Without home comforts, how will Derbyshire fare in 2020?

BOB WILLIS TROPHY PREVIEW: A disappointing 2019 saw Derbyshire finish seventh in Division Two of the County Championship. With their home ground occupied by England Women in 2020, they have to take the show on the road

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Ins: Michael Cohen, Nils Priestley, Tom Wood, Ben Aitchison

Outs: James Taylor (Surrey), Alfie Gleadall (released), Hamidullah Qadri (Kent), Daryn Smit (retired)

Fixtures: August 1 - Nottinghamshire (a), August 8 - Leicestershire (a), August 15 - Yorkshire (a), August 22 - Durham (a), September 6 - Lancashire (a)

Remind me what happened last year?

In a sense, a missed opportunity, given that there were three promotion spots up for grabs from Division Two. A seventh-placed finish last year was the latest in a frustrating period of red-ball cricket for the county – they have not finished any higher than that in any of the last five years, though any disappointment there was offset by a maiden appearance at T20 Blast Finals Day.

The bowling attack was led by Ravi Rampaul, who took 44 first-class wickets, and Luis Reece, who claimed 52 with his left-arm seamers. He is one of an unusual breed – an opener with both bat and ball; he made two centuries as well in a profitable year.

Billy Godleman, Reece’s partner at the top of the order, was the only man to pass the 1,000-run mark. In the second tier, only Marnus Labuschagne scored more hundreds than the captain. In Wayne Madsen, whose 794 runs represented a mediocre effort by his high standards, Derbyshire still possess one of the finest county performers on the circuit.

What’s happened over the winter?

Derbyshire seemed to have recruited intelligently over the winter with the overseas signings of Sean Abbott and Ben McDermott. Both were due to play in the T20 Blast, while Abbott was due to feature in the first half of the County Championship and McDermott in the Royal London Cup. However, neither will now feature, with both deals being deferred until the 2021 season.

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Who’s arrived and who’s left?

It is a shame for Derbyshire that Hamidullah Qadri has chosen to move on to Kent, having made his first-class debut for the club as a 16-year-old. Likewise, veteran wicketkeeper Daryn Smit has retired to become the club’s head of talent pathway, opening the door for Harvey Hosein to take the gloves across all formats.

The signings of seamers Michael Cohen and Ben Aitchison are both exciting in their own way. Cohen is a highly regarded South African left-armer, while 21-year-old Aitchison was sought after by several counties following a successful grade cricket stint over the winter.

Who will be the key men in 2020?

It’s hard to look beyond an experienced core where Derbyshire are concerned. The top order triumvirate of Godleman, Reece and Madsen is as reliable as most in county cricket, while the additions of Cohen and Aitchison will look to take some of the load off Rampaul, who is now 35 years of age.

The absence of Tom Lace, so impressive on loan last year but now back with Middlesex, will add to the pressure on the batsmen, one of whom is new signing Tom Wood. Matt Critchley has signed a new contract, while Fynn Hudson-Prentice has shown himself to be a very promising prospect.

What can we expect from this team this season?

At the very least, they will be competitive. Dave Houghton has them built that way, while Dominic Cork has done a fine job as the club’s T20 coach. They will face three Division Two sides, as well as two from Division One. The game against Yorkshire will be an intriguing test.

With the Incora County Ground being used by England Women as a base for their proposed series against South Africa, Derbyshire will play all of their games in the Bob Willis Trophy away from home.

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