Statistical Preview: Northants Steelbacks

Derbyshire’s final group game in the Royal London One Day Cup is against Northamptonshire at Northampton. Heritage Officer David Griffin previews the match and looks at the statistical highlights of the past.

There have been 62 scheduled one day games between Derbyshire and Northamptonshire but two of them stand head and shoulders above the rest for Derbyshire followers.

In 1981 Derbyshire defeated Northamptonshire in the final of the NatWest Trophy at Lord’s, a game in which the scores were level but Derbyshire won by virtue of losing fewer wickets. Often referred to as a tied game, this was not, in fact, the case. It was and remains one of the greatest days in Derbyshire’s long history, although a slightly lesser known fact about that game is that the eleven players who represented Derbyshire that day never played together again.

And then in 1993, in front of a huge crowd and on a steamy and hot day, Derbyshire won their semi-final encounter in the Benson and Hedges Cup at Derby to seal their place at Lord’s where they defeated Lancashire by 6 runs.

Seven of the 62 games were abandoned and a further six ended with no result, a startling 20.9% of all games between the sides ended without a result.

Derbyshire have won 30 matches to Northamptonshire’s 18 with one game tied, at Derby in 1995.

Derbyshire highest team total was made at Derby in 1997 when they amassed 324 for seven before going on to win by 144 runs.

Northamptonshire’s highest team total came at Derby in 2017 when they made 307 for seven only to see Derbyshire overhaul it with 309 for four.

There have been 13 individual List A hundreds for Derbyshire with Billy Godleman the sole player to score two, although the highest score was a brilliant 148 not out by Ben Slater at Northampton in 2016.

Arguably the finest of the hundreds was made by Mohammad Azharuddin who scored a truly magnificent 111 not out at Northampton in 1994, an innings which included eight sixes. He added 142 for the fourth wicket with Adrian Rollins of which Rollins scored only 35 runs.

The record partnership for Derbyshire, however, came in 1997 when Chris Adams and Kim Barnett added 183 for the third wicket at Derby.

Derbyshire’s bowlers have produced four five wicket innings with Devon Malcolm’s 7-35 topping the list; Phil Russell took six for 10 at Buxton in 1976 and both Colin Tunnicliffe and Peter Kirsten were the others to claim a nap hand of wickets.

England return to The Incora County Ground – tickets on sale now!

England are aiming to extend their unbeaten streak in Derby with a T20 against India this summer.