Three for three...

I know, that's the kind of score we're used to when Charl and Waggy are set loose on the opposition...

Yet the poll on the blog last week resulted in a threeway battle for who you all thought should take on the first drop for Derbyshire this season in the Championship side. While everyone had at least one fan, the claims of Wavell Hinds, John Sadler and Garry Park appear to have the most backing from supporters.

Like most of you I would discount the claims of the others. Dan Redfern would be in my first choice side as he is a precocious talent who should be encouraged, but I feel that number three is too high for him as he makes his way into county cricket. Given that he didn't even bat there for England Under 19s it is unlikely that he would do so for Derbyshire. Last season I was convinced that Dominic Telo would make that berth his own and was disappointed when he endured a miserable summer. He didn't even make a case for inclusion with a weight of runs in the Seconds and surely needs a good start to force his way into the side. It is a big year for him, as I would have thought it unlikely that John Morris would offer another contract for a player who has thus far been a peripheral figure without a good summer from the South African on a Portuguese passport.

I was surprised that there wasn't more support for Dan Birch, who probably played more in that position than anyone last season. Dan the man has plenty of power and has shown it in flashes for the county, without suggesting that he had made the transition from League lasher to County player. He often looks heavy on his feet for me and that can be a cause of his downfall when he plays away from his body. Yet who is to say that this may not be the year when he finally emerges?

Wavell Hinds is a fine player and his Test record suggests that much. He played well in spells last season and we could do with big runs from him this year. I feel that his best chance of that would be batting at five and away from the new ball, as the Wave has a reputation in the game for having a lazy front foot. He is eminently capable of batting well with the lower order and turning good starts into big scores and I hope that he goes in a little lower in the Championship. We need at least 800 runs from Wavell this year in the four day game and he has every chance of doing that in the right position.

There was little to choose between the top two. John Sadler has plenty of experience in the role at Leicestershire and turned in some gritty displays with little reward for us in the early season. He then disappeared to the Seconds and returned for the one day side when injuries hit later in the season. To be fair, at that point he did as well as anyone and I couldn't argue if he was given a chance to cement his place in April.

Yet the signing of Garry Park from Durham was a good bit of business by John Morris. He is a dashing batsman, superb fielder anywhere, useful medium pace bowler and handy stop gap wicket keeper. I would find it hard to understand why he left a tabled offer at Durham, the County champions, for anything other than some form of assurance of opportunity at Derby. He will undoubtedly play a major role in the one day side but he has been a heavy scorer for the Durham Second XI and has done well in limited first team opportunities there. Indeed, had it not been for a brilliant last game century by him at Scarborough a couple of years ago, Durham would have been relegated, so they could argue he has played a major role in their success. While I would not be disappointed to see Sads in the key role, my instinct suggests that Park should have an early opportunity to make the place his own.

Only in writing this piece have I realised that we have plenty of batsmen who may well not make the side. With Birch, Telo and either Paul Borrington or Steve Stubbings on the sidelines, we have decent players awaiting opportunities, yet the feeling remains that we may be a batsman light. What do you think? That's this week poll - thanks to everyone who voted last week.