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County Championship Division One: Can Yorkshire claim top spot again?

Here's all you need to know ahead of the 2015 season...

NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 12:  Yorkshire celebrate with the County Championship Trophy after beating Notts to secure the league.

The County Championship kicks of again on Sunday.

Yorkshire are the team to beat as they look to succesfully defend their 2014 trophy - but can they do it?

Here, Sky Sports' cricket writer David Currie guides you through their chances and predicts where each side will finish...

YORKSHIRE

2014: Champions
2015 prediction: Champions

Sky Bet odds: 11/4

Image: England hopeful Alex Lees was voted PCA Young Player of the Year for 2014

Chances in a tweet: Have the best XI, squad and coach. Favourites to win back-to-back titles even with a large contingent set to be pinched by England.

Wicket-taker: Jack Brooks, although take your pick, with former England stars Ryan Sidebottom and Tim Bresnan added to the mix, plus the leg-spin of Adil Rashid. Brooks, though, finished second in the wicket-taking charts last season and is a consistent county performer.

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Century-maker: Alex Lees. With his opening partner Adam Lyth perhaps playing for England, Lees will be required to score the bulk of the runs. And even with Lyth there, Lees should look to leapfrog him in the international pecking order.

Young player to watch: Will Rhodes (all-rounder)

Overseas players: Aaron Finch (Australia, from end of May), Glenn Maxwell (Australia, T20), Cheteshwar Pujara (India, until end of May), Kane Williamson (New Zealand, final three County Championship games)

Ins: Josh Shaw (Yth)

Outs: Azeem Rafiq (Rel)

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

2014: Fourth
2015 prediction: Second

Sky Bet odds: 9/2

Image: Brendan Taylor scored back-to-back tons for Zimbabwe at the World Cup

Chances in a tweet: After a few seasons of mid-table mediocrity, the 2010 winners should launch a title tilt this time, aided by some solid overseas pros.

Wicket-taker: Will Gidman. Although an all-rounder, Gidman has a first-class bowling average of 22.13. The ex-Gloucestershire man became just the seventh player to achieve the double of 1,000 runs and 50 wickets in his first year there in 2011, so can he match or even surpass that level in his debut season at Trent Bridge?

Century-maker: Brendan Taylor. Arrives as a Kolpak player, giving up his international cricket with Zimbabwe. The 29-year-old only adds to the top-order quality of Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, James Taylor and Samit Patel.

Young player to watch: Sam Wood (batsman)

Overseas players: Vernon Philander (South Africa, until early June), Ben Hilfenhaus (Australia, from early June), Darren Sammy (West Indies, part of T20)

Ins: Brendan Taylor (Kolpak), Will Gidman (Gloucestershire), Greg Smith (Leicestershire)

Outs: Andre Adams (Hampshire), Ajmal Shahzad (Sussex), Phil Jaques (Rel), Sam Kelsall (Rel)

SUSSEX

2014: Third
2015 prediction: Third

Sky Bet odds: 8/1

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Matt Prior tells Sky Sports News that he would still like to play for England

Chances in a tweet: Always in the mix due to ability to take 20 wickets. But batting relies too heavily on Ed Joyce and Luke Wright to really push for title.

Wicket-taker: Tymal Mills. While veteran overseas man Steve Magoffin took a division-leading 72 wickets at 19.51, the 35-year-old needs the pace at the other end to complement his probing line and length which hopefully Mills can provide.

Century-maker: Matt Prior. England’s loss is Sussex’s gain as Prior will provide some additional steel to the middle-order. In just two appearances in 2014 he scored a century and averaged 87.

Young player to watch: Matt Hobden (all-rounder)

Overseas players: Steve Magoffin (Australia), Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka, first half of T20)

Ins: Tymal Mills (Essex), Ajmal Shahzad (Nottinghamshire)

Outs: Yasir Arafat (Hampshire), Rory Hamilton-Brown (Ret), Jon Lewis (Ret – becomes bowling coach)

DURHAM

2014: Fifth
2015 prediction: Fourth

Sky Bet odds: 8/1

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Mark Wood has received his first call-up to the England Test squad for the tour to the West Indies

Chances in a tweet: A slim squad that continue to defy expectations, with title win in 2013 and then by surviving the drop last year. Will be safe again.

Wicket-taker: Mark Wood. Highly rated by England, was given his first call-up to the senior squad for the tour to the West Indies despite an average-at-best 2014. Will want to improve on 18 wickets at 34.16 apiece this summer in order to bring further international recognition.

Century-maker: Ben Stokes. This time last year he was England’s bright hope after scoring their only century in a disastrous Ashes tour. Has lost his way since, in part due to being treated as only a part-time batsman. He will have the chance to prove otherwise with greater responsibility for Durham.

Young player to watch: Gavin Main (seam bowler)

Overseas players: John Hastings (Australia)

Ins: None

Outs: Gareth Breese (Rel)

WARWICKSHIRE

2014: Second
2015 prediction: Fifth

Sky Bet odds: 9/2

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William Porterfield speaks of his pride in Ireland's World Cup performances

Chances in a tweet: Unlikely to pose as big a threat as last year with little added over winter, and perhaps a lot lost if Jonathan Trott returns for England.

Wicket-taker: Jeetan Patel. Arguably the best and most-consistent overseas pro across the last decade, Patel had another impactful season last year with 59 scalps at 26.32 apiece.

Century-maker: Will Porterfield. Carried himself and his Ireland side brilliantly at the World Cup and may have to similarly carry Warwickshire’s top order with Trott and Ian Bell both likely to absent for long spells.

Young player to watch: Sam Hain (batsman)

Overseas players: Jeetan Patel (New Zealand), Brendon McCullum (New Zealand, seven-match T20 deal)

Ins: None

Outs: Jim Troughton (Ret), Paul Best (Ret)

HAMPSHIRE

2014: First in Division Two (promoted)
2015 prediction: Sixth

Sky Bet odds: 9/1

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James Vince hopes to impress the England selectors for Hampshire in 2015

Chances in a tweet: Led by Jimmy Adams, have a good shot at survival on their Division One return with a particularly strong-looking batting line-up.

Wicket-taker: James Tomlinson. Had a strong 2014, finishing as Hampshire’s leading wicket-taker with 47 scalps at 25.85 apiece. Provides the variety in the attack that a left-armer offers, but for him to be the standout bowler shows a slight lack of options for Hampshire which could hurt them.

Century-maker: James Vince. Top-scorer in Division Two last year by some distance with 1,525 runs. Tipped for the future England captaincy by ex-teammate Dominic Cork, Vince repeating that tally of runs in the top tier will help him on his way.

Young player to watch: Tom Barber (seam bowler)

Overseas players: Jackson Bird (Australia, April-June), Yasir Arafat (Pakistan, one-day cricket only)

Ins: Fidel Edwards (Kolpak, from end of July), Andre Adams (Nottinghamshire, short-term contract as player-coach), Gareth Berg (Middlesex)

Outs: Matt Coles (Kent), David Balcombe (Surrey), Michael Bates (Rel), Ruel Braithwaite (Rel)

SOMERSET

2014: Sixth
2015 prediction: Seventh

Sky Bet odds: 8/1

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - MARCH 22:  James Hildreth of Marylebone Cricket Club bats during the Champion County match between Marylebone Cricket Clu
Image: James Hildreth scored 89 for the MCC against Yorkshire in pre-season

Chances in a tweet: Must hope new coach Matthew Maynard can gel together a squad with a mix of experience and youth which hasn't fired in the last couple of years.

Wicket-taker: Alfonso Thomas. The Overton twins are rightly talked up and should stay on people’s radars but it’s 38-year-old Thomas who continues to outperform both as leader of the attack.

Century-maker: James Hildreth. At 30 years old and hopes of an England call-up now likely behind him, Hildreth can look to concentrate solely on Somerset and dominate county attacks in much the same way as team-mate Marcus Trescothick has for the past few years.

Young player to watch: Tom Abell (batsman)

Overseas players: Abdur Rehman (Pakistan), Chris Gayle (West Indies, six-match T20 deal), Sohail Tanvir (Pakistan, first half of T20), Corey Anderson (New Zealand, second half of T20)

Ins: Tim Groenewald (Derbyshire), Jim Allenby (Glamorgan), Tom Cooper (Netherlands), Ollie Sale (Yth), Tim Rouse (Yth), Sam Wyatt-Haines (Yth)

Outs: Nick Compton (Middlesex), James Burke (Surrey), Craig Meschede (Glamorgan, season-long loan)

MIDDLESEX

2014: Seventh
2015 prediction: Eighth (relegated)

Sky Bet odds: 10/1

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Steven Finn took a World Cup hat-trick against Australia in an otherwise disappointing tournament

Chances in a tweet: A young, talented group which has yet to really deliver on their promise. Survived only just last year and could be in trouble again.

Wicket-taker: Steven Finn. We’re back where we started. After being sent home from England’s tour to Australia last winter and told to ‘fall back in love with cricket’, Finn forced his way back into the international fold only to again look a shadow of his former self. Desperately needs a strong season for Middlesex.

Century-maker: Nick Compton. With Chris Rogers on Ashes duty for most of the summer, Compton must fill the run-scoring void at the top of the order he leaves behind.

Young player to watch: Cameron Steel (all-rounder)

Overseas players: Adam Voges (Australia)

Ins: Nick Compton (Somerset), James Franklin (New Zealand), Max Holden (Yth), George Scott (Yth), Robbie White (Yth)

Outs: Joe Denly (Kent), Adam Rossington (Northamptonshire), Ollie Wilkin (Rel), Gareth Berg (Rel)

WORCESTERSHIRE

2014: Second in Division Two (promoted)
2015 prediction: Ninth (relegated)

Sky Bet odds:  33/1

Image: Saeed Ajmal has had his bowling action cleared by the ICC

Chances in a tweet: Every year at least one promoted team tends to struggle. That could be Worcesterhsire, especially with overseas star Saeed Ajmal only available for half the year.

Wicket-taker: Jack Shantry. Not only did Shantry take an impressive 53 wickets for the season in 2014, in one game against Surrey he took 6-87, smashed a maiden century from 86 balls, then took a further four wickets for his first ever 10-wicket haul, too.

Century-maker: Daryl Mitchell. Tallied the most number of centuries in the second division last year with five and was second only to Hampshire’s James Vince for total runs scored. A similar, if not greater, effort is required in order for Worcestershire to make the step-up.

Young player to watch: Tom Kohler-Cadmore (batsman)

Overseas players: Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan, from July latest), Sachithra Senanayake (Sri Lanka, first half of season), Colin Munro (New Zealand, T20)

Ins: Alex Gidman (Gloucestershire)

Outs: Nick Harrison (Rel), Matt Pardoe (Rel), Graeme Cessford (Rel)

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