You've got to speculate to accumulate

Well, on that basis I should be getting very wealthy sometime soon, but I'll not tell Mrs Peakfan until it happens...

The silly season is on us, when players around the country are moving pretty much everywhere and has half the civilised world chasing them.

As I put on 606 tonight, I've had e mails from various people suggesting that 5 different players were joining Derbyshire. Given that none of them were from a Mr J Morris, I thanked the people concerned (I'm a nice guy and its good to hear such things!) but will wait to see if any of it is true.

Its crazy really. I read today that Kabir Ali is a target for Warwickshire. Well, dress me in a skirt and call me Betty, there's a surprise, as they're linked with pretty much everyone. I would say that if Kabir Ali signs up to bowl at Edgbaston for the next three years, he's as mad as a box of frogs. OK, its marginally better than doing the same at Taunton (sorry Steffan, but...) yet there's loads of places I'd sooner go as a bowler than Edgbaston. Chris Woakes is a well rated young bowler and one of considerable talent, but he'll never make the grade on those tracks. Maybe we should swap him for Dan Birch... oh, we let him go already. Still, its the usual sort of switch between the two sides.

Realistically, there is always going to be interest in good young players. Another poster on 606 suggests that there are counties after a couple of our better players. Those motivated by the filthy lucre will be tempted and few could blame them, but I'd hope that most of our guys can see what is coming together here. John Morris needs to ensure that the better players are on competitive, performance-related salaries that the club can afford, but cricket is getting increasingly like football (heaven forbid). Money talks and unfortunately those at the Test Grounds have the cash to stage quite a conversation.

Of course, Morris has them on contract, but as the Kabir Ali story shows, they're barely worth the paper they're written on these days. With the Kolpaks effectively ruled out from next season, there will be ever more competition for guys with a UK passport. We have lost so many over the years, but crucially many went when our dressing room was not the happiest of places, a situation that is no longer prevalent. I won't say that I expect the likes of Graham Wagg, Greg Smith and Dan Redfern to see out their careers at Derby, but I hope that they show loyalty to a side that gave them their chance when there weren't many options out there in some cases.

I know Leicestershire fans are resigned to losing James Taylor sometime soon, just as they did Stuart Broad. It's very unfair when a county spends years coaching and nurturing a young talent, trhen loses him as he reaches maturity.

Speaking of people leaving, I read today that Will Jefferson was likely to be leaving Nottinghamshire at the end of the season. Well who wouldn't...
Seriously, its not worked out for the Derby-born giant at Trent Bridge and at 29, with an average in the mid-30's, it crossed my mind as to whether he may be of interest to John Morris. Of course, if Chris Rogers was coming back we'd have four openers (with Madsen and Borrington) but signing an experienced man of some ability might allow more flexibility in the type of overseas man being sought.

Hey, if it didn't work out, they could always build a platform and stand him on the sightscreen at Derby. At 6'10" it would be the best bet yet for blocking out the sun on these Twenty/20 evenings...

Also today came news that Craig Spearman is likely to have the final year of his contract paid up by Gloucestershire. The Kiwi has been a great servant to them and has produced some brilliant displays at the top of the order. Loyalty is, as I said earlier, getting to be an old fashioned virtue, but Spearman owes them nothing and will be remembered with great affection by their - and all - cricket fans.