DERBY have decided against cancelling Thursday's county championship match against Hampshire - even though the county is mourning the tragic death of keeper Luke Sutton's girlfriend.

Nia Walters, 26, died in a car crash on the way to work at Boots in Derby on Saturday morning and Derbyshire's shocked players initially stated

they would prefer not to play the last game of the season.

Director of cricket David Houghton was due to ring the England and Wales Cricket Board this morning to see if the game could be cancelled but the counties have decided to play on regardless.

Houghton said: "We were going to make some calls on this morning to see if the game had to be played. But we wanted to do the right thing and were always ready to play the game.

"My initial preference was that, if the game didn't have to go ahead, then we wouldn't play."

Already promoted Hampshire still need 13 points to be sure of finishing as runners up behind Nottinghamshire in the second division table and manager Paul Terry admitted: "Second place is immaterial in these circumstances."

Third-placed Glamorgan are the only county who can catch Hampshire in the table. Rose Bowl chairman Rod Bransgrove said: "It certainly puts things in perspective and our sympathies go to Luke, the family and everyone at Derbyshire."