Kent weak favourites for Twenty20

Picking the winner of any Twenty20 competition is a bit of a lottery, but that's not going to stop me taking a look at the betting for the domestic competition, which begins on Wednesday evening.

The fact that the bookies also have little or no firm idea who will emerge as winners is reflected in the betting, which is topped by Kent, the reigning champions, at a very weak 7/1 with bet365.

Robert Key captains Kent but for me they don't have the firepower needed to win this competition this time round, compared to some of the others. Durham, boosted by the arrival of Shaun Pollock and Albie Morkel are next at 15/2.

Somerset, with Marcus Trescothick, who was probably born to play in this competition, are 8/1, while county champions Sussex and Surrey, the first Twenty20 champions back in 2003, are each 9/1.

Lancashire are 10/1, while Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire (who have Chris Cairns back after his surprise return) are 12/1, with Gloucestershire and Northants 14/1, and Leicestershire, Worcestershire and Essex all 18/1 chances.

Both Leicestershire and Northants have been heavily tipped in various quarters for this competition, and it's not difficult to see why. Both sides have a stack of all-rounders in their side, good bowlers who can hit out and top batsmen who can turn their arms over to good effect, with spin perhaps being the key. They both look good value.

Without Shane Warne, I wouldn't touch Hampshire, at 20/1, while Glamorgan are the rank outsiders at 33/1.

My best advice is to watch the first round of matches and then dive in after that - the prices are unlikely to change too much and you will have a feel for who's likely to light up the competition again this year.

Considering the each-way odds, though, the longer-priced teams are excellent value because the top four go through to the semi-finals, which increases your chances of success rather than if it was a straight league format.