View from the Lakes

I'm typing this while looking out of my hotel bedroom across Windermere, just after a hearty full English breakfast that was made virtuous by dint of my having fruit salad before it with some orange juice. It's dry just now, though not as dry as in the places where all the cricket is being played and if this was a match day, bearing in mind the forecast, I'd have serious concerns.

I've just read an amusing piece on Mohammad Yousuf, who some will remember almost came to Derbyshire a few years back. It turns out that in around 220 one day international innings he has been run out 38 times, which is an incredibly high percentage even allowing for the somewhat manic manner of these matches. Many of them appear to have been his fault, such as the latest, where he hit the ball straight to the short extra cover and for some reason decided he could make 22 yards before the ball could get to the bowler. He was wrong by about 5 yards...

It set me thinking about what would have happened if he'd joined Hassan Adnan in our middle order. Adnan was a shocking runner too, and the traditional "yes", "no" and "wait" would have been joined by "hang on a sec, we might just make it if..." conducted in the middle of the pitch, of course, just before the opposition rejoiced in an "Howzaatt!"

Little else to report today. There's been a few reponses to my last piece on Anthony McGrath and Chris Taylor (thanks for that) but I don't see these guys at Derby. McGrath in form is a fine player and would be a great asset to most sides as a batsman who can bowl, but he'll be way too expensive for us, even allowing for him losing the captaincy at the club, which appears likely. It affected his game last year, but I don't see him leaving over it. As I said the other day, he's over 30 too, and his salary and the financial penalty of playing him would be too severe.

Taylor was (is?) a decent player, but he left Yorkshire a little acrimoniously, then did the same at Derby and last season couldn't get into a Yorkie side that made batting look very difficult most of the time. I don't know the guy and maybe do him a disservice, but none of the above suggests to me someone who would replace Park, Smith or Redfern. Nor is he young enough to be an automatic choice either. The only way that he MAY be considered would be if John Sadler failed to sign a new contract and we needed batting cover. Taylor scored enough runs at Derby to suggest he had talent, but there's a team ethic there that needs to be maintained and maybe he's not the best in that area.

I also read a piece on 606 where someone talked about Derbyshire's "Board" putting their hands in their pockets. I think he was confusing the cricket and football clubs, because the cricket club have a committee to represent the membership but not set up to fund the club. Having said that, Don Amott has done a huge amount for Derbyshire and has dipped into his own money on a number of occasions, yet cannot be expected to do this all the time. Maybe we need to see if Bill Gates is a closet Derbyshire fan...

Anyway, I must go as a day of presentations awaits me at this conference. I hope to return later to big news from the club, but whether I will is another thing altogether!