1969 saw the seventh year of the Gillette Cup and after beating Somerset at Taunton, Worcestershire at Derby, and Glamorgan at Cardiff, Derbyshire were up against a strong Sussex side at Queen’s Park

A huge crowd assembled, the official capacity was 10,582 and gate receipts were £3,520 12 shillings.

Friends members share their memories:

Simon Vickers recalls ‘It was the first cricket match I ever attended. I had to lie on the outfield between the boundary rope and the hoardings. What a start to my DCCC life’

After overnight rain a warm sunny day allowed a prompt start. Derek Morgan won the toss and opted to bat. Gibbs and Smith began sedately before Smith was out LBW with the score at 34. Batting, bowling and fielding was made difficult on the damp pitch and runs were difficult to come by. Gibbs played the best innings before he was out for 44. Morgan and Harvey both played useful innings and a lusty blow or two from Ward and Rumsey added to the total, but the innings closed at 2.45pm with a modest total of 136 on the board. Bruce Baskerville remembers ‘ I seem to recall us batting the full 60 overs for about 140. It was my first big match’.

Very few Derbyshire fans thought that 136 was enough but expectations soon changed when after 14 overs from Ward and Rumsey Sussex were 10 for 2, soon to become 12 for 3 when Rumsey bowled Suttle. The crowd were now livening up and sensing Derbyshire had a chance of victory.

Alan Roe recalls ‘I remember the crowd, people were climbing up the trees on the bank side to get a better view and the roar every time a Derbyshire bowler came in to bowl was more like a football crowd’.

The Daily Telegraph match report recalls the crowd being ‘gaily dressed and volatile’.

12 for 3 became 27 for 4 when Eyre took the wicket of Greig and tea was taken with 38 overs left for Sussex to score a further 110 runs. Soon after tea Rumsey took the fifth wicket before Peter Eyre took the last five wickets in front of a rapturous crowd to give Derbyshire victory by 87 runs.

Great scenes at the end of the match saw the crowd flock onto the pitch to applaud and congratulate the Derbyshire players.

Peter Eyre was duly awarded the Man of the Match for the magnificent bowling figures 10.2-4-18-6, and can be seen in the photo enjoying the adulation from Alan Ward and Fred Rumsey.

Derbyshire had qualified for their first final at Lords and 53 years later fans still recall this great day in the Queen’s Park with excitement.

Pete Winson recalls ‘Greatest game I ever saw in the Park. 10,500 there. A day I’ll never forget’

Christopher Wintle remembers ‘The greatest day for me as a Derbyshire supporter. I was sat in the pavilion and the sight of 10,000 in the park will live with me forever. I was 14 at the time’