It is a massive match for both the Steelbacks and Derbyshire Falcons at the County Ground this Thursday night.
Both teams will be looking to get their Vitality Blast campaigns up and running with a good win under the lights and stay in touch in the North Group table.
Derbyshire have lost to the same three sides as the Steelbacks, with their home and away matches against Lancashire already under the belt. However they are a side to be taken seriously, not least because they reached the competition’s last eight in 2017 having finished second in the North Group.
OVERSEAS PLAYERS Wahab Riaz (Pakistan), Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand)
BIG HITTER Calum Macleod
A century-maker for Scotland against England earlier this summer, Calum Macleod has continued his good form with decent scores in three of the four matches played so far
KEY BOWLER Wahab Riaz
Wahab Riaz has an impressive pedigree and he may also have a point to prove after Pakistan omitted him from their recent tour of England. The 32-year-old left-arm paceman was the leading wicket-taker in the Pakistan Super League with 18 victims at an economy rate of 6.9 and in 167 T20 matches, he has claimed 197 wickets at an average of 21. He is available for the first 10 Blast games before leaving at the beginning of August to play in the Caribbean Premier League.
WILD CARD Matt Critchley
Matt Critchley announced himself to a wider audience with a blistering 64 from 37 balls for the North against the South in Barbados earlier this year and the 21-year-old all-rounder from Wigan could be an ace in the Falcons pack. A clean striker of the ball, Critchley also has the X factor a wrist spinner brings to one-day cricket and Derbyshire will be hoping he will have benefited from playing alongside Imran Tahir in last season’s tournament.
The Vitality Blast is a great day for all the family, with matches lasting around three hours and simple to follow Twenty20 action.
By booking in advance you can save £5 on individual tickets compared to the match day price (£10 saving for Family tickets).
CLICK HERE to order tickets for Steelbacks v Derbyshire Falcons