Time for some cricket – if weather permits
THE new Derbyshire County Cricket League season will start – a week late – for some local clubs today but it 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 put back the start of the season by one week until this weekend but several clubs have said that will not make enough difference.
Here, anyway, are some notes on how the 12 Derbyshire Premier Division sides are shaping up for the new campaign.
Swarkestone are bidding for a third successive title but have lost Andre Bradford, Nils Priestley and Tommy Sturgess.
Alex Hughes captains again and scored 747 runs last season, while Tom Hamilton added 626. All-rounder Ben Hutchinson remains on board. Derbyshire’s Harry Came and Ross Whiteley are registered for when the county does not need them.
Denby were runners-up last year but will miss the runs of Sri Lankan Shanuka Vithanawasam this time. Mitch Bradley captains and they have brought in the combative Rob Peat and Liam Sadler from Cutthorpe. Other than that the squad looks much the same and they would do well to match last season’s finish.
Ockbrook & Borrowash again finished third in 2023 and Gareth Young continues as captain after a 53-wicket season. All-rounder Josh Lacey scored 721 runs and took 51 wickets last time and returns from another successful winter in Australia ready for another tilt at the player of the year award.
Sandiacre Town will count fourth place last year as disappointing and as usual the story is of continuity with a few tweaks, with Bill Anderson remaining as captain.
Scott McNeill (897 runs) and Connor Marshall (700) will be key again but David Torr has moved on. Josh Brear, joining from Spondon, will be a solid replacement. Dan Wheeldon is approaching evergreen status as the leader of the seam attack.
Spondon will be captained by Alistair Dixon who will hope to improve on his 472 runs last years but they have lost Josh Brear and Mitch Wagstaff to Sandiacre and Alvaston & Boulton respectively.
They have recruited 23-year-old South African top order bat Matthew Volker, who already has experience in this country.
Jack Gorbert, Isaac Harrison and Matt Madeley contribute to a varied bowling attack and all-rounder Joe Ashdown can never be ruled out.
Alvaston & Boulton are again captained by Tom Knight and again have Garry Park on board, who contributed 930 runs last time.
Nafis Shaikh has moved on but county-contracted Mitch Wagstaff from Spondon is a strong addition. Indian right-hand bat Daanish Mehta is the overseas signing.
Dunstall’s captaincy is taken on by all-rounder Tom Hill and they have to
fill the considerable gap left by Jamie Benstead stepping down after more than 20 years in the first team. His bowling had become as effective as his batting in recent seasons.
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.
An unknown quantity locally is batsman Jay Parmar who hit 11 sixes in 76 from 55 balls in a friendly against Duffield a couple of weeks ago.
Alrewas are about continuity and stability for their third Premier Division season after finishes of seventh and eighth.
James Burton continues as captain and the squad will be much the same.
The big change is that New Zealand batsman Nick Kwant will not be back for a third season 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. Seven Tests and a first-class return of 8,571 runs, with 18 centuries and 46 fifties bodes well.
Cutthorpe will miss overseas allrounder Hashen Ramanayake, who has joined Duffield.
They have signed Joe Bullimore from Eckington but he and Paul Burdett will have much to do with the bat. Ed Barlow takes the captain’s armband for what might be a tricky season.
Rolleston will miss all-rounder Daryn Smit, who has moved closer to home with Clifton in Division One.
They started well but fell away to finish 10th last season, when bowling was stronger than batting.
Tom Liversage captains again and is expecting more runs from himself, Richard Green and Gareth Marshall, while Graham Dent, Alex Brown and Ben Liversage again lead the seam attack.
They have signed highly-rated left-arm bowling all-rounder Hishaam Khan and Derbyshire academy spinner Rehan Azam joins from Nottingham club Gedling.
Belper Meadows are finally in the top division after a very long wait, having been denied by their facilities the last time they finished in a promotion position.
They are up after following a stellar promotion season last time, their second promotion in a row.
Michael Lidsey continues as captain and will hope Sahd Shafiq (625 runs) and Jamie Rowland (592) can again show prominently.
Chris Stevenson, Kabeer Imtiaz and Harry Tonks will lead the bowling and experienced all-rounder Mehmoon Tariq has been recruited from Derby Congs.
Sawley’s promotion was earned with much help from the 764 runs and 39 wickets of South African Aidan Meyer but he is not returning. Picking up the baton is another South African, Reece Jackson. They are one of a handful of sides to have managed a game already, going out of the National Cup in the preliminary round, but Jackson hit an impressive 74 from 81 balls.
Josh Glover, who took 39 wickets last season, takes over as captain.