Northants v Derbyshire - FP Trophy preview

With skipper Chris Rogers back in harness, Derbyshire will be revitalised going into tomorrow's game.

There's no news at this stage of either side but John Morris has the nicest kind of batting dilemma in that he has numerous batting and bowling options. One of his first decisions is in who opens with Chris Rogers and both Steve Stubbings and Dan Redfern will be hoping for a call. He may alternatively look for a brisk start and elevate someone like Greg Smith, but my guess is that he'll stick with one of the two openers who have done a decent job so far.

With the hosts tracks having a reputation for spin, it would appear likely that both Jake Needham and Mark Lawson will play, with Needham having enjoyed the track in the pre-season. The other decision is who takes the new ball with Graham Wagg. Both Tim Groenewald and Jon Clare offer all round ability and it comes down to who is most in form with the ball. Clare bowled a steady spell at Derby last weekend and again did well against the students from the Leeds/Bradford UCCE so may get the nod, although Groenewald's explosive potential with the bat could equally swing the decision his way.

Assuming everyone is fit, I'd expect ther following side to line up tomorrow:

Chris Rogers
Dan Redfern/Steve Stubbings
Stuart Law
Wavell Hinds
Garry Park
Greg Smith
James Pipe
Graham Wagg
Jon Clare/Tim Groenewald
Jake Needham
Mark Lawson

The hosts are having a decent season, with South African Andrew Hall on fire with bat and ball at present. All rounder Stephen Crook is another in good form, while skipper Nicky Boje has a wealth of experience and a lot of ability. There is little doubt that this will be a good game, but the arrival of Rogers gives Derbyshire's top order a look of reassurance. It would be unfair to expect him to get off the plane and be scoring heavily immediately, but I think we could win this one and re-ignite our chances in the FP Trophy. While I see Lancashire qualifying as group winners, the rest of the group is too close to call and Derbyshire are still very much in the mix. After two matches that have been effectively decided by the loss of the toss, here's hoping that Rogers has brought a two-headed Aussie coin with him - and calls correctly!