Derbyshire will host Warwickshire in the next Group 1 fixture of the ongoing County Championship 2021 season at the County Ground in Derby on Thursday, June 3.
Group 1 of the 2021 season of the County Championship has been the most competitive group so far, with top 5 teams being separated by just 19 points. The return fixture between Derbyshire and Warwickshire will be an interesting one as the race for the top 2 positions heats up.
Derbyshire have had a horrendous campaign in this season. They have lost three matches and haven’t been able to win any out of seven matches. Derbyshire are currently reeling at the sixth position in the Group 1 points table with 58 points to their name. Derbyshire are coming off a hammering at the hands of Worcestershire in the last group match, where they were beaten by an innings and 23 runs.
Warwickshire’s campaign has been a mixed bag. They have played seven matches, out of which they have won three and lost two. Warwickshire are sitting at the third place currently with 100 points and are separated by just 7 points from the Group leaders. They’re coming into this game on the back of a comprehensive victory over Nottinghamshire by 170 runs courtesy of a complete team performance.
Derbyshire, although are almost out of the race for top 2 positions, still have plenty to play for. On the other hand, a win here for Warwickshire could go a long way in advance to the next phase of the championship.
Key Players
Matt Critchley has been in sublime form in the County Championship 2021 season. The youngster has piled up 648 runs in seven matches while maintaining an impressive average of 54. Critchley has registered one century and five half-centuries in the competition so far, with the highest score of 109 against Worcestershire in Derby. Critchley had his best match against Worcestershire as he went on to score 193 runs and pick 8 wickets in the match. The 24-year-old all-rounder is also Derbyshire’s highest wicket-taker of the season with 21 scalps to his name, with best bowling figures of 5/67.
Ben Aitchison, only a nine First-Class matches old right-arm medium pacer has emerged as an exciting prospect for Derbyshire. He made his FC debut for Derbyshire in the last season and has quickly become one of the assets for the team. Aitchison has taken 16 scalps in the County Championship 2021 with a phenomenal average of 16.06, with the best bowling figures of 6/28 against Durham. The 21-year-old has been Derbyshire’s best bowler, being economical and potent at the same time.
Sam Hain is one of the most exciting talents in England and has shown why he’s rated highly time and again. Aged just under 19, Hain had broken Ian Bell’s record to become the youngest Warwickshire player to score a century. Since then he hasn’t looked back. However, he’s had an underwhelming season so far, scoring 351 runs in 12 innings at an average of 31.90. Hain has scored four fifties in the tournament but hasn’t been able to convert any in a big hundred. Warwickshire will be hoping that he puts on a proper show against Derbyshire.
Will Rhodes, the Nottingham-born batting all-rounder has played a major role with both bat and ball in Warwickshire’s campaign this season. Rhodes has scored 342 runs in 14 innings with two half-centuries. He brought up his highest score of the season in the last match when he scored 91 runs while opening the batting in their 170-run win over Nottinghamshire. In the bowling department, Will Rhodes has the best average among all the Warwickshire bowlers. He has taken 16 scalps in 11 innings at an average of 17.75. His all-round ability will once again be crucial for Warwickshire.
Prediction
Warwickshire have enjoyed a wood over Derbyshire with two and three draws in the last five matches, albeit the matches being scattered over a decade’s time. Both the teams played out a draw in the previous fixture earlier this season.
Derbyshire have plenty of issues to deal with. Their bowling attack hasn’t been able to make the impact they would’ve wanted while the batting unit has failed to stitch together good totals consistently with most of their batters averaging below 30.
Warwickshire have relied on team performance, with most of their players chipping in throughout the season. They haven’t had any standout batter or bowler in the competition, but six of their batters have scored over 250 runs, averaging over 25. Four of their bowlers have taken more than 15 wickets in the season while also keeping the run-scoring rate in check.
Expect another team performance from Will Rhodes-led Warwickshire to earn an away victory and valuable points to try and attain a top 2 spot.
