As the days get shorter and the nights longer and winter takes hold across the country, the release of the county cricket fixtures list for 2025 offers some comfort and a reminder that the new season will be with us soon enough.
Heritage Officer David Griffin previews the scheduled 81 days of cricket which lie ahead for Derbyshire in 2025.
Derbyshire’s players and coaching staff will have an early opportunity to assess form when they meet Oxford UCCE at Derby in a three day fixture beginning on 25th March. This is not a first class game but doubtless players will want to take the opportunity to get back on grass following months in the gym and cricket hall.
The county season starts a day earlier than ever before; in 2012 and 2024 Derbyshire had scheduled games against Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire respectively beginning on 5th April. In 2025, Gloucestershire are again the visitors, on 4th April, and everyone will be hoping for kinder weather and the avoidance of another four-day washout which was the outcome earlier this year.
While Derbyshire’s players and supporters face lengthy journeys to Canterbury, Cardiff, Chester-le-Street, Neath and Southampton later in the summer, in April Derbyshire don’t even set foot outside the East Midlands with three four day games at headquarters and the other at Leicestershire’s Uptonsteel County Ground.
So, following the opener against Gloucestershire, Derbyshire travel to Leicester before two more home games at Derby against Northamptonshire and Middlesex.
Completing a run of five games in five weeks – all beginning on a Friday – Derbyshire travel to Wales to face Glamorgan at Sofia Gardens.
A ten day break precedes games against the two sides relegated from division one at the end of 2024 beginning with a trip to face Lancashire at Old Trafford in a Championship match for the first time since September 2019, although you have to go back to 1996 since Derbyshire won a first class game in Manchester.
Derbyshire then return to Derby to play Kent and conclude the first half of the Championship season.
Following a hasty three day turnaround, Vitality Blast cricket arrives with an opening fixture at Leicester on Friday 30th May, the first of four consecutive Friday night T20 games.
Northamptonshire Steelbacks will open Derbyshire’s home programme before the eagerly-anticipated local derby game against Notts Outlaws on 6th June. This fixture has been well-attended for two decades and 2024 saw Derbyshire defeat their near neighbours in this format of the game for the first time in nine years.
Three away matches follow at Edgbaston, Chester-le-Street and Trent Bridge followed by a quick return to Edgbaston for what is classed as a home fixture against Leicestershire Foxes, before the first half of the competition concludes with a Friday night home match against Lancashire.
Following the practice of recent seasons, the County Championship then resumes for two games as Derbyshire head to Bristol to meet Gloucestershire before welcoming Lancashire to Queen’s Park Chesterfield.
The Chesterfield Festival sees Lancashire playing a first class match at Chesterfield for the first time since 1989.
The two sides meet again two days after the scheduled conclusion of the Championship game as T20 cricket recommences at Old Trafford before Derbyshire return to Chesterfield when Yorkshire Vikings are once again the visitors with Derbyshire hoping for an eighth consecutive win against their northern neighbours at Queen’s Park.
Four more Blast fixtures over the course of the following fortnight conclude the group stages as Worcestershire Royals and Birmingham Bears come to Derby, with the two away fixtures at Northampton and Headingley.
A further pair of Championship games follow with Derbyshire meeting Leicestershire at Derby before visiting Wantage Road to play Northamptonshire as July draws to a close.
August once more offers eight scheduled 50 overs games in the Metro Bank One Day Cup and for the second time in three years Derbyshire open the competition with a game against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham followed 48 hours later with their first ever one day game at Neath against Glamorgan.
Only once have Derbyshire previously played at Neath, in a Championship game in 1950.
Sunday 10th August offers supporters another local derby at the County ground when Nottinghamshire are the visitors and the following Friday Worcestershire are the visitors.
The final four games come thick and fast over just seven days taking in Leicester and Southampton, with home games at Derby against Surrey and Essex.
The knockout stages of both white ball competitions then take place with Championship cricket resuming on 8th September at Lord’s when Derbyshire face Middlesex before entertaining Glamorgan in the final home game of the summer.
The season concludes with a four-day game against Kent at Canterbury, Derbyshire’s first visit to the Garden of England since 2017.
In terms of the schedule, there’s little change from 2024, with 42 days of Derbyshire cricket due to take place on Fridays, Saturday and Sunday, a reduction of five from 2024, while August has nine days of cricket compared to 12 in 2024.
Click the buttons below to view the full fixture schedule online.
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