Derbyshire v Scotland

I've just about got my breath back from the game tonight.

This game highlighted exactly what I said in this blog earlier in the week. No 20/20 game could possibly ebb and flow like this one did. Derbyshire were on top, then two wickets brought Durham back, Clarke and Sadler restored things, then Durham kept it tight at the end. They then got a good start, we pegged them back, Langeveldt took three wickets but back they came again until Clarke kept his nerve at the end.

Sunday's game should not be as close, and if Derbyshire do a professional job, they can not only win but improve their run rate to strengthen their position. The Scots have been our bogey side in recent years, but this year they are in a degree of disarray. A pre-season match in Namibia saw them snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, mainly due to a captain who singularly fails to appreciate that spin can play a part in winning games.

South African born Ryan Watson misses this game to be with his wife at the birth of their child, and Fraser Watts surprisingly replaces him. Watts is in a poor run of form and perhaps the captaincy is a burden he could live without. Equally strange is the omission of Qasim Sheikh, the only in-form batsman, while Majid Haq, an aggressive left hander who bowls gentle off spin, is also unavailable. Navdeep Poonia, on the staff at Warwickshire, comes into the squad, but is a player who is very vulnerable early in his innings.

There should be a place for Aussie Glenn Rogers, who has been strangely overlooked in recent games despite being one of only two bowlers who usually keeps it tight. The slow left armer is also a fair batsman who is strangely overlooked by the Scots despite scoring heavily in club cricket.

If the weather holds fair, Derbyshire should pick up two more points. It is important that they do so in style and head into the second half of the competition with confidence high.