Kent v Derbyshire

A squad of fourteen has headed down to the Garden of England for the clash against Kent. Hope its drier than the garden of Peakfan, which is currently wind and rain lashed after winds registering 110mph at times. Unreal...

With a doubt over Dan Redfern's knee, Paul Borrington could make a delayed season debut, while there will be a decision to make over the seamers, with Mark Footitt raring to go. My guess is that we'll narrow it down to the following 12:

Wayne Madsen, Paul Borrington, Chesney Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Wes Durston, Greg Smith, Luke Sutton (Captain), Jonathan Clare, Azeem Rafiq, Tim Groenewald, Tony Palladino and Mark Footitt.

There's a tough call. The extra pace of Footitt or the established trio of Clare, Dino and Timmy G? Do you play all four and drop the increasingly impressive Rafiq? It will, as always, depend on the state of the wicket.

Kent have had a nightmare start in this competition, which is hard to believe with the likes of Key, Jones, Van Jaarsveld, Tredwell, Denly and "I'm in a dancing" Mahmood in the side. If that was the Derbyshire side, can you imagine the fuss at under achievement?

Denly returns from injury in the following Kent side:

Key, Denly, Northeast, van Jaarsveld, Jones, Stevens, Mahmood, Tredwell, Coles, Shaw, Saker.

I've seen it described as crucial or season-defining. A win would certainly take us up the table and another good one against Surrey would send us into the T20 having had a good first half of season. Second in the pro 40 and midway in the Championship is a world better than last year.

C'mon the shire. Lets go get 'em!