When it was finally confirmed, as Glamorgan struck the winning runs in Cardiff, there were only a relative few diehards left at the ground, together with assorted members of the media, club officials and the players themselves. The game at Derby had ended for the day and the fans went home, safe in the knowledge that their side had done them proud. That's OUR side, Derbyshire. WE are Derbyshire and WE are promoted.
Tomorrow we may be champions.
Looking at the body language and demeanour of this fine young side, I wouldn't bet against them taking a trophy that is rightfully theirs. They have, after all, led the table for most of the season. While the lead has dwindled ahead of this final match, Derbyshire once again rose to a challenge and secured the 250 run target they needed for bonus points with relative ease, thanks to a fine partnership between young Academy products Ross Whiteley and Tom Poynton. Both batted beautifully and their stand was total vindication of the club's new policy and the way ahead. It was run scoring with the minimum of fuss and total professionalism and was a pleasure to witness.
In the field the side were again tigerish, aggressive and alert to possibilities, with Tom Poynton setting a live wire example behind the stumps and Whiteley proving impossible to keep out of the game with late wickets. After a more difficult season, Whiteley confirmed his rich talent today and came up with the goods when Derbyshire needed them most. All the bowlers did well - Palladino and Groenewald lively and probing, Turner downright fast and awkward, Wainwright canny, Durston testing and Whiteley looking every inch an international all-rounder in the making.
They were superbly marshalled by Wayne Madsen, who switched his bowlers around intelligently and was backed up by professional work, tight lines and lengths and precious few extras, once again. Someone said to me during the course of the day that they made you proud to be a Derbyshire fan, and he was right. It is a long time since we could say that.
During the day Tony Palladino was presented with his award for Player of the Year and it was richly deserved, much as I suggested the other day. He is a great asset to the club and quite obviously enjoys his cricket at Derbyshire, something that it is apparent in all of a side that crucially can only get better.
Tomorrow they have a chance to cement their place in history by clinching the title. Tonight I was privileged - a word I choose wisely - to spend some time with this young team and their professionalism shone through. There was no drinking, no real celebration - that is for another night. There was simply an understanding and acceptance of a job well done, the seeds for which were sown thousands of miles away back in Barbados in March.
In the words of one of my heroes, Bruce Springsteen, it's been a long time coming. But today was worth the wait and I hope that tomorrow they complete the work with the win that their cricket and professionalism thoroughly deserve. If they don't, then the season has still been a triumph. If they do, then in my considered opinion it is perhaps our greatest post-war feat. In the other years we had sides of far greater experience and bigger names. This side is young and in the eyes of the bookies and media, even those at local level, was set for a season of struggle in 2012. They have exceeded expectations - even mine - and we can enjoy the moment together.
Get down to the County Ground tomorrow morning and get on your feet at 10.30am to applaud them on to the pitch. There will be trials ahead and no one at the club is under any misapprehension as to the size of the job in hand. The first division will be tough and the planning for that will start next week, I'm sure. It will be as thorough as we have seen all summer long, though and you can be certain that they will not be found wanting in terms of effort and application.
Tomorrow should be special. Make sure you are there to see it...
Well done lads. You've made a lot of people very proud tonight.
Especially old Peakfan...
Just a shame that the bad light delay in Cardiff (how did that happen in a ground presumably equipped with better lights than Derby's, which were on as a precaution from tea) meant that the actual moment came too late at Derby for us all to applaud it.
ReplyDeletePerhaps just as well, in case the celebration led to a few minutes of loss of focus that could be critical in as tightly-fought a match as this. It was a thoroughly gripping day of testing cricket, and all credit to Hampshire for fighting this down to the wire when they could easily have rolled over and set off for their final.
I'm sad in a way (and surprised) that Kent have missed out, and I suspect that there will be a lot of heart-searching for them about how they've managed to throw away so many strong positions. It does emphasise Derbyshire's fighting qualities in adversity and the scale of their achievement.
Anything above 200 is going to be a real challenge on this pitch, but here's hoping that the lifting of the pressure and tension will help some who have struggled in recent weeks to finish it in style for us.
I've used the same pun on my screen name a couple of times recently - it's not over yet - but now it is (ignoring the championship for a moment) I might consider changing it to "itisnow".
Peakfan, it was great to meet you on day one of the game, and to see this talented and enthusiastic young team work so tirelessly. We may have had more stars in some past teams, but the spirit in the present group is a credit to the leadership of Madsen and Krikken. Let's hope that determined mindset is properly rewarded tomorrow. And thanks to you, Peakfan, for your fair yet positive reporting all season. Your blog posts are not just informative but a pleasure to read.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to all on promotion - team effort!!
ReplyDeleteSR.
Many thanks Martin!
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