Something for the weekend

One of the things I love about doing this blog is that it keeps me in touch with a lot of people and their opinions on the county that we all support. The funny thing is though that people disagree on different things - which is, of course, part of life's rich tapestry...

 It is good to see that opinion is very positive about Wayne Madsen's new contract. Having spoken to him earlier in the season I know how settled he and his wife are in Derbyshire, his wife running a successful sports coaching business that Wayne helps in over the winter months. I had few doubts that he would sign a new deal, the only major one being that he shares the same agent as Greg Smith. That was a potential spanner in the works, but it is good to see that Madsen's requirements and those of the club dovetailed nicely.

 Despite the glitch in his championship form, Madsen is a class act. He has just enjoyed his most successful one-day season, and although Marc and I share many similar opinions I would disagree with his assertion that Madsen is a slow scorer. I've enjoyed many Madsen knocks where he showed a range of shots that was unexpected for a Derbyshire batsman. I still maintain that he is just about the best player of the reverse sweep I have seen, tribute to his hockey background, while his scoring rate is impressive.

 At 85 runs per hundred balls in non-T20 he scores faster than Martin Guptill  and Kevin Pietersen (80) and the same as Marcus Trescothick! Sorry Marc, but I think the argument is shot down in flames by those stats.

 I would agree that he should bat in the middle order, where his ability against the spinning ball would be a huge asset. I'd see a middle order of Hughes, Durston, Madsen and Redfern as pretty impressive. Mind you, such a line up would mean Ross Whitely at seven, which would work if his bowling came on, but might leave Karl Krikken with a selection dilemma. Which is, of course, a reason for Madsen to open, as it removes it...

There have also been suggestions of a move for young Aussie Steven Smith, which is intriguing. I'm not convinced that Smith is quite what we need, to be honest. He's a hard hitter, but I'm less than convinced his technique would stand up to exposure on English tracks. He's also a decent spinner, but tends to lose his length and doesn't REALLY rip it. Maybe in time, but for me Smith right now would be a gamble.

He averaged 15 with the bat and took seven wickets only for Worcestershire in the 2010 T20, while in an appearance for the Aussies at Derby he scored a quick 48 but then bowled 24 overs taking 1-87. In short - talented yes, but not good enough at either discipline yet for me to get enthused about a potential signing.

 Finally tonight, I mentioned the legal aspect of the performance related money from the ECB last night. A little research today showed me that the ECB took legal advice before starting their incentive payments to counties. They were told that while fining counties could result in a legal issue, simply rewarding them for meeting certain criteria was perfectly acceptable. Given it is their money, realistically no one else can tell them how they must use it. Hard to argue with that really.

 Have a great weekend. If anything happens, or if the muse takes me, I may be back sometime over the next couple of days.