Fri 27 May 2022
The County Ground
Derbyshire Falcons Men
197-8
Birmingham Bears
200-6
Derbyshire Falcons have named a 14-man squad for their opening Vitality Blast fixture against Birmingham Bears at The Incora County Ground tomorrow (7pm).
New T20 captain, Shan Masood, will lead Derbyshire officially for the first time, after skippering the side to a seven-wicket Second XI T20 win over Nottinghamshire earlier this week.
Harry Came scored 50 in that victory, he’s named in the squad alongside Luis Reece, Wayne Madsen, Leus du Plooy and Brooke Guest as options for the top-order.
With Suranga Lakmal ruled out for the rest of the season, new signing, Hayden Kerr, is in line to make his Derbyshire debut after arriving from the IPL. He claimed 25 wickets at an average of just 15 for Sydney Sixers at the recent Big Bash, as well as hitting a match-winning 98 not out to reach the final.
George Scrimshaw comes into the game into good form, after taking 5-22 against Nottinghamshire on Tuesday. He will be looking to build on a strong debut campaign last year.
Derbyshire Squad:
94. Shan Masood (c)
10. Luis Reece
4. Harry Came
76. Leus du Plooy
77. Wayne Madsen
29. Brooke Guest (wk)
21. Mattie McKiernan
65. Anuj Dal
18. Alex Hughes
50. Hayden Kerr
59. Sam Conners
51. Mark Watt
9. George Scrimshaw
8. Michael Cohen
Injury News
Suranga Lakmal has been ruled-out for the remainder of the 2022 season with a right elbow problem that needs reconstructive surgery, while Ryan Sidebottom continues his rehabilitation from a hamstring issue.
Ben Aitchison’s recovery from a spinal bone injury is progressing according to plan, although no return to play date has been set, likewise Tom Wood remains unavailable for selection.
The Opposition
Birmingham Bears will have already played a Vitality Blast fixture before they arrive at The Incora County Ground on Friday night, as Carlos Brathwaite’s side target a place in the knockout stages.
A West Indies international, Brathwaite is vastly experienced in short format cricket, famously hitting Ben Stokes for four-consecutive sixes in the last over of the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup final to win the crown.
He has more than 2,000 runs and 199 wickets in T20 cricket, and will form a key part of the Bears lineup alongside fellow big-hitting overseas star, Paul Stirling.
The Irish opener has a career strike rate of 141.67 in T20s, with his 6,952 runs including two centuries and 47 half-centuries and a high-score of 115 not out.
Spinner Jake Lintott is a dangerman with the ball, while youngster Jacob Bethell could be one to watch for the Edgbaston-based side.
Pre-Match Talk
New signing, Hayden Kerr, says he can’t wait to entertain the Derbyshire supporters, after joining the Club until September.
Kerr, a left-arm fast bowling all-rounder, was one of the breakout stars of the recent Big Bash, where he claimed 25 wickets at an average of 15 and hit a match-winning 98 not out to take Sydney Sixers to the final.
Since then, Kerr has been part of the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL as a net bowler and replacement player, and he’s now arrived at The Incora County Ground ahead of Friday’s Vitality Blast fixture against Birmingham Bears.
Kerr gave an exclusive interview to the Club’s media upon arriving in England, in which he discussed his excitement to play for Derbyshire, the opportunity to work with Mickey Arthur and more.
Click the video above to watch the full interview.
Buy Match Tickets
Tickets are still on sale for Derbyshire Falcons’ Vitality Blast fixture against Birmingham Bears, with supporters urged to buy in advance to get the best possible price and avoid queues.
Led by internationally renowned Head of Cricket, Mickey Arthur, and captain, Shan Masood, the Falcons are aiming for a second Finals Day appearance in four years.
Tickets are selling fast, so buy now to avoid disappointment and cheer on the Falcons this summer!
How to follow
Derbyshire’s Vitality Blast fixture against Birmingham Bears will be covered live on the Club website, through our improved Match Centre, delivered in partnership with Purpose Media.
Our Match Centre includes in-play live streaming, scorecards, ball by ball commentary and statistics, everything you need to stay up-to-date, no matter where you’re following from!
Updates will also be provides via our social media channels, so make sure you’re following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, so you never miss a moment of the action.
We’re looking forward to welcoming supporters back to The Incora County Ground this summer and our Blast Pass will put you at the heart of the action.
Buying a Vitality Blast pass for 2022 now will secure your place at every home group game this summer. You will be able to see every ball as the most explosive form of cricket returns to Derbyshire in 2022 for just £89, a saving of over 30%.
With a formidable top-order, backed up by an exciting crop of bowlers, the Falcons are ready to go again in 2022.
