Thumbs up from Ben Slater for Derbyshire's winter tour in Abu Dhabi

All-rounder Ben Slater says warm-weather training in Abu Dhabi plays a vital part in Derbyshire CCC's pre-season preparations.

Derbyshire, who flew out to the United Arab Emirates on Monday morning, will face county opposition in four one-day fixtures during the ten-day tour.

And Slater is sure the tour will be pivotal in ensuring that Derbyshire make a fast start to the new season in April.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“All the lads are raring to go in Abu Dhabi,” Slater said. “It’s been a long winter training inside since the start of November, so to get back outside and play some competitive cricket will be extremely valuable to us.

“The tour is massive in terms of our preparations. We have had a lot of time to work in the nets on our skills, so we can’t wait to get some competitive games under our belt.

“Playing games against county opposition can only stand us in good stead for the summer. We will have strong competition and it will be good to test ourselves at this stage in the winter.”

Related topics: