Who are the key players? How did they do last year? Where are they strong? Where might they be weak? Key questions answered ahead of the new T20 Blast campaign
Coach: Dominic Cork
Captain: Billy Godleman
Last season: Sixth in North Group
How did they do last year?
It was hard going, to put it mildly. Derbyshire won fewer games in the 2020 Blast than anyone and the individual statistics tell the story. No bowler took more than two wickets in an innings or four in the campaign; no batsman made it past 200 runs.
Five of Derbyshire’s seven defeats were by more than 54 runs or five wickets and their solitary victory, a four-run win over Leicestershire, was achieved when their chances of making the quarter-finals were over.
There were some mitigating factors (though probably not to the extent of winning just the once). Derbyshire were unable to play at home throughout the season as Derby had been handed to the international touring sides as a biosecure venue, and the public environs of Chesterfield was not an option. A team’s approach naturally changes from ground to ground, so this factor cannot be underestimated in Derbyshire’s 2020 travails.
Some teams – Nottinghamshire in particular – had access to two overseas players while Derbyshire had none at all due to financial constraints and the complexities of quarantine periods.
There was much for their specialist T20 coach Dominic Cork to reflect on by the end of the campaign, and with the young crop of bowlers struggling when called on last season, they had a new bowling coach to work with in Ajmal Shahzad, who replaced the Somerset-bound Steve Kirby.
Who are their key players?
Men's T20 Player Index No.289 Wayne Madsen, their classiest batsman, is always top of this list, while Matt Critchley offers threat with bat and wrist-spin. But Derbyshire desperately need more runs from their other experienced support players, such as Alex Hughes, Luis Reece and Leus du Plooy, than they got last year.
Ben McDermott had looked like an exciting addition but will miss the competition after being called up by Australia.
Brooke Guest and Harvey Hosein, who shared duties last year behind the stumps, will fight it out for the gloves.
Typically Wayne Madsen will be key for Falcons
What are their biggest strengths?
Youth and willingness to learn from such luminaries with varied experiences as Cork, Shahzad and head of cricket David Houghton. The biggest confidence boost will be the return to home comforts of Derby after an entire campaign of playing away in 2020. The fact Derbyshire made it to Finals Day in 2019 with much the same group of senior players when they were last on a level playing field should not be forgotten.
Where might they have a weakness?
Signing Billy Stanlake as overseas fast bowler was always going to be a risk given his track record of injury, and sadly the beanpole Australian broke down with a stress fracture on Championship debut for the county. The county have hastily brought in Logan van Beek, the New Zealander who has played for the Netherlands, for a second overseas spell at the club. Whether he can replicate the menace at the top and tail of the innings that Stanlake would have – and Ravi Rampaul used to before the discontinuation of Kolpak status – is a big question. Van Beek was not an unmitigated success in 2019 – but you can hardly blame Cork et al for plumping for him at such short notice in a pandemic.
Derbyshire look short of orthodox spin options, which explains why Alex Thomson has been brought in on loan from Warwickshire for the season.
Saying that, Fynn Hudson-Prentice has found a role late in the innings and Mattie McKiernan did manage to keep his economy rate below eight last season. Zimbabwean quick Dustin Melton was top of the averages last year, but having moved onto an official overseas deal in order to speed up his passport application, he will have to edge out one of van Beek to get into the XI.
What are their chances of reaching Finals Day?
Slimmer than most, but little is impossible in the Blast. On paper, their first-choice XI looks a strong one, but there are question-marks about the young players yet to nail down a spot. The history of county T20 suggests any team can make it to Finals Day if they crack their approach and get on a roll. But it will need a good start, and for the senior players to hit their stride.
Possible XI: Tom Wood, Billy Godleman, Wayne Madsen, Leus du Plooy, Luis Reece, Harvey Hosein, Matt Critchley, Alex Hughes, Logan van Beek, Fynn Hudson-Prentice, Mattie McKiernan
Fixtures: June 9 – Lancashire (a); June 11 – Leicestershire (a); June 13 – Birmingham Bears (h); June 15 – Lancashire (h); June 17 – Northamptonshire (h); June 18 – Nottinghamshire (a); June 20 – Yorkshire (a); June 22 – Leicestershire (h); June 24 – Birmingham Bears (a); June 25 – Nottinghamshire (h); July 2 – Worcestershire (h); July 9 – Durham (a); July 16 – Northamptonshire (a); July 18 – Yorkshire (h)
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