Matt Critchley
The legspinner compared to Mason Crane is Down Under
AS a young up-andcoming leg spinner spending the winter perfecting his craft in Australia, it hasn’t taken Derbyshire’s Matt Critchley long to draw comparisons with Mason Crane.
Twelve months ago, Crane became the first overseas player since 1985 to represent New South Wales after impressing for Sydney grade cricket side Gordon CC.
Now Crane is part of England’s Ashes squad while Critchley is in his second season of Sydney grade cricket having recently linked up with the Lions in Brisbane.
The 21-year-old, who is spending the winter playing for Fairfield Liverpool CC, spent time with former Australian legspinner Stuart MacGill as part of the link-up.
And while Crane’s example shows how quickly players can move up the ranks, Critchley believes he offers Derbyshire and England something different.
Derbyshire endured a winless 2016 season in the Championship but picked up a trio of victories this year and Critchley is determined to hit the ground running come the British summer.
“Obviously he (Crane) is a tremendous talent, a good bowler and completely deserves everything he’s got. He works so hard,” he said.
“I am a bit different because I bat and can progress as a genuine all-rounder, then it’s harder to ignore you.
“It gives you more options if you can bat six or seven. That’s the challenge for me at training to progress every aspect of my game. It’s going alright so far, I keep getting starts – a few 30 and 40s and a 60.
“I need a big score but I feel in good touch. I will try and hit the ground running when I get home.
“We made progress with Derbyshire last year and that’s the main focus; progressing again