Derbyshire CCC Match Preview - 21/04/2022

The season so far:

Both teams have started the 2022 season with two draws, to go into this clash unbeaten but also searching for their first victory.

Last week, our visitors Derbyshire were unable to convert a position of dominance over Sussex.  Posting 505-8 declared in their first innings, with Shan Masood making 239, and Wayne Madsen 111, Derbyshire led by 331 runs after dismissing Sussex for 174 with Sam Conners and Nick Potts both taking three wickets apiece.  However, a quite magnificent fightback from the south coast side saw them ease to a draw, with the captains shaking hands with Sussex on 513-3 after double centuries from both Tom Haines and Cheteshwar Pujara.

On Sunday last week, Running Foxes for the second week in a row needed to bat the entirety of day four to secure a draw, but managed to do so with far more ease this time around on what was a good batting track up at Durham.  Sam Evans (77*) and Colin Ackermann (40*) were the unbeaten batters on day four, as Leicestershire lost just two wickets all day.

Following these two draws apiece, Derbyshire lead Leicestershire by three points in the LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two table, with 27 points to 24, by virtue of having earned three more batting points at this stage of the season.

 Last time we met:

The two teams met in early September last year in a Division 3 clash in the previous conference system, and the match finished in a draw.

Batting first, Leicestershire started strongly, recording 528 all out in their first innings with Lewis Hill (113) the top scorer and four other batters passing 50 including nightwatchman Chris Wright (87).  In reply, Derbyshire succumbed to 56-5 and a good victory for the Running Foxes looked very possible - however centuries from Brooke Guest and Anuj Dal got them up to 340, and while Leicestershire enforced the follow-on, an unbeaten ton from captain Billy Godleman got them to safety at 203-3 in their second innings.

 Opposition players to watch:

Shan Masood has started his stint as overseas player for Derbyshire in very positive form, with 239 last week against Sussex following his 91 and 62 at Lord’s the previous week against Middlesex.  The left-handed opener already leads the season run charts across all counties with 392 runs in two matches and will evidently be a key wicket for the Leicestershire bowling attack to take in the upcoming match.

Sam Conners has already taken 10 wickets for Derbyshire with the ball this season, at an average of 27.90 and given the high-scoring nature of the early season pitches so far, this looks a very solid effort indeed.  Last season, the right-arm pacer took 26 wickets at a cost of 28.84, and the Leicestershire batters will need to ensure Conners is played well if they are to achieve a positive result in this match.

 Our players to watch:       

Hassan Azad leads the Leicestershire run-scoring charts with 200 runs so far this season at an average of 66.66.  Our left-handed opener has made a fine start to 2022 with an unbeaten century helping to save the match against Worcestershire in round one, before scores of 66 and 25 (facing almost 300 balls combined in the process) up at Durham, and will be looking to continue his run-scoring exploits with another big score against Derbyshire.

Captain Colin Ackermann accumulated 121 runs for one dismissal up at Durham, scoring 81 in the first innings and an unbeaten 40 in the second innings to help draw the match.  Our skipper has now scored over 3,000 runs in County Championship matches at an average of 38.27, and lasting almost 80 balls per dismissal - a century for Ackers in this upcoming match will push his Leicestershire red-ball average close to 40.

Squad:

TBC