gidman, the brother of Alex, has also become part of the squad.

"The decision to go for one overseas player at the start of the season is primarily made to give our young talent the opportunity they have earned," said Moxon. "Playing two overseas players reduces the chances our emerging players get to develop their skills."

Derbyshire have signed James Hopes, the Queensland allrounder, as their second overseas player for the 2007 season. He has played nine one-day internationals but is not involved in the current Australian squad preparing for the Champions Trophy.

Hopes will join Travis Birt, the Tasmanian batsman, at the County Ground and is a replacement for Michael di Venuto, whose services were not retained after the 2006 season.

Hopes told the Derbyshire website: