Its amazing how quickly time passes. That's a full calendar month since the end of the season and we're well into November already. Winter tours are underway, Christmas shopping is upon us and there's still little more news from the County Ground about additional signings.
Even the message boards are fairly quiet across the country but I would think it likely that discussions and negotiations continue apace between players, cricket managers and agents. There are still some big names to decide where their future lies and hopefully one of them may head towards Derbyshire.
On a lesser level, but very important, the club has announced the next intake to the Academy and they sound like promising players. Having come third in he national Under 15 county competition, the younger element in the game appear to have talent and we must hope that they continue to develop apace.
Paul Borrington, Dan Redfern, Jake Needham and left-arm fast-bowler Atif Sheikh will all be part of the professional squad next year, having progressed through the system.
Eddie Ikin, 15, a seam bowling all-rounder who plays his club cricket at Ticknall CC and opening batsman Tom Hamilton, also 15, a product of Swarkestone CC join for the first time having played a starring role for the Under-15 team that performed brilliantly in the ECB Under-15 County Cup.
The full academy intake for 2008/09 includes Ben Slater, Alex Hughes, Sam van Doesdonk, Chris Durham, Georgia Elwiss, Danielle Wyatt, Ikin and Hamilton.
They will benefit from specialist coaching and development throughout the winter, which will range from lifestyle information and sports psychology through to technical work on their cricketing skills.
In addition, fellow graduates - Staffordshire based fast-bowler Ed Jones, left-arm seam bowling all-rounder Ross Whiteley and wicketkeeping prospect Tom Poynton - have all signed summer contracts for 2009.
I'm pleased to see the conveyor belt working well, but there's two names missing that seemed to have a lot to offer. Akhil Patel is presumably too old for the Academy now but hasn't earned a summer contract, while there have been many good comments over the past couple of years about Jack Ratcliffe, who I seem to recall bowled leg spin as well as being a talented batsman. Does anyone know what happened to him? Patel looks to have a lot of talent but has maybe not done enough in either discipline to warrant a contract at this stage. I hope we don't end up missing out on a mercurial talent who is perhaps a later developer.
The only other news is that the England Sixes are doing well in Hong Kong and have made it through the group stages. There's little news on major sites (or if there is it is well concealed) but I hope Waggy acquits himself well.
See you next week - or when there's more news, whichever is the sooner!
I had been expecting to see Patel and Rarcliffe in the seconds in 2009. I don't know what happened, but its disappointing that they seem to have disappeared.
ReplyDeleteJack got the yips last season and hasn't been able to get his bowling back, therefore he got dropped. Akhil is too old for the academy but I think he may have gone back to Notts.
ReplyDeleteCall me sexist but whats the point in having woman in the academy.
ReplyDeletePolitical correctness again.
I was going to say the same thing Chris, but didn't want to be called sexist...
ReplyDeleteWhat is the benefit to Derbyshire if the women do well? It seems to me they are using scarce resources that should be used to produce future first teamers.