Mid-season: so where are we exactly?

On Sunday we reach the longest day. I can say that for certain as it also marks my son's birthday and more than that his 18th. Eighteen years ago, it was certainly the longest day for his Mum and I, having been rudely awoken at 3.30am by the increasingly obvious signs of the onset of labour...

Anyway, enough of this Maternity Monthly stuff, I always look on it as the half way point of the season as little by little we find sunset creeping up on us earlier than before. Our club 20/20 matches gradually turn into 18/18 games, unless we win the toss and bat and our opponents handle the last six overs in light that has bats squinting. There's still a lot of cricket to be played, a massive amount, but we have enough behind us to make a judgement on the state of the side in comparison to seasons past.

For what its worth, I think we have improved this season. We've not pulled up trees, we've not rivalled Bradman's 1948 Australians as the Invincibles, but there are signs that we're becoming harder to beat.

In the Championship we have survived the late arrival of Chris Rogers and the non arrival of Charl Langeveldt to be in the mix for a promotion push. With Nantie Hayward set to add his considerable firepower to a steady attack, there is every possibility we could make the final shake up. To do so we need Rogers to really hit his straps and the rest of the batting to ensure that we post big first innings scores to put sides under pressure. Paul Borrington's return may be a bonus and ensure that Steve Stubbings keeps his head down, while Wavell Hinds new found grit is good to see. Garry Park needs to go on to a big score that will break a psychological barrier, while Dan Redfern probably only needs a century to confirm himself at this level.

"Anon" the other night replied to my post by saying that Redfern was not scoring the runs required at this level and should be replaced by Dominic Telo. I think we need to remember that Dan is in his first season and is averaging 25, with his highest score coming in the last match at Chesterfield, a fine 74 on a last day pitch. We should not expect too much from him but I think his place is more under threat from John Sadler if anyone. I think Telo is a batsman of talent, but the fact is that he has not made the weight of runs at any level in this country to force his way into the side. Attractive 30's are fair enough but are not enough at first class level. Thirty years ago when I was in my pomp (did I ever have a pomp?), I reckon I could have gritted out an occasional 20 and 30 at that level with a combination of nudges and nurdles, plus a full blooded cut or pull from time to time. It didn't make me remotely a first class cricketer, but they'd have had to dig me out. Telo must score heavily in the Seconds in the latter half of the season or another contract is, in my opinion, unlikely. He is a fine fielder and possesses a good range of shots, but without better concentration or shot selection it doesn't amount to all that much.

So far this season two of the heroes from last year have had more difficult times. James Pipe has yet to reveal the powerful strokeplay we have come to expect, while Jon Clare has had injuries and a little loss of form. It's typical second season syndrome for Clare, but I'm sure he'll come back stronger.

In one day cricket we've had the same problem as England, in that there have not been enough boundaries. We've not (yet?) been totally rolled over but we score too slowly at one end of the innings or another to put ourselves out of sight in matches. We've lost our fair share of games, but with the exception of Lancashire at home haven't really been rolled over.

There's no quick solution and the occasional knee jerk comment on message boards along the lines of "sack Morris" are pointless and facile. Our record over the last 15 years has been upheaval followed by turmoil. We need a period of stability to enable the best of the Academy boys to come through and develop alongside a better quality of recruit from elsewhere.

Of those signed in the winter, Garry Park has been an unqualified success with bat and ball while in the field he is superb. Tim Groenewald has shown enough to warrant acceptance, although his batting hasn't shown itself at this stage. Mark Lawson has bowled some good spells and some bad - typical of young leg spinners in fact. He needs to be in the side in the second half of the summer and if the long spell of promised dry weather materialises he could be a useful weapon.

Which leaves Stuart Law. I don't know how big an influence he has been on the younger batsmen, but he has played a couple of fine innings without really winning over the popular vote. Part of the problem is the decision for him to bat at 5 or 6 in the 20/20, often getting in with four or five overs left. For me, if he's a good enough player to bring in on a fair salary (and he is) then he should be batting at three. End of argument. If our top five was Barnett, Bowler, Morris, Adams and Azharuddin I could understand it, but we're a good way from that standard at present...

So there's plenty of reasons to be cheerful as we enter the second half of the season. Winning something may be beyond our grasp at this stage, but if the team perform like they have mostly done in the first half of the season, we can get to September with our heads held high and few complaints.