'Six-hitting, England, the IPL and me' - Dimitri Mascarenhas – exclusive

After he became the first Englishman to sign for the IPL, everyone wanted a full-length interview with Dimi Mascarenhas. While other news outlets have grabbed the odd minute with him, SPIN sat down with him for 90 minutes to get the full story: how come he's so good at hitting sixes? Did he turn down the chance to play for Australia? Was he ever embarrassed at how Shane Warne tried to talk him into the England side? And will the IPL be the end of his England career?

Full county preview

Who'll win? Which players will come onto England's radar? And, with the IPL looming, is it all just a case of re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic? SPIN asks the big questions ahead of the county season - big names led by Bob Willis, Graeme Hick, Chris Adams and Steve Kirby tell us the answers. PLUS full team-by-team guide.

Hawkeye

We're the only publication in the world to have as-seen-on-TV Hawkeye graphics and data. Didwe mention that? This month: Jimmy Anderson's ongoing struggles; Ryan Sidebottom's ongoing honeymoon period; and Tim Southeee's amazing debut are put under our Hawk-powered microscope.

Freddie Flintoff's comeback – the secret diary

It took Freddie Flintoff seven months to come back from his ankle operation. what was he doing all that time? Via exclusive interviews with Fred's back-up team SPIN traces the long road back for England's talisman, a tale of many countries and many surprises.

The desert Roses match and other stories

Lancashir and Yorkshire were just two of the five counties to warm up for the season with a trip to Abu Dhabi – SPIN went along for the ride.

Leading Edge

Our snappy front section is, as ever, a feast of cricket-themed infotainment, from columnist George Dobell declaring himself bored with the IPL to Alison Mitchell's tour diary to Anthony Pope's plastic world tothe make-or-break decisions facing English and aussie selectors ahead of the 2009 Ashes. Phew. We can't explain it here. Go and read it.

Graham Thorpe

He's the best pundit in the business - and you can read him exclusively in SPIN every month. This month, Thorpey has been in India, looking at England's next opponents, South Africa. He's also pondering whether, if the IPL had come along three years ago, he would have rushed to sign up.