Derbyshire v Oxford UCCE day one

Derbyshire 341-4 (Came 103 retired, Guest 50 retired, Warner 3-61)

Oxford UCCE 33-1 (Potts 1-7)

Derbyshire lead by 308 runs 

There is no need for an elaborate match report on today's first play of the season, but Mickey Arthur will be very pleased with opportunities taken by his batters today. 

Star man was Harry Came, who compiled a delightful century. He looked secure in defence and had a fine and full range of strokes, especially strong on the drive and the glide to third man. There was good support in a half century from Brooke Guest, whose driving and cutting was as ever secure. Both men retired at tea, unbeaten.

Everyone else got in and contributed. It wasn't perhaps the strongest of attacks, but Jack Warner (not that one, or even THAT one!) ran in hard and deserved his return of three wickets. He plays his cricket at Barnt Green near Birmingham and looked a decent player. 

At the end of the Derbyshire innings it was nice to see Anuj Dal and Martin Andersson doing what we hope will become a regular occurrence this summer, with a fine partnership to stretch the final declaration score to 341-4.

There was time for a wicket before the close, Nick Potts taking it. He looked to be running in more freely than was the case last year and worked up a decent pace. I hope he can get his career back on track this year after a couple of summers ruined by injury. At 22 he has time on his side and maybe his new hair cut sees him channeling his inner Zak Chappell.

All in all, it was what was required from a first practice day of a long summer. 

Hopefully tomorrow brings more of the same. 

Book Review: Deadly - Derek Underwood, The Life of an English International Cricketer by Mark Peel

A combination of one of the more reliable cricket writers and a cricketer who rarely let anyone down was always likely to produce a worthy tome.

So it follows that Mark Peel's biography of Derek Underwood is an outstanding read.

There was nothing flashy about the former Kent and England man. He went about his work with a familiar, trudging gait and was close to being a captain's dream. On any pitch offering help - and there were plenty in the 1960s, as tired old outgrounds were starting to slip below an acceptable standard - he was, as his nickname suggested, 'Deadly'. When conditions were less in his favour, his innate accuracy enabled him to slow down the scoring rate, giving little away to the greats of the game, many of who were playing county cricket at the time.

In that attitude he should have been a Derbyshire player and it was interesting to read that, when his involvement in World Series Cricket saw him initially sacked by Kent, he was approached by then Derbyshire captain, Eddie Barlow about a move to the County Ground.

It never happened, of course and Underwood remained a man of Kent until the end of his playing career. 

What a career it was. Almost 2,500 wickets at a shade over 20, with 297 at 25 in international cricket. The astonishing thing is that he was not always an automatic pick for his country. He wasn't strictly speaking a spin bowler and there were no real similarities between him and Norman Gifford, a fine but lesser bowler who was sometimes preferred. 

Critics said he bowled too quickly and was afraid to give the ball air, which was valid on a perfect pitch. Yet it also meant he was hard to get away and he could be relied upon to keep one end quiet, at least. 

His 7-50 against Australia on a rain-affected pitch at The Oval in 1968 earned England a draw in the series and set him off on an international career that saw him respected around the world. 

He appears to have been an admirable man too and those consulted in the excellent research for this book all bear testimony to a life well-lived. His friendly persona made him a popular host on cricket tours in later years and his passing last year was mourned throughout the game. 

This is an outstanding read, the latest in a long line from the publisher. My only grouse is that a career so spectacular was worthy of a statistical breakdown at the end. That apart, it is a book well worth the time and follows in a rich sequence of excellent volumes from the author. 

Recommended. 

Deadly: Derek Underwood, the Life of an English International Cricketer is written by Mark Peel and published by Pitch Publishing

Red ball county preview

It would be very easy, when putting pen to paper for this season preview, to cast my mind back to September and the end of a fairly mediocre season. 

There was little of excitement to write about and I had pretty much written off any possibility of the same in 2025. 

It may turn out to be equally anti-climactic, but it doesn't need to be that way. 

Every season throws up a surprise package in sport, a team that plays beyond the sum of its parts, gets off to a flyer and makes everyone else sit up and take notice. 

There is no reason why it should not be Derbyshire. If you look down the team, there are players of talent, potential and experience. There are also those who are playing for a new contract, which is always a consideration. Most have points to prove, which could go either way, of course.

There are question marks. Some of these are over fitness, mental toughness and technique. The ability is there, as it has to be at this level. The key will be in Mickey Arthur getting the players to produce their collective best form on a consistent basis. 

We are not a team of superstars. There are few within it who can win a match on their own. But just as in 2012, when the team pulled together to produce something special, maybe the same spirit can be galvanised once more. Even in 1936, when we won the County Championship, we were far from a good batting side. Yet runs came down the order and someone always ensured the side had enough for a keen attack to work with.

Wayne Madsen is back as red ball skipper. Maybe reluctantly, as he has surely had the opportunity to return as captain before now, but he is by a distance the best option available. He lifted the second division trophy in 2012 and while it would be optimistic in the extreme to expect him to do the same this year, we only need a good start, decent luck with the weather and injuries and to hold our catches to make a decent fist of things. The Derby pitches will be key and if the planned use of hybrid tracks comes to fruition, we have the bowlers to make good use of them.

Blair Tickner returns after a spell last year that didn't go as planned, but was one in which his ability and attitude was clear. He has something to prove - not least his fitness after a shoulder problem - but an opening partnership with Zak Chappell will be dangerous. Zak was outstanding last summer and is so important with bat and ball. So too Ben Aitchison, who should return in early season to offer another excellent red ball option. We must hope his injury troubles are behind him and he can now go on to a long and successful county career.

After a good tour of Australia with England Lions, Pat Brown will want to make an impact in all forms of the game, while Harry Moore will hope to build on a fine first summer once he finishes school in June. With Nick Potts working his way back from injury and keen to get what looked a serious talent back on track, we should have the ability to take wickets - IF they all stay injury-free.

Jack Morley will likely be the lead spinner and is another young player with potential. Alex Thomson will possibly play a more peripheral role, but will aim to do well when opportunity presents itself. Mitch Wagstaff will hope to force his way into the reckoning too, though whether as a batter who bowls a bit, or a genuine all-rounder is currently up for proving

Martin Andersson joins a group of all rounders that also includes David Lloyd, Luis Reece and Anuj Dal, so competition for places will be strong. Sometimes last year I felt we almost had too many options and didn't always use them to best effect. All of them need to pitch in with bat and ball to support a batting line up, which while talented, was never reliable last year. That two of them have opened the batting in the past could be useful, although whether that is to stabilise and innings at 30-3 or face the second new ball at 270-3 will depend on the effectiveness of the 2025 batting model.

Madsen will again lead the batting - how often have I written that over the years? At some point Father Time will catch up, but there seemed little sign of that last year and there may yet be life in the supremely talented old dog beyond this summer. 

Caleb Jewell arrives from Tasmania after a troubled winter in which his form at least seemed to be returning at its end. At his best he can really bolster the batting and engender confidence, as Shan Masood did three years ago. Good judges in Australia rate him, but the side needs him to hit the ground running.

I would like to see Harry Came as his partner, but I hope Harry remains assertive. Too often last season he appeared to be bogged down with responsibility and his natural fluency disappeared. Towards the end of the season the strokes returned and so too the runs.

Brooke Guest could well continue at three, but so too could Luis Reece or David Lloyd. There is much to commend a left/right partnership in the top order, so it may be fluid, depending on the first wicket to fall. Meanwhile, Aneurin Donald will want to show that he can play match-winning innings in the long form. We all know he can hit a ball a long way, but he is at a stage in his career where he should realise you don't need to do it to every ball in four-day cricket. If he can marry his wonderful timing and power to greater game awareness, we would have a special player on our hands. 

He will also continue to be back up wicket keeper to Brooke Guest, although that seems as onerous a task as it once did for those on the staff in case Bob Taylor was injured. Guest's level of fitness and high standards are a huge asset to the club and he will prove a trusty advisor to Wayne Madsen.

Confidence will be high at this stage, as it will be around the eighteen first-class counties. I am making no bold assertions, as I don't think it is helpful, but IF we can produce our best form consistently, we should win our share of games. 

If we don't, it will be another of those seasons, I'm afraid. 

But like all of you, I wish them only the best.

Thoughts as the season approaches

A week today, weather permitting, Derbyshire will step onto the County Ground for the first time in 2025. 

It will be a friendly game against Oxford UCCE, but an opportunity to see our side in the flesh once more.

There was mixed news from overseas this week. Caleb Jewell returned to the Tasmania side and made 45 and 100*  in their final fixture against New South Wales. It was a decent attack too, but most interesting was the fact that he batted at four, rather than his usual opening role. Whether that is an option for Derbyshire I don't know, but it is certainly food for thought. 

However, Blair Tickner has had a shoulder niggle that has kept him out of the Central Districts side in recent matches. He should return for their final game and if all goes well he will arrive to take his place in Derbyshire's second fixture of the summer.

Starting the season with an overseas bowler who has a shoulder injury is not ideal and with Harry Moore still at school and Ben Aitchison not quite ready, we may start our opening game missing three seamers. 

I am sure that if the worst happened,  Mickey Arthur has someone in line to step in for red ball cricket, but he will hope to go with his original choice. There will be plenty of match fit Australian and New Zealand bowlers who could come in at short notice on a short-term visa if needed, of course.

Moving on, I was again talking to Matt Rhodes of North Derbyshire radio last week and you can hear our chat about all things Derbyshire here

It includes my thoughts on Allah Ghazanfar, our new mystery spinner, as well as the selection of Harry Moore for Hundred.

I always smile when I hear the term 'mystery spinner'. Ghazanfar is an outstanding bowler, but I recall when a chap turned up to our preseason club nets claiming to be one.

After watching a lengthy selection of full tosses and long hops, our club wicketkeeper sidled up to me.

'Mystery spinner, eh? I reckon the only mystery is whether he goes for fours or sixes...' 

'But can you read him?' I asked, conscious that if he got it right he might be a potent weapon

'It doesn't matter', he said. 'No bugger's going to be missing anything that he is tossing up'.

Which is what happened when he played a few games. Length and line would have been useful for any spin to be effective..

Finally today, thank you to those who have made donations towards the running of the blog, either on a one-off or regular basis. You can do so easily by clicking on the 'donate' button in the top left hand corner if viewing on a computer. Alternatively, you can do so through PayPal, If you prefer. 

I am always happy to chat to anyone who would like to promote their business and sponsor the blog. Please email me at peakfan36@yahoo.co.uk if this might be of interest to you.

Our last week without county cricket, folks.

Exciting, isn't it?

Moore and Madsen picked for Hundred - and Blast thoughts

The news that Wayne Madsen and Harry Moore have been picked for this year's version of The Hundred was no surprise on the one hand, more so on the other.

With Pat Brown and Nye Donald already selected, Derbyshire will be without four of their first choice players for the One-Day Cup, which has led to considerable wailing and gnashing of teeth on social media. 

Yet supporters will need to accept - as I have - that the game has changed and the 50-over competition, whether we like it or not, is a development one. It is a chance for peripheral players to stake a claim, for young ones to make a name and for players possibly to change county and impress potential new suitors (assuming his own county has the resources to let him leave..)

Our best chance of success this year is in the T20, especially after the announcement of Allah Ghazanfar as overseas player for that competition. The announcement of Harry Moore in the Birmingham squad is a bold one and probably suggests he will play in the Vitality Blast this year. Is it asking a lot of a young man who hasn't yet played a T20 match to be participating in the ultimate of slap and giggle cricket? Perhaps, but Moore is a precocious talent and while Derbyshire will field two players over forty in the Blast (Madsen and Patel) it looks likely they could also field two eighteen-year olds in Moore and Ghazanfar. 

So what is your first choice Blast side, assuming fitness and form? I would likely go with:

Jewell

Donald

Madsen

Andersson

Whiteley/Lloyd

Guest

Patel

Chappell

Moore

Ghazanfar

Brown

You could go with Donald as wicket-keeper, but especially for a mystery spinner you need your best man behind the stumps. Andersson opened with success for Middlesex last year and there will be a decision between Whiteley (who really needs to play this format if he is going to) and Lloyd. 

Ross gives you another left-hander but perhaps his might be a floating role, to keep the bowlers changing their lines if Jewell went early. 

Conversely, Lloyd is a quick scorer and a bowling option, but the addition of Ghazanfar gives Derbyshire a VERY strong bowling unit for all surfaces.

Brown, Chappell, Moore, Ghazanfar and Patel. I am loathe to heap expectation on to the shoulders of two players still in their teens, but that might be our strongest-ever T20 attack.

Consider me excited. It could go wrong, of course and injuries can derail any side, but that looks a pretty decent side to me 

Thoughts? What would be your first choice eleven? 

Derbyshire swoop for Afghan ace Ghazanfar

Today's announcement of the signing of 18-year old Afghan 'mystery spinner' Allah Ghazanfar for the Vitality Blast has probably taken the cricket world by surprise. Yet that in no way reflects on the ability of a young man who is very highly thought of in the game, after a stellar start to his career.

Certainly the Mumbai Indians thought highly enough of him to pay 4.8 crore (around £450K) for his services for this year's IPL, before a back injury ruled him out of the competition, as it did the Champions Trophy. Based on his performances in 2024, it is likely that his appearance in those tournaments would have heightened awareness, but put him well outside of Derbyshire's budget. It is equally fair to say that this signing probably wouldn't have happened without the international contacts of Mickey Arthur. The Derbyshire Head of Cricket is good friends with Mahela Jayawardena, the head coach of Mumbai and former Sri Lankan captain.

Of course there is a risk in signing an overseas player of such tender years, just as there was when we signed the largely unknown Zaman Khan, also for the Vitality Blast, a couple of years back. There is also risk in signing a player who has missed several months of cricket with a back injury. But Derbyshire will have done due diligence on that one and will have been assured of his fitness for a stint in the Vitality Blast.

So what sort of player are we getting? 

If you Google his name he comes up as an offspin bowler, but that isn't close to the full story. Few have been able to consistently pick Ghazanfar's variations in his short time on the first class cricket scene. There is the carrom ball, top spin and back spin in his armoury, making him a challenge to take on with confidence. His fast action preserves the mystery and to merely play him as an off spin bowler is fraught with risk.

 He emerged from the 2024 Under-19 T20 World Cup, where he took eight wickets at an economy rate of just 3.35 runs per over. That he was initially preferred by Mumbai for this year's IPL, over the talented Mujeeb Ur Rahman of Bangladesh, speaks volumes for his talent and huge potential.

In senior cricket he has just 30 wickets in 19 T20 matches, but has only gone for six runs an over. Whether some wiley old professionals might work him out is a moot point,  but the merits of signing a player that many will not have heard of is that few will have faced his potent blend of spin both ways. At 6'2 he will also get bounce and is very much the sort of aggressive spinner that Samit Patel alluded to our needing, a few weeks ago. I look forward to watching his bowling partnership with the Derbyshire white ball captain.

A highest score of 1 in his five T20 knocks suggests he hasn't been signed to lengthen the batting, but if he can keep control or wreak havoc in the middle overs of matches he will have done his job. A YouTube video of his 31 against South Africa in a fifty-over game suggests he can handle a bat and hit a long ball, but supporters will hope we don't often require his services. 

Others may disagree, but I applaud this signing. It is left-field  and innovative, something that I cannot criticise. A lack of experience may come into the equation at some point, but age isn't an issue if you have the talent. Hampshire signed the precocious Lhuan-dre Pretorius, only a year older, a few weeks ago, confident that the young South African tyro can translate his clear talent to English pitches. And who is to say that Harry Moore might not play a role in the tournament this year? Youth should be no barrier and if you are good enough, you are old enough. Sachin Tendulkar let no one down when he was overseas player for Yorkshire at the age of 19.

I will be fascinated to see if Ghazanfar, the first Afghan overseas player to represent Derbyshire, can do similarly.

Based on what I have seen, I wouldn't bet against it. Have a look at this footage below, which clearly shows what the talented young man has to offer.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Kjwp3Zexzgg?si=LfXUr_l_iKtnW9dm

Welcome to Derbyshire, Allah!

First radio stint of the summer

I was on North Derbyshire radio last night, talking to Matt Rhodes about the new contract for Mickey Arthur, David Lloyd stepping down from the captaincy and Wayne Madsen taking it on.

We also discussed the coming season and the recent passing of former Derbyshire player Peter Eyre.

You can listen to it here. I am on just before the fifteen minute mark

Hope you enjoy it! 

Madsen returns to red ball captaincy

The change that makes the most sense from a Derbyshire perspective has been quickly announced, as I fully expected.

Wayne Madsen has once again been appointed red ball captain, a post he held for four summers until 2015. He was the last Derbyshire skipper to hold aloft a trophy, when we won division two in that memorable summer of 2012.

Since then, a number of Derbyshire skippers have sought his counsel and he has been involved in most on field decisions. At 41 he is in his twilight years as a player, yet there were no signs last year of any dimming of the light. He is still the first name on most team sheets and this can only be a positive move for Derbyshire. 

I also think it gives David Lloyd an opportunity to show our supporters what he can do. I understand his preference is to bat in the middle order and he should now have that chance, with the arrival of Caleb Jewell, who will partner either Harry Came or Luis Reece.

I will not make any bold predictions, nor expect Wayne to channel his inner Eddie Barlow and galvanise his side as the latter once did so well. He is a different beast, but will command respect and will undoubtedly have the backing of everyone in and  around the club. He exudes calmness and knows the game inside out.

This is definitely the right appointment for Derbyshire. It might just be for a year, with the captaincy carrot dangled in front of someone elsewhere for 2026, or it might just extend the career of one of the few men for whom 'legend' is an an entirely appropriate epithet.

Congratulations skipper!

Postscript: with Wayne 41 and Samit Patel 40, I doubt any county has ever had both format skippers over the age of 40...unless anyone can say different?

Lloyd steps down as club captain

It has come as no surprise that there will be a change in the club captaincy at Derbyshire for the coming season. 

David Lloyd, who has stepped down from the role, looked to be struggling at the end of last summer, when the challenges of establishing himself at a new club, some distance from his home and with injuries to contend with, became too much. 

His struggles with his mental health have been well documented. He is a good cricketer, better than last season showed him to be. There were glimpses of form, with some delightful stroke play at times, but they came in cameos and he was unable to deliver the weight of runs that supporters - and he - would have liked. 

Injuries to his knee and hand also limited what he could do with the ball. A player who has made his name as a solid county all rounder was thus restricted to one string of his talented bow. An excellent slip fielder, he often had to field elsewhere to protect his hand, so it is fair to say we didn't see him at his best. 

He was able to turn back time and bowl the off spin of his younger days, but I'm sure he would have preferred the opportunity to show a new set of supporters his best game, without such challenges.

You never know what is going on away from cricket, either. Getting your young family established in a new area is not easy and all things considered, it was no real surprise that David struggled. Especially when asked to take the helm of a team that, let's face it, has hardly been successful.

That is a tough gig. Rikki Clarke was a terrific county cricketer for many years, but he found it challenging at Derbyshire after leaving Surrey, before moving to Warwickshire and enjoying an excellent career, back in the ranks. You could go through a number of players who both joined and left our county and struggled in pastures new. Sometimes you get the right environment, sometimes you don't, it is that simple. 

I hope that David is able to enjoy being a respected advisor to the new captain and I wouldn't expect that announcement to be too long. 

For me, there is only one real option, as I wrote last week. 

If Wayne Madsen could be persuaded to take on the role that he held with distinction between 2012 and 2015, he is by far the best candidate. 

It would be a good news story and one that would send us into the season with greater confidence.

Other than that? Brooke Guest, but my concern would be a colossal workload for a key member of the side.

Thoughts?

Mickey Arthur - the reason why

It didn't take too long to find out that my opinion of a new contract for Mickey Arthur was at odds with many other supporters...

Plenty of comments on here and around social media confirmed that people were surprised and angry. I fully understand that and, as someone who felt at the end of last season that this year would be the last for Mickey Arthur, I would like to explain why my position has shifted. 

It is patently clear that results have not gone as we had hoped. Mickey's approach is by nature to be bullish and upbeat and he has not always helped himself with some of his comments. 

Calling the players 'entertainment machines' and suggesting we were going to play 'sexy cricket' was a clear case of setting yourself up for a fall. So too the building up of some players. Alex Thomson, for example, was referred to as having England potential when he joined, but has become an increasingly peripheral figure. 

He has also made mistakes. Some contracts were extended, but shouldn't have been, some decisions beggared belief (bowling at Hove last year, batting at Chesterfield) and man management was, anecdotally, not especially good. Bawling out a dressing room at a volume that was audible to supporters outside seemed to be playing to the gallery.

From years as a senior manager in different environments, I know pretty well that you cannot adopt a one-size fits all approach to this, as it doesn't work. It might do at elite level, but below that you need to appreciate that people respond to and need different approaches. They make mistakes, but not usually on purpose.

I would like to think that the Derbyshire Board has seen evidence that lessons have been learned. If you are receptive to doing so, you always learn and I clearly recall John Wright saying that his approach to being in charge at Kent was considerably different to when he did the same for New Zealand and India. That makes complete sense. Elite principles are one thing, but so too an appreciation that not everyone is of the requisite standard.

His experience in the world game is second to none, but relatively speaking, at this level it was limited and some time ago. After three seasons, he will appreciate that his initial comments were not helpful and his suggestion that by year three he would have 'his' side was not wise. It didn't take into account that the county doesn't have the budget to make it 'his' side in that time scale, for one thing. It is no longer international cricket, where you choose who is available. You need to have the money and they need to want to come.

A gamble on signing Samit Patel and Ross Whiteley didn't come off last year, neither of them producing their best form. Again, to have 'his' side he needed the right players and one look at the out of contract list last year showed few players who would have improved us. 

Yet we supporters are not privy to discussions at board level. My thoughts over the winter have been that Mickey will have irons in the fire for 2026, players that he wants to bring to Derbyshire and who would improve the overall standard. He has the contacts, he has the name and people will want to come and play for international coach Mickey Arthur. Not just domestic players, but those in other countries who will be aware of his record in the global game. I wouldn't be surprised if contact had not already been made with agents, expressing interest.

He got George Scrimshaw into the England set up, so too Pat Brown, likewise Harry Moore. That hasn't happened for a long time and it was important for Derbyshire to be seen to be relevant once more. When the right players become available and see that Derbyshire can be a route to international cricket, that is progress. You don't hear people questioning the relevance of the county now, commonplace a few years ago.

Yes, he needs to get the best out of what he has in 2025 and my gut feeling is that we will see improvement. Yet we should not forget that our existing  squad is largely made up of those who lacked opportunity elsewhere and in some cases there was a reason for that. We don't have the budget  and we can't throw £150K at player A and ask him to come here. Because if you do, the standout players on your staff want parity, when they realise what is happening and that they are doing more than the expensive new import...

Quietly, below the surface and unnoticed to many, Arthur established a coaching structure, with the very able assistance of Daryn Smit, that will see the county hopefully produce its own talent in future years.

Mitch Wagstaff, Nick Potts, Harry Moore and Yusaf bin Naeem are the first wave of what will hopefully be many players from our own system. I understand that as many as six players may be involved in this year's under-15 Bunbury Festival, which would be an astonishing achievement. 

Bringing in the right overseas players, recruiting quality from elsewhere and fielding the best of our own is the way I would like to see Derbyshire develop. Young and hungry players, keen for the opportunity to develop their games from overseas, not those who are looking for final paydays and to go through the motions.

In saying that the right decision was made, I am not suggesting I am any happier with the last couple of seasons than anyone else. But I can see where progress is being made and I cannot see how changing at this point in the development process would be productive. Going from rock bottom to the top was always unlikely in three years, as it is in any sport. Even Eddie Barlow found it much harder as a coach than a player, when he couldn't directly influence events on the pitch.

The decision has been made and as supporters we must now get behind the team, the coaches and the club. It should not and will not prevent constructive comment and criticism when matches are lost - as they will be. Nor should it prevent constant scrutiny, which will be the case at board level. 

But I am willing to extend my acceptance of the length of the development plan to five years. As well as players gaining national recognition for the first time in a long while, others are playing abroad with success and coaching staff are gaining experience and doing very well in the English winter (take a bow, Ben Smith)

Such a widening of the net takes the county name into different circles and allows us to see people who could do a job in the future.

If you don't agree that's fine. It is all about opinions and as long as they are expressed in a thoughtful and considered manner I will always be happy to air yours on here. Unlike those of the eejit who periodically sent comments urging me to die, until I blocked his IP address, sending them straight to the trash where they belonged..

But in closing and as I do every year, please remember that when you post it will be read by family, friends, players, board members and coaching staff. The blog is a good sounding board for many people and an opportunity to make your views known. 

I will always be happy to post comments that disagree with mine, just as long as they are considered and are not personal. I love the involvement of everyone and it remains a pleasure to engage with you all. 

A new season will soon be upon us. 

Let the show commence..

Arthur signs contract extension

At least for me, today's announcement of a one-year contract extension for Mickey Arthur comes as no surprise.

Anyone who watched the excellent series of videos by Tom Poynton on the club site will know that the Head of Cricket is highly regarded, irrespective of results so far not going as we may have wanted.

His first year at the club was a success, managing to get more from the players than had previously been the case. The last two have been disappointing, but there are signs throughout the club that the 'process' is starting to bear fruit. 

The short-termism highlighted in the signings of Samit Patel and Ross Whiteley may or may not bring dividends this summer. But the recruitment of Aneurin Donald and Martin Andersson suggests a longer-term game. At this stage, I would expect Donald to be the white ball captain in 2026 and that additional responsibility could be the making of him.

The progression of Harry Moore and Yusuf Bin Naeem to the senior squad may only be the start. The county under-fifteen squad is highly regarded and I understand that a number of Derbyshire players look like playing at the Bunbury Festival this year, which showcases the country's top under-15 talent.

Of course, Daryn Smit and the Pathway deserve great credit for this, but so too does Arthur, for putting in place the requisite structure. I have been quick to criticise when results haven't gone as they should and mistakes have been made - and there have been a few - but the development of the club,  within budget and without incurring substantial debt, goes on and I respect that. I suspect that the end of this season will see further change in the playing ranks and that will of course be dictated by results and performance in 2025. 

The bottom line is that Derbyshire cannot compete on purely financial terms for players. It is all very well for supporters to look at other counties and suggest we should be signing player X and Y, but the club has made the decision to be financially prudent. In that regard, they are a model to their peers, debt free and living firmly within their means, building from the roots upwards. 

The 'Derbyshire way' has to be identifying young overseas players of talent around the globe, giving them the opportunity to play in this country and build their reputation, while at the same time not breaking the bank in so far as the outlay is concerned. I have heard the sums asked for some players and been astonished, but franchise cricket has been a game-changer for many. Like it or not, we cannot match a salary offered by a franchise host, so we need to identify the talent more quickly. Realistically, the best chance of doing that is with someone who has contacts throughout the world game.

Supporting such players with home-grown and keenly sourced talent from elsewhere will ensure that there is a Derbyshire County Cricket Club in the future. The road to financial ruin, regardless of the 'riches' coming from the recent investment in The Hundred, is still a very easy to follow, one perhaps likely to see one or two casualties in the next twenty years.

Stability is important in all walks of life and, as supporters, we need to get behind the players, the coaching staff and the club in the hope that Mickey Arthur can build a Derbyshire that is greater than the sum of its constituent parts.

It promises to be an interesting summer and we now know that the man tasked with making it successful will be there to see the job through, until at least the end of 2026. He will have the opportunity to continue to shape the squad next winter and to further progress what he has often called 'the project'

It will make fascinating viewing.

Peter Eyre 1939-2025

I was so sorry tonight to hear the news of the passing of Peter Eyre, another of my childhood favourites. Coming so soon after the death of his good friend Brian Jackson, it has been a sad time for the High Peak and for Derbyshire cricket.

Peter was perhaps the very definition of a journeyman professional. He didn't always reach the heights and there were times when he was not an automatic choice in the Derbyshire eleven. Yet when opportunity came, he seldom let them down.

He played for the county between 1959 and 1972 and took 418 wickets in that time. His bustling fast medium pace always commanded respect, never more so than when he destroyed Sussex in the 1969 Gillette Cup semi-final. Harold Rhodes and Alan Ward softened them up, Fred Rumsey was parsimony personified but it was Peter who delivered the knock-out blows, returning figures of 6-18 on an afternoon when he was nigh unplayable. 

1969 was a good year and Chesterfield a good ground for him, because he also returned his best first-class figures of 8-65 against Somerset there that summer, as well as recording his only first-class century, against Leicestershire on the same ground. A fine one too, against an attack containing three international bowlers, Graham McKenzie, Barry Knight and Ray Illingworth.

He burst onto the scene as a young bowler of talent, who was sadly caught up in the throwing controversy that falsely blighted the career of his team mate and good friend Harold Rhodes. He was filmed after one of the 1961 Australians felt there was something 'different' about his action, but that was all it was - different. But as he told me when I interviewed him for my second book, 'I always felt under scrutiny afterwards, whether from officials or umpires. I was never called, but it was always on my mind'.

In 1967 he emerged from a few years of struggle to take 64 wickets at less than 20 runs each, taking the new ball for a good part of the season. Yet that halcyon summer of '69 marked the start of a decline, after a cartilage injury sustained playing football in the following winter. He then contracted debilitating glandular fever, which took him a long time from which to recover.

When he finished playing professional cricket he captained Hathersage Cricket Club for several seasons and also played for Knypersley, where he spent some successful summers as a professional. 

A builder to trade, he was well known in and around the High Peak. Some will remember him from the shire horses that he kept, doing weddings with them and giving rides in a cart at Carsington Water and at Chatsworth for a number of years.

He was kind enough to come along to both of my book launches, having been very patient with my many questions when I interviewed him for the second one. He had a wry sense of humour and recalled with a chuckle when he experimented with a wig for a short time. He suffered from alopecia as a young man, which made him stand out, at a time when hairstyles were getting longer. 

The experiment was abandoned when he realised the method of securing his wig was not effective and the slip fielders were watching it bounce up and down when he ran in, rather than focusing on the ball and the edge of the bat.

It was a story indicative of the man and he had a ready smile and collection of funny tales. When I thanked him for coming along to my book launch at Chesterfield Library, he shook my hand and gave me that trademark grin 

'I allus liked Chesterfield anyway' came his reply, with the afterthought 'and the book is a good 'un too.'

Peter Eyre was a good 'un alright, one of the very best.

Rest in Peace and thank you for everything, Peter. 

Polls apart

I read the results of a poll a few weeks back, which asked 'cricket fans' to name their greatest ever England side. 

I am not a fan of such things, because generally the only people who can bother to respond tend to be younger and often with less awareness of older players. I mean no disrespect in saying this, but I suppose you can only comment on what you know. 

A couple of years ago I saw a poll that asked who was Derby County's best ever striker and saw several say Chris Martin. Now he was a decent striker for a couple of seasons, but I can think of ten better without breaking sweat.

The 'best England side' only contained Ian Botham from before the millennium, which seems a little odd to me. Was Graeme Swann better than Jim Laker, Derek Underwood, Hedley Verity or Wilfred Rhodes as a spinner?  Was Andrew Strauss better than Boycott, Edrich, Hutton, Hobbs and a good few more?

Although I have run articles in the past on my greatest Derbyshire eleven, they are very difficult to do. How do you compare runs on covered pitches with those on uncovered ones? Or bowling records on the old 'sticky dogs' with those on some of the modern flat tracks? How many runs might Arnold Hamer have made on modern pitches? How much harder would Les Jackson have found it, on the County Ground pitches of the last few summers? 

For that matter how do you compare the runs of Barnett against the extreme pace bowlers of the era, with those of Wayne? Yet Wayne has been astonishing in T20, which Kim never played. It goes on and on..

Realistically, all a player can aspire to be is a giant in his own era. Even fifty years from now, any poll on a great Derbyshire eleven would surely have to include Kim Barnett, Wayne Madsen, Bob Taylor and Les Jackson, but after that? 

Such a poll in 1930 would probably say there would never be another Arnold Warren or Bill Bestwick. The latter pretty much bowled at one end for much of his Derbyshire career, in the absence of viable alternatives. Now? They likely wouldn't get into the discussion with many more recent options. William Mycroft would likely not be referenced, but 863 wickets at 12, in the formative period of the game, was pretty impressive

Was Geoff Miller better than Les Townsend? He played more for England, so maybe, but the latter scored more runs and took more wickets for Derbyshire. Geoff scored two centuries, 72 fifties and averaged 26 with the bat, took 888 wickets at 28 with the ball. 

Les scored 22 hundreds and 102 fifties at 28 and took 1088 wickets at 21, yet played in an era when every county had a good off spinner, England had astonishing middle order options and there were far fewer international fixtures.

You cannot compare them. It was a different game with different pitches. I was lucky enough to watch Geoff many times, but would have loved to see Les, who apparently drove so powerfully that Tommy Mitchell used to bowl at him in the nets and run away to the side! For all the seam talent of the Pope brothers and Bill Copson, producing a pitch to negate them brought Townsend and Tommy Mitchell into play 

We have been blessed to see such talent over the years.

How do you compare and rank them? 

I have no idea. It can only come down to personal preference and interpretation of statistics. But just like Sky TV seems to feel football didn't exist before the advent of the Premier League (it did and it was better) then cricket fans should perhaps accept and better appreciate the brilliance of those before their experience. 

Thoughts as the season approaches

Tomorrow is the first day of March, a day when we can finally say that cricket starts this month.

There are just 25 days until Derbyshire set foot on the County Ground once again, for a 3-day game against Oxford UCCE, closely followed by a similar fixture against the South Asian Cricket Academy. I doubt it will be tropical, but we will all be tuning into the stream or going down for an early 'fix' for our cricketing needs dressed like Nanook of the North..

It was nice to see photographs of the players outdoors yesterday, slowly dusting off those winter cobwebs. Especially so to see Ben Aitchison in the slip cordon, where his presence will undoubtedly improve on the standard last season. With Caleb Jewell also likely to be in there alongside Wayne Madsen, we should do better than last year, when far too many were being dropped for comfort.

I don't think Ben will be in the side at the start of the season, but understand it won't be long before he is back in contention and probably aiming for red ball involvement around May.

There are three things that have me pondering at this stage. One is the perennial likely line up for the first game, another is the red ball captaincy and the third is who we are likely to target for the T20 leg spinner role that has been mentioned.

It is a sign of a competitive squad when it is hard to get a handle on the best eleven. I will be interested to see people's thoughts on this but my first choice side to start the season - obviously with no indication as to the pitch - would be along these lines: 

Came

Jewell

Reece

Madsen

Guest

Lloyd

Dal

Andersson

Chappell

Tickner

Brown

Would we need a spinner, in which case Jack Morley for Brown, perhaps. Remember Harry Moore is unlikely to be available until June, because he has school. I like the idea of a left/right combination in the batting, so Luis Reece and Brooke Guest could be three, depending on whose wicket fell first. There is no place in that eleven for Nye Donald, based purely on last season and his greater aptitude for the shorter forms. I would love to get him in there, but realistically he is competing for a middle order place with David Lloyd. 

Which brings us neatly to the second thing.. will Lloyd want to remain as captain? It was a big ask last year, moving to a new county, opening the batting and trying to make a big impression. It didn't work out for him, not least because he had a few injuries, but the problem is who takes it on if he doesn't. 

Wayne Madsen would be an obvious choice, but I am unsure if he would want to return to the role, even though he is the go to for captains when we are in the field. Brooke Guest would be another, but perhaps he has enough on his plate with keeping wicket and potentially batting at three. I think he could do it, but we don't really want to burn him out and that would be my only concern. 

I don't think Luis Reece or Anuj Dal would fancy it, perhaps preferring to focus on their own games, which leaves - possibly - Zak Chappell. I wouldn't be averse to him taking on the role, because he is a very good cricketer and has a keen, competitive edge to his game. But it is telling that there is not yet an announcement on the red ball captaincy and it is something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

David Lloyd looked totally drained at the end of last year, something that was totally understandable. Perhaps a winter of rest has done him good, but a change might be beneficial all around. Thoughts, everyone? 

Finally, if the club manages to put together the money for a leg-spinner for Vitality Blast, who might it be? Of course it will depend on the budget, but plenty of players out there will see an opportunity in The Blast as opening doors for the Hundred, later in the summer.

Samit Patel worked well with Ish Sodhi at Nottinghamshire, while Mickey Arthur's admiration for Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka was clear when he arrived in Derby. There's also Maheesh Theekshana of the same country, ostensibly an off spinner, but regular bowler of carrom balls and wrong 'uns to great effect. All would be likely to be pricey, but perhaps their agents might see a bigger picture if they completed a successful English stint.

Of course, we wouldn't say no to Adam Zampa, but I suspect he would be out of our league, as would Tabraiz Shamsi of South Africa.

Abrar Ahmed of Pakistan may also be on a wish list, but that country will have several bowlers who might prove effective and be less well known. It is why I always enjoy watching the PSL, because it unearths a few players who are largely unheard of here. 

And more affordable of course...

There's always Imran Tahir, still turning his arm over at 44 in the SA20 and likely to feature in the PSL once more in the near future...but that one is very much tongue on cheek. 

I'm not sure who does his running in the field and that isn't the forte of our white ball skipper either..

Jewell strikes form and counties set for Hundred 'windfall'

Early this morning, rising early as I tend to do after a lifetime of doing so for work, I went out into the garden. 

It was a little less chilly than of late and the realisation dawned that it was now just 36 days until Derbyshire stepped out on to to a cricket field again, for a pre-season friendly. It will be my 58th supporting the county and I still feel the excitement building as the season approaches. Sometimes the sense of anticipation is justified and a fine season ensues, but either way we will all soon be watching OUR team in action once more. 

With timing that I hope is replicated throughout a long and run-filled summer, Caleb Jewell made a delightful unbeaten century for Tasmania last week. It came against a Victoria side that had Australian opening bowlers Scott Boland and Peter Siddle in their ranks, as well as new Yorkshire overseas signing Will Sutherland.

Like many of you I saw and enjoyed the highlights reel, which told more of the player so highly regarded in that country than anything he did in the recent Big Bash. It contained proper cricket shots and a plethora of stylish strokes through the offside. I didn't see too many of those in the T20 competition and it highlighted why many good judges in that country still rate him as an Australian possible. 

He is apparently coming over here well before the season starts to acclimatise and that will stand him in good stead when the season begins. So too will his experience in league cricket here, as well as the fact that Tasmania, more than anywhere in Australia, has wickets similar to England.

With Blair Tickner having enjoyed a fine winter for Central Districts/Stags, perhaps the pieces are going to properly align this year. We can only hope so and of course get behind our team.

The advent of The Hundred has, of course, changed the cricket landscape in this country, possibly forever. As regular readers will know, I haven't watched much of the competition because it holds little appeal for me, but the recent auction of the participating teams has generated revenue for the county and recreational game, which has a direct consequence for Derbyshire and the other non-host counties.

They will benefit from significant value, which will help them to drive sustainability and purpose. They will also continue to benefit from the £1.3m annual distribution linked to The Hundred, with the potential for additional money depending on future growth. As The Hundred grows, there may be the opportunity to add more teams to the competition and for non-host professional counties to form a new team. This would bring additional benefits both to the new hosts and remaining non-hosts.

It is encouraging but it should be remembered by supporters that the money will be available on a phased basis and its use is going to be ring-fenced. While some will want to see the money go into playing budgets, the reality is that its use will be for debt repayment, the building of reserves and for income generation / capital projects.

Counties will need to apply to the ECB for the money, it won't just land in county bank accounts and where Derbyshire are at an advantage is that they don't need to use it to wipe out debt, unlike many others.

The likeliest scenario is that it is used to enhance the ground to enable revenue generation. So we may see more seats, enhanced matchday offerings, larger hospitality areas and facilities for out of season growth. These projects would generate additional income which could then impact positively on the playing budget.

I understand that a figure north of twenty million pounds each is likely to be available for Derbyshire and other counties, which on the face of it is very good news. However, the key to the success of the venture will be how this money is used. Counties with sizeable debt will have to use a considerable amount to reduce that, so it could perhaps be argued that it just keeps them ticking over, deferring the problem but not solving it. 

I am confident however, that Derbyshire have a very strong team off the pitch, who will ensure the money is put to the best possible use. 

The full impact of The Hundred will only be felt in ten years time. At that point we will look back on this period in the game's history as either its salvation, or the point at which the overseas involvement and investment ruined the game we have all loved, probably forever. 

My concern remains that venture capitalists and private equity will not be content with 49% of anything. They will have a medium to long term goal of wanting to fully control the direction of their investment. Who is to say that in a few years time, when some of those haemorrhaging money and continuing to do so need another transfusion, they might not hand over a controlling percentage in return? Then an already parasitic competition, that has high summer in which to operate, would be able to place demands that render the rest of the game untenable in its current form. 

I have read suggestions that the non-host counties should seek to run an alternative competition. That is all well and good, but when? Unless we totally ditch the fifty-over format in which we look increasingly poor as a nation, or run the season to the end of October, I struggle to see how that would work. My understanding is also that it would require twelve counties to vote it through, so the sums don't add up.

Yorkshire, riddled with debt, has already handed over 100% of the Northern Superchargers to the Sun Group, who already own Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

While that ensures that they have a tomorrow, what that tomorrow looks like is anyone's guess.

For now we celebrate. Me too, but keeping a wary eye on the involvement of those who might not want to be on the same bus as the rest of us for too long...

Donald signs extension

Apologies for the delay in blogging, but my time of late has been spent on clearing a house and getting my mother-in-law into a care home. Anyone who has had to do that will realise how time consuming it all is, so here I am again with hopefully a semblance of normality returning to our lives...

Good news today about Nye Donald signing a contract extension, which takes him to the end of 2026. That he did pretty well in the T20 last year is a given, but it is also the case that he needs to do much more across all formats. He is a wonderful striker of a cricket ball, probably among the top six that I have seen in Derbyshire colours over 57 summers. Yet there is more to the game than simply hitting a few balls a long way and then retiring to the pavilion. 

If Nye can translate quick scores into match-winning ones, our chances of success this year are considerably higher. It's all very well (and hugely enjoyable to watch) to score lightning fast 50s, but it is bigger scores that produce wins and make people sit up to notice you. 

I still have no doubt that he is capable of playing franchise cricket around the globe and earning a lot of money, but he needs to do more. Hopefully the confidence of an additional year on his contract will enable him to blossom and show us his true value over the next two years. 

The other thing that caught my eye since I last was writing was a revision to the plans for the second team cricket this year. Counties will now participate in the Second Eleven Championship Challenge, with five four-day matches per team, as well as the 20-over competition. They will be broadly allowed flexibility to arrange matches to suit their own needs, because of a perceived decline in the standards. 

That is hardly surprising. As things have been, teams have been selected at times from anyone available, with overlaps with the first class games seeing players leave to take part in those senior matches before the second team game finishes. 

There seems interest in playing some 3-day matches at that level, because it saves money in hotel bills for an extra night, as well as avoiding some challenges in getting time off work for prospective trialists. At least one county plans to play their red ball cricket in August, allowing academy players who are in education to play during summer holidays.

I think it is a positive move and anything that potentially improves the standard has got to be a step in the right direction.

Patel gives clue to T20 recruitment

There is an interesting interview with Samit Patel in the current issue of The Cricketer.

In it, the Derbyshire T20 captain says that the club are looking for a leg spinner to play in the short format. It would help him to bowl more aggressively and enable him to be more selective over when he bowled in the innings, he says.

Leggies have been prized in the short format for a long time, because a decent one is often very hard to read and creates all kinds of problems for batters. Perhaps international players can read them more easily, but lesser mortals can cause havoc. Look at how effective Imran Tahir was for us (still going strong, too, but I doubt we need another player aged 40...)

A couple of weeks back there was an interesting comment regarding our best T20 side and I didn't respond because it was important to see where the county focus was going to be for that short format specialist.

It becomes a little clearer now, although there are different ways in which a leg spinner could be recruited. You could get a specialist, or someone who adds depth to the batting lineup. None of us would say no to Wanindu Hasaranga, while Ish Sodhi has been very effective for a number of years. Yet such players cost serious money and I suspect Derbyshire will be looking at another end of the market for the player they hope for. 

Again though, there would be plenty of options. Maybe a specialist like Waqar Salamkheil, who played alongside Caleb Jewell for the Hobart Hurricanes at the start of the Big Bash before jet-setting off to Abu Dhabi for another tournament. The Afghan star had replaced Bangladesh leg-spinning all-rounder Rishad Hosein, a talented bowler and powerful hitter. Ideal, one would think, for short format cricket. 

Then there's a player like Jason Sangha, whose leg spin looked very useful in the Big Bash and who opened the batting powerfully for Sydney Thunder. I guess it comes down to whether the perceived need is a mystery bowler or one who can offer in all departments of the game. 

Crucial for me is that whoever comes over has a googly. I had a lot of time for Mattie McKiernan in T20 and he bowled some effective spells. Yet despite protestations that he had the one that went the other way, it wasn't evident when he was getting hit around the County Ground by Mitchell Santner, nor when Rilee Rossouw hit him to distant parts of Taunton. Against good left handers a leggie really needs that 'other' ball, especially if protecting a short boundary, which is commonplace.

Until we know who that player will be, it is hard to call a first choice T20 side. Assuming fitness, Pat Brown and Zak Chappell will lead the attack, Patel would be the third bowler and the overseas presumably the fourth. The question then is who would be the fifth  

Derbyshire could line up like this: 

Jewell

Donald

Madsen

Andersson 

Lloyd

Whiteley 

Patel

Guest

Overseas 

Chappell

Brown 

But no Luis Reece? What about the claims of Harry Moore? Could Andersson, Lloyd and Whiteley share fifth bowler duties?  On the basis of his form for Middlesex last year, when he opened the innings with success, Andersson could earn an elevated place in the order.

We also saw brilliant one-day knocks in fifty over cricket last year from Anuj Dal. Could he force his way in? Or Harry Came, for that matter?

All I can say at this stage is that there are more questions than answers. 

I'm sure we'll know better when this overseas role is confirmed. 

Enjoy your weekend!

End of January thoughts

Caleb Jewell duly became the latest member of the Derbyshire squad to pick up silverware this winter, when the Hobart Hurricanes won the Australian Big Bash yesterday.

Jewell's contribution wasn't massive in the final, but his knock in the semi-final was a major factor in them getting there.

His team mate Mitchell Owen completed a century and tournament to remember with an astonishing knock that equalled the fastest in the competition history and featured 11 sixes. He is in the form of his life and of course should capitalise on that with numerous offers from around the globe. I suspect his feats will put him out of Derbyshire's range financially, but also I would expect a Vitality Blast deal from somewhere. It makes sense for him, given that it also puts him in the shop window for that other pesky competition, later in the summer..

It was good today to see Tom Poynton speaking honestly on the club site about 2024 and the expectations for this summer. I was especially interested in hearing of our plans to use more hybrid pitches at Derby, which makes considerable sense considering the makeup of our attack. It will then be down to the batters to do their thing and offer something for the bowlers to work with.

Also interesting was his reference to big name players - and I paraphrase - setting the standard and justifying their contracts. It is important that they do so and win matches. 

T20 is a world apart from red ball cricket and it is important to remember that a quick twenty from ten balls can make you a hero and match-winner. So too a tight spell of bowling, but Poynton made it clear that contracts for 2026 are there to be earned and will need a greater standard of consistency than last year. 

I still feel that the squad has the talent to be competitive in all forms and Tom referred to the collapses that were far too common last summer. We need to see a different Derbyshire this summer, one that gives more to remember than impressive but fleeting individual performances. 

As an example - and there are many, one could choose - Nye Donald has to become a match winner in T20, not someone who slaps a quick fifty in the Powerplay, then gets out. A little greater nous would see him bat the innings and put the total out of sight after such a start. How many times have we all seen a blistering opening reined in by the fielding side, as tumbling wickets see the new men having to 'get in?' We all know Nye can hit the ball a country mile, but choosing the right ball to do so makes a big difference, in any format.

Anyway, only 66 days to go to the County Championship, 56 until the first pre-season game. While it didn't seem so when Storm Eowyn was rattling windows and felling fences last week, we're getting there! 

Catch up

Apologies for the delay in my weekend offering, but the challenges of clearing my Mother-In-Law's house and finding her a place for her remaining time is taking an undue amount of my time just now, as is getting the forementioned house on the market.

But it wasn't a bad old week for Derbyshire supporters. Blair Tickner celebrated his Derbyshire signing with figures of 4-34 for Central Stags in New Zealand, cementing Ben Smith's side at the top of the table. Tom Bruce has been in fine batting fettle for them, playing some powerful innings in the middle order to take totals out of sight or chase down targets professionally. They seem a decent side, based on what I have seen in reports and scores.

Meanwhile Caleb Jewell returned to form in the Big Bash for Hobart, his 76 from 49 deliveries the top score as they chased down over 200. He was unlucky in the next game, departing to an exceptional catch by Marcus Stonis, but hopefully he can build on his success now.

I have enjoyed watching Mitch Owen, his opening partner, who is not especially graceful but hits a ball a country mile. It was an experiment to move him up the order, but it has proved very successful and I am sure his performances will have created interest around the globe. Who wouldn't like an opening bat who scores at a rate in excess of 200 and bowls handy, accurate medium pace? 

Work has prevented me from seeing too much of the South African T20, but it will soon be time for the Pakistan equivalent, which is usually good fun. I don't bother with the IPL these days, as the surfaces are too heavily weighted in favour of batters and I have no interest in watching bowlers anihilated all the time. At least the Big Bash is a fair battle between bat and ball, which is how it should be.

Anyway, I hope you're all getting through the winter well. Another ten days or so and we will be into February. We can then look forward to the cricket 'next month'.

Regardless of performances, that has to be good news, right?

Tickner returns to County Ground

I don't think it needed Sherlock Holmes to work out that Blair Tickner was going to be returning to Derbyshire. As soon as it became common knowledge that it was a bowler who was 'returning' to the county, it could really only be him, in my opinion. Which is why I wrote most of this piece some time before the news was announced. September, actually.

There were times last season when he looked a good bowler and he certainly would have had far better figures had our slip cordon (and surprisingly Brooke Guest) not put down a number of chances from his bowling. I am not sure if that was early season-itis, cold hands or unexpected nip, but the New Zealand international did create opportunities. He can't be down at the other end to 'cop' them as well.

Having said that, he ended his spell prematurely with only eight wickets at 61 runs each. With decent close fielding that average could have been down to mid thirties and would likely have improved further on later season pitches. He was lively and what was undeniable was that he enjoyed the experience and gave everything at a time when his wife's illness must have preyed on his mind. He seemed like a good bloke to have in the dressing room and to enjoy his stay. Certainly a smile was never far from his lips and that must have been a challenge, with everything going on in his life.

I would have changed things, but it is important to understand that sometimes the kind of player you want is in short supply or outside your price bracket. The county with one of the two smallest playing budgets in the country can only do so much. He's here for the season, too, which is always a preferred option. If we can pick up a T20 specialist, we can adopt a 'horses for courses' approach to the competition.

So Tickner returns, which I assume means his wife is progressing well. That in itself is excellent news and we can only hope that the Blair Tick Project 2 is a sequel better than the original. 

Fingers crossed and let's hope he is in fine fettle when he returns.

And that we don't collectively have teflon hands, this time around...