Napier's four-point plan

Napier believes Essex can be successful on four fronts this season © Getty Images

Graham Napier believes Essex have the squad to compete for honours in all competitions this season.

The all-rounder believes they have the experience to gain promotion to the First Division of the LV County Championship and defend their Natwest Pro40 title, as well as challenge in the Friends Provident Trophy and Twenty20 Cup.

Napier admits the loss of veteran Darren Gough to Yorkshire during the close season will be a huge challenge for Essex’s next crop of aspiring bowlers, but is confident the club have the depth of talent to cope.

“We’ve got a great, young side as well as experienced, so I do not see any reason why we shouldn’t be in the top two of the championship, defending our Pro40 title and going further in the Twenty20,” Napier told ecb.bo.uk. “We feel as if we are contenders in all of the competitions.

“Goughie will be a huge loss out of the dressing room. He is an international bowler but we’ll also miss him through his sense of humour and the bubble he brings to any dressing room.

Napier insists Essex will cope with Darren Gough's departure

“This gives opportunities for our younger guys to come in and step up to the mark, and if they can perform as well as he did when he was with us, they are going to be very good cricketers.

“Whether it's youngsters like Mervyn Westfield and Maurice Chambers or, at the other end of the scale, Grant Flower - whose Test record is exceptional - we know we have plenty of back-up. They can fill anyone’s boots and carry on where they left off.”

Essex will start the season without England one-day all-rounder Ravi Bopara and will lose opener Alastair Cook to Test call-ups throughout the summer, but Napier sees it as a chance for the fringe players to produce the goods on a more regular basis.

He added: “In championship cricket we have our moments when we have been as good as anyone but have other times when we have slipped up.

“We’ve got quite a few young guys but now we have a mix of experience and youth.

"When the gap between very experienced players and young players is closing then you have more chance of being consistent.”

On a personal level, Napier is praying that his injury problems are about to come to an end.

Napier expects to be fit for the encounter against Cambridge

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He will miss the opening LV County Championship match against Derbyshire, which starts on Wednesday, due to an elbow problem, having suffered hamstring trouble last summer.

He said: “I am bowling in the nets at 60-70 per cent effort without any problems and am playing a second team game on Tuesday.

“Hopefully, I will be up for selection next week for the first team. We’ve got Cambridge at Fenner’s [starting on May 9] which is probably more of a realistic goal but I always try to be available.

“To be knocked out of the side through injury rather than form is difficult,” Napier added, referring to his injury-interrupted 2006 campaign. “But it’s how you bounce back from injuries which is the most important thing for any cricketer.

“I came back really well in the Twenty20 semi-final [last year] so I was really pleased with my performances.

“During that Twenty20 period I was at the top of my game. I know that if I’m fit and I’ve got games under my belt, my performances will be good enough to be scoring runs and taking wickets.”