Alex Gidman

Alex Gidman’s potential was spotted early by Rod Marsh when he was selected to captain the 2004 England A tour of Malaysia and India, despite only establishing himself in the Gloucestershire team in 2003.

Gidman is a useful all-rounder

Now vice captain of Gloucestershire, Gidman is primarily a powerful right handed middle-order batsman but he also bowls steady medium pace, picking up ten wickets at 22.40 during the 2007 Friends Provident Trophy.

He has recently returned from a successful winter playing domestic one day cricket in New Zealand and will be looking to continue this form in the 2008 Friends Provident Trophy as Gloucestershire look to come out on top in the South West group against Somerset, Hampshire, Worcestershire and Glamorgan.

Full name: Alexander Peter Richard Gidman
Born: June 22, 1981, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
Major teams: England A, Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire Cricket Board
Nickname: Giddo
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium
Height: 6ft 2in
Batting

Matches: 115
Innings: 107
Runs: 2,508
High Score: 100
Ave: 26.68
100s: 1
50s: 15

Bowling

Wickets: 48
Best Bowling Figures: 5/42
Average: 38.83
Economy: 5.30
Strike Rate: 43.9

David Sales

At the age of 18, the hard-hitting David Sales announced himself on the first class scene with 210 not out against Worcestershire in 1996, becoming the youngest person to score a Championship double hundred.

Sales was prolific last season

The following seasons proved frustrating until 2000-01 when he was selected for England A on a tour to the Caribbean.

Sales was appointed county captain in 2004, and has continued to produce consistently for Northants particularly in the 2007 Friends Provident Trophy where he scored 371 runs at an average of 74.20.

Standing aside as captain for the 2008 season, Sales will be key to Northants' hopes in the Midlands division of the Friends Provident Trophy.

Full name: David John Grimwood Sales
Born: December 3, 1977, Carshalton, Surrey
Major teams: Northamptonshire, Wellington
Nickname: Jumble, Car-boot
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium
Height: 6ft 0in

Batting

Matches: 217
Innings: 205
Runs: 6,020
High Score: 161
Ave: 34.01
100s: 4
50s: 41

Graham Onions

Graham Onions made his Durham debut in 2004, four years after his career was threatened by a double stress fracture of the shin.

Onions will lead the attack for Durham

He was called up to replace Darren Gough in England's one-day squad for the final three one-dayers against Pakistan in September 2006, although did not feature in the playing XI.

That winter he toured Bangladesh with England A, under the then-Academy director Peter Moores, where he continued to impress.

Despite a difficult 2007 season, Onions was selected for the England Lions tour of India where he was the leading wicket taker with 18 wickets. This year, with the retirement of Durham’s leading wicket-taker Otis Gibson, Onions will be pressing his claims for a place in the England side as the defending champions look to retain the Friends Provident Trophy.

Full name: Graham Onions
Born: September 9, 1982, Gateshead
Major teams: Durham, Durham Cricket Board, Marylebone Cricket Club
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium-fast
Height: 6ft 2in

Batting
Matches: 34
Innings: 12
Runs: 46
High Score: 11
Ave: 5.11
Strike Rate: 65.71
100s: 0
50s: 0

Bowling

Wickets: 34
Best Bowling Figures: 3/39
Average: 34.47
Runs Per Over: 5.27
Strike Rate: 39.2

Steven Finn

Steven Finn is a big man with an even bigger future. A 6ft 8in right-arm fast-medium bowler he made his county debut for Middlesex as a 16-year-old in 2005, the youngest to do so since Fred Titmus in 1949.

Finn has impressed for Middlesex

He has played regularly for the Middlesex 2nd XI and made occasional appearances for the 1st XI in 2007.

He was called up to England's performance squad in India in the same year and was selected for England's Under-19 World Cup squad in 2008 where he was a stand-out performer picking up eight wickets at 10.37 with a miserly economy rate of 2.37 runs per over.

With a natural short length that pushes batsmen onto the back foot, Finn will be looking to the Friends Provident Trophy to establish himself as a regular in the Middlesex side as he strives for higher honours.

Full name: Steven Thomas Finn
Born: April 4, 1989, Watford, Hertfordshire
Major teams: England Under-19s, Middlesex, Middlesex 2nd XI
Nickname: Finny
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium-fast
Height: 6ft 8in

Batting

Matches: 5
Innings: 1
Runs: 2
High Score: 2
Ave: 2.00
Strike Rate: 50.00
100s: 0
50s: 0

Bowling

Wickets: 8
Best Bowling Figures: 3/23
Average: 19.00
Runs Per Over: 4.90
Strike Rate: 23.2