Guptill again shows class

The mark of a batsman of true quality is one who can adapt his game to the match situation. That being the case, Martin Guptill again showed his class over the weekend for Auckland as they won two more matches to stay top of the table in the domestic 20-over HRV Cup.

On Saturday against Otago - and following on from his brutal unbeaten 120 at two-a-ball last week - Guptill clubbed six sixes and two fours in 65 from 45 balls as his side mounted an impressive 187-2 in 20 overs and easily won by 30 runs.

Last night the conditions were less favourable for batting against Northern Districts and Auckland were chasing a more moderate target of 112 to win. It still needed someone to show a little common sense and bat through and Guptill did just that, ending on an unbeaten 49 from 48 balls, his side winning by six wickets with 20 balls to spare.

Derbyshire will miss Guptill's class in the T20 this season, though we will enjoy his talent from April through to June. Who replaces him in that competition is still anyone's guess, but I maintain we need someone who can play the big shots and clear the ropes. A fast bowler would be good too, of course, though one of each would be wonderful - or should that read unrealistic?

I watched the Big Bash this weekend and it was a frantic mix of some impressive clean hitting (Herschelle Gibbs a standout), quality spin bowling (veteran Brad Hogg still having what it takes) and variable fast bowling. In the matches I saw, Brett Lee and Dirk Nannes both looked fast bowlers of genuine pace and class, while Shaun Tait bowled both the fastest and most erratic overs I have seen in one spell.

Tait's first over to Sussex's Luke Wright was blisteringly fast, the ball shaving stumps and the outside edge with remarkable regularity. In his second he was more expensive, though unlucky, then he was given a third on the trot. Whether his action takes too much out of him for such a spell I don't know, but that third over was awful, a mix of fours and sixes accompanied by two of the widest balls on either side of the stumps I have seen. The wicket-keeper performed heroics in stopping them, both being taken around a second slip/leg slip position. Any Derbyshire fan who has bemoaned the occasional  lines of Messrs Turner and Footitt would perhaps consider them the new Gladwin and Jackson if they had seen it...

Today also saw some of the worst umpiring I've seen in a while, with a Sydney Thunder batsman given not out when he clearly edged it, then out a few balls later when he patently didn't. Herschelle Gibbs was given out in the other game when the ball hit his pad, chest and helmet and was caught behind, but was at least recalled. With 30,000 people shouting it must be difficult, but the decisions all looked wrong before the slow motion replays.

I'm increasingly of the opinion that Usman Khawaja and Chris Gayle are the only players in the Sydney Thunder side. One could almost see them shouting "DON'T PANIC!" like Corporal Jones of Dad's Army when Gayle, for once, failed today. By the time the rain came they had subsided to 29-4, with Khawaja  unbeaten on 11 from 16 balls, defeat inevitable.

That's it for now - enjoy the rest of the weekend!