Cockermouth and Cumbria left arm spinner Matthew Siddall is playing for Derbyshire 2nds over the next four days.
They are due to start this morning in a Second X1 Championship game against Nottinghamshire.
“I can’t wait and I am really going to enjoy the experience. It’s something I have always dreamed of doing with a senior county side.
“In have trained with Leicestershire before but have never played in a Second X1 game before so I’m really excited,” he said.
Siddall, 25, had to miss the Cumbria game with Bedfordshire which started on Sunday at Furness but he was there helping to do what he could for his team-mates.
Last season was his best in the NCCA formats with Cumbria when he became a county record-breaker.
His effort of taking 14-208 against Buckinghamshire was officially the best match figures by a Cumbrian bowler since Cumberland joined the Minor Counties in 1955.
In addition he was the first Cumbrian bowler since the county club was formed, who has taken six five fors in a season. Indeed he was the first to take 10 wickets in a match over three successive games.
Things have been a bit slower this year but he got his first five wicket haul of the season in a recent Trophy game against Northumberland at Allendale.
He came through the ranks with Blackpool at Stanley Park, after joining at the age of 12.
“I was just into football at that age and I hadn’t even seen cricket on the tele. But then a mate invited me to a cricket session and I was hooked from the start.
“I still enjoyed my football but when I was about 16 I was getting pushed off the ball too easily, because I’m slight, so that’s when I concentrated on my cricket.
“I started off bowling left arm leg breaks but it’s a tough discipline so I switched to off breaks, spending as much time as I could in the nets.
“Richard Gleeson was a coach at Blackpool and he’s been an inspiration, so pleased he’s had a good county career and earned England recognition,” he says.
The game is being played at the Belper Meadows club but the weather forecast for the next four days is not good.
