Frizzell County Championship Division Two Preview
Derbyshire v Glamorgan at Derby Derbyshire retained their second place despite having lost their first game of the season Derbyshire will be delighted if they are able to field their captain and leading wicket taker Dominic Cork for this game, his
Derbyshire retained their second place despite having lost their first game of the season Derbyshire will be delighted if they are able to field their captain and leading wicket taker Dominic Cork for this game, his absence might have cost them win number four earlier in the week. Corks supporting cast of bowlers though have all been in the wickets in the early season and will be seeking to repeat the earlier success. Leading batsman Michael Di Venuto will be hoping to continue his form.
Just one point separates these sides in fourth and fifth, but they have gained them in different ways, Gloucestershire lead with the ball and Worcester with the bat - but, that said, it is Worcestershire who have lost two of their four games coming into this west country derby. Those defeats - in their last two games - may have shaken the side who won against the same opposition earlier in the summer.
Thanks to Derbyshire's defeat in grey of Chelmsford earlier in the week Middlesex bring the championship's only perfect record to this game. They will be expected to continue it against a Durham side that they totally outclassed at the Riverside in April, although, to be fair Durham had poor luck losing two players injured in that game.
Both of these sides' batsmen will welcome the opportunity to play on the placid surface at Northampton having faced some bowler friendly conditions in their last matches. It seems certain that Ronnie Irani's side come into this game as favourites having pulled off their second win of the season. Irani's performance was, as in so many of Essex's better results in recent years the key to victory, however the lack of pace in their bowling attack could seriously hamper chances on this ground.
P W L D Bat Bowl Deduct Points Middlesex 3 3 0 0 13 9 0.00 58.00 Derbyshire 4 3 1 0 8 12 0.25 55.75 Essex 4 2 1 1 8 12 0.50 47.50 Gloucestershire 4 1 1 2 9 11 0.00 40.00 Worcestershire 4 1 2 1 14 9 0.00 39.00 Nottinghamshire 4 2 2 0 2 12 0.50 37.50 Glamorgan 3 2 1 0 3 9 0.00 36.00 Durham 4 0 3 1 7 12 0.00 23.00 Northamptonshire 4 0 3 1 9 9 0.50 21.50