A home game! When I see the lads in action, it usually means a round trip of 600 miles or more to the County Ground or a trip to one of the northern grounds that we know and love.
Tomorrow sees me make the 12 mile trip from my semi-rural home north of Glasgow to Titwood, home of Clydesdale Cricket Club, for a game that we must win. Even if we do there is no guarantee of further progress after yesterday's defeat. As I said yesterday, we must all hope for a Lancashire win tomorrow to stand a chance of qualification and then do the business ourselves. If that game is rained off we are out, as the difference between respective Net Run Rates is too great to make up.
The problem over the last couple of games has been the lack of flexibility in the bowling. In each game bowlers took some stick but there simply was no one else. Once Rikki Clarke is fit to bowl again, Greg Smith is fit and Wavell Hinds arrives we'll have plenty of bowling options. If Dan Redfern makes the one day side he would give another, but having only five bowlers is far from ideal.
I hope that fans realise improvements ARE being made, but the side is a work in progress. Some players need greater experience, some need to be allowed to leave and more quality needs to come in. That is a job for the end of the season, but we have a lot of cricket to play and I still think we have the ability, if they all stay fit (and we have better luck with the weather) to make a good fist of this season.
There is no news yet of the Scotland squad for the game, although it is likely to be a similar side to that whch played against Yorkshire. Several players struggle to get time off for midweek games which may see a few changes, but I hope that Derbyshire show a professional streak that has been missed in most recent trips north of the border.
Enjoy mate
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