Derbyshire will be heading up north today on a six or seven hour bus trip to Edinburgh, where they play Scotland in the Yorkshire Bank 40 tomorrow.
Tomorrow's game could be sponsored by Farleys, given the two sides. Our squad is missing both Tony Palladino and Wes Durston, the latter recovered from a back spasm but having edged a ball into his heel in the nets and the 15-man squad for this game and the one on Monday against Durham carries an especially youthful look:
C Hughes, Chanderpaul, Godleman, Borrington, Madsen, Slater, Johnson, A
Hughes, Burgoyne, Clare, Wainwright, Groenewald, Evans, Turner, Footitt.
Saturday, 25 May 2013
Friday, 24 May 2013
Now THAT's exciting
The London Evening Standard reports tonight that Ricky Ponting will be here in time to play for Surrey against Derbyshire at the County Ground this coming week.
Be honest. Ponting v Chanderpaul is the kind of duel that should have the cricket connoisseur sighing wistfully for a good part of the four days. Two of the greatest batsmen of the last twenty years in opposition on OUR ground.
If you can get down there, even for part of the game, you should try to do so.
In an era when the greatest names in international cricket seldom make it to these shores, this is one of those times when you can say with a degree of confidence that we may never see its like again.
It isn't yet confirmed by Surrey, but that really would be something special.
It leaves me remembering the tale told by the late, great Sir Neville Cardus, who was going to see the great Australian batsman Victor Trumper play for his country against England at Old Trafford as a gauche, excitable schoolboy.
As he lay in bed the night before the game, Cardus told how he clasped his hands together and prayed harder than he had ever done before.
"Please God...let Trumper score a hundred and England bowl them out for 150..."
For Trumper read Ponting. I doubt few would complain at that turn of events...
Be honest. Ponting v Chanderpaul is the kind of duel that should have the cricket connoisseur sighing wistfully for a good part of the four days. Two of the greatest batsmen of the last twenty years in opposition on OUR ground.
If you can get down there, even for part of the game, you should try to do so.
In an era when the greatest names in international cricket seldom make it to these shores, this is one of those times when you can say with a degree of confidence that we may never see its like again.
It isn't yet confirmed by Surrey, but that really would be something special.
It leaves me remembering the tale told by the late, great Sir Neville Cardus, who was going to see the great Australian batsman Victor Trumper play for his country against England at Old Trafford as a gauche, excitable schoolboy.
As he lay in bed the night before the game, Cardus told how he clasped his hands together and prayed harder than he had ever done before.
"Please God...let Trumper score a hundred and England bowl them out for 150..."
For Trumper read Ponting. I doubt few would complain at that turn of events...
Something for the weekend
Don't you just love the weekend?
Any weekend is good, but this one is set to be special. Around lunch time tomorrow, I would expect Derbyshire to be setting off on the long haul up to Edinburgh for Sunday's match at The Grange against Scotland. And Peakfan will be there, for the closest I've had to a home game for several seasons.
I've seen all but one of the games up here between the two sides over the past twenty years or so, missing the game at Aberdeen in 1985 because I had no spare day's leave for the game (Mrs P and I got married that August, so it was a pretty good trade-off...)
There's been some good cricket too. I saw a lovely innings by Kim Barnett in Glasgow in 1988, after Michael Holding had proved far too good for a Scots side that included Clive Rice, while I have previously written about a professional century by Daryll Cullinan at Titwood in 1995.
1998 saw a trek to Forfar (be thankful you don't have that ahead of you tomorrow, lads..) and a typically Derbyshire display where we slipped to 116-7, chasing 175 to win before Tim Tweats and Karl Krikken silenced a very vocal crowd and took us to the win without further loss. That game saw one of the more bizarre opening pairs in our history...Dominic Cork and Ian Blackwell. Even at this distance it makes no sense whatsoever.
We played the Scots twice that year and were drawn against them in the Nat West Trophy, this time in Edinburgh. It was the easiest win I've seen, the home side slipping to 19-6 as Derbyshire eased to a win by seven wickets marred only by the dismissal of Michael Slater in the first over. I remember sitting by the sightscreen that day and watching Kevin Dean bowl as if the ball was on a piece of elastic. It jerked one way, then the other and Dean's ten overs produced three wickets for thirteen runs. Not bad...
In 2003 there was a chance to see both sides of the mercurial Shahid Afridi. He bowled seven shocking overs as the home side amassed 206 in 44 overs, pitching the ball on the side of the wicket where Dominic Cork had least fielders, the latter making it patently clear that he was unamused. Then the Pakistan all-rounder opened in true combined harvester mode, hitting an enormous skier in the first over that went down, then a six over mid-off that went straight into a waste bin, en route to 35 from 19 balls. It was exciting but not especially clever and there were few surprised spectators when he departed.
A Dominic Hewson cameo won that one, but we lost in 2004 after a poor batting display and some shockingly wild bowling from Mohammad Ali in what was a poor Derbyshire attack. Graeme Welch shone like a beacon, but the likes of Mo Sheikh, Nathan Dumelow and John Moss held few fears for the home side as they won with nine overs to spare.
We struggled again in 2005, but in a rain-reduced game won by three wickets thanks to an innings of eminent common sense by Steve Stubbings. He made an unbeaten 75 but no one else got thirty in another sub-standard display.
In 2007 it was swing that again undid the Scots as they slipped to 46-7 against Graham Wagg and Greg Smith, Derbyshire winning by six wickets and only chasing 103, while a 2008 Friends Provident tie never started. Indeed, it was so wet that day that I didn't bother going, it being patently obvious that there would be no play from as early as the previous evening.
That won't be a problem on Sunday though. The weather has been good here all week and the weekend is set to be fine and sunny.
Here's hoping that the Derbyshire performance does it justice.
More on the teams tomorrow.
Any weekend is good, but this one is set to be special. Around lunch time tomorrow, I would expect Derbyshire to be setting off on the long haul up to Edinburgh for Sunday's match at The Grange against Scotland. And Peakfan will be there, for the closest I've had to a home game for several seasons.
I've seen all but one of the games up here between the two sides over the past twenty years or so, missing the game at Aberdeen in 1985 because I had no spare day's leave for the game (Mrs P and I got married that August, so it was a pretty good trade-off...)
There's been some good cricket too. I saw a lovely innings by Kim Barnett in Glasgow in 1988, after Michael Holding had proved far too good for a Scots side that included Clive Rice, while I have previously written about a professional century by Daryll Cullinan at Titwood in 1995.
1998 saw a trek to Forfar (be thankful you don't have that ahead of you tomorrow, lads..) and a typically Derbyshire display where we slipped to 116-7, chasing 175 to win before Tim Tweats and Karl Krikken silenced a very vocal crowd and took us to the win without further loss. That game saw one of the more bizarre opening pairs in our history...Dominic Cork and Ian Blackwell. Even at this distance it makes no sense whatsoever.
We played the Scots twice that year and were drawn against them in the Nat West Trophy, this time in Edinburgh. It was the easiest win I've seen, the home side slipping to 19-6 as Derbyshire eased to a win by seven wickets marred only by the dismissal of Michael Slater in the first over. I remember sitting by the sightscreen that day and watching Kevin Dean bowl as if the ball was on a piece of elastic. It jerked one way, then the other and Dean's ten overs produced three wickets for thirteen runs. Not bad...
In 2003 there was a chance to see both sides of the mercurial Shahid Afridi. He bowled seven shocking overs as the home side amassed 206 in 44 overs, pitching the ball on the side of the wicket where Dominic Cork had least fielders, the latter making it patently clear that he was unamused. Then the Pakistan all-rounder opened in true combined harvester mode, hitting an enormous skier in the first over that went down, then a six over mid-off that went straight into a waste bin, en route to 35 from 19 balls. It was exciting but not especially clever and there were few surprised spectators when he departed.
A Dominic Hewson cameo won that one, but we lost in 2004 after a poor batting display and some shockingly wild bowling from Mohammad Ali in what was a poor Derbyshire attack. Graeme Welch shone like a beacon, but the likes of Mo Sheikh, Nathan Dumelow and John Moss held few fears for the home side as they won with nine overs to spare.
We struggled again in 2005, but in a rain-reduced game won by three wickets thanks to an innings of eminent common sense by Steve Stubbings. He made an unbeaten 75 but no one else got thirty in another sub-standard display.
In 2007 it was swing that again undid the Scots as they slipped to 46-7 against Graham Wagg and Greg Smith, Derbyshire winning by six wickets and only chasing 103, while a 2008 Friends Provident tie never started. Indeed, it was so wet that day that I didn't bother going, it being patently obvious that there would be no play from as early as the previous evening.
That won't be a problem on Sunday though. The weather has been good here all week and the weekend is set to be fine and sunny.
Here's hoping that the Derbyshire performance does it justice.
More on the teams tomorrow.
Statistical change...
For those with an eagle eye, the new statistics counter on the site will come as no surprise.
For the rest of you and those curious to the change, it is simple. The last counter was only recording hits from within the UK, while the new one records those from overseas too. It greater reflects the level of interest in Derbyshire cricket from those in foreign climes, especially those in India, where the behind the scenes figures show there are a number of hits. There was an anomaly of nearly 60,000 hits between the two, hence the reason for change
So thanks to all who check in on a regular basis, wherever you are, be it Codnor or Canada. Be assured that your visits now register on the site.
More from me later. Have a good day!
For the rest of you and those curious to the change, it is simple. The last counter was only recording hits from within the UK, while the new one records those from overseas too. It greater reflects the level of interest in Derbyshire cricket from those in foreign climes, especially those in India, where the behind the scenes figures show there are a number of hits. There was an anomaly of nearly 60,000 hits between the two, hence the reason for change
So thanks to all who check in on a regular basis, wherever you are, be it Codnor or Canada. Be assured that your visits now register on the site.
More from me later. Have a good day!
Thursday, 23 May 2013
Ali Evans interview
There's a good interview with Ali Evans on the Cricket Scotland website, ahead of Sunday's game in Edinburgh.
Well worth a look. Enjoy!
Well worth a look. Enjoy!
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Midweek musings
Not long now until the weekend and the fast-approaching visit of Derbyshire to Edinburgh, for the YB40 fixture against Scotland.
The good news is that there's an encouraging forecast wherever you look and it is set to be a partially cloudy day with some sunny intervals. Given that most of the intervening period appears to be dry and sunny, those of you preparing to head north for the fixture should be able to do so with a degree of confidence.
I've seen Derbyshire play up here on several occasions now, but have never seen us produce a really confident, professional display. The Scots present a decent banana skin for counties, though their bowling is generally more reliable than the batting. One or two of the current side - Richie Berrington and Preston Mommsen to name but two - have had trials down south but never quite impressed enough yet to earn a county deal.
Of all of their players Mommsen would appear the best bet to do so. At 26 he's trialled with Kent, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire and the South African born player has a good record for the Scots. A batting average of 32 and bowling one of 28 is indicative of a bloke who can play and this year he has followed an unbeaten 60 against Hampshire with an unbeaten 70 against Essex, where he also took 2-20 with his off-breaks. For me he bats too low in the side, but he will be one to watch on Sunday.
So too is Majid Haq, at 30 a fine servant to Scottish cricket, whose aggressive strokeplay enlivens many an innings as well as his wily off-spin can put the brakes on the opposition. They are a team with a few county imports, with former Warwickshire stalwart Neil Carter among them, and they should be underestimated at our peril.
By the same token, Derbyshire SHOULD win and I hope to see a few batsmen finding some of that elusive form on Sunday, as well as bowling of greater discipline than of late. As the saying goes, a win is a win and if we can come out of the game unbeaten in this competition after two games it could serve as the catalyst to the rest of the season.
Onto other matters and there's a fine match report on Yorkshire's site of what appears a close-run game between our and their Academy sides. Given the Yorkies traditional strength in this age group, it would appear our lads ran them close and we seem to have some good ones coming through at the moment.
It is inevitable that some won't make it and as has been said a few times on here of late, everyone has a limit to which their talents can take them. There was a good line on Pointless on TV last night, where Richard Osman said that people spend their lives craving promotions and eventually end up in a job that, in most cases, they can't do. It is sad when some very good players are ultimately remembered in this way. Graeme Hick, for example, is recalled as a player 'just short' of Test class, despite scoring over a hundred centuries and only coming up short against the very good pace attacks of his era. Many of us would settle for 'failing' in such a way...
I played a few games over the years against a very good player who had first-class experience, representing Oxford University for two summers where he had done OK, without being spectacular. He batted beautifully and bowled spinners that you heard 'fizz' on the way down to you.
Every week he scored at least 50 for his club, some way removed from the top tier of the Scottish game, and regularly scored a hundred. He took loads of wickets too, but when asked why he was playing at a level that was considerably beneath him, his response was simple... 'I like scoring hundreds and taking wickets'.
It was hard to argue. His enjoyment of the game came more from personal achievement than testing himself against the best. People who played against him will remember him in years to come as an excellent player, which is no bad things I suppose, but it is still good to see lads who are prepared to fight to the top, countering the odd issue along the way to become the next Cook, Broad or Prior.
Long may it continue. I hope that some of them are in that Academy right now!
The good news is that there's an encouraging forecast wherever you look and it is set to be a partially cloudy day with some sunny intervals. Given that most of the intervening period appears to be dry and sunny, those of you preparing to head north for the fixture should be able to do so with a degree of confidence.
I've seen Derbyshire play up here on several occasions now, but have never seen us produce a really confident, professional display. The Scots present a decent banana skin for counties, though their bowling is generally more reliable than the batting. One or two of the current side - Richie Berrington and Preston Mommsen to name but two - have had trials down south but never quite impressed enough yet to earn a county deal.
Of all of their players Mommsen would appear the best bet to do so. At 26 he's trialled with Kent, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire and the South African born player has a good record for the Scots. A batting average of 32 and bowling one of 28 is indicative of a bloke who can play and this year he has followed an unbeaten 60 against Hampshire with an unbeaten 70 against Essex, where he also took 2-20 with his off-breaks. For me he bats too low in the side, but he will be one to watch on Sunday.
So too is Majid Haq, at 30 a fine servant to Scottish cricket, whose aggressive strokeplay enlivens many an innings as well as his wily off-spin can put the brakes on the opposition. They are a team with a few county imports, with former Warwickshire stalwart Neil Carter among them, and they should be underestimated at our peril.
By the same token, Derbyshire SHOULD win and I hope to see a few batsmen finding some of that elusive form on Sunday, as well as bowling of greater discipline than of late. As the saying goes, a win is a win and if we can come out of the game unbeaten in this competition after two games it could serve as the catalyst to the rest of the season.
Onto other matters and there's a fine match report on Yorkshire's site of what appears a close-run game between our and their Academy sides. Given the Yorkies traditional strength in this age group, it would appear our lads ran them close and we seem to have some good ones coming through at the moment.
It is inevitable that some won't make it and as has been said a few times on here of late, everyone has a limit to which their talents can take them. There was a good line on Pointless on TV last night, where Richard Osman said that people spend their lives craving promotions and eventually end up in a job that, in most cases, they can't do. It is sad when some very good players are ultimately remembered in this way. Graeme Hick, for example, is recalled as a player 'just short' of Test class, despite scoring over a hundred centuries and only coming up short against the very good pace attacks of his era. Many of us would settle for 'failing' in such a way...
I played a few games over the years against a very good player who had first-class experience, representing Oxford University for two summers where he had done OK, without being spectacular. He batted beautifully and bowled spinners that you heard 'fizz' on the way down to you.
Every week he scored at least 50 for his club, some way removed from the top tier of the Scottish game, and regularly scored a hundred. He took loads of wickets too, but when asked why he was playing at a level that was considerably beneath him, his response was simple... 'I like scoring hundreds and taking wickets'.
It was hard to argue. His enjoyment of the game came more from personal achievement than testing himself against the best. People who played against him will remember him in years to come as an excellent player, which is no bad things I suppose, but it is still good to see lads who are prepared to fight to the top, countering the odd issue along the way to become the next Cook, Broad or Prior.
Long may it continue. I hope that some of them are in that Academy right now!
Monday, 20 May 2013
Development needs
I'm not sure if anything from today's meeting of the playing staff and coaches at the County Ground will make it outside of the four walls of the room, but one thing will need to be addressed in the coming months.
How can we get, and continue to get, the best out of our young players?
Over the last couple of seasons, three young cricketers, Daniel Redfern, Ross Whiteley and Tom Poynton, had been elevated to the senior side and impressed people with their displays. All appeared to be pugnacious batsmen with a full range of shots and the confidence to play them. Granted, this was in division two, but the potential of all three appeared considerable.
This year has been a struggle for all three. Redfern has had several starts, but his innings are generally categorised as being a fast start with some flashing shots before giving it away in the twenties. Poynton has kept wicket to his usual high standard but a batting average of just eight saw him give way to Richard Johnson. The latter's batting suggests that he is capable of batting as high as six if things don't improve from the specialist batsmen, allowing for the inclusion of both David Wainwright and Jonathan Clare as all-rounders.
As for Ross Whiteley, the lad has had a horrid start with just 27 runs in seven knocks, with a highest score of just 12. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that none of these young players feature in our next championship match against Surrey, which could leave us without an Academy product in the first eleven.
Developing our own players is one hundred per cent the right thing to do, but we need to find out the formula for their becoming established county cricketers. Over the last few years, we have had some lads through the Academy who were playing representative cricket at age group level and looked like players of serious potential under both Karl Krikken and Howard Dytham. Yet for some reason no one has yet cemented a role in the senior game.
I'm thinking of lads like Jake Needham, Akhil Patel, Atif Sheikh, Paul Borrington and Matt Higginbottom. Some had more opportunites than others, but none have established themselves in the county game. All have proven they can play and dominate at a slightly lower level, but there appears to be an 'X Factor' that is stopping them make that final step.
We appear to have another group of talented players coming through, but the trick is going to be how to assimilate them into the team to best effect. The likes of Slater, Burgoyne, Knight, Cork, Hughes, Marsden and a good few others have rich potential, but key to their and our future success is getting them through that final mental or technical barrier to the big time.
Leicestershire manage it. Look at Buck, Cobb, Eckersley, Freckingham, Smith and Thakor. Yes, it is division two, but one of these lads turns in a performance most matches. Three of them currently average over 50 with the bat and I would love to know how they handle the transition on the coaching and management side. As a county they are in a parlous state, but their record of producing good county and international cricketers is second to none.
Maybe they are blessed with an exceptionally rich crop of young talent in recent years. Maybe they just got lucky. Yet there's always the possibility that they have something that we don't, but really need to learn from.
There's a certain unfortunate irony in that the only product of our Academy who has confirmed himself as a good county cricketer in the last six or seven summers had to leave the club to do it. Wayne White was, of course, that player and we need to hope that Redfern, Whiteley and Poynton emerge from their current troughs of form to emulate him, but in Derbyshire colours of course.
They will all, I'm sure, be aware that such troughs are there for all. I watched Virender Sehwag in the IPL over recent weeks and he appears to have forgotten how to bat. One would never think it was the same player who had slaughtered many a bowling line up in the last ten years or so.
If it can happen to Sehwag, Tendulkar, Ponting and others, it can happen to young lads finding their way into the game. We just need to work out how to help them all through it.
And quickly.
How can we get, and continue to get, the best out of our young players?
Over the last couple of seasons, three young cricketers, Daniel Redfern, Ross Whiteley and Tom Poynton, had been elevated to the senior side and impressed people with their displays. All appeared to be pugnacious batsmen with a full range of shots and the confidence to play them. Granted, this was in division two, but the potential of all three appeared considerable.
This year has been a struggle for all three. Redfern has had several starts, but his innings are generally categorised as being a fast start with some flashing shots before giving it away in the twenties. Poynton has kept wicket to his usual high standard but a batting average of just eight saw him give way to Richard Johnson. The latter's batting suggests that he is capable of batting as high as six if things don't improve from the specialist batsmen, allowing for the inclusion of both David Wainwright and Jonathan Clare as all-rounders.
As for Ross Whiteley, the lad has had a horrid start with just 27 runs in seven knocks, with a highest score of just 12. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that none of these young players feature in our next championship match against Surrey, which could leave us without an Academy product in the first eleven.
Developing our own players is one hundred per cent the right thing to do, but we need to find out the formula for their becoming established county cricketers. Over the last few years, we have had some lads through the Academy who were playing representative cricket at age group level and looked like players of serious potential under both Karl Krikken and Howard Dytham. Yet for some reason no one has yet cemented a role in the senior game.
I'm thinking of lads like Jake Needham, Akhil Patel, Atif Sheikh, Paul Borrington and Matt Higginbottom. Some had more opportunites than others, but none have established themselves in the county game. All have proven they can play and dominate at a slightly lower level, but there appears to be an 'X Factor' that is stopping them make that final step.
We appear to have another group of talented players coming through, but the trick is going to be how to assimilate them into the team to best effect. The likes of Slater, Burgoyne, Knight, Cork, Hughes, Marsden and a good few others have rich potential, but key to their and our future success is getting them through that final mental or technical barrier to the big time.
Leicestershire manage it. Look at Buck, Cobb, Eckersley, Freckingham, Smith and Thakor. Yes, it is division two, but one of these lads turns in a performance most matches. Three of them currently average over 50 with the bat and I would love to know how they handle the transition on the coaching and management side. As a county they are in a parlous state, but their record of producing good county and international cricketers is second to none.
Maybe they are blessed with an exceptionally rich crop of young talent in recent years. Maybe they just got lucky. Yet there's always the possibility that they have something that we don't, but really need to learn from.
There's a certain unfortunate irony in that the only product of our Academy who has confirmed himself as a good county cricketer in the last six or seven summers had to leave the club to do it. Wayne White was, of course, that player and we need to hope that Redfern, Whiteley and Poynton emerge from their current troughs of form to emulate him, but in Derbyshire colours of course.
They will all, I'm sure, be aware that such troughs are there for all. I watched Virender Sehwag in the IPL over recent weeks and he appears to have forgotten how to bat. One would never think it was the same player who had slaughtered many a bowling line up in the last ten years or so.
If it can happen to Sehwag, Tendulkar, Ponting and others, it can happen to young lads finding their way into the game. We just need to work out how to help them all through it.
And quickly.
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