It has been refreshing to see the initiatives coming out of Derbyshire Cricket Club over the last few days that should bring additional revenue into the club.
A few months ago I wrote on the blog about how Middlesex were offering fans and businesses an opportunity to sponsor a player for the coming season at £300 a go. Now Derbyshire are offering a similar deal, full details of which can be seen on the club web site - just click the link on the left. If you've got some spare money lying around - sadly I haven't - it's a good deal. For a company it is a very good deal and I am sure that there will be plenty of interest.
The same goes for the Wall of Dedication, where for £50 you can have your name forever connected with the club. That's quite a nice idea too and especially for those who have perhaps recently lost a loved one who was a fan of the club. A good one for everyone, to be honest, and I am sure that there will be a good level of interest.
Elsewhere, I note that Chris Taylor has announced his retirement from the game to concentrate on his coaching business. I hope that the venture, which he runs with Andrew Gale, is a success. Few would deny that Taylor was a player of talent, yet one whose career remained largely unfulfilled. His best year was undoubtedly at Derby, when he showed himself to be a player of application, but also with a good range of strokes. He was especially adept at chipping the ball over the inner ring and then taking two before the outfielders could get to the ball. It was unfortunate that he fell out with the club the following season, when accusations of selfish batting in the Second Eleven caused a major fall out. His return to Yorkshire saw him unable to break into the First Eleven and his retirement is not perhaps unexpected, given the young talent that the club apparently has coming through.
Samit Patel has signed a new deal with Nottinghamshire today and will presumably enjoy playing alongside his brother Akhil, who made some encouraging performances towards the end of the season. Meanwhile Stuart Clark has signed for Kent as overseas pro in a sensible deal assuming he is at peak fitness.
Finally tonight Robin Peterson for once is taking some stick in South Africa. It happens to all bowlers on occasion of course, though the Cobras will still have to do badly to lose this one. Having made 300-3 in 40 overs (Herschelle Gibbs 121 not out with eight fours and six sixes), the Dolphins are 141-3 in reply as I close in 24 overs. 160 in 16 is 10 an over by my book, though Peterson has gone for 42 in 5 overs so far as Dale Benkenstein and youngster David Miller have been giving it the long handle. He didn't even get a bat today, such is their current strength. He might as well get used to it, when the mighty machine that is the Derbyshire batting line up roars into life...
My money would still be on the Cobras, with Charl Langeveldt, back after injury, still with four overs in hand.
Postscript - Cobras win by 66 runs, with two wickets for Champagne Charl.
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