Middlesex v Derbyshire day 2

Busy day chez Peakfan yesterday so I flitted in an out of the match, which was perhaps as well given the score.

To be fair, we seem to have stuck to our task quite well, but 145 behind on first innings, even assuming they don't add to that today, leaves us with a mountain to climb. No doubt we're well equipped with grappling hooks ...

Of course, the team has shown on many occasions this season that they can fight and have turned matches on their head a time or two. Realistically, we need to score 350 as a minimum in the second innings - difficult but not impossible. I know they have Steve Finn, but he's not Glenn McGrath. They have a specialist spinner and a useful one in Dalrymple, but we need to get our heads down.

I'd love to see Wayne Madsen get a score, while Martin Guptill can show his international class when it is needed. There's enough talent in this side to give them a fourth innings chase they may not fancy, but it will need a massive team effort.

Yesterday 'Anon' said that fans haven't taken to Smith as they might, as he has always seemed to be leaving, or on the verge of it. That is a fair comment as most late seasons have seen suggestions he was on his way to another county. The fact that he has not pursued as he might his English 'qualification' is another factor. Without doubt, at his best he is a fine player but against Kent last weekend and here I rightly or wrongly had the impression he was trying hard to impress prospective employers.

I think he will end up with a southern county, where wickets may suit his attacking style. He put in a good bowling stint yesterday and played another cameo on the first day, but that's what it was - a cameo. A player with his experience needs to influence and win more games with scores that make a real difference.

At the end of the day, as I've said before, the club has a limited budget that has to finance a squad. Groenewald's financial demands were presumably realistic and commensurate to his value to the side. If Smith's were like Graham Wagg's last year, they aren't. If you're asking for 80K a season (I stress this is a guess) you need to be able to offer pretty good value for money. I suspect that you would get three or four young players - Whiteley, Borrrington, Poynton, Knight perhaps - for that outlay.

Last year Glamorgan felt Graham Wagg was worth £90K plus benefits and lured him from us. A batting average of 19 and a bowling one of 45  this season suggests that we were right not to pay such a sum. Time will tell if Smith goes and justifies whatever salary entices him away, but I don't think his performances for us justifies that.

Good player, but he ain't Sobers or Barlow.