Pre-Match Pack: Durham (H)

Derbyshire have named an 12-man squad for the LV= County Championship fixture against Durham, starting tomorrow at The Incora County Ground (10.30am). 

Opener Shan Masood will miss the Durham fixture due to selection for Balochistan in the National T20 competition in Pakistan, but the trio of Wayne Madsen, Leus du Plooy and George Scrimshaw are all available for selection after playing in The Hundred.

Billy Godleman and Luis Reece put on more than 200 runs for the first wicket against Northants Steelbacks in the Royal London Cup last time out, and the pair will be aiming for a similar showing against Durham, as Derbyshire remain in the hunt for a place in the top two.

In the reverse fixture against Durham earlier this season, Leus du Plooy scored a century in each innings at Seat Unique Riverside, while in Derbyshire’s last red ball encounter, Anuj Dal led the way with bat and ball, scoring half-century, a century and claiming five second-innings’ wickets to overcome Worcestershire.

Sam Conners has taken 37 County Championship wickets so far, and has played a starring role for the England Lions since his most recent first-class appearance. The young seamer will have the milestone of 50 dismissals in sight heading into the final three games of the season.

Derbyshire Squad:

1. Billy Godleman (c)
10. Luis Reece
4. Harry Came
29. Brooke Guest (wk)
77. Wayne Madsen
76. Leus du Plooy
65. Anuj Dal
51. Mark Watt
59. Sam Conners
11. Ben Aitchison
26. Nick Potts
9. George Scrimshaw

The Opposition

Durham are in sixth place in the LV=County Championship Division Two, 30 points behind Derbyshire, but having played a game less. 

Sean Dickson has 750 runs to his name, including four centuries, at an average of 68.18 from 11 innings, while Scott Borthwick (599) and David Bedingham (595) have also been in fine form with the bat.

The evergreen Chris Rushworth remains a constant threat with the ball, his 31 wickets coming at an average of 27.67 this campaign. Matty Potts, Ben Raine and Liam Trevaskis are the only other Durham bowlers to reach double figures in the Championship this season.

Pre-Match Talk

Luis Reece says the Derbyshire squad are well aware of what a strong end to the season would mean to supporters. 

Derbyshire sit fourth in the LV= County Championship Division Two with three games to go, against Durham, Glamorgan and Leicestershire, two of which are at The Incora County Ground.

Reece, who was Derbyshire’s leading run-scorer in the recent Royal London Cup, says the team are determined to get positive results in their final trio of fixtures, as they push for a place in the top two.

“Winning is a habit, and we’ve got a few key players back from The Hundred for these final three games,” he said.

“We all know what’s at stake, we’ve had a brief time off but now we have to hit the ground running for those three games. There’s a lot at stake, not just for us as players, but for the whole club and fans, so I’m sure everyone will be excited for what September brings.”

How to follow

Derbyshire’s Royal London Cup fixtures against Durham 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.

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