Redfern relishes his chance in the top flight

Dan Redfern is looking forward to the season ahead

Derbyshire’s Dan Redfern is relishing the chance to compete in the top flight of the County Championship, while creating history for the club.

Redfern,22, amassed 792 runs last season, helping the county pip Yorkshire to the Division Two title as they gained promotion to Division One for the first time in 13 years.

The left handed batsman insists the club are looking further than survival and the introduction of West Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul shows the club’s ambition and goals.

“Being in Division One is where everyone wants to be,” Redfern told the Sentinel.

“It’s a massive chance for people to be noticed because the top division does attract more attention.

“We’d take staying up, of course, but we believe we can end higher than that.

“Our ambition is to become the best side that Derbyshire has ever fielded and I don’t see any reason why we can’t achieve that.

“Signing a player like Shiv is fantastic for the club and shows that we are developing as a county because we can attract a batsman of his calibre.”

Redern’s preseason hasn’t gone to plan after dislocating a finger on his right hand, on the opening day of their trip to Barbados.

The injury has kept the Derbyshire academy graduate out of action, missing all competitive cricket as the county look to iron out any problems.

“It was the first training session over there,”Redfern added.

“We were doing some slip catching and I took one on the end of my finger. It was dislocated and there is a small fracture in the joint as well.

“There were a few other counties out there, so I missed out on playing two-day games against Notts and Northants, plus a twenty20 tournament.

“It was frustrating, but I had some fitness work to do.

“I know I could have played in the matches, but the danger was if I was hit again, I’d need surgery and be out for a long time, which isn’t what I want.

“We’ve got a warm up game at Somerset next week, so hopefully I’ll be able to have a hit in that game and be ready for the first match.”

Derbyshire have a difficult start to life in Division One as they take on champions Warwickshire on April 10.