Back at the outset of the 2011 County Cricket season, we made what has turned out to have been a disastrous set of predictions (see links at the bottom of this piece), which at the weekend (as the picture above depicts) resulted in public humilation and more rotten tomatoes coming our way than the Yorkshire squad has had from its irate members and chairman.
What we got right
Not much actually. We did correctly predict that Middlesex and Surrey would challenge for promotion to Division 1, but there again we tipped Kent to go up as Champions, so we can hardly sing from the rooftops about that one.
What we got wrong
Pretty much everything else actually. We predicted that Warwickshire and Lancashire would be embroiled in a relegation battle and that the former and Worcestershire would be the two to go down.
We also prophesised that perennial bridesmaids Somerset would emerge as Champions with Durham, Yorkshire and Hampshire (in that order) making up the rest of the top four – it’s not just Colin Graves who thinks that Yorkshire’s performances this season were disgraceful.
Supporters of Northamptonshire and Derbyshire amongst others will also doubtless be happy to remind us of our woeful predictions for their team’s fortunes too.
What does this say?
Apart from the fact that we are clearly the most dreadful of tipsters, it also highlights how open the County Championship is – a fact that we believe makes it the best league competition in the world in any sport. Well that’s our excuse anyway.
Now where’s that cilice gone...
Where next?
County Championship Previews - Division 2: Derbyshire, Essex, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire, Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Surrey
County Championship Previews - Division 1: Yorkshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Sussex, Somerset, Nottinghamshire, Lancashire, Hampshire, Durham
County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Michael Carberry
10 reasons why neutrals should be glad Lancashire won the County Championship
Read all our County Cricket coverage
Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes
If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep
Comments