Time for some cricket – if weather permits
THE new Derbyshire County Cricket League season will start – a week late – for some local clubs tomorrow but it already seems certain others will have to call off their opening games due to the relentless wet weather which has left many grounds struggling to cope.
In many cases, the actual wickets, especially at grounds where they can be covered, are playable but water has still failed to soak away on the outfields, leaving them swampy – with the added issue that mowers and rollers can then not be taken out to the squares themselves.
The league have already put back the start of the season by one week until this weekend but several clubs are saying that will not make enough difference.
However, when the action starts, the Burton area has three teams in the top flight, the Beechwood Mazda Derbyshire Premier Division: Alrewas, Dunstall and Rolleston.
Ticknall, meanwhile, relegated after a 13-year stay in the top flight, during which time they won the title in 2018, will be rebuilding in Division One.
Division Two will include Tutbury, who fell away after a strong start last year, and promoted Walton-on-trent but Lullington Park are another side in need of a rebuilding job.
Relegated from Division Two last year, they will be playing in Division Three South and can expect plenty of local derbies, with neighbouring matches against Hartshorne, Alrewas seconds, Etwall, Rolleston seconds, Trentside and Winshill.
Here is a quick look at what’s happening with the leading local sides.
ALREWAS
There is a lot to be said for continuity and stability and Alrewas, having finished seventh and eighth in their first two seasons since being promoted to the Premier Division, will again approach the season with much the same squad as before and with James Burton continuing as captain.
They will hope for more runs this season, with New Zealander Nick Kwant contributing most with 593 in the league last season.
Burton himself, with one century and one 50 last time in 423 runs, will no doubt be targeting a stronger season.
One notable change is that Kwant is not returning and the new overseas signing is 37-year-old former Bangladesh international Jahurul Islam, who played for Stone in the North Staffs League last year.
He had a highest score of 48 in seven Test matches for his country but a first class record of 8,571 runs, with 18 centuries and 46 fifties bodes well, while he has scored more than 6,000 more in the shorter formats. He is likely to bat at three.
DUNSTALL
One very different look to the Dunstall side will be that longstanding club stalwart Jamie Benstead has stood down from the first team.
For many years, it was Benstead’s reliable runs at the top of the order that underpinned their efforts but in the last few years, his bowling had become a big weapon as well. He was capable of running through a batting order on a good day.
Tom Hill, with the club since 2008, will captain the side this year. The allrounder had a solid season last year, with 500 runs and 44 wickets.
The spin department will be bolstered by the arrival of Luke Nelson from Rolleston, while Jack Allen, a 6ft 7in seam bowling prospect joins from Uttoxeter, although they will be taking
it easy with him as he has had a season out with injury.
An interesting addition and something of an unknown quantity locally is batsman Jay Parmar.
Dunstall are one of the few sides who have been able to fit in a friendly, away to Duffield a fortnight ago, and newcomer Parmar, who has played most of his cricket down south, hit 11 sixes in a knock of 76 from 55 balls.
Last season’s captain, Callum Brodrick, is still on board but is starting the season serving a five-match suspension.
ROLLESTON
Obviously the big loss is allrounder Daryn Smit, who inspired their promotion to the top flight in 2022 and their consolidation in it last season. Smit has joined Clifton in Division One, that being closer to home.
Bowling was plainly stronger than batting last season, as captain Tom Liversage acknowledges, and the seam department will again have a familiar look to it, led by Graham Dent, Alex Brown and Ben Liversage,
supplemented by Derbyshire prospect Harry Moore when county and Repton School commitments permit.
They have also signed highlyrated left-arm bowling all-rounder Hishaam Khan. The Nottinghamborn player has had spells with both Leicestershire and Kent’s seconds.
Young Derbyshire academy spinner Rehan Azam joins from Nottingham club Gedling.
Liversage says: “We will be looking to improve and push on from a disappointing end to last season where we finished just above the bottom two, having promised so much when being fifth at the halfway point.
“The bowling unit out-performed the batters last season so we will be looking for key batsmen Gareth Marshall, Richard Green and myself to have more consistent seasons.”
TICKNALL
Tom Wood, who was released by Derbyshire at the end of his contract last year, had never relinquished his ties to Ticknall and starts this season in a new position as captain and coach.
The aim is obviously simple enough: “To get promoted back to the premier league at the first time of asking!” says Wood.
He will hopefully have the tools at his disposal to make that happen, not least his own now considerable experience as a hard-hitting opening batsman.
Rahib Ali, Will Hobson and Olly Tucker have moved on but former Derbyshire all-rounder, Greg Cork, very much the star man last season, is still on board.
Returning to the club is batsman and spinner Luke Harvey, who spent most of his early years with Ticknall, so the top of the order looks strong.
A big blow in the bowling department, though, is that seamer Waseem Fazal has suffered an ACL injury and is likely to miss the season.