Blast Insight: Derbyshire Falcons

We get an inside look at the Derbyshire Falcons ahead of tomorrow's trip to the East Midlands.

Coach: Dominic Cork

Captain: Billy Godleman

Last Year’s Performance: Sixth (North Group)

2020 Leading Runscorer: Wayne Madsen (192 @ 24.00)

2020 Leading Wicket Takers: Dustin Melton (4 @ 31.00), Alex Hughes (4 @ 41.00), Matt Critchley (4 @ 58.75)

Overseas players: Logan van Beek (Netherlands – whole tournament).

Key man: Wayne Madsen – Madsen may be 37 but his game continues to evolve with his ability to engineer strokes to all parts of the ground making him a batsmen opposition bowlers continue to fear.

Flies under the radar: Alex Hughes - Rarely grabs the headlines but the all-rounder is Derbyshire's leading T20 wicket-taker with 53 victims.

Best Player Under 24: Sam Conners - The 22-year-old fast bowler only made his T20 bow last year but his ability to swing the ball at pace could see him emerge in 2021.

Blast expectations: After reaching Finals Day in 2019, the Falcons failed to get off the ground last summer, winning only one game and losing seven although all their matches were played away as Derby was used by the ECB as a bio-secure ground.

The falcons have been dealt a blow with Australia batsman Ben McDermott called away on international duty but Madsen and Critchley will be central to Derbyshire's hopes of challenging in a tough group.

The loss of Australian fast bowler Billy Stanlake is a further blow but his replacement, the 30-year-old van Beek, played his part in the Falcons’ run to Edgbaston two years ago, claiming nine wickets and returning figures of four for 17 against Yorkshire.