Billy Godleman excited at potential to continue progress at Derbyshire

The Falcons have made excellent on-field strides in the last two seasons and made it to the Vitality Blast Finals Day for the first time in the club’s history last summer.

And Godleman believes the club’s winter recruitment and crop of young talent leaves them well-placed to push on to the next level.

“We go into every game with the intention of winning,” he said.

“We also have an eye on the middle and long term future and these games will give a lot of our younger and home grown players, as well as those we have recruited who have maybe not played a lot, the chance to keep developing so that we take the next step in our development as a team and a club.

“The younger players have a chance to gain valuable experience and to make a difference.

“We have got some really good homegrown talent. We are really excited about them getting the chance because of spaces vacated by overseas players and the players are.”

And Godleman, who has scored 8803 First-class runs for the county in 285 innings, admitted he couldn’t wait to get going again.

Derbyshire begin their season against Nottinghamshire on Saturday at Trent Bridge.

“It is a very pleasant feeling to be building up to a game,” he added “Just to be back playing cricket is nice, we are thankful and excited

A couple of months ago it didn't look like it would be possible.

“As soon as there is some competition anyone who is involved will be trying their absolute best to win.

“We are just excited to be back playing competitively. To play in the different format against teams we haven’t played much four day cricket against in recent years is really exciting.”

The Derbyshire captain also paid tribute to club staff for the hard work put in to make a season start possible and his awareness of the need not to push people too hard.

“We are playing a lot of cricket in a short period of time so it is very important that energy levels are managed,” he said.

“On the field it will be down to myself to make the decisions but I’m incredibly well supported off the field by our head of cricket and the range of coaches that we have got and the science and medical team.

“The safety and wellbeing of the players getting ready for the season, and also during the lockdown period, has been brilliantly managed by the medical team.

“It is a fine line between bowling and over-bowling and risking injury. Our balance is going to be integral.”