Derbyshire vs Northamptonshire, CC2026, Today Match Prediction

DER vs NOR Match Prediction & Analysis

The match number 17 of the English County Championship Division Two 2026 will be played between Derbyshire and Northamptonshire. The game will be played from 8 May onwards at the County Cricket Ground in Derby.

Hosts Derbyshire have had a difficult start to the season. They sit at the bottom half of the points table in 7th place, 2nd last place, with just 1 draw and 3 losses. Northamptonshire meanwhile is 2nd in the points table going into the game, yet their results haven't been positive enough with 1 win and 3 draws, still undefeated.

Derbyshire vs Northamptonshire is a historic rivalry that's been going on since the first match played between the two teams in 1938. There have been 26 first-class games played between the two sides and 15 times it ended in draws while Northamptonshire have won 7 games to Derbyshire’s only 4 wins.

RECENT PERFORMANCE

DER

L L L L L

KENT

352/10 in 89.0 3.96

CC2026

Kent beat Derbyshire by 225 runs 01 May 2026

DER

158/10 in 52.1 3.03

DER

281/10 in 101.1 2.78

CC2026

Gloucestershire beat Derbyshire by 10 wickets 24 Apr 2026

GLO

39/0 in 4.4 8.36

LAN

351/10 in 91.2 3.84

CC2026

Lancashire beat Derbyshire by 29 runs 10 Apr 2026

DER

108/10 in 34.5 3.1

DER

322/10 in 47.3 6.78

RLODC

Essex beat Derbyshire by 44 runs

26 Aug 2025

ESS

366/6 in 50.0 7.32

HAM

341/7 in 49.1 6.94

RLODC

Hampshire beat Derbyshire by 3 wickets 24 Aug 2025

DER

339/5 in 50.0 6.78

NOR

L W L L L

NOR

158/7 in 18.0 8.78

T20BLAST

Hampshire beat Northamptonshire by 6 wickets (D/L) method 13 Sep 2025

HAM

155/4 in 15.4 9.89

SUR

147/6 in 14.0 10.5

T20BLAST

Northamptonshire beat Surrey by 7 runs (D/L) method 03 Sep 2025

NOR

154/4 in 14.0 11

NOR

243/10 in 47.2 5.13

RLODC

Kent beat Northamptonshire by 7 wickets 21 Aug 2025

KENT

247/3 in 44.4 5.53

NOR

295/8 in 50.0 5.9

RLODC

Sussex beat Northamptonshire by 7 wickets 17 Aug 2025

SUS

297/3 in 46.5 6.34

NOR

172/10 in 38.5 4.43

RLODC

Yorkshire beat Northamptonshire by 202 runs 08 Aug 2025

YOR

374/5 in 50.0 7.48

HEAD TO HEAD

TEAMS PREVIEW

Derbyshire Preview

Derbyshire have had a challenging start to the 2026 County Championship Division Two season. From their opening four matches, they have secured 1 draw and suffered 3 defeats, leaving them near the bottom of the Division Two table.

Their campaign began with a hard-fought draw against Worcestershire (625/8 declared vs 312 & 314/7). However, they then lost by 29 runs to Lancashire, by 10 wickets to Gloucestershire, and by a heavy 225 runs to Kent. The batting has shown moments of promise with big totals, but consistency and the ability to take 20 wickets have been major issues.

Derbyshire’s batting has been led by consistent performers. Martin Andersson tops the run charts with 366 runs in 7 innings. His best performance is 228 off 271 balls vs Worcestershire in the opening game. Opener Luis Reece has scored 311 runs in 5 innings including 84 in the 1st innings and 67 in the 2nd inning in the last game vs Kent., 

Harry Came (221 runs in 7 innings), Matthew Montgomery (190 runs), and Brooke Guest (183 runs) have contributed solidly. Wayne Madsen (139 runs in 4 innings) and Zak Chappell (141 runs) add additional batting depth.

The bowling unit has been spearheaded by Ben Aitchison, who has taken 15 wickets in 7 innings, the standout performer. He is a solid contributor in all phases of the game, taking almost atleast 2 wickets per inning this season. Rory Haydon played his first match of the season in the last game and claimed 10 wickets in 1 match, 5 wickets apiece in both innings. Shoaib Bashir (9 wickets) and Zak Chappell (9 wickets) provide spin and seam options respectively.

Derbyshire Predicted Playing XI:

Luis Reece, Harry Came, Caleb Jewell, Matthew Montgomery, Martin Andersson, Wayne Madsen (C), Brooke Guest (WK), Zak Chappell, Ben Aitchison, Rory Haydon, Shoaib Bashir.

Derbyshire Actual Playing XI:

Wayne Madsen, Rory Haydon, Caleb Jewell, Harry Came, Matthew Montgomery, Brooke Guest, Martin Andersson, Luis Reece, Zak Chappell, Ben Aitchison, Shoaib Bashir

Northamptonshire Preview

Northamptonshire have had a solid start in-terms of performance, but mixed start in-terms of results, to the County Championship Division Two 2026 season. From their opening four matches, they have recorded 1 win and 3 draws, showing good resilience but needing more decisive performances to push for promotion.

Their campaign began with a draw against Lancashire. They then drew with Kent in a high-scoring affair (declaring at 684/2), drew with Middlesex, and finally secured a convincing innings and 117-run victory over Worcestershire on 1 May, their first win of the season.

Northamptonshire’s batting has been consistent and deep. James Sales leads the run charts with 336 runs in 4 innings including centuries in both the last two matches, 164 vs Middlesex and 146 vs Worcestershire. Captain Luke Procter has scored 308 runs in 5 innings. His performance this season so far is a memorable knock of 261* off 357 balls vs Kent. 

Ricardo Vasconcelos (298 runs in 5 innings) and Nathan McSweeney (278 runs in 5 innings) provide strong top-order foundations. Lewis McManus (215 runs) and Calvin Harrison add valuable middle-order contributions.

The bowling unit has been led by the experienced seamers. Ben Sanderson has been exceptional with 25 wickets in 8 innings, the standout performer in Division Two this season so far. Notably, he bagged 7/31 in the 2nd inning vs Worcestershire, taking 11 wickets in the game. 

Harry Conway has taken 18 wickets in 8 innings, while Calvin Harrison (12 wickets) provides spin options. The pace attack looks potent, especially on traditional English pitches which tends to favour the pace bowlers with extra bounce and swing.

Northamptonshire Predicted Playing XI:

Ricardo Vasconcelos (WK), Luke Procter (C), Calvin Harrison, Nathan McSweeney, James Sales, Saif Zaib, George Bartlett, Lewis McManus, Raphael Weatherall, Ben Sanderson, Harry Conway.

Northamptonshire Actual Playing XI:

George Scrimshaw, Ricardo Vasconcelos, Luke Procter, Calvin Harrison, Nathan McSweeney, Saif Zaib, James Sales, George Bartlett, Lewis McManus, Ben Sanderson, Harry Conway

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

Weather in Derby from 8-12 May is expected to be mild and changeable, with highs between 14-21°C. Saturday will be the warmest day (around 20-21°C). There will be a mix of sun and cloud, with light showers possible on most days. No heavy rain is forecast, so the County Championship match should proceed with minimal weather interruptions.

DER vs NOR Pitch Report

The pitch at County Cricket Ground, Derby is generally balanced and good for batting, especially in the first two innings. It offers true bounce, decent pace and carry, allowing batters to play their shots on a relatively flat surface with a quick outfield. Pacers get helpful seam movement early on if there's grass, while spinners come into play as the pitch wears and slows down on days 3 and 4. It often produces competitive matches with results possible, and scores in the 300+ range are common.

Toss: To Bowl

The captain that wins the toss, would prefer to bat first and take advantage of the batting conditions in the initial days, especially on day 1. Later, as the cracks start to appear on day 3 & 4, it will assist the pacers and spinners with variable bounce and turn. Bat first and try to score 400+ is going to be a winning-mantra.