Derbyshire Falcons have name an unchanged 14-man squad for the NatWest T20 Blast match against Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston on Sunday 23 July; 2.30pm start.
The Falcons enter the fixture off the back of a thrilling contest at Trent Bridge on Friday night, as Derbyshire fell just short of a record run chase.
Chasing 228 to win, Wayne Madsen hit 86 not out but the Falcons finished six runs short ending on 222-5 – the county’s joint highest total ever in Twenty20 cricket.
Madsen has been the Falcons’ standout performer in the NatWest T20 Blast. He is the competition’s leading run scorer with 275 at an average of 91, and he has also claimed five wickets at an economy of 6.47.
Billy Godleman and Matt Critchley are set to continue at the top of the order, since first pairing up away to Lancashire Lightning. Godleman hit a career-best 70 in the win against Worcestershire Rapids on Wednesday.
The squad contains plenty of spin options with Hamidullah Qadri, Imran Tahir, Critchley and Madsen all included. Tahir has impressed for Derbyshire since his arrival in July, including a memorable 3-18 in the win over Yorkshire Vikings at a sold-out Queen’s Park.
Derbyshire will be looking to secure their fourth win in the competition.
1. Billy Godleman
10. Luis Reece
23. Tom Wood
77. Wayne Madsen
18. Alex Hughes
9. Gary Wilson
2. Callum Brodrick
11. Daryn Smit
20. Matt Critchley
21. Matt Henry
7. Hardus Viljoen
36. Ben Cotton
75. Hamidullah Qadri
99. Imran Tahir
2014 NatWest T20 Blast Champions Birmingham Bears head into the fixture on the back of mixed results, but have a number of highly talented players with both bat and ball.
Captain Ian Bell is one of the most experienced players in the game right now, having played 161 One-Day Internationals for England, boasting a batting average of 37.87. More recently, he has transferred this talent into domestic Twenty20 matches and now has an average over 30 and a top-score of 90 in the format.
Colin de Grandhomme has a domestic Twenty20 strike rate over 167 and the New Zealand all-rounder is famed for power hitting in the middle order.
Jeetan Patel has been a great asset for the Bears since 2009. Like Bell, the off break bowler has a wealth of experience, having played over 170 domestic Twenty20 matches. He took 11 wickets in last year’s competition and with a bowling average in the low twenties, he will be a threat at Edgbaston.
Boyd Rankin and Riki Clarke are the primary pace bowling options for the Bears and both have an economy rate under seven so far in this campaign.
Bears Squad: To be announced.
Wayne Madsen says he was proud of the way the Derbyshire Falcons went about their record run chase against Notts Outlaws on Friday night – falling just six runs short of their 228 target.
He said: “It was obviously disappointing that we didn’t get over the line but I’m extremely proud of the way that we came out and chased the score because it’s a big total on any wicket. Yes, it was a good wicket and a fairly short boundary but I’m really proud of how we gave it a go.
“We are playing to try and win this and the belief we have got at the moment is very encouraging for us as a team.”
NatWest T20 Blast is back this July and August. Save £4 by purchasing your matchday tickets in advance. While further discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Buy online today to secure your place and save.
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