Match Preview | County Championship | Derbyshire | 22-25 July 2025

First meets second in the battle for promotion as Leicestershire travel to East Midlands rivals Derbyshire for a top-of-the-table clash in round ten of the Rothesay County Championship on Tuesday.

The Foxes hold a 31-point lead at the summit of Division Two and will be looking to respond to the minor blip of their first red-ball defeat of the season last time out in the format.

Derbyshire will also be aiming to reply to a promotion push setback after being beaten by 261 runs at the hands of Lancashire earlier this month.

Squad:

There are several big boosts to Leicestershire's squad, with Rehan Ahmed, Ian Holland, Josh Hull, and Tom Scriven all returning to the red-ball contingent. Liam Trevaskis has recovered from a finger injury, while Ben Green is also back in the mix as 13 head to Derby.

Leicestershire: Ahmed, Budinger, Cox+, B Green, Handscomb*, Hill, Holland, Hull, Kimber, Patel, Scriven, Trevaskis, van Beek.

Last Time We Met:

An early season meeting at Uptonsteel County Ground ended with honours even in a high-scoring affair. The clash will best be remembered for Logan van Beek’s exceptional introduction to the Foxes faithful.

On debut, the Dutch international hit an unbeaten 82 in the first innings to help Leicestershire to 484, before he claimed a four-fer in response to hand the Foxes a 91-run advantage.

Rehan Ahmed (77) and Sol Budinger (44) belted a 132-run stand inside 21 overs in response to help Alfonso Thomas’ side declare and set the visitors 449 to win, but a defiant second innings saw the game peter out into a draw.

Fox to Watch:

After a challenging 2024 season, Lewis Hill has shown new life this term, leading Leicestershire’s run-scoring charts with 562 runs at 43.23.

A batter capable of scoring quickly, his middle-order firepower can supplement the explosive starts made by the likes of Rishi Patel, Budinger and Ahmed. He’s an adept player of spin too, something that could be pivotal when facing the increased workloads for spinners in the Kookaburra rounds.

Hill likes playing against Derbyshire, registering his career-best 162 not out against them during the 2023 campaign.

Opposition Player to Watch:

The return of Luis Reece is a major boost for the hosts. The all-rounder sits top of Derbyshire’s batting and bowling charts, with 284 runs at 71 and 23 wickets at 21.86 respectively.

A capable middle-order batter, Reece’s career-best 201 not out is perfect evidence of just how destructive he can be with the blade.

The 34-year-old “ who is closing in 200 first-class wickets - is also a prolific new-ball bowler. With the Kookaburra balls seemingly dying out after the first new ball bursts, seeing off his opening spell will be crucial to the Foxes’ prospects this week.

Follow The Action:

A play-by-play feed will be available via X (@leicsccc), with updates also issued on Facebook (Leicestershire County Cricket Club) and Instagram (@leicsccc). Our Match Centre will be in operation via the Club’s official website.