As the 2021 Vitality Blast gets underway this week, we take a look at the Falcons’ exciting bowling attack.
With a mixture of youthful quicks and established white ball bowlers, Derbyshire come into this year’s competition hoping the experience gained last season will prove beneficial this time around.
Sam Conners, Dustin Melton and Mikey Cohen all make their Vitality Blast debuts in 2020, while fellow developing quick Ben Aitchison is yet to play white ball cricket, having been ruled out of last year’s competition through injury. George Scrimshaw could also make his T20 debut for the club this season, having previously played four matches for Worcestershire Rapids.
Full of youthful exuberance, pace and variation, Twenty20 Head Coach, Dominic Cork, will be hoping that Derbyshire’s attack can make their mark and fire the Falcons to the knockout stages.
Having reached Finals Day in 2019, Luis Reece, Fynn Hudson-Prentice, Alex Hughes, Matt Critchley and the returning Logan van Beek will be looking to replicate that success with the Falcons in 2021.
Hughes is the club’s all-time leading wicket-taker in the format with 53 dismissals, while Critchley claimed 17 wickets on the road to Edgbaston two years ago, which would equal the club-record in a season, were it not for Ravi Rampaul’s competition-high 23 in the same campaign. Reece, Hudson-Prentice and van Beek shared 30 wickets, with the latter achieving best figures of 4-17 against Yorkshire.
Spinners Mattie McKiernan and Alex Thomson provide options to take the pace off the ball, with Wayne Madsen and Anuj Dal also potential candidates for overs.
The squad have been getting ready for Wednesday’s opening fixture against Lancashire by playing Second XI T20 fixtures, with Luis Reece, Leus du Plooy among the first-team batsmen to get good time in the middle.
George Scrimshaw, Dustin Melton and Mattie McKiernan have regularly been amongst the wickets, as Dominic Cork considers his options ahead of the trip to Emirates Old Trafford.
Logan van Beek joins up with the squad ahead of the opening game in Manchester, and he will be buoyed by back-to-back home sellouts for his return to The Incora County Ground against Birmingham Bears on Sunday 13 June and Lancashire Lightning on Tuesday 15 June.
Tickets for all Vitality Blast home games are on sale now, but they’re selling fast so don’t delay if you want to cheer on the Falcons in Derbyshire this summer.
From the East Midlands Derby, to Yorkshire at Queen’s Park, there’s plenty of huge clashes coming up.
Home Fixtures:
Birmingham Bears – Sunday 13 June; 2.30pm – SOLD OUT
Lancashire Lightning – Tuesday 15 June; 7pm – SOLD OUT
Northants Steelbacks – Thursday 17 June; 7pm
Leicestershire Foxes – Tuesday 22 June; 7pm
Notts Outlaws – Friday 25 June; 7pm
Worcestershire Rapids – Friday 2 July; 7pm
Yorkshire Vikings – Sunday 18 July; 2.30pm
