SOLD OUT! Thank you for your incredible support. The local derby between Derbyshire Falcons and Yorkshire Vikings at Queen’s Park has sold out in advance for the fifth season in a row.
Derbyshire Falcons host Yorkshire Vikings at Queen’s Park, Chesterfield, as part of the BRM Solicitors Chesterfield Festival of Cricket, in association with Chesterfield Borough Council, on Sunday 18 June.
The Falcons have come out on top in their previous five Vitality Blast meetings with Yorkshire under the iconic spire, and they’ll be looking to extend that record, as Mickey Arthur targets silverware with Derbyshire.
Memorable Moments
A fixture steeped in history and tradition, Queen’s Park has often been the scene of some truly memorable Vitality Blast moments between the Falcons and Yorkshire Vikings.
The winning streak in Chesterfield began in July 2017, when a 28-ball 42 from Wayne Madsen, and three wickets from Imran Tahir helped the Falcons to a three-run victory.
The ground witnessed a thrilling contest in 2018, when Derbyshire hit the winning runs with just one ball to spare.
Matt Critchley struck the winning boundary off Tim Bresnan, on his way to a scintillating 38 from just 17 deliveries, while Godleman led the way with an unbeaten 71.
Ravi Rampaul had earlier taken 4-19 to limit the visitors to 166-8 from their 20 overs, as the Falcons extended their streak to three matches.
Just as it did a year prior, the 2019 contest went down to the final over with Godleman (70 not out) and Critchley at the crease.
With five balls to spare, Derbyshire’s five-wicket victory was confirmed when David Willey bowled a wide down the leg-side.
In 2022, Leus du Plooy etched his name into the history books, smashing 18 of the required 19 runs to defeat Yorkshire Vikings in the final over, sending the sold-out crowd into raptures! That was after George Scrimshaw (3-20) and Mark Watt (3-29) had made a big impact with the ball, the latter bowling a double-wicket maiden during his spell.
Last season, the Falcons registered their biggest ever T20 victory, the winning margin being 144 runs. Derbyshire posted 212 for four, with Haider Ali (59), Leus du Plooy (66*) and Brooke Guest (39*) producing brilliant knocks. Guest and du Plooy sent Chesterfield into raptures as the pair plundered 30 runs off the last over of the innings, then the Derbyshire bowlers put in an outstanding shift with the ball to bowl Yorkshire out for just 68.
New season, even bigger ambitions
New Club Captain, Leus du Plooy, and world-renowned Head of Cricket, Mickey Arthur, will lead the Falcons into the 2023 Vitality Blast, with a challenge for silverware their goal.
Big-hitting left-hander, du Plooy, will be joined in the top-order by Wayne Madsen, who is Derbyshire’s all-time leading T20 run-scorer and was one of the standout T20 batters in 2022.
Luis Reece provides firepower from the very start of the innings, while the likes of Harry Came, Brooke Guest and new signing, Matt Lamb, will all be looking to clear the ropes regularly next season.
With the ball, two-time Lanka Premier League winner, and Sri Lanka great, Suranga Lakmal will provide pace and experience, while England Lions duo, Sam Conners and George Scrimshaw, will be joined by fast bowler, Zak Chappell, who impressed for Notts Outlaws and Gloucestershire in 2022.
Scrimshaw was amongst the leading wicket-takers in last season’s competition, with his raw pace and bounce enough to trouble any batter, while Scotland’s Mark Watt returns following an impressive ICC Twenty20 World Cup, to bamboozle the opposition with his unique brand of innovation and variation.
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