Preview by North Derbyshire Radio’s James Ede
The 11th round of the County Championship takes place this week, as Derbyshire travel to Wantage Road to face Northamptonshire in Division Two.
Mickey Arthur’s side have dropped to third in the table after a 189-run defeat against leaders Leicestershire last week, whilst this week’s hosts will be aiming to bounce back after an innings and 107-run hammering at Middlesex.
Under the guidance of former Australian player and head coach Darren Lehmann, Northants have struggled throughout the campaign with just two wins and four draws in ten matches, placing them second bottom ahead of Kent.
Away from the red-ball competition, the two teams recently finished the group stage of the Vitality Blast in different styles, with the Steelbacks securing fourth spot in the North group and a quarter-final against Surrey. In contrast, the Falcons ended with just four wins from 14 and a position at the bottom of the table.
Last match
Wayne Madsen’s team lost their second-place position after defeat in Derby to Leicestershire, who were sensationally led to victory by England youngster Rehan Ahmed’s hundred and 13 wickets in the match.
After the Foxes scored 398 batting first, with a remarkable scorecard of three centuries and eight single-figure scores, Derbyshire were bowled out for 189 after being 114/1, despite half-centuries for top-order batters Caleb Jewell and Harry Came.
With a lead of 209, the visitors thrashed their way to 236/9 declared, setting their rivals a fourth-innings target of 446, which comfortably proved to be too much.
Battling fifties for bowlers Zak Chappell and Alex Thomson delayed a Leicestershire win, but Ahmed’s seven wickets spun them to a big victory as Derbyshire were bowled out for 256.
Despite the loss, all-rounder Luis Reece starred with 11 wickets in the match. His figures of 6/56 and 5/54 stood out against his teammates and took his season’s tally to 34 wickets at an average of 18.32.
More recently, a second-string side, led by wicketkeeper Brooke Guest, took on minor county Bedfordshire on Sunday in a One Day Cup warm-up.
The game featured impressive performances from Harry Came (79), Guest (100), Amrit Basra (87 off 46 balls), who recently signed a short-term deal after coming through the South Asian Cricket Academy, and Nick Potts (3/56), as they came away with a 95-run victory.
The game also saw first-team debuts for youngsters Joe Hawkins and Rory Haydon, who could go on to play in the 50-over competition next month.
Derbyshire team news
Mickey Arthur will have an almost fully fit squad to choose from at Wantage Road, with young fast bowler Harry Moore, whose season was ended by a back stress fracture, the only confirmed absentee.
Reece returned to action in the last game after time out with an ankle injury and will certainly retain his place in the side after his spectacular performance with the ball.
Aussie opener Jewell continued his excellent season with another fifty but partner David Lloyd failed again, scoring just 13 runs in the match, and now averages less than 24 this year, so he will be under pressure.
Thomson returned to the team and took four second-innings wickets and is likely to feature alongside fellow turner Jack Morley again.
One of Blair Tickner and Chappell could make way for Ben Aitchison or, less likely, Pat Brown or Potts.
Opposition news
This week’s hosts may be without captain Luke Procter again after he missed the Middlesex fixture due to personal reasons, meaning wicketkeeper Lewis McManus could continue leading the side.
All-rounder Justin Broad is also expected to be sidelined with a wrist injury but the rest of their squad is available, including Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who has 217 international wickets to his name.
Saif Zaib heads into the match as the first player to reach 1,000 runs in Division Two this season and the county’s first player to reach that mark since Ben Duckett in 2016. He has hit five hundreds and four fifties in just 17 innings in 2025, including 196 not out against Kent last month, and has also taken 10 wickets at 22.50.
Their leading wicket-taker Calvin Harrison, who has been on loan from Nottinghamshire, has not extended his deal so will be unavailable, leaving the spin duties to Chahal.
Australian fast bowler Liam Guthrie will lead the bowling attack alongside veteran Ben Sanderson, who has over 400 first-class wickets in his career.
Previous encounter
A draw between the sides earlier this season featured centuries for Procter and Zaib as Northants amassed 500-8 but were knocked back by the weather.
Derbyshire hit 307 in their first innings with 91 for Guest and 89 for Madsen as Broad led the way with the ball, taking 4/60.
Skipper Procter and Zaib then repelled the bowling attack to make a mammoth total as eight bowlers were used by Madsen.
Rain then spoiled the game as Derbyshire ended on 202/3, leading by just nine runs, with half-centuries for Jewell and the unbeaten Madsen.
Northants took 16 points from the match in total, whilst Derbyshire earned themselves 12.
Familiar face
There is one former Derbyshire player in the Northants squad in the form of fast bowler George Scrimshaw, who enjoyed three seasons at the County Ground between 2021 and 2023.
After joining from Worcestershire, he took 76 wickets in 51 matches across all formats and earned himself an England call-up, making his ODI debut in September 2023 against Ireland.
He took figures of 3/66 in his only international appearance, whilst his T20 performances for the Falcons also led to two years with The Hundred’s Welsh Fire in 2022 and 2023.
Since moving south, he has picked up 33 wickets in 19 matches, including 23 so far in this year’s Blast, although he has not featured in the Championship this season, so is unlikely to take to the field this week.
Match details
Northamptonshire CCC v Derbyshire CCC
County Championship Division Two
Tuesday 29 July – Friday 1 August
11:00 am start time
Wantage Road, Northampton
