The roller's return and other disappointments
In part two of ESPNcricinfo's awards for the 2013 county season, George Dobell looks at some alternative categories
Tougher work permit criteria mean Trent Copeland won't return to Northamptonshire in 2014 • Getty Images
While the ECB's policy of lobbying for tougher work-permit criteria was well-intentioned, there is increasing evidence that it has now become too hard to register non-England qualified players. Trent Copeland and Cameron White, for example, who provided fine service for Northants in 2013, are both ineligible to return as they have not played the sufficient number of international games in the qualifying period. As a result, the standard of the county game will be eroded just a little more and developing English players will not benefit from the experience of playing with and against such tough, experienced cricketers. Combined with the absence of the leading England players, the unavailability of the best overseas talent and the growing use of young-player incentives, such moves increase the gap between domestic and international cricket.
Few could dispute the value of England Lions fixtures or central contracts to the development of the England team. But there is a growing concern that, by continuing to raid the county game during the season, England are actually creating a greater gap between the domestic and international games. There will always be a tough balance to strike in such circumstances, but the current policy may well damage the strength of the England side in years to come by weakening the Championship in which developing players learn their skills.
While few had called for it, the heavy roller made a comeback in 2013. It meant that, after some of the most entertaining years in county cricket's history, pitches were returned to a slow, colourless uniformity that did little for spectators. There are some decent reasons for allowing the use of the heavy roller in Championship cricket - not least to help replicate conditions found in international cricket - but when combined with the lack of pace in most county surfaces, it resulted, all too often, in bland, attritional cricket that rewarded persistence and patience more than flair and skill. A wider consultation on the issue might prove beneficial.
It's not the award Surrey were after, but it's the only one they can win. After investing heavily in new recruits - Vikram Solanki and Gary Keedy alongside the overseas contingent - Surrey won only one Championship match and finished bottom of Division One. There were mitigating factors - they played on awful pitches at The Oval that did nothing for their bowling attack - but there was the unavoidable sense of a side that had lost its way in 2013.
The increased availability of audio commentaries from county games has been one of the delights of recent years. So those involved at the BBC and ECB deserve credit for agreeing a deal that ensured another year of the service at a time when many newspapers were cutting back. The success of The Cricket Paper, a publication that by embracing the county game is exploiting a significant niche left by the mainstream, is also welcome, as is the growth in online coverage from various bloggers and sites such as Deep Extra Cover. Their enthusiasm and commitment continues to shame those who should know better.
Trust your own. Both Northants and Durham excelled in 2013 through trusting their own players and not attempting to bring in too many imports. There is, of course, a place for role-model cricketers and signings that strengthen and lead. Northants' squad, in particular, is a result of years of recruitment. But one of the key roles of counties remains to produce players from their own locality to strengthen the domestic game and challenge for England honours; both Northants and Durham remembered that in 2013. They also showed the timeless value of shared experienced and values in constructing a team spirit that will withstand the inevitable stresses and strains of a county season. While teams such as Surrey sought short-cuts to success, Northants and Durham provided a reminder that there is no substitute for a side that has grown together and is playing with a sense of unity and purpose that, under pressure, perhaps provides an extra edge that can turn defeats into draws and clinch tight games. Gratifyingly, both sides showed that good coaching, scouting and management will beat the chequebook every time.
George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo