After a disappointing first day that saw Luke Sutton give the team an ear-bashing at the end of it, day two was not especially brilliant either. Surrey's last two wickets added a further 68 before our first four managed 28 between them.
I can accept that Surrey SHOULD be a division one side with their players and resources, but the reality is that they are likely to remain in division two after today's play at Northampton saw them move into a winning position against Gloucestershire. Chris Adams' budget must be close to three/four times that of Karl Krikken, so one would expect them to win their share of matches. By the same token, Derbyshire have batted much better than that this year against attacks of equal ability, so the early capitulation was a disappointment.
Yet in adversity came an innings that may just be of greater long-term benefit to the club than the result of this game. Paul Borrington batted through the 74 overs for an unbeaten 76 that hinted of his future value to the side. Anyone can go early in an innings, before they get used to the pace and bounce of the wicket and the speed and movement of the bowlers. What annoys me is when I see players get out when they should be set. Twenties, thirties and forties are neither here nor there at county level and it is important to dig in and keep working at things when you get a start. "Drink at the well" as an old professional once said...
Borrington will bat on better surfaces than this one and against worse attacks. When he does, the psychological benefit of this innings will be substantial. He now knows that he can bat for a long time when all around him team mates are coming and going like patients in a doctor's waiting room, using the things that have served him well this season at league level. I have said before that Borrington has a good technique and against pace and spin alike it served him well today. It was, at least, reassuring to see Sutton, Whiteley and Clare offer support to Borrington later on, in an innings that his dad would have been proud of.
I would love to see him get another 24 runs tomorrow and hope to see Derbyshire make a much better fist of their second innings than they have of the first.
There's a long winter ahead. We don't want to go into it on the back of a capitulation.
The only up side from the match is that I have Messrs Linley, Davies and de Bruyn in my fantasy cricket side and all have served me well. I just need Wes Durston to do better in the second innings....
In closing, here's a link to an article which made me smile. I'd like to think that Chris Grant had a little more decorum and dignity in adversity than his counterpart at Yorkshire shows in this piece. I can understand him being annoyed, but putting it in the public domain like this does no one any favours. It smacks of old-school Yorkshire and is more than a little embarrassing.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/counties/8759852/Yorkshire-chairman-Colin-Graves-blames-disgraceful-player-performances-for-countys-relegation.html
Forming an orderly queue on the way out perhaps?
Have a nice evening!
A brave response from Borrington amid chaos around him.
ReplyDeleteI fancy the role he played suited him well today and that is not to decry his effort. I think he does struggle to introduce momentum to his innings - it is the ones and twos that he doesn't score, not the boundaries. Today, his own run rate was immaterial, occupation of the crease was paramount and he did that well.
I hope he can get to three figures because it would be his greatest achievement to date and should do his confidence no harm at all. Coming at the back end of the season though does not help him use the feat as a springboard for the matches to come, which is a shame.
Whether he is the right man to open and whether the side can afford to field two inexperienced openers from the start of 2012 is one for Mr Krikken to ponder over the next few months. I have to confess I am not convinced, but we all have our own opinions and, yes, the one that matters ultimately is KK's.
Good effort from Borrington today against an attack desperate to do well and get promoted. Think it looks like Surrey will get promoted if both they and Northants win (both look certainties weather permitting) as they got two more bonus points than Northants and were only 1 behind at the start of the game. Don't think Northants will be relying on us in future after this and the Essex game a couple of years back
ReplyDeleteI feared we would be up against it today. It highlights how poorly we bowled yesterday (and this morning). Well done to Borrington.At least he showed some bottle and got stuck in. Three figures tomorrow will be just reward for his efforts,if anyone can stick around with him long enough.
ReplyDeleteThe article on Yorkshire is interesting. I can,t really blame the chairman for his outburst.Sometimes a dose of truth does no harm. I have no love for Yorkshire but i can see where he,s coming from. Moxon may survive,mainly due to the fact they can,t afford to sack him,but the end will come if they fail to go up next season.
To be honest I don't blame Graves, the season has been a total embarrassment and I would have done the same, which probably explains why I'm not a Chairman
ReplyDeleteI hope Surrey go up.Their Over Zealous appealing is nothin more than Fraud. Madsen was never out He didnot hit the ball as the Surrey hoard were at the time appealing for an lbw .In the last three years their over ap pealing has made me cringe.
ReplyDeleteNo great loss not going to the oval next year
this lot make the bears look like choir boys
Donny Scorpion
Peakfan.
ReplyDeleteits surrey who are favourites to go up now, they picked up 2 more batting bonus points, so if they beat derbyshire they will go up instead of northants.
paul.
Forming an orderly queue on the way out perhaps?
ReplyDeleteOn the contrary Peakfan.... please check yesterdays Yorkshire Post and you will see that Andrew Gale has completely agreed with Yorkshire's Chairman.
How refreshing.
Not so much what he said as the way he said it anon. I like my figureheads retaining a little dignity and restraint. It can be just as effective as a rant.
ReplyDelete