RIKKI Clarke has quit the Derbyshire captaincy only four months into his first season in charge.

In a meeting with head of cricket John Morris, following the LV County Championship match at Worcester, Clarke said he wanted to step down because poor personal performances were having a detrimental effect on the team.

Chris Rogers is to take over as skipper until the end of the season and Clarke is in the squad for the Championship match against Middlesex at the County Ground, starting today.

There is no question that Clarke's position as captain has been undermined by his form. Having arrived at the club with a big reputation and high hopes, the 26-year-old all-rounder has failed to live up to his capabilities with bat and ball.

A second-ball duck at Worcester dropped his first-class batting average down to 25 and his bowling, badly impaired by injury recently, has brought only 13 wickets at 34 each.

It would seem leaving Surrey, relocating in the Midlands, taking on full-time captaincy for the first time and the birth of a baby daughter has proved too much to handle all at once and Clarke been admirably honest in taking this step.

He will have to show a great deal of character in the remaining seven weeks of the season to cope with being the former captain but Morris says he still believes the England international will be a key part of Derbyshire's team plans.

"Rikki still has a big role to play and, from everybody's point of view, we all hope he can find his form with bat and ball," he said.

"It is a brave decision by Rikki and he deserves respect for putting the team and the club ahead of his own personal ambitions as a captain.

"He felt it was better for everyone if he concentrated on his own game. He has made this decision for the right reasons."

Clarke made his first-class debut for Surrey in 2002 and was instantly identified as a potential international star.

He made the first of 20 one-day international appearances in 2003 and played in two Test matches in Bangladesh later that year.

But his career did not flourish as it should after that and he made the decision to leave The Oval at the end of last season.

The chance to captain Derbyshire appealed to him, even though he had offers from several other more high-profile counties, and he arrived saying that he believed being successful with Derbyshire would earn his place back in the England set-up.

Now he has the task of re-establishing his credentials as a county player.

The fact that the move has not worked out for Clarke so far is a blow for all concerned – not least for Morris, who made the player his flagship signing of the winter at the beginning of his regime.

"We all feel desperately disappointed," Morris added. "But this decision does not change the fact that we will do all we can to help Rikki succeed at Derbyshire.

"Hopefully, this can be the turning point in his season."