Derbyshire return to Chesterfield this week for their next game in the Specsavers County Championship against Durham.
Heritage Officer, David Griffin, looks at the statistical background to the game.
These two sides have met on 22 occasions since Durham’s admittance to the ranks of first class counties in 1992. Derbyshire have won 5, Durham 9, with 8 drawn games.
Their first encounter was at Queen’s Park, Chesterfield where heavy rain caused play to be washed-out on the first two days before a one innings match – also affected by rain – was played on the third and final day, and ended in a draw.
Of the other 10 games played in Derbyshire, one further match was played at Chesterfield – in 1994 – when Mohammad Azharrudin scored 205, including a hundred runs before lunch. Durham’s David Graveney described the innings as the best he had ever seen in county cricket and it remains the highest individual score for Derbyshire against Durham.
Two other players recorded double hundreds for Derbyshire in these fixtures; Michael Di Venuto made 203 in 2005 at Derby, when the home side made 539-7 declared, Derbyshire’s highest-ever innings score against Durham and their 19th highest-ever total; and Dominic Cork made an undefeated 200 in 2000, also at Derby, whilst adding 258 for the 7th wicket with Matthew Dowman.
The 258 runs added for the 7th wicket is the highest-ever for that wicket by Derbyshire against anyone, and Cork’s 200 not out is the highest score by a Derbyshire number 8 batsman.
Amongst the bowlers, Graeme Welch’s 6-30 at Chester-le-Street in 2001 remains the best innings analysis, whilst the best return at Derby is the 6-52 by Kevin dean in 2000. Of the current squad, Tony Palladino’s 6-90 in 2013 at Derby are the best figures.
Lastly, the highest debut score for Derbyshire in these matches is the 82 scored back in 2005 by Travis Friend, at Derby.
Derbyshire return to Queen’s Park on Monday 3 July for the start of the Custom Solar Chesterfield Festival of Cricket, in partnership with Chesterfield Borough Council. Buy tickets in advance and save.
