Moore signs for Derbyshire.

Moore will prove very useful in limited overs cricket.

The acquisition of Stephen Moore proved to be a shrewd piece of business from Derbyshire, who were in dire need of a quality top order batsman following their immediate return to Division Two.

The former Lancashire opener struggled for form last season and ended a three-year stint with the 2011 county champions after failing to regain his place in the team.

The 33-year-old’s task became much harder due to the immediate success of youngster, Luis Reece, who became the first Lancashire player to score seven consecutive half-centuries since 1959.

Reece’s success alongside the recently appointed Lancashire vice-captain, Paul Horton, added to his challenge, as the pair made five hundred-run opening stands after six different opening combinations were trialed by the Red Rose outfit.

Moore’s departure was difficult to accept, due to his extensive role in the club’s success in 2011, but his form in the following season, like many other players, called his contribution into question.

However, while many of Moore’s fellow players regained their form in the second division, he failed to rediscover his former self, and it took just two matches for Lancashire to decide they had seen enough.

The former Worcestershire and England Lions man was once regarded with such high promise and, perhaps it is this pedigree, which Derbyshire are hoping to tap into in order to increase their chances for promotion in 2014.

The popular opinion was that Moore would return to his mother-county, Worcestershire, but the nature of his departure may have left a sour relationship between the two parties.

His performances in the 2009 season became overshadowed by Worcester’s failings and, alongside Surrey wicket-keeper-batsman, Steve Davies; Moore sought a method for escaping, a decision which may have excluded them from the race for his signature.

Derbyshire had the lowest number of batting bonus points in the first division last season and the recent departure of head coach, Karl Krikken, added to the club’s sorrow.

Moore featured in many one-day games, but his form
in the championship led to his exit.

Wayne Madsen scored the second highest number of runs in the first division last season (1,221) but was left holding the baby, as the likes of Peter Borrington and Billy Goddleman failed to offer substantial support.

Chesney Hughes, who thumped 270 versus runners-up Yorkshire, fours runs shy of a club record, would have only made 342 runs had he not had this incredible innings.

Even in this game Derby still somehow managed to lose by an innings and 39 runs after making a first innings total of 475 and this fixture perfectly summarised the clubs problems.

Contributions from Hughes and Madsen in the first innings in a 258-run partnership, and a cumulative total of 363 runs between them, but the rest of the team added just 112 for the loss of eight wickets.

Certainly, if we use this game as an example, Derbyshire will also have to make further acquisitions to their bowling department, but the signing of Stephen Moore promises to be mutually beneficial for both parties.

The extension to Ben Slater’s stay at the club suggests that he and Moore could become Derbyshire’s new opening combination, but the 22-year-old also failed to impress with the bat last season, making just 335 runs at an average of 19.71.

Despite Moore’s failure to impress in the longest form of the game, he continued to impress on the one-day scene and Derby will certainly benefit from his presence in the shorter forms of the game.

Playing in all eleven of the Lightning’s twenty20 fixtures, he was comfortably the club’s top run-scorer with 338 runs, making their highest score of the campaign with a match winning 75 away at Durham.

He also featured in Lancashire’s enthralling win over Roses rivals, Yorkshire, in front of an elated Emirates Old Trafford crowd, scoring 66 of 35 balls as the Lightning won with nine overs to spare.

However, his failure to impress in four-day cricket led to the announcement of his departure prior to Lancashire’s final match of the season versus Kent in late September.

With Derbyshire aiming to return to the first division, Moore will need to rediscover his form next season, but this will not be easy with an average of  just 17.88 in the last two year’s of the county championship.