In a historic achievement, three players from the Derbyshire D40 squad were nominated for Disability Premier League (DPL) trials and have all been selected to be part of the DPL Draft for the 2026 season!
Derbyshire D40 players Jack Starr, Jack Murfin, and Huw Gamble were amazing ambassadors for their county during the DPL assessments, held at Edgbaston Cricket Ground on the 18th and 19th October.
The DPL brings together players from physical disability (PD), learning disability (LD), and hearing impairment/deaf categories and bridges the gap between county cricket and the England International squads. The DPL offers the opportunity for the best players from around the country to play the highest standard of domestic disability cricket.
Derbyshire D40 Captain, Jack Starr reflected on the experiences of the DPL trials:
“It was a real privilege to be nominated for a DPL assessment; it was a great opportunity to showcase my skillset; work alongside talented players from across the country, and utilised elite coaches from a variety of different cricketing backgrounds. It was a great experience, providing me with valuable feedback to develop my game.”
Derbyshire Disability Development Officer, Bella Hopcraft said:
“We are so proud of our new pathway, and to have three players enter the draft for the DPL shows how far we have come in the past year. We want to continue to elevate the pathway for 2026, and being able to send players to trial for the next level of cricket is an incredibly positive step on the pathway’s development journey. We have many exciting players within the squad, so the future of disability cricket for Derbyshire is very bright!”
The DCF wishes all three players the best of luck for the DPL draft in December.
