Heavy rain, a deteriorating pitch and a barrage of bouncers: Worcestershire v Derbyshire 1966

When Worcestershire open their County Championship season away to Derbyshire next month, they simply need to evoke the spirit of 1966.

When sports fans consider the summer of ’66, of course, most probably think first of a certain football tournament. But it’s not that spirit that Brett D’Oliveira’s team needs to evoke. Never mind the triumph by Bobby Moore’s boys at Wembley, it’s the one which came two weeks later from Don Kenyon’s boys at Ilkeston, that Worcestershire need to emulate.

The Rutland Recreation Ground, Ilkeston, hosted at least one championship match for Derbyshire every peacetime year between 1925 and 1980. Worcestershire were the visitors on four occasions and their fourth and, it transpired, final first-class visit there, which began seven days after the football World Cup final, threw up a truly memorable match.