With less than a day to go, it is patently obvious that the vast majority of fans see Derbyshire being a respectable mid-table at worst in the coming season, while over half think we could genuinely mount a promotion challenge. Interesting....
Not just interesting, but indicative of the new-found spirit at the club. With young players performing well around the globe, Martin Guptill scoring for fun this winter and Usman Khawaja making more Test appearances, we seem to have moved forward. We've lost the loyal and popular Steffan Jones, but his performances were largely in the T20 last year and there may be an overseas replacement for him. Luke Sutton has gone too, but the potential of Tom Poynton is undeniable. If he can match Sutton's glovework and add pugnacious lower order runs there will be few grumbles.
Finally, Greg Smith has gone, a mercurial talent who flitted brightly across our skies but didn't burst into flame enough for most. In his place is a less enigmatic cricketer in David Wainwright, less likely to score a breezy fifty but capable of an equal weight of middle order runs, as well as giving us the front-line spin bowler that was badly missed last year.
With five seamers of varying pace but undeniable wicket-taking ability and a batting line-up of intriguing potential - yeah, I could go along with a challenge in the four day game. It will need a good start, strong team spirit and a little bit of luck, which all teams need at some point.
Finally tonight, I've been amused by some of the rubbish spouted by people who should really know better over England's matches in Dubai against Pakistan. All of a sudden we're rubbish and Pakistan are the world-beaters. What utter nonsense. One team is in mid-season and prime form, the other has played little cricket in months and had very little warm up for what was always going to be tricky series on tracks the opposition knew far better.
At one time touring sides had half-a-dozen games to acclimatise before the business started. Now its a couple of days in the nets, two games if they're lucky and then time for putting reputations on the line. It makes no sense whatsoever.
Which is why it is doubtless the way things will continue.
Maybe the national team does have some valid excuses but the facts are they have no idea how to play spin bowling,even mediocre spin bowling,particularly on the sub-continent. They have proved this over more than one series and in various formats of the game. For professional cricketers it has been a lementable effort so far. I reckon i could have got a few wickets against them. Rabbits in headlights is the term that springs to mind.
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