Derbyshire return to Staffs moorlands

The Leek public watch Staffordshire play Surrey in 2005. The ground will now host Derbyshire again in 2010

Derbyshire will return to Leek for the first time in 18 years after their ECB 40 League against Essex was switched to the Staffordshire club.

The Falcons’ match against Essex on May 3, a Bank Holiday, will now be played at Leek CC’s Highfield ground, a switch from the original venue of the County Ground at Derby.

Derbyshire experimented with the venue by playing a second XI fixture there in June, and have subsequently committed to a full scale trip to the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Leek last held a List A match involving Derbyshire in 1992, when the home side beat Warwickshire in the Sunday League.

Derbyshire chief executive Keith Loring said: “The increased number of one-day games has given us more opportunity to go out into the community which is great for the club as we aim to reach the widest possible audience.

“Staffordshire has a rich cricketing tradition in terms of the players it has produced and the popularity of the sport in the county, so we are delighted to offer their community this opportunity to watch the Falcons in action.

“We have close links with Staffordshire cricket through our Academy and this is a chance for us to give something back as well as making the match more accessible to the Peak District which shares a border with Staffordshire.”

Leek CC chairman Brian Mellor said: “We are delighted to be able to bring first team county cricket back to Staffordshire and in particular to the Staffordshire Moorlands.

“We as a club have strong links with Derbyshire, having produced former players Kim Barnett and Tim Tweats and hosting such a game strengthens these links both at club and county level.

“Everybody at Leek Cricket Club is very excited about the prospect of hosting such a prestigious match which will feature so many first-class and international stars.

“We hope to attract a good crowd as it is not every day that you get the chance to see top level county cricket so close to home.

“We are very grateful to Keith and Derbyshire County Cricket Club for giving us the chance to host this fixture.”