Player of the season

I was asked by two or three people yesterday who I would pick as player of the season.

There are a number of worthy claimants for the prestigious award. Daniel Redfern has made huge strides this summer and produced some telling innings (oh for another one today...) while Wes Durston has been a very good all-round player for the club, taking wickets, bowling tight one-day spells and scoring runs (though less prolifically than last year). Tom Poynton has also done well and had his batting "Road to Damascus" happened a few weeks earlier would have been a very strong shout - much like he has in the field...

Then there's Tim Groenewald, who turns up and bowls well in nearly every game, while the efforts of Wayne Madsen as skipper, as well as with some fine innings, cannot be overestimated. I would also see David Wainwright as a strong contender, his bowling giving us a weapon we have lacked for a number of years. With perhaps a few more runs, Wainwright could have pulled clear in the voting, though this is one area that he needs to work on over the winter, especially to retain a berth at seven in the batting order.

For me, the award should go to Tony Palladino. I've watched him a few times this summer and he has bowled with rhythm and control in every match he played. Above all he bowled with telling hostility and there is an air of threat, potency and awareness that something is going to happen whenever he walks in from the deep to remove his sweater and bowl a new over.

He perhaps could have bowled in a few one-day games in the eyes of some, but I understand an injury niggle led to a need to keep him fresh and firing for the all-important promotion run-in. It was a shrewd move and Palladino's bowling has been superb. Nor should we discount his batting, with a stunning maiden century against Australia A, along with some crucial knocks at the end of the innings and stints as night-watchman (hint...do it again today, Tony)

Last year, a few people who should know better wrote off his bowling success as being largely due to the use of the Tiflex ball, suggesting he would do nothing when the switch was made. Yes, he's really struggled, only 55 championship wickets at 23. Now what you hear is that he wouldn't make a transition to division one.

We don't know yet if we'll be playing it for one thing. Let's just say that if we do, I don't expect Palladino to be found wanting. He's a class act and class acts will always take wickets.

A few runs today from him is first on the agenda though, and would be be priceless in the context of the summer.

Postscript: one should not forget the crucial role played in this season by  that most important of twelfth men, team spirit. In match after match it has been the defining attribute of a young side of some talent. Whatever happens over the remaining days of the season, whoever comes in over the winter, it has been a joy to see and simply has to be maintained.

This may or may not be our year - we'll know more by the end of today, I think. Keeping that spirit going is the key to this being the first of many such summers.