Season prospects - one day cricket

I have deliberately separated my preview of Derbyshire's four-day and one-day fortunes, because I think they are quite distinct.

The three teams being promoted from division two of the County Championship this season offers an opportunity. In the one-day game, the more localised nature of the opposition means that we will be facing some of the country's top sides.

I am more bullish about our prospects in the Vitality Blast, because we have proven that we can mix it with the best in the short form of the game.

In the RLODC, we will need to hope that our bowlers find early season form quickly. We showed last year that the batsman can amass large totals, but the key to success will be in a varied bowling attack keeping opposition totals within bounds.

Logan van Beek and Ravi Rampaul will likely lead the attack, with support from the side's array of all rounders. Billy Godleman will have plenty of options, but qualification from the group will be a stiff task, though not impossible.

In the shorter form, the side's long batting order and bowling variations should serve them well. For all that it is a young squad, Dominic Cork has plenty of options and it will be interesting to see how he goes with the bowling attack.

Will spin play a dominant role, with two leg spin options and a proven economic slow left arm bowler? Or will Reece, Hughes and Dal prove their worth with miserly seam?

Either way, the attack will be led by two fine bowlers from the southern hemisphere. The combination of Logan van Beek and Kane Richardson is a mouth watering one and the former is eminently capable of powering the later stages of an innings with aggressive stroke play.

Two years ago, John Wright and Dominic Cork took us to the quarter finals, where poor captaincy and 'one of those innings' by Shahid Afridi took the game away from us.

This year, under what I expect to be the captaincy of Alex Hughes, there is no reason why Derbyshire cannot reach the promised land of finals day.

As one might expect, Dominic Cork had strong ideas on the way that the team should play and on selection, some of which did not go his way previously.

This year, with carte blanche to do his own thing, it will be fascinating to see his impact.

Whatever happens, I expect the side to play cricket in his image.

If they do, it will be well worth watching.