Derbyshire v Durham Preview

On the face of it, tomorrow should see us get a good hiding from Durham, who have been the best side in the country over the past year or two. Although we beat them at the Riverside, it was the highpoint in a 20/20 season that has blown hot and cold - or maybe that should be cold and colder - ever since.

Tomorrow also sees the long awaited Durham debut of Aussie wunderkind David Warner who is likely to open alongside Phil Mustard with Michaed di Venuto rested. Kyle Coetzer, the one Scots player to emerge from the World 20/20 with an enhanced reputation, also returns to a batting line-up that also boasts ex-skipper Dale Benkenstein and erstwhile Derbyshire and Somerset clubber Ian Blackwell. The latter rarely misses an opportunity to get one over us and having missed out in the first game will be keen to do well. The full squad of 12 is:

David Warner
Phil Mustard
Kyle Coetzer
Dale Benkenstein
Ian Blackwell
Will Smith
Gordon Muchall
Gareth Breese
Ben Harmison
Mitchell Claydon
Neil Killeen
Scott Borthwick

With Steve Harmison also rested, alongside Paul Collingwood, the visitors are strong without looking unbeatable.

That really depends on which Derbyshire side turns up and on John Morris' tactics. With Nantie Hayward set to make his debut, a good crowd should be a certainty and such evenings generally result in our players not performing to their ability, for some reason. One assumes that Tom Lungley will make way, but I've not seen them all in training over the past week and do not know the injury situation. Sticking my head on the block, which I'm never afraid to do, my side (in batting order) would be as follows:

Chris Rogers
Wavell Hinds
Stuart Law
Greg Smith
John Sadler
James Pipe
Garry Park
Graham Wagg
Ian Hunter
Mark Lawson
Nantie Hayward

Working on the principle that you want your best batsmen in as long as possible, my top three speak for themselves. Park is a lower order insurance against collapse and can bowl steadily and field brilliantly. We need to vary the pace with Lawson, while Smith and Wagg can also bowl spin, depending on conditions. I hope Nantie doesn't find a slow track for his debut or he'll be on the first plane back home...

Hinds is a fine player but needs time to get his eye in, so opening with Rogers would give him that opportunity. As an opening batsmen of Test and one-day international experience it is hardly a leap of faith and I'd want him ready to fire on all cylinders with the change bowlers. Who knows? It might see us take advantage of a power play, something we have seen all too rarely from a Derbyshire side.

On a different tack, it was nice to see Pakistan win yesterday and I enjoyed the contribution, once again, from our old boy Shahid Afridi. He batted well again yesterday, more sensibly than I remember, yet still retains the ability to hit a ball a LONG way. I still think he's a bowler who bats and offers explosive potential in doing so. His leg spin has been superb in the competition and I'm sure that next season we'll see a number of suitors for his services in the 20/20 in this country. Whether we would be one of them is anyone's guess, but the improved Afridi would get cricket fans out of their armchairs to games, while ensuring that the substantial local Pakistani population would have their hero to watch.

Hey! Come to think of it, that makes cricket and financial sense. A rare win/win situation for someone. Of course there's always the risk that big occasion Afridi could be replaced by the far inferior run-of-the-mill version, but I'd be prepared to gamble if the price was right.

And after his spell with us before, I never thought I'd say that...