Big week ahead...

I had a long chat with my Dad last night and updated him on the latest news from the world wide web, or t'internet if you will.

The big news, of course, being that according to a poster on BBC 606 we're set to sign Nantie Haywood of South Africa.

"Nattie Heywood?" said my old man, "I went to school with him!".

Turns out that the similarly monickered bloke was a mate of my Dad's at school, played a lot of cricket with him but must now be well over 80 if he's still around. He's also the source of one of my all time favourite stories, about when my Dad's class were told to do a two-page story about what they liked to do in their spare time. Nattie apparently wrote:

"My best friend is Levi Dolman. We play football together. He passes to me and I pass to him. He passes to me and I pass to him. He passes to me and I pass to him..."

This went on for two pages and probably didn't get him the emerging writer award of the period...

The early signs are that this is a name that has slipped under the radar of the fans, all sent down the wrong track of him "flying from Australia" and assuming that the new man was an Aussie.

The last time I saw Mornantau Hayward he sported the stereotypical blonde Aussie hair, replacing the red hair that topped his physique when he first burst on the scene as a young tyro.

His career has been one of fits and starts and he has perhaps not hit the heights that he should have done. Make no bones about it though, when he gets it all together Hayward is quick. Rib-peppering, knuckle-jarring reaction testing quick. He boasts an impressive career record of over 400 wickets at 28 with a further 200-plus at 27 thrown in during his one day career. At times, especially when he was younger, he rejoiced in the nickname of "Wayward Hayward" but his greater experience has increased his accuracy and at 32 he is perhaps around his peak. Maybe not as consistently quick as he once was but still capable of some high speed bowling that will shake a batsman from any thoughts of complacency.

Before the advent of Dale Steyn he was regarded as the quickest bowler in South Africa and Steve Waugh said in his outstanding autobiography that the Aussies were always pleased to see him omitted from the South African side. If Steve Waugh rates him, that should do well enough, although his previous county stints have been disrupted by injury and have not always seen him perform to his highest standard. A fine season for Worcestershire in 2003 marked him as someone to watch and he bowled well in last year's 20/20 with Hampshire, taking wickets and bowling well. He's also played for Middlesex and Ireland as a hired "gun". While there appears to be mixed opinions among supporters who were getting excited at the thought of a McGrath, Kasprowicz, Bichel or Gillespie, these are players whose great deeds are behind them. Hayward may not have attained the giddy heights of a McGrath, but there'll be a few opening batsmen around the counties looking at this and checking their protective equipment...

He's very much a rhythm bowler and this can be affected by the slope of the ground, even the firmness of the ground. Mind you, I bet he's not played where I once did, on a now defunct school ground. Five yards from the crease the seam bowlers had to traverse - I kid you not - a long jump pit! Never in the history of the game have so many seam bowlers bowled off short runs, which explained why the opposition bowlers were all spinners...

Back to Derbyshire, the most impressive thing is that John Morris has potentially picked up an international class bowler very quickly which speaks volumes for his contacts book and his ability to talk people into joining the county. Three years ago, the thought of our side boasting Chris Rogers, Wavell Hinds and Stuart Law, plus Charl Langeveldt or Nantie Hayward would have been laughable. Morris has brought about a sea change and its good to see.

Having said that, there's a few of us "fretting" (sea change.. fret...I'll get me coat!) over recent form and a little wary of tomorrow's return to Old Trafford. I think we can beat Lancashire, but we need to bowl a better length than yesterday and MUST get a faster start. I'd be happy to see us bowl first as there's a tendency for teams to over-reach themselves. Lancashire have been playing well this year and their fielding has been spectacular. Indeed, according to their web site, the two recent catches that have been shown repeatedly on Sky have gone down in "folk law". They must still be missing Stuart, or perhaps they went to the same school as Nattie Heywood...

If we can win at Old Trafford, then beat Leicestershire in the return game on Thursday, we'd go into the break with four wins from six matches. If we win one our hopes are very much alive as only Leicestershire appear to be unlikely to progress at this stage. Back to basics will do nicely and how much of a change would it be to mark a big home occasion with a performance and a win?

Finally, an apology. I referred to Darren Pattinson in the controversy over the "catch" the other night. Turns out that youngster Alex Hales was wearing one of Pattinson's tops and it was he that was the transgressor. I'd love to have been in their dressing room afterwards when all the flak was flying and most of it towards a bloke who was entirely innocent. Not that it changes anything and the day that a win at all costs mentality takes over cricket as it has football is the day my love affair with the game ends. Someone should have been big enough on their side to say "this is wrong".

Last week I held a low left handed catch at slip in our 20/20 club game, millimetres off the ground. It was a blinder, a real reaction catch (I was surprised I still had them!) The umpire wasn't sure and the square leg umpire's view was obscured. I was 99% sure it carried and so were most team mates but, in the light of the uncertainty, told the batsman to carry on. He scored 50, we lost, but I'd take that any day over losing a fixture through a controversy. If I'd been 100% sure I'd have stood my ground, but that one per cent made a big difference. Maybe young Hales should remember that in future.