Who are the players to watch? Who’s in the squad? What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? What is the fixture list? Your questions answered
Head coach: Dave Houghton
Captain: Billy Godleman
Overseas players: Dustin Melton (Zimbabwe), Billy Stanlake (Australia)
Players in: Brooke Guest (Lancashire), Nick Potts (youth)
Players out: Tony Palladino (retired)
Fixture list: April 8 – Warwickshire (a); April 15 – Worcestershire (h); April 22 – Durham (a); April 29 - Nottinghamshire (h); May 13 – Essex (a); May 20 – Durham (h); May 27 – Worcestershire (a); June 3 – Warwickshire (h); July 4 – Nottinghamshire (a); July 11 – Essex (h)
Remind me what happened last year?
Quietly beneath the radar, Derbyshire made a fine fist of the Bob Willis Trophy, finishing second in the North Group and losing just once in five games.
That they were still in contention for a place in the final as they headed into the last round of matches spoke volumes for the county’s progress under the stewardship of Dave Houghton and the captaincy of Billy Godleman, an understated leader who has grown following spells early in his career with Middlesex and Essex.
They were led in runs by Leus du Plooy and Luis Reece, while leg-spinning allrounder Matt Critchley topped the wicket-taking charts with 17 victims – another nod to the value of playing red-ball cricket away from the spring months.
Billy Godleman in action last summer
What’s happened over the winter?
First and foremost, they plotted the path for the future. Nils Priestley, Tom Wood, Mattie McKiernan and Nick Potts have all signed new contracts, with Potts on a rookie deal to highlight the obvious potential seen in the teenage seamer.
“The impression that he’s made on all of us has been fantastic,” head of talent pathway Daryn Smit told The Cricketer. “He’s trained with an England Under-19 training squad, where he’s really impressed as well. I think we’ve realised that he’s starting to turn some heads at a higher level, so before we have other counties looking at him, we need to secure him.”
Meanwhile, Dustin Melton has become an overseas player – the brilliantly named fast bowler had previously been a Kolpak player until the change in regulations intervened.
However, following the departure of stalwart seamer Tony Palladino at the end of the 2020 season, Melton has benefited and might be afforded opportunities. It is a show of faith in the abilities of the 25-year-old, whose professional career currently stands at six first-class appearances and four T20 outings.
Who’s arrived and who’s left?
While Melton has been retained, Ravi Rampaul – another former Kolpak player – has departed, having missed the 2020 season. It means his final game for the county was the T20 Blast semi-final against Essex in September 2019.
His absence, though, will be offset in all formats by the signing of giant Australian fast bowler Billy Stanlake, who is due to be available for the entire 2021 campaign.
Derbyshire had lined up a deal with compatriot Sean Abbott last year before the pandemic forced the cancellation of the deal.
“Billy is a player we’ve been watching for some time, there’s not too many players of his quality available for all formats, so it’s really pleasing to get him in,” added Houghton.
“He’s tall and he bowls at a high pace with a good level of bounce and variation. He’s someone who has made his name with the white ball, but he’s determined to show what he can do in first-class cricket as well. That hunger will be huge for us, and he’s a great addition bowling attack.”
He joins another Australian, Ben McDermott, who has signed up for both county white-ball competitions.
Who will be the key men in 2020?
Luis Reece: Derbyshire’s squad is nicely balanced these days, with a combination of youthful exuberance and wily, experienced characters. Reece is the piece that binds the puzzle together: something of a rarity in the modern game as an opening batsman who opens the bowling.
Only du Plooy scored more runs in last year’s shortened season, while only Critchley contributed more wickets. Now 30, he is a key figure, having joined the county after his release by Lancashire at the end of the 2016 season. Career averages of 34 with the bat and 26 with the ball are more than useful. His relationship with Billy Godleman at the top of the innings is a major strength.
Wayne Madsen: One of the best players on the county circuit for more than a decade now, Madsen, 37, isn’t done yet. A couple of mediocre years in red-ball cricket have him determined to fix that recent record, though he was one of three century-makers for the county in 2020, suggesting there’s plenty of life left in the legs of a man with 10,869 first-class runs for Derbyshire.
“I think it’s about proving it to yourself – as soon as you start proving to yourself that you belong, you have the confidence to go out there and perform,” he told The Cricketer of his longevity. “I think that’s what it was for me – as soon as I’d proven to myself that I belonged at this level and could score runs consistently, then it becomes a lot easier.”
Fynn Hudson-Prentice: The allrounder, who began his career at Sussex, is at the forefront of the burgeoning new era under Houghton. It was his unbeaten 91 that guided Derbyshire to a remarkable three-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire last year, successfully chasing 365 at Trent Bridge. Alongside a batting average of 37.46, he has taken 21 red-ball wickets at 27.14 apiece for the club.
One to watch?
Ben Aitchison: Last year was the first of Ben Aitchison’s professional career, having joined Derbyshire at the start of the shortened campaign as a diamond in the rough, via the circuitous route of the club game, where he plays for Formby. He earned his deal after impressing in grade cricket the previous winter, taking 26 wickets in 11 games for Parramatta. Despite his season ending prematurely after suffering an ankle injury, he was handed a two-year extension in October.
What can we expect from this team this season?
Derbyshire’s Bob Willis Trophy exploits displayed a team benefiting from a clear strategy. A challenging group includes two games against county champions Essex, but they will fancy
themselves for success against Division Two rivals Durham, Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire, especially after a famous win at Trent Bridge last season.
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