Season Review

 2011 will go down as one in which Derbyshire started to look a team again. It started horribly, with Don Amott resigning a chairman with the players on pre-season tour, then looked set to burst into flame when Head of Cricket John Morris and his assistant Andrew Brown were relieved of their duties mid-match. At that point the season could have imploded in spectacular fashion.

It is to the great credit of Karl Krikken and Luke Sutton that it did not. Indeed, while fully appreciative of the better quality of player that John Morris brought to the club, the advent of Krikken saw them start to realise potential, while the different environment in the dressing room saw young players given greater opportunity.

Ross Whiteley was perhaps the most spectacular improvement, transformed from a bowler who could swing it and handle a bat in the seconds into a batsman who could hit the ball a long way while possessing the technique to graft when the need arose. Tom Knight emerged at 17 from the Academy to become a key member of the T20 attack, while Dan Redfern enjoyed his best sustained spell since breaking into the senior side.

Krikken was unafraid to offer chances to youngsters he thought had the ability, so we saw Peter Burgoyne and Alex Hughes get their opportunities alongside Tom Poynton. There were varying degrees of success, but with the nucleus of the current squad being both under-26 and developed in-house, Derbyshire ended the season with a squad that should only get better with greater experience. The success of the Colts in the Derbyshire Cup highlighted the next generation and the club now has an opportunity to progress with its best set of young players in several generations. This was no accident, but the result of tireless and impressive work by Krikken himself, AJ Harris and Howard Dytham.

Of course, to go to the next level the side needs greater experience alongside them. Wes Durston led the way in batting, and while Wayne Madsen had his least productive season, the feeling remained that with perhaps the addition of another experienced batsman, a promotion push could be a possibility in 2012.

The two overseas players arrived with little experience of English conditions but left established as excellent team men who may return in the future. Both were sensible signings by John Morris and although the hoped for weight of runs didn't materialise, there were enough good moments for both to be judged a success.

There was greater knowhow in the bowling, with stalwart Tim Groenewald working well with his new opening partner Tony Palladino. The pair took almost a hundred championship wickets, with good support from all-rounder Jonathan Clare, the latter showing once more the abilities that set him apart as something special when he first burst onto the scene. There was useful, if at times erratic support from Mark Turner and Mark Footitt and if these two can harness their pace to greater control next year the slub has a seam attack to tank alongside any in the division.

The greatest concern lies in the spin department. Robin Peterson's wickets from the previous year were missed and in his absence spin was largely in the hands of part-timers. They did a good job but cannot be relied on to bowl out sides in favourable conditions. The advent of Tom Knight and Peter Burgoyne promises better times ahead, but it would be unfair to place too great a burden on the shoulders of two boys of 18 and 17 respectively. Jake Needham's technical issues were a blow and, with the youngsters likely to be set for England Under-19s duty again next summer, a spinner is needed for 2012.

Third place in the forty over competition and fifth in the Championship were rewards for better cricket played. Inconsistency was still the biggest problem, but was much improved and similar progress again next year would be confirmation that the club is on the right track. In the T20 the absence of a second overseas player was a factor, though it was not for the want of trying. The side have yet to make a really good fist of this format, which polarises opinion but is a major revenue source. Greater success, as shown by neighbours Leicestershire, could make a world of difference and does not require substantial change of personnel.

In short? Reasons to be cheerful, a pleasant change to many close seasons in the past decade. The new blueprint from an enthusiastic and committed chairman points the way to success and the future promises to be much brighter than the recent past.