Pre-Match Pack: Essex and Lancashire

Derbyshire have named a 13-man squad for their opening Royal London Cup fixture against Essex at The Cloud County Ground tomorrow, starting at 2pm and a 14-man squad for the fixture against Lancashire on Sunday, starting at 11am. 

Opener, Shan Masood, will arrive in England on Friday, missing the fixture against Essex but he will be available from the Lancashire fixture onwards, having been with Pakistan for their Test series against Sri Lanka.

Derbyshire’s top-order will be looking to improve on their showing against Glamorgan, when they take on Essex on Friday, with Billy Godleman and Luis Reece aiming to make their experience count.

Mattie McKiernan top-scored with 43 at The Incora County Ground, and the all-rounder’s contributions with bat and ball will again be key over the course of a big weekend for Derbyshire.

Seamers, Sam Conners and Ben Aitchison, each took wickets in the game against Glamorgan, with the former now just two dismissals away from 50 across all formats this season.

Derbyshire Squad:

1. Billy Godleman (c)
24. Tom Wood
4. Harry Came
10. Luis Reece
29. Brooke Guest (wk)
21. Mattie McKiernan
15. Alex Thomson
65. Anuj Dal
51. Mark Watt
59. Sam Conners
11. Ben Aitchison
26. Nick Potts
22. Mitch Wagstaff (Essex only)
94. Shan Masood (Lancashire only)

Injury News:

Mikey Cohen continues his recovery from a lower back issue and his return to play expectation has been lengthened to give him more rehabilitation time, while Alex Hughes’ recovery is ongoing after being struck on the hand.

The Opposition

Essex and Lancashire were set to play each other to kick off the 2022 Royal London Cup, but heavy rain saw them take a point apiece.

The experience of Tom Westley and Nick Browne will be crucial for Essex throughout the competition, and the addition of South African batter, Grant Roelofsen, with his List A average of 42.94, will boost their batting credentials.

With the ball, Shane Snater and Jamie Porter will be expected to lead the way, with the spin of Aron Nijjar also a useful tool, particularly at the Cloud County Ground.

Lancashire have impressive depth within their squad, and the likes of batter Keaton Jennings and spinner Washington Sundar, who have international experience, will be key in mounting a charge for the Royal London Cup trophy.

Pre-Match Talk

Derbyshire all-rounder Anuj Dal has backed the Royal London Cup to help players achieve international recognition.

Although a number of players are missing the competition due to playing in The Hundred, Dal believes it can still provide a stage for players to press their claims.

Derbyshire fast bowler George Scrimshaw was recently called up by England Lions on the back of strong performances in the Vitality Blast and Dal sees the One-Day Cup as another opportunity to catch the eye.

“There’s a lot of chat about the 50 over competition losing its status and its importance but for the guys who don’t get picked in the Hundred, it’s a chance to showcase your skills and another opportunity to go out and play a good standard of cricket,” Dal said.

“With the Hundred there it loses the impetus it might have had in the past but it’s still a chance to put performances together and hopefully get England call-ups.

“We’ve seen that of late with George (Scrimshaw) called into the England Lions and this is another chance for guys to put their hands up and push themselves to be the next one off the rank so for me, 50 over cricket is that perfect opportunity.”

How to follow

Derbyshire’s Royal London Cup fixtures against Essex and Lancashire will be covered live on the club website, through our improved Match Centre, delivered in partnership with Purpose Media.

Our Match Centre includes Live Streaming, in-play live 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.

One-day cricket is back in the height of summer!

Derbyshire compete in enthralling 50-over cricket this August, including the visit of Yorkshire to Queen’s Park. Find out more and book tickets for all home matches now.