Derbyshire CCC | Match Preview - 04/05/2023

For the second time in three matches, Leicestershire are set to face East Midlands counterparts Derbyshire. The reverse fixture three weeks ago saw two days washed out at Uptonsteel County Ground, but the Foxes still had to time to record a high-scoring draw.

Leicestershire took seven bonus points, including all five with the bat thanks to the heroics of skipper Lewis Hill, who registered a career-best 162 not out.

Since then, the Foxes played out another high-scoring draw at home to Glamorgan, while Mickey Arthur’s side had an unhappy trip north, losing by an innings and seven runs to Durham.

Last Time We Met:

You’ll do well to have forgotten the last encounter. As previously mentioned, it was only three weeks ago. Leicestershire reached 451/9 declared, having had to wait a full two days between resuming their innings due to heavy rainfall at the Uptonsteel County Ground.

Sol Budinger hit a career-best 72, while Lewis Hill topped his own individual record with a splendid 162 not out. Colin Ackermann also weighed in with a ton of his own, notching up 114 during a 193-run partnership with his captain.

Leicestershire only had 46 overs with the ball, but still managed to take seven wickets “ four of them to the ever-impressive Chris Wright.

On a sidenote, the Foxes’ previous trip to The Incora was certainly not one to forget. The final game of the 2022 campaign saw Rehan Ahmed take his maiden five-fer and score his maiden hundred in a fixture that acted as the catalyst for his fairy tale winter in the spotlight for England.

Fox to Watch:

Chris Wright has started the season in supreme fashion. His 18^th first-class five-fer rendered him the pick of the bowlers on what turned out to be a batting friendly wicket at Grace Road.

Those five poles came from 36.1 overs of toil in the dirt, with the 37-year-old keeping constant control of the scoreboard “ conceding at just 2.46 runs per over.

Wright now has 13 wickets in his opening three matches, taken at 23.61 a time. He moved past 550 first-class victims with his haul last time out.

His batting has also stood out so far this campaign. His 135 runs at 67.5 included a crucial 66 not out in the first innings at Headingley, while he ended unbeaten on 40 in the second as he uppercut the winning runs to seal a historic victory.

Opposition Player to Watch:

He may not have been able to prevent defeat last time out, but Luis Reece’s return to the Derbyshire XI was a timely one.

The left-hander finished 56 and 66 not out for his side, while picking up wickets in the Durham innings to showcase his all-rounder status.

He amassed 620 runs at 32.63 last season, while picking up 10 wickets in the process. If he can show the form he did last time out, he could be a thorn in the Leicestershire’s side in all disciplines.

Squad:

Paul Nixon makes one change to his squad for the trip across the East Midlands, as Josh Hull comes back into the fold after making a speedy recovery from the thumb injury that kept him out of the Glamorgan fixture.

Ed Barnes is the man to miss out. The Foxes seamer sustained a foot injury during his opening spell against the Welsh county and will undergo further assessment to establish the severity.

Callum Parkinson (side strain) and Matt Salisbury (calf) are both progressing well, and are due to return later this month.

Will Davis, fresh from his ten-fer for the Seconds against Durham this week, and Louis Kimber are also in contention to enter the XI.

Leicestershire: Ackermann, Ahmed, Budinger, Davis, Finan, Handscomb, Hill*, Hull, Kimber, Mulder, Patel, Scriven, Wright.