An opening batsman, Wayne Madsen secured a two-year Derbyshire contract in 2009 after cracking two centuries in his first four games with the county and averaged 57.78 in the County Championship in his first season.

He became a solid presence at the top of the Derbyshire order and, following Luke Sutton's retirement, was named captain for the 2012 season, leading the county to County Championship promotion and their first silverware since 1993. During that season he compiled a career-best 231 against Northamptonshire and shared a ninth-wicket partnership 261 with Tom Poynton which was just 23 runs short of the world record. He signed a new three-year-contract in the wake of the title triumph.