Derbyshire County Cricket Club is expecting a near-capacity crowd for the Super Sunday fixture versus Yorkshire Vikings on Sunday 12 June at Queen’s Park.

The Royal London One-Day Cup match, which was added to provide supporters even more cricket at the picturesque out-ground in 2016, has received high interest.

Tickets are available and the best value can be gained by purchasing in advance of the day of the game online at derbyshireccc.com or by calling 0871 350 1870.

In total, there will be seven days of county action at Queen’s Park next summer, beginning with the 50-over fixture with neighbours Yorkshire in June.

The annual cricketing festival follows, beginning on Sunday 3 July, which will once again include a traditional first-class fixture and two NatWest T20 Blast fixtures in the space of seven days.

The festival concludes on Sunday 10 July with a second local clash versus Yorkshire Vikings, this time in the NatWest T20 Blast – a fixture that sold out in advance in 2015.

Chief Executive, Simon Storey said: “It was a record year at Chesterfield in 2015 and we’re delighted to now be able to offer even more cricket at the picturesque ground next summer.

“The support has always been great at Queen’s Park, especially for the local fixtures against Yorkshire. A lot of away supporters travel down from north of the county border creating a unique atmosphere and a special event for Members and supporters.

“The NatWest T20 Blast fixture in 2015 was a complete sell out and we’re expected similarly high-interest for both matches in 2016.”

World Road Race Champion Lizzie Armitstead of the Boels Dolmans team and multiple World and Olympic Champion Marianne Vos of the Rabo Liv team head the 96-rider provisional line-up for the Aviva Women’s Tour.  Stage three of the tour will finish in Chesterfield on Friday 17th June.

The duo join the likes of defending champion Lisa Brennauer of the CANYON//SRAM team, world number one Emma Johansson of Wiggle HIGH5 and top sprinter Kirsten Wild, with 15 of the world’s top 20 riders in the UCI rankings down to start.

Armitstead is due to be joined in the Boels Dolmans line-up by former stage winner Christine Majerus and compatriot Nikki Harris, for whom Stage Four goes through her home village of Draycott in Derbyshire.

Vos’ Rabo Liv line-up is currently scheduled to include Dutch National Champion Lucinda Brand and Anna van der Breggen, who was the Silver medallist behind Armitstead in last year’s World Road Race Championships.

The provisional rider list includes 14 current National Road Race Champions from around the world, including the champions of Australia (Amanda Spratt), Italy (Elena Cecchini) and Belgium (Jolien D’Hoore).

Riders from 22 different countries make up the provisional start list, with Great Britain and the Netherlands being the most dominant nations, with 19 and 18 riders respectively.

The list includes both former winners of the Aviva Women’s Tour in Brennauer (2015) and Vos (2014) and six riders who have won stages in the race.

The youngest rider is due to be Great Britain’s Grace Garner, who makes her debut in the race and will turn 19 on the final day of the Aviva Women’s Tour in Northamptonshire.  Garner was due to be joined in the race by her elder sister Lucy, although the Wiggle HIGH5 rider is now expected to miss the Aviva Women’s Tour with broken ribs sustained at the weekend.

One other pair of sisters are scheduled to ride, with 2015’s Best Young Rider and final stage winner Hannah Barnes of the CANYON//SRAM team being joined by younger sister Alice, who makes her debut in the race with the Drops Cycling Team.

The final line-up of riders will be confirmed on the afternoon of Tuesday 14 June ahead of Stage One the following day from Southwold to Norwich.

Highlights of the Aviva Women’s Tour will be shown each evening on ITV4 with a repeat the following morning on the same channel.  The highlights will also be available on demand for 30-days via the ITV Hub catch-up service.

Find out more about the Women’s Tour Stage 3 finish in Chesterfield where there will be a full day of entertainment and activities.

Images courtesy of Sweetspot.

One of Chesterfield and North Derbyshire’s most prominent running events has been launched with a new look route – which promises to be flatter and faster than previous years.

Organisers of the Chesterfield Half Marathon believe that the runner-friendly route will attract more participants and elite runners from around the world.

The route changes come alongside a suspension of the full marathon for 2016, to enable organisers to focus on creating a much-improved route for the 2017 event.

Runners can now register to take part in the 2016 event, which takes place on Sunday 2 October. It will also include a fun run and a relay race, where four competitors take a share of the course over a distance of either 5km or two people over 10km each.

The charity race, which is sponsored by Chesterfield-based Drainage 2000, will once again be entirely in support of a number of local and national charities and community organisations.

Starting and finishing in Chesterfield’s Queen’s Park, the route has retained popular stretches through areas like Hasland whilst also incorporating Chatsworth Road and more of the town centre. As well as being a faster and more attractive route for runners of all abilities, the new route will allow more residents to get out onto the streets and support the runners. The route is all road-based, so fully wheelchair accessible.

As in previous years, there will also be an all-day ‘Party in the Park’ in Queen’s Park, with food, drink and entertainment for all the family. Along the route organisers are also aiming to create festival zones in areas such as Hasland and Chatsworth Road, where the Chatsworth Road festival will be taking place on the same weekend.

Mike Hyman, from the event organisers, said: “It has always been our intention for the Chesterfield Half Marathon to be a world class event that will attract runners and visitors to our town from across the UK and beyond. So that, as well as the thousands of pounds the event can generate for many charities, the Chesterfield Half Marathon also benefits the local economy, from the influx of visitors to our town who will spend their money in our shops, restaurants, bars and hotels.

“The route we have designed for this year definitely achieves our ambition. We have been working closely with the local authorities and other agencies for many months, as well as listening to runners’ and residents’ feedback to try and design an equally attractive full marathon route, but there is still more work to do to achieve the optimum route.

“In relation to the full marathon, it is a very difficult task to agree a route that is attractive enough to runners to make it commercially viable, while at the same time limits disruption to residents and satisfies all the agencies concerned, including the emergency services and Highways England. Therefore in 2016 we have decided not to hold the full marathon and instead focus on building the half marathon and the 4 X 5K team relay event.”

Drainage 2000 returns as headline sponsor for the second year. The company, which was launched in 2000, maintains drainage systems all across the UK and employs 20 people locally from its office in Old Whittington.

Entry is £30 for the half marathon, £25 per person for the 2 X 10K team relay, £15 per person for the 4 x 5K team relay and £5 for the fun run. Runners will also have the option to have their ‘chipped’ race number posted to them before race day.

To register as for the Half Marathon, team relay, fun run or as a volunteer visit www.chesterfieldmarathon.org.uk/registrations. To find out more about sponsorship opportunities, festival zone packs or getting involved in other ways contact Andrea on 01246 269023 or andrea@chesterfieldmarathon.co.uk.