Derbyshire play a 50-over fixture against Cheshire at Nantwich on Sunday 21 July as a curtain-raiser to the Metro Bank One-Day Cup competition.
Heritage Officer David Griffin looks back at the previous – and only – fixture between the two counties.
One of the delights of the old NatWest Trophy knockout competition, and its predecessor, The Gillette Cup, was the opportunity for minor counties sides to pit themselves against one of the 17, subsequently 18, first-class counties.
In 1988, Derbyshire were drawn to play Sussex at Hove in the opening round of the tournament, a match they easily won thanks to Michael Holding’s one day world record bowling feat of eight for 21.
In the same round, Northamptonshire faced Cheshire at Boughton Hall, Chester, where the visitors were beaten by one wicket in a thrilling finish.
Northamptonshire’s top five were all England Test cricketers, and two of their bowlers had also played in Test matches, but the wily Barry Wood, captain of Derbyshire’s NatWest Trophy-winning side in 1981, helped Cheshire to a famous win.
So, when Derbyshire arrived at the Chester ground on the morning of Wednesday 6 July 1988, they were mindful of Northamptonshire’s demise in round one. However, they also had one eye on the game coming up on Saturday 9 July: the small matter of the Benson and Hedges Cup final against Hampshire at Lord’s. As was the norm in those days, three days were set aside to complete this 60-overs per side match.
The home side won the toss and the Pakistan Test star Mudassar Nazar removed Kim Barnett for one, before Peter Bowler and Bruce Roberts added 109 for the second wicket.
From the relative comfort of 110 for one, Derbyshire slipped to 190 all out as slow left armer John O’Brien took a hat trick (John Morris, Steve Goldsmith and Devon Malcolm were the victims), and opening bowler Andrew Fox produced a magnificent spell during which he took four wickets for five runs in 15 deliveries.
Cheshire’s reply was steady and watchful as Michael Holding bowled eight overs for just eight runs and nobody found Malcolm’s pace easy to play, but at 78 for three after 34.5 overs, the light closed in and a shower forced the players to leave the field.
No play was possible on the second day, Thursday, and when players, officials and spectators arrived at the ground on the third day, the likelihood of any resumption was in the balance.
Derbyshire’s entourage made every effort to cajole the umpires into deciding about play, knowing that a long journey lay ahead of them. They had not anticipated the match needing three days to be completed and so their club blazers, specially embroidered playing shirts, and the rest of their clean kit were all in the dressing rooms at Derby. When the game at Chester was all over, they would have to race back to Derby to collect their belongings, and then make the onward journey to London.
However, it wasn’t until 4.30pm that the game re-started, although thanks to Ole ‘Stan’ Mortensen, who took five for 15 off 12 overs, including four for none in 16 balls, Derbyshire won the game by 87 runs shortly before quarter to six, the Dane taking the Man of the Match award.
The Derbyshire contingent made it to Lord’s just after midnight – not ideal preparation for a showpiece final – although captain Barnett didn’t attach any blame for the heavy defeat to Hampshire on the north west excursion, but it cannot have helped. Hampshire were able to have a net session at Lord’s on the Friday afternoon, while at the same time, Derbyshire were still concluding their game over 200 miles away.
The game against Cheshire at Nantwich on Sunday 21 July will be played under standard one day conditions, 50 overs per side, but for the purpose of playing records, will not be classed as a formal List A game.
