Loan wicketkeeper Alex Mellor and Academy spinner Callum Parkinson have been named in a Specsavers County Championship squad for the first time as Derbyshire face Leicestershire at Grace Road from Thursday 4 August.
Will Davis and Ben Cotton both miss out on the 13-man squad travelling to Leicester due to injuries, whilst fellow paceman Tom Taylor remains absent with a long-term back injury. Harvey Hosein also remains sidelined after fracturing his thumb at the end of July.
Overseas batsman Hamish Rutherford comes back into the fold after missing out on the last two Royal London One-Day Cup matches and takes his place in a strong-looking batting line-up.
In total, there are four changes to the squad that faced Glamorgan in the county’s most recent Championship clash with Alex Hughes and Tom Milnes also coming into the squad, with the latter impressing for the Second XI in recent weeks.
1. Billy Godleman
72. Hamish Rutherford
22. Chesney Hughes
77. Wayne Madsen
4. Neil Broom
26. Ben Slater
57. Shiv Thakor
18. Alex Hughes
– Alex Mellor
8. Tom Milnes
20. Matt Critchley
– Callum Parkinson
28. Tony Palladino
The signings of experienced trio Paul Horton, Neil Dexter and Mark Pettini have helped changed Leicestershire’s fortune with the bat in 2016, whilst Clint McKay and Ben Raine have built on their 50 wickets in the Championship last season.
The hosts currently sit in fourth position and are eyeing a return to the top flight. Aussie duo McKay and Mark Cosgrove have impressed for Leicestershire this term and sit top of their wicket-taking and run-scoring charts respectively.
McKay is the top-performing bowler in the division with 41 wickets at an average of 21.59, whilst Cosgrove is a potential danger man with a season total of 746 runs at an average of 49.73, after hitting two centuries versus Derbyshire in 2015.
Dexter and Horton have also impressed, both hitting over 500 runs for the season so far, in addition to opening batsman Angus Robson.
Leicestershire squad to face Derbyshire: Paul Horton, Angus Robson, Neil Dexter, Mark Cosgrove, Mark Pettini, Niall O’Brien, Ned Eckersley, Lewis Hill, Ben Raine, Clint McKay, Rob Jones, Charlie Shreck, Rob Sayer
Click HERE to keep up-to-date with the game via our new Matchday LIVE page, sponsored by Showcase Cinema de Lux.
You can also follow live updates on Twitter (@DerbyshireCCC) by using #LEIvDER, plus updates will be available on Facebook throughout the match.
Supporters can also listen to live ball-by-ball commentary with BBC Radio Derby online HERE.
Derbyshire host their first ever Real Ale Beer Festival on Day One and Day Two of the Specsavers County Championship fixture versus Essex, on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 August. To book your tickets, or for more information, please call 01332 388 101, email [email protected] or buy online HERE.
