The Metro Bank One-Day Cup is back on the county calendar this week and, first up, everyone is chasing Glamorgan, who nicked the trophy at Trent Bridge last summer. Group A is a mixed bag once again; here’s how the eight sides line up heading into match one, quick facts first, reflections afterwards.
Derbyshire
Preview by Nigel Gardner
Captain: Brooke Guest
2024 finish: 4th (Group A)
2024 top runs: Harry Came – 281
2024 top wickets: Zak Chappell – 17
Why it might click: The Falcons are without Wayne Madsen, Aneurin Donald and Pat Brown – all off playing The Hundred – but there is still enough there to cause trouble. Zak Chappell’s new-ball spells and Australian opener Caleb Jewell’s tempo up front give them a puncher’s chance. Luis Reece is fit again; his left-arm wobble and solid middle-order hitting plug two obvious gaps. Add Ben Aitchison’s extra yard through the air and, on paper at least, the attack looks sharper than it did in the Blast.
Player to watch: Martin Andersson came across from Middlesex and has already put together a handful of stubborn first-class knocks. In white-ball cricket he brings clean straight hitting plus a few brisk seamers – handy with Madsen and Donald missing.
Young gun: Joe Hawkins, only 18, bowled nicely on Championship debut at Northampton. Off-spin, good fielding, a bit of lower-order dare. The England Under-19s like what they’ve seen; this tournament lets county supporters judge for themselves.
Final thought: Derbyshire talked a good T20 game, didn’t deliver. Another format, fresh slate. They aren’t short on batters who can clear the ropes; consistency, as ever, is the bigger question.
Essex
Preview by Martin Smith
Captain: Tom Westley
2024 finish: 7th (Group B)
2024 top runs: Robin Das – 309
2024 top wickets: Jamal Richards – 15
Why it might click: Only four Essex players have been drafted by Hundred teams this time – last year it was six – so the squad list looks deeper already. Losing Indian left-armer Khaleel Ahmed, who pulled out late, is a blow, and the club are hunting an overseas quick to fill the hole. Even without one, there is a decent blend of elders and youngsters.
Player to watch: Robin Das topped the runs last season, highlighted by a neat unbeaten ton at Trent Bridge, yet his 2025 output across formats has been thin. If the timing returns this month, the whole batting order shifts up a gear.
Young gun: Luc Benkenstein is still only 20 but he’s an old hand in this competition. The leg-spinner took 6 for 42 against Glamorgan two summers ago before a stress fracture limited his overs. He bowls more in the Blast now, hits it miles at No.7, and should give Tom Westley valuable mid-innings control.
Final thought: Since that 2022 semi-final run Essex have won seven of 24 List-A games – not good enough for a side with their red-ball pedigree. With fewer Hundred absentees and a bowler-friendly home surface, they have a chance to tidy up that record.
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The other six Group A previews will drop over the next day or so; schedules have a habit of bunching up in August. For now, Derbyshire and Essex look short of full strength but not short of ambition. The competition’s condensed window rewards teams that settle early – first bounce comes Thursday, and we’ll start learning who’s really up for it.
