Surrey have been tipped to win their fourth successive Rothesay County Championship title in the ECB's pre-season fan poll, with over 50 per cent of respondents predicting success for the Kia Oval side.
Elsewhere fans have overwhelmingly backed Essex to win the Metro Bank One Day Cup women's competition, while Somerset are the fans' favourites to win the Vitality Blast men's competition.
Rothesay County Championship
Having bolstered their seam attack with former Yorkshire pacer Matt Fisher, Surrey will look to provide stiff test for their opposition in four-day cricket this summer. The South London side have won 24 matches in the County Championship over the past three seasons during their run of dominance.
The most likely team to end Surrey's streak, according to fans, is Somerset, who garnered 17 per cent of the vote. A perennial bridesmaid, the West Country side have finished second five times since 2010 but have never won the title. Recently-relegated Lancashire are heavy favourites to return back to Division One at the first time of asking, with 62 per cent of respondents backing the red rose county to win Division Two.
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Vitality Blast
2024 Charlotte Edwards Cup champions The Blaze have been tipped to continue their strong T20 form in the inaugural Vitality Blast women's competition, receiving 32 per cent of the vote. New signing Amy Jones joins fellow international stars such as Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sarah Glenn, Tammy Beaumont, and Kathryn and Sarah Bryce in the Nottinghamshire-based squad for the 2025 season.
Somerset were backed by 33 per cent of respondents to win the Vitality Blast men's competition poll, having reached the final in three of the last four seasons. The 2023 champions will have to see off Birmingham Bears, though, who were second favourites with 13 per cent of the vote. Bears have reached the knockout stages 14 times since the competition's inception in 2003 but have been knocked out in the quarter-finals on ten occasions, including in the last four seasons.
Gloucestershire are not predicted to repeat their fairytale run to the title from 2024, receiving just four per cent of the fan vote.
Metro Bank One Day Cup
Essex Women are tipped for silverware in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, with a huge 49 per cent of fans backing them for victory. Essex's nearest rivals, according to respondents, will be The Blaze (14 per cent) and Hampshire (12 per cent).
Somerset will win the Metro Bank One Day Cup men's competition, if fans are correct, having received 21 per cent of the vote ahead of Hampshire (18 per cent) and Leicestershire Foxes (nine per cent). Reigning champions Glamorgan were selected by five per cent of respondents to win their third title in four years.
Disability Premier League
Hawks fans were out in force to back their team for victory in the fourth edition of the Disability Premier League. The pioneering mixed-disability competition was established in 2022, with Anthony Clapham's Pirates side reaching all three finals to date, finally winning in 2024.
Hawks, led by England Physical Disability player Alex Hammond, received 72 per cent of the public vote, with the Pirates trailing in second with 19 per cent.