Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire preview

There's always an additional excitement ahead of a derby match, especially this one. On the one hand you have Nottinghamshire, who think they are the best team in the country. Then there's Derbyshire and we KNOW they are... 

I jest, of course and recent history has seen us come out on the wrong side of these encounters far too often. The financial divide in cricket, the have and have not, are rarely more clearly marked than in this fixture, but for all their resources, their 'gun' players and their oft-supercilious attitude that does them few favours, this one may not be a foregone conclusion. 

Nottinghamshire are doing well, as you would expect, but they aren't running away with division two. Derbyshire are unbeaten, their batsmen in form and confidence high and only five points separate the two sides. 

Tomorrow we welcome and are likely to debut quick bowler Liam Hurt from Lancashire. Quite frankly, we have few options, with Scrimshaw and Cohen perhaps being kept back for the T20, Aitchison injured, Melton the extra overseas (and likely injured too as not in the second team) and Sidebottom now with a hamstring injury. 

Talent as he is, exposing Nick Potts to the Nottinghamshire batting would be brave or silly, at this stage, so Hurt comes in on, short term loan. He has impressed me when I have seen him for Lancashire and he runs in hard. I suspect him the only change from the last match, with Hughes and Potts the extra men after this eleven:

Godleman, Masood, Guest, Madsen, Du Plooy, Reece, Dal, Thomson, Conners, Hurt, Lakmal

There are five seamers in that side, with Luis Reece back in his bowling boots and that is a very welcome sight. 

The hosts have also named thirteen, namely:

Broad, Slater, Hameed, Clarke, Duckett, Mullaney, Moores, Patterson-White, James, Hutton, Pattinson, Paterson, Fletcher. 

They will fancy a win and it was no contest last year, but I don't expect to see a Mickey Arthur Derbyshire side to roll over easily. 

The forecast suggests rain on the second day which will take time from the game. Our batsmen will be high in confidence but will be tested against an attack likely to feature two international overseas bowlers, as well as the evergreen Luke Fletcher and England legend Stuart Broad. 

Nonetheless I am going for a draw here. There are runs, in both sides, but if the wicket offers help I have no concerns about the potency of Lakmal and Conners with a new ball, nor the quality of the supporting bowlers. 

One thing is for sure. Like you, I will be glued to my TV screen for much of the next four days. 

Do us proud, lads.