Wood delighted after derby win

Tom Wood was delighted after scoring his maiden professional century in Derbyshire’s emphatic 41-run victory over Nottinghamshire in the Royal London Cup. 

The win was Derbyshire’s first in the competition, as Cricket Derbyshire Academy, in partnership with the University of Derby graduate, Wood, scored a brilliant 109 from just 59 balls in a match reduced to 27 overs-a-side.

Having led the side to a big victory, Wood said he’s proud to have achieved the milestone, and he is eager to produce more standout performances before the end of the season.

“It means the world to me, as a local lad who has come through the ranks,” he told BBC Radio Derby.

“It’s been a long time coming, but that just means even more to get to this stage. You could see there was going to be a big crowd in and the atmosphere was brilliant. It’s always great to face Notts, but to put in a performance like that and get the result is all the more pleasing.

“It’s all about trying to be as consistent as I possibly can, I’ve had a frustrating start after a good end to last season, and I just want to score as many runs as I can and help us win as many games as possible.”

Four Academy graduates took part in the derby-day victory, with Wood (27) and Alex Hughes (29) veterans compared to youngsters Nils Priestley (20) and Mitch Wagstaff (17). However, it was the latter who produced one of the highlights as Derbyshire defended their total, taking a brilliant catch to dismiss Matthew Montgomery just as the visitors were building some momentum.

Wood praised the youngster’s effort in the field, and believes there’s real potential within the squad, even if results this season have been disappointing.

“It was unbelievable,” he added.

“We said going out ‘let’s do something special in the field’ and Waggy produced that for us. I think you could tell from the reaction of everyone how pleased we were for him. It was a big wicket and it really got us going.

“We’re a close bunch, a young bunch and we’re inexperienced, but we’re learning on the job, day by day, and trying to get better every game. I think the unity has been on show, if we stick together and keep playing aggressively, I think we’ve shown exactly what we’re capable of .”

Watch Derbyshire in the Royal London Cup!

50-over cricket returns to Derbyshire this month, with tickets on sale now for all home games, including the local derby against Nottinghamshire at The Incora County Ground and the fixture against Yorkshire Vikings at Queen’s Park, Chesterfield.