Twenty20 Champions

When Somerset's Graeme Smith hammered the Leicestershire attack all round the County Ground in Taunton to make 311 in a day in July 2005, a forlorn Foxes fan in the crowd kept trying to encourage his side's wilting attack by repeatedly shouting 'Come on Leicester, Twenty20 champions!'.

It smacked of clutching at straws, but, at that time they were, indeed, Twenty20 champions, having won the title at Edgbaston in August 2004. And now they are champions again.

Everyone takes Twenty20 seriously these days, but Leicestershire take it more seriously than most. There are few secrets; their game plan is usually to bat first and get good runs on the board, frequently courtesy of Darren Maddy, and then apply pressure with the ball and in the field. Economical pace and movement from Stuart Broad, slow variation from Jeremy Snape and Claude Henderson. It's not original, but it seems to work most times.

And Broad really does look good. But some caution would be wise. It's barely more than a year since he was one of the bowlers being humiliated by Smith, and most good young English bowlers collect injuries faster than they take wickets.

If he can avoid doing that, he's one to watch.