Derbyshire v Australia A

I have seen the future of Derbyshire batting and his name is Palladino...

Whatever way you look at it, that was a special innings today by Tony Palladino. While the wicket appears to have been on the benign side of moribund, you cannot take anything away from a man who scored a maiden first class century against a side featuring three bowlers with international experience. Number elevens aren't supposed to do that sort of thing - or rather, if they do it is supposed to be through bucolic heaves and with considerable good fortune.

By all accounts Palladino played shots more readily associated with batsmen of greater reputation, though I have no intention to speak disparagingly of his batting. It has been patently obvious over the current season that he has worked hard on his batting and there can be few sides who boast a player with a first-class century at number eleven. There was a century for the Seconds last summer that hinted at a batsman of some ability - or at least a good eye - but Tony Palladino has now managed something that many decent batsmen haven't managed in the club colours.

I wouldn't bet against it being his last, either...

The game is intriguingly poised ahead of the final day, with the Australian XI 233 runs ahead with four wickets in hand. As one of those wickets is the dangerous and very able Ed Cowan, we could still end up chasing 300-plus on the last afternoon in what promises, with help from the weather, to be a very good finish.

Irrespective of the result tomorrow, this has been an encouraging work out for Derbyshire ahead of the resumption of championship action against Kent this week. Bowlers and batsmen alike have had good time in the middle and at this stage Karl Krikken will only have two concerns.

One is whether Tom Poynton is going to be fit after Richard Johnson's return to Warwickshire. Chris Durham has let no one down in his senior appearances, but I don't think we can expect a lad of such tender years to be our first choice keeper if there is any doubt over Poynton. There will be wicket-keeping options out there, but no one is better placed to assess their respective merits than Krikk.

My other concern is the wicket itself. This has been a good game of cricket between two captains who have been willing to ensure a competitive fixture. Whether a similar rapport would be there for the Kent fixture, given its importance, is debatable. We could live without a 550 plays 500-type match, which would do us few favours with the chasing pack closing in.

I think we need a little more help for the bowlers, either by leaving grass on or taking more off. We now have an attack that could cope with anything sent their way and I would be confident they could outbowl any side in this division, whether the ball is seaming or spinning.

Importantly, we can now say with a degree of confidence that we bat all the way down to number eleven.

Take a bow, Tony Palladino. Tonight you thoroughly deserve it.