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It was a solid rearguard action that guided the Pears to a welcome draw after three days of being second-best against Durham, but the team can't afford too many weekends like that. Strangely enough, last year's visit to Derby followed a similar script, and if anything, the hosts have only got stronger in the thirteen months since.

The arrival of Mickey Arthur has certainly helped to transform the lacklustre fortunes of a county who know they're at risk of the chop in any future restructuring of the County Championship, and although turning draws into wins remains an issue, Derbyshire are building success on a solid batting foundation. Shan Masood and Wayne Madsen have both surpassed the best efforts of all Worcestershire players at the crease so far, with the former well in the running to be the first man since Graeme Hick in 1988 to reach 1000 runs by the end of May. They also have two bowlers ahead of the Pears in the wicket stakes, with Sam Conners on 16 for the season so far, ahead of Suranga Lakmal's 13. After a weekend off, it remains to be seen whether they'll be well rested or a little off the pace, but either way, this week's opposition carry a clear and potent threat in all departments.

The good news for Worcestershire is that Dillon Pennington and Charlie Morris are fit again, raising the possibility of a full-strength attack for the first time since the win over Sussex. Runs under the belt for Azhar Ali and Jack Haynes hopefully spells good news for the top order, but after two rough weekends on the bounce, winning the toss will be absolutely vital in this encounter.