All-rounder Luis Reece says he can’t wait to get back out on the field after being given the all clear to return to action from a metatarsal injury.
The 28-year-old has not played since he sustained the injury during the Royal London One-Day Cup game against Yorkshire Vikings at the end of May, but is hoping to make a comeback in the fixture against Middlesex which starts at Lord’s tomorrow.
“It’s like being a kid in a candy store,” he said. “I’ve not been able to do a lot of things for the last three or four months, it’s been frustrating, and I just want to get out there and play again.
“The Middlesex game is the one I’m targeting, obviously it depends on selection and what the captain wants to do, but all I can do is make sure my skills levels are as high as they can be.
“You just want to get out there and be competitive. I’m hoping that energy will give me a bit of an edge in that I’ll have that energy whereas everyone else will have had a hard summer.
“There will be some tired aching bodies around so maybe I can add a bit of freshness to our side if I do get the chance to play which hopefully will have a benefit for the other lads as well as me.”
It has been a long road back for Reece after suffering what his consultant described as one of the worst injuries of its type he’d seen.
“I did my first metatarsal, the consultant said he’d never seen a break like mine. The first isn’t usually the one that goes and he said in all his time he’s never seen a first metatarsal snap like that.
“I knew it was going to be a long lay-off and I just had to do everything I could to try and come back as early as I could but at the same time make sure I wasn’t at risk of doing any further damage.
“I just can’t wait to get back out there.”
This week’s game will be Derbyshire’s first at Lord’s since 2013, as they aim for a third consecutive Championship win which would also complete a double over Middlesex.
Four-day cricket is back! Derbyshire host their final Specsavers County Championship match of the season against Gloucestershire from Monday 24 September. Buy your tickets in advance and save.
