Footitt set to make his Mark?

Given that there were some of our supporters complaining that the linked Robin Peterson was not good enough for Derbyshire, there will be a few raised eyebrows at the signing of former Nottinghamshire left arm fast bowler Mark Footitt. After all, Foottitt has had major injury problems that saw him miss the entire 2008 season with a bulging disc in his back, while his struggle for form in 2009 saw him released by his county before the season ended.

So why have we signed him?

There are several answers to that one. For one thing Footitt is, at 23, the right age for Derbyshire, given that we will receive payments dependent on fielding players under various ages this season.

There’s more than that though. At the end of 2007 he was being talked about around the circuit as an England bowler in the making. There was talk of a technical issue with his action and where his feet landed, but Footitt had a rare gift of being seriously quick when everything clicked. He’d had that ability from his youth in League cricket at Papplewick when he rattled experienced players with raw pace that is unusual in left arm bowlers. Very few of that style have ever been genuinely quick. Bill Voce (although overshadowed by Harold Larwood) and Wasim Akram are perhaps the only two who spring immediately to mind.

Perhaps his build wasn’t right for a genuine express bowler and Footitt may need to accept that he will be a lively bowler on the fast side of medium who can bowl an occasional really quick ball. Or will he?

Steffan Jones will step into his role as bowling coach with a dual purpose of getting the bowlers fit to do their job and then putting the ball in the right areas often enough to cause problems. Footitt, on his track record, will give him a challenge, but then so will Tom Lungley and Jon Clare. Part of the problem with any bowler after major injury is psychological. If I bowl flat out will this happen again? We saw it last season with Jon Clare, who looked a much more pedestrian bowler than in 2008 when he burst on the scene. If Steffan Jones can get Footitt and the others fit, they can form a fine line up of seam bowlers that will rival any in Division Two.

If he can sort out the minor technical issues that account for Footitt losing his radar from time to time we could see a real threat with this lad. In his sporadic appearances for Nottinghamshire he has taken his wickets at a rate of one every 40 balls, which is comfortably ahead of anyone on our staff, and indeed most bowlers in the country. Maybe some of them have come against less demanding opposition, but Footitt has some notable scalps in his fledgling career, including Sourav Ganguly and Simon Katich.

Still not sure? Have a read of this article by Scyld Berry. His comments on Footitt start midway through the article, but it illustrates the potential in the player.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/scyldberry/2335009/Hot-Footitt-could-stride-into-England-side.html

Last season Derbyshire struggled to bowl sides out on the last day of Championship matches, primarily because we had no real variety in our attack. Already this week we have been linked with an international slow left arm bowling all rounder. Now we have signed a young bowler who offers a change of line and potentially something that we have lacked for some time. Genuine pace. In the right areas, no one likes to face it.

Next season we might just find out if Mark Footitt has what it takes to be a force at this level. There are no guarantees, but we’ve signed him in the face of opposition from other counties, so there’s a few professional people out there must rate him.
That will do me.