Derbyshire: Unknown commodity capable of packing a punch

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: You can read what you like into the vast majority of the county’s media output on their own website over the winter months having focused on the Vitality Blast, which begins three months after the Championship

Ins: Tom Lace (Middlesex, loan), Logan van Beek

Outs: Ben Slater (Nottinghamshire), Will Davis (Leicestershire), Gary Wilson, Callum Brodrick, Hardus Viljoen (released), Duanne Olivier (Yorkshire as Kolpak)

Fixture list: April 5 - Durham (h); April 11 - Gloucestershire (a); May 19 - Glamorgan (h); May 27 - Leicestershire (a); June 3 - Durham (a); June 11 - Glamorgan (a, Swansea); June 17 - Lancashire (h); June 30 - Middlesex (h); July 7 - Worcestershire (a); July 14 - Northamptonshire (h, Chesterfield); August 18 - Gloucestershire (h); September 10 - Lancashire (a); September 16 - Sussex (h); September 23 - Middlesex (a)

Remind me what happened last year?

While some way from being the worst of the pack in 2018, Derbyshire hopscotched through a mediocre campaign. Four victories were spread across the season, momentum was a rare commodity and in the end a haul of 147 points might be considered acceptable if not inspirational.

Wayne Madsen once again impressed with the bat, ticking off 1,000 runs for the season and making two centuries to go with seven fifties, while Billy Godleman also chipped in with a pair of tons.

Highlights included a dramatic one-wicket win over Northamptonshire and Matt Critchley becoming the first Derby legspinner in 68 years to take 10 wickets in a match, again against Northants.

^{Logan van Beek joins Derbyshire as overseas player}

What’s happened over the winter?

A new coaching staff has been put in place. Dave Houghton, the former Zimbabwe Test player, returns to the club for a third stint, this time as head of cricket, leaving Middlesex. His revamped backroom staff includes Steve Kirby, the firebrand red-haired seamer turned hugely respected MCC coach. Mal Loye, once of top orders at Northants and Lancashire, arrives to be development coach. He had been the high performance head coach for Bangladesh.

A pre-season tour took in the delights of Desert Springs, while an off-field initiative very worthy of note is a reciprocal arrangement with Warwickshire and Lancashire which allows members to see Championship cricket at Edgbaston and Old Trafford for free, except when the respective counties are playing each other.

Oh, and in the latest entry into the ‘daft naming rights arrangements in cricket’ stakes, regulars will now be welcomed into the Pattonair County Ground.

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Who’s arrived and who’s left?

It’s been a tough old winter for the out door at the County Ground. Ben Slater, the 26-year-old batsman, left towards the end of last season for Nottinghamshire after 14 years with the club, having politely turned down the offer of a new contract. He was soon joined by Gary Wilson, the Irish wicketkeeper, with Derbyshire pre-empting his imminent transformation to overseas player status in 2020.

Hardus Viljoen asked to be released from his contract, too, after a two-year stay, while any plans the club might have had for Duanne Olivier - the potent South African seamer - were dashed when he opted to go Kolpak and sign a three-year deal at Yorkshire.

An unusual choice of overseas replacement followed - the New Zealand bowler Logan van Beek, who has been ushered into the county game by head coach Dave Houghton with the words: “We were looking for a specific type of cricketer.” If that “specific type of cricketer” is a fringe international with eight T20I appearances to his name and 41 first-class matches at the age of 28, then Derby nailed the brief.

Joking aside, the club are incredibly excited about Van Beek’s potential impact in the Championship. He comes with rave reviews from former New Zealand coach John Wright and an ability with both bat and ball. Time will tell how astute the acquisition is.

Tony Palladino in action

Who will be the key men in 2019?

Much will be expected of Matt Critchley, the legspinning allrounder who caught the eye of England Lions by the end of last season. Critchley claimed 32 wickets at a shade over 38 with the ball and added 705 runs with the bat and while his national prospects may only be slight he is a talent that has genuinely excited the Derbyshire faithful.

Reliable Tony Palladino and new overseas man Van Beek need to step up to fill a Duanne Olivier-shaped void. Palladino, at 35, took 51 wickets at less than 20s last year. He will be crucial to early-season success on green seamers.

What can we expect from this team this season?

Realistically, Derbyshire are unlikely to challenge for one of the promotion places, and if they did it ought to be considered a remarkable success. The development of individuals will be interesting - particularly Critchley - while Wayne Madsen is only 261 runs shy of 10,000 in first-class cricket.

You can read what you like into the vast majority of the county’s media output on their own website over the winter months having focused on the Vitality Blast, which begins three months after the Championship.

Prediction: 6th