2018 county cricket previews: Derbyshire

In partnership with the Cricketers’ Who’s Who, here’s Wisden’s profile of Derbyshire for 2018.

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FORMED: 1870
HOME GROUND: The 3aaa County Ground, Derby
ONE-DAY NAME: Derbyshire Falcons
CAPTAIN: Billy Godleman (Championship and RL50), Gary Wilson (T20)
2017 RESULTS: CC2: 8/10; RL50: 7/9 North Group; T20: Quarter-finalists
HONOURS: Championship: 1936; Gillette/NatWest/C&G/FP Trophy: 1981; Benson & Hedges Cup: 1993; Sunday League: 1990

The lowdown

A modest 2017 peaked with a run to the T20 Blast quarter-finals, which paid immediate dividends on the appointment of John Wright as T20 coach. In the Championship, Derbyshire were hamstrung by form and fitness: promising paceman Will Davis and Hardus Viljoen, the South African Kolpak, managed only 10 games between them (38 wickets at 24.39).

Wayne Madsen reserved his best for the Blast (526 runs), but three Championship wins were at least three more than they managed in 2016 and there were strong showings from emerging batsmen Alex Hughes and Luis Reece, in his first season since moving from Lancashire. Most exciting of all was off-spinner Hamidullah Qadri, who took 5-60 on his first-class debut at the age of 16.

South Africa Test seamer Duanne Olivier, who is available for the first half of the season, will give the attack an extra edge alongside veteran West Indian Ravi Rampaul. Kiwi left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner was due to arrive in mid-summer but has been ruled out by injury. Shiv Thakor was sacked after he was found guilty of exposing himself in public.

Transfers

IN: Duanne Olivier (SA), Ravi Rampaul (Sur, Kolpak),
OUT: Tom Taylor (Lei), Ben Cotton, Greg Cork, Rob Hemmings, Tom Milnes, Shiv Thakor, Tom Wood (all REL)

Director of cricket: Kim Barnett

A batsman for Derbyshire between 1979 and 1998, Barnett captained the club for more than a decade and played four Tests. In 2016 his first act as director of cricket was to launch a review of the coaching structure, with former opener Steve Stubbings returning as first XI support coach and John Wright appointed as the T20 coach. A former New Zealand and Derbyshire batsman, Wright won the IPL with Mumbai Indians in 2013 and immediately guided the Falcons to the quarter-finals of the Blast.