Harvey Hosein has been boosted by the experience of a full season with the gloves in the Specsavers County Championship and wants to build on his progress in 2020.
Hosein was Derbyshire’s first-choice wicketkeeper in first-class cricket throughout 2019 and he thrived in the role, claiming 30 catches and scoring five half-centuries in Division Two.
The 23-year-old says that being given the responsibility was a huge positive for him, and he hopes to show signs of his development once again in the 2020 season.
“It was a really big confidence boost for me to to get the gloves from Houghts and to be told ‘you’ll be playing in the County Championship as the number one wicketkeeper this season’,” Hosein said.
“That was a real vote of confidence and it gave me a big lift going into the season, that’s something I hope can continue for many years to come.
“For young players to come in and get a full season, it has been a great experience for us and I think it’s something that will only stand us in good stead for seasons to come.”
Despite a number of strong performances in the four-day competition, Derbyshire finished the campaign in seventh place, with four wins.
Hosein believes that Derbyshire proved they have the quality to challenge further up the table, but that consistency will be key if they are to mount a promotion challenge next season.
“The way that we started the season and the cricket we played, I think that we should have been pushing towards the promotion places. There were a couple of close games that, if they had gone our way, would have put us in those top three positions,” he added.
“We played some really good cricket in parts, so I think consistency next season will be the key, because if you look at the games that we let slip, like Northamptonshire at Chesterfield or Glamorgan at home, they were very close games.
“If we can play how we did in some of the good wins this year on a regular basis next year, I think we will definitely be pushing further up the table and possibly for promotion.”
Join us in 2020! Derbyshire County Cricket Club celebrates its historic 150-year Anniversary in 2020 and you can be part of a full summer of cricket with Club Membership. Packages on sale now from £169 if purchased before February.
