With the 2018 season less than three months away, Billy Godleman has his sights set firmly on the opening game against Middlesex and wants to make it a tough fixture for his former Club.
Looking to harness momentum gained at the end of the summer heading into 2018, the Captain also aims to make The 3aaa County Ground a tough place to visit for opponents and improve performances at home.
The first visitors to The 3aaa County Ground in 2018 are expected to bring a strong side to Derby, but Godleman is well aware of the importance home advantage can bring to his Derbyshire squad.
Speaking to BBC Radio Derby, Godleman said: “They are a great Club historically and they have some good experience and highly-skilled players.
“However, having been a Middlesex player myself it is chalk and cheese coming from Lord’s up to Derby and The 3aaa County Ground. For all the counties we want to make it an uncomfortable experience for the opposition and use home advantage to make sure we get some results on our home patch.”
Derbyshire earned three Specsavers County Championship wins in 2017, including a run of red-ball momentum towards the end of the summer with victories away at Sussex and Gloucestershire. Godleman wants to continue building on these successes and improve performances at home.
He said: “With the great strides we’ve taken over the last 12 months I’m really excited to continue those strides forward. I love batting, so to go out there and have the opportunity to make centuries is why I’m a professional.
“The momentum was starting to build and we had some really good results at the back end of the season, particularly away from home and we’ll take great confidence from those performances moving into this year.
“Hopefully we can align with some good results at home and the intention is to keep taking steps forward.”
A number of Derbyshire players have been abroad over the winter, plying their trade across the Southern Hemisphere and Godleman believes these individual experiences will benefit the whole squad.
He added: “It’s a fantastic experience for those guys personally to go to a different part of the world, play in different conditions and meet different players and coaches.
“For us as a Club as a whole, to have those guys go out there and attain those experiences and skills, I believe it only makes us stronger as a Club.”
Price freeze for 2018. Club Membership will once again offer one great value price for all in 2018. Join today for only £159 and don’t miss a moment of the action this summer.
