Derbyshire v Middlesex preview

There are eight days of county cricket left for another year and tomorrow is the start of the last four at the County Ground. With the forecast favourable - perhaps a bit of rain on Friday - it is the last opportunity to see Derbyshire 2024 in action on home turf.

I suspect there will be a few changes ahead of next season and it promises to be an interesting winter ahead. 

For now, Mickey Arthur has selected pretty much the last thirteen players he has available, after the departures of Sam Conners, Matt Lamb and Daryn Dupavillon. I couldn't begin to select a final eleven, but the squad is:

Came, Reece, Guest, Madsen, Lloyd, Donald, Naeem, Chappell, Moore, Thomson, Morley, Brown, Wagstaff

Martin Andersson cannot play in this fixture by the terms of the loan deal from Middlesex. 

Wayne Madsen needs 152 runs from his final four innings of the season to reach a thousand, the only player remotely close to doing so. It would be quite an achievement, but would also highlight the need for greater support to be signed over the winter. 

Visitors Middlesex still have a chance of promotion and will be giving it everything to do so. Leus du Plooy will be hoping for runs on his return and their squad is as follows: 

Roland-Jones, Bamber, Brookes, Cornwell, Davies, de Caires, du Plooy, Fernandes, Helm, Higgins, Holden, Hollman, Robson, Stoneman.

Bamber will be playing for Warwickshire next season and will be a big loss for Middlesex. Wickets would appear to be the issue they face should they get promotion, but that will be the same for Yorkshire, who look set to lose Matt Fisher to Surrey.

It should be a good game of cricket and, just as happened in the games against Glamorgan and Northamptonshire, I suspect the toss will have a major impact on the eventual result, as so often happens at this time of year.

Here's hoping we win it - and make the correct decision afterwards...