The summer of 2020 presented challenges for a lot of clubs, but a big one for Derbyshire was where they were going to prepare for the new season. Thankfully, Repton School were on hand to help.
With the Incora™ County Ground being used as a base for the England Women’s side, as well as West Indies Women and the Australia and Pakistan men’s team throughout the summer, supporting the resumption of international cricket in England, all of Derbyshire’s fixtures were played away from home.
However, the dilemma that faced Dave Houghton and the side was how they would prepare for the truncated 2020 campaign, and the club continued their long-standing partnership with Repton School to make use of the facilities and get the best possible training for the season.
That training paid off in the opening weeks, as Derbyshire secured big wins in the Bob Willis Trophy, including a record victory over Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, as they went on to finish second in the group with the joint-most points of any Division Two side.
It’s not just the first team who have benefited from training at Repton School, with Derbyshire’s Academy players continuing their journey along the club’s Pathway under Daryn Smit, with some youngsters taking part in first-team training and practice matches.
Head of Cricket, Houghton, presented Repton School Headmaster, Mark Semmence, with a signed shirt, as thanks for the support and hospitality that Repton have given the squad throughout the summer.
Houghton said: “For me, it’s been unbelievably important to have such a good place to train, with good wickets and indoor facilities, and the hospitality has been excellent.
“We’ve had probably as good training as we would have had at home.”
Repton School Headmaster, Mark Semmence added: “Repton School and Derbyshire County Cricket Club have had a very close relationship over many years, and this was a good opportunity to keep that going.
“We were pleased for the coaches and players to use our facilities throughout the summer, and I’m delighted that they had such a good start to the season.
“The relationship with Derbyshire at youth level is also really important to the school. More than ten boys and girls on Repton’s performance cricket programme are in the Derbyshire setup.”
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