Derbyshire call up debutant legspinner

Derbyshire 47 for 2 v Glamorgan
Scorecard

Just selecting a team was demanding enough for Derbyshire in Cardiff. Five injuries and a two-match suspension for Billy Godleman meant five changes from the side that dismissed Gloucestershire with such confidence, a legspinning debutant among them.

Perhaps there were worst days to sit and watch it rain down upon the Swalec Stadium and take stock. Only 15.5 overs were possible and when play was called off Derbyshire had reached 47 for 2, with opener Ben Slater undefeated on 25. There had been a lengthy delay before play got underway at 2.40pm and, although most of the ground and pitch was dry and perfectly playable, water had seeped under the covers in the bowler's delivery stride at the Cathedral Road end of the ground.

Among the absentees was Martin Guptill, who struck 227 last week, but who has a side injury and after consulting with New Zealand Cricket, was left out of the Derbyshire team before joining up with the tourists next week.

Derbyshire's attack is so depleted - they are without Tony Palladino and Tom Taylor - that they included 19-year-old Matt Critchley, a legspinner born in Lancashire who is with Derbyshire's Academy and had to be registered in time for this game.

The former Derbyshire seamer Graham Wagg, in his fifth over, had Chesney Hughes driving too early and giving Craig Meschede a simple catch at mid-off. They soon lost their second wicket when Andy Carter, who had replaced Michael Hogan at the River End, trapped Derbyshire's skipper Wayne Madsen leg before for a single.