You know one thing I would love to see before the end of the season? Apart from Wayne Madsen's hand's around a trophy, of course...
I would love to see a really strong Derbyshire batting performance. The sort that Hampshire produced today to demolish Northamptonshire. The sort that Derbyshire sides of my experience have produced only rarely, most notably at the time when our batting contained Wright, Hill, Kirsten, Hampshire, Steele and Wood in the top six, with Kim Barnett emerging to break into it.
It's not really the Derbyshire way, of course. Guy Willatt wrote in the 1970 club yearbook that when he swapped Trent Bridge for Derbyshire he gave up tea scores of 235-1 in favour of 147-8, irrespective of which side was batting. Traditionally, Derbyshire sides have, when successful, scored just enough, quickly enough, to win matches. At less successful times it has been a struggle to see where runs would come from.
This summer has been too wet to be a vintage summer for batting and in the circumstances we have done pretty well to have four batsmen (Guptill, Khawaja, Durston and Redfern) average over 40, but conversely we have the least batting points in the top half of the table. There have been good stands, but too often these have been followed by the loss of two or three quick wickets that have changed a healthy score into something quite different in no time.
Hard as I try, I cannot at this stage picture Derbyshire chasing down 300-plus as Hampshire did yesterday, with wickets in hand. It is something that for another summer, hopefully in another division, we will address. If either Matt Lineker or Paul Borrington could make the transition from heavy scorers in the Seconds to the First XI it would help immensely, as it would if Wayne Madsen could cement his return to the top of the order with a big score or two. New faces have to come in over the winter; not an admission of the failure of the Academy but an understanding that the youngsters emerging need time and good people to play around, While accepting that in Durston, Redfern and Whiteley we have positions 4-6 nicely sorted, the position of the skipper in the top three and the other places have to be sorted.
There have been suggestions of a move for Scott Newman, but at 33 I feel the Middlesex man has probably finished with the first-class game. He has been a decent county opener, but in recent summers has enjoyed less feast than famine and I don't see him as a top first division opener next summer. A good overseas player to partner Madsen and a good domestic player for three would be crucial to our prospects next year and would top my shopping list.
That's for later though, but how nice it would be if our opening pair could put on another century stand in between times, whatever the pairing. This summer we have seen:
18 and 224 (Borrington and Guptill)
4 and 0 (ditto)
0 and 91 unbroken (ditto)
6 (ditto)
9 (ditto)
43 and 51 (ditto)
3 and 96 unbroken (ditto)
19 and 15 (Guptill and Lineker)
43 (Lineker and Hughes)
43 (Lineker and Madsen)
1 and 83 (Lineker and Madsen)
28 and 9 (Lineker and Madsen)
Only one century opening stand this summer (in the opening match) and only one exceeding fifty in the last eight innings. If we could address that and have Usman Khawaja coming in when the shine is off the ball it would go a long way towards cementing that promotion slot.
Borrington or Lineker? The former averages 22 to the latter's 20, with the only other possibility, Chesney Hughes, having seemingly slipped down the pecking order, albeit with few runs at Second XI or club level to bring him back up it. Borrington's big hundred for the Seconds last week may bring him back into consideration for Northampton, but that is this week's big call for Karl Krikken.
Speaking of big calls, England Under-19s slipped out of the World Cup last night, heavily beaten by South Africa. There was poor team selection to be honest, the Saffers winning with four wickets from a young spinner, while England didn't play one worthy of the name. I understood this level of cricket was attempting to mirror the senior game, one in which spinners play a crucial role. Instead the laughingly entitled "selection committee" omit Tom Knight for the whole tournament and he watches twice from the pavilion as a member of the opposition does what he may well have done himself, given the opportunity.
I wouldn't blame the lad, having worked unbelievably hard on his fitness levels over the past twelve months or so, if the thought of "why bother" didn't cross his mind. His long term career will doubtless benefit, but if such muddied team selection is at the helm of our junior creme de la creme it is hardly encouraging.
I'll be back tomorrow with a Northamptonshire preview. Between times, enjoy your weekend.
There is no doubt when we have failed,the batting has usually been responsible. This has been the case in all forms of the game and is obviously a matter of some concern.
ReplyDeleteIn one day format we lack batsmen who can take a game away from the opposition. The fact that Whiteley has struggled this season has hardly helped,but there is something fundamentally wrong. You can afford one or two nudgers and nurdlers,providing there is enough fire power elswhere in the order. Without it we have little chance of improving our one day standing. We have lost too many matches by a considerable margin and it has to be addressed. I,m not expecting us to be world beaters next season,but we have to be more competitive and at least give the impression we are interested in qualifying for the later stages.
As for the Championship we have seldom fired on more that two or three cylinders in any innings. Some excellent bowling performances have,to some extent,masked the deficiencies. We have seen some good individual performances and on occasions batted okay as a team,but it remains a weakness.
Durston and Redfern have done well. I would still like to see Redfern become a little more consistent,but there is no doubt he is showing considerable improvements. As a one day player I remain unconvinced,though I wouldn,t write him off just yet.
The remainder (excluding Guptill) have all under performed,to a lesser or greater extent.
Madsen has failed too often for comfort. A couple of centuries early in the season suggested a return to his best form was imminent,but that hasn,t really materialised. I don,t think the captaincy is to blame,as this season has been pretty much a mirror image of the previous one.
Ross is having a season from hell,though there are signs he may be turning the corner. I think next season will see him back to his best. It might be a good idea for him to spend the winter with his feet up,instead of packing him off to the other side of the world.
Borrington,Hughes and Lineker have generally failed. In fairness to Hughes,he hasn,t exactly been let off the leash as far as four day games are concerned. Maybe it,s time to give him a go,though I would still give Lineker the next game. Time is running out and it could be a case of now or never. Borrington will be 26 next year and I just don,t see a future for him. If he was a footballer he would be an excellent Championship player,but just not quite good enough for the Premiership. No disgrace in that,it,s just the way it is. Not everyone makes the grade.
I have no doubt that Karl Krikken and the Chairman are fully aware of our problems and it will be interesting to see how they attempt to address them. Young Alex Hughes could be a little ace up our sleeve. I would like to see him play this season.
Agree with your comments Peakfan although there does seem to be a difference between the barrage of abuse that Borrington got in his appearances in the first few months of the season to what is happening now with Lineker. The figures suggest neither have confirmed the position although I would say Borrington had the more difficult pitches to play on in the wet early stages of the year.
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned by you both, it is a position we need to get sorted if we go up or not
I think the difference between Borrington and the rest is the fact he has been given numerous opportunities over several seasons and has shown little signs of improvement. Compare him with Redfern for examle,who is much younger but is coming on leaps and bounds. Nobody enjoys criticising a young player but in the end,performances have to be examined in the cold light of day.
ReplyDeleteI'm not going round the houses on this one again Marc - you don't rate Borrington, I think he has something to offer. Redfern is 2 years (much?) younger but has played more than twice the first class innings. It wasn't Bozza's fault that he was put into the team too early, but he will need to produce next season.
ReplyDeleteGary - you're right. There's been nothing said about Lineker's similar average. Everyone should realise though that both these lads are doing their best! It may be that neither make it, it may be both do, or just one of them. My guess is that both will be around next summer (Bozza is under contract anyway)
Incidentally, there's people advocating the signing of Scott Newman whose last four summers have seen averages of 24, 35, 33 and 23. I don't see the attraction myself, for a player two years older than Wes Durston. You need a lot better return than that from a senior player. I'd wager either our lads would do better than that with three or four years in the county game!
ReplyDeleteI agree about Newman. Signing him would be a retrograde step,even if he was younger than he is. Not the sort of player we need by a long way. I also agree Borrington was put in the team too soon,but that was seven years ago. I would love to see him,Lineker and Hughes make the grade,or any other young player for that matter. I have no axe to grind and would sooner persist with our own than sign ageing cast offs from other counties.
ReplyDeleteWell said mate!
ReplyDeleteI fully endorse the views here - not just on the basis of a modest and diminishing record.
ReplyDeleteNewman's also a player who was loaned out to one of our competitors, Kent, before the season started, and then returned to his home county early. It doesn't shout out "must have" for us, but also suggests someone that might be a problem in the dressing room. It's worth remembering that when he was sent out from Surrey on loan to Notts a couple of years ago, he said that Surrey had a problem with his character.
Either way, a player that Surrey, Middlesex, Notts and Kent have all been happy to unload or not keep on, suggests someone that, whatever hos promise, isn't worth us thinking about.