One senses that there are a few nerves starting to creep into Derbyshire's players as the finishing line of a long and arduous county season comes into sight. On the one hand it is understandable, as all teams hope to win trophies and all players hope to win recognition for their talents in their careers.
For Derbyshire's young side, such recognition is on the verge of arriving remarkably early. This is one of the youngest sides that the county has fielded in its history and marks the closing of a circle in my cricket-watching of the county, which began when we were a rest home for the elderly and near-retiring. In the period from 1970 to 1975, far too many players who were past their prime and released elsewhere washed up on Derbyshire's shores for comfort. Some were a qualified success (Fred Rumsey a prime, one-day cricket only example) while others were an abject failure (Clive Inman anyone?)
This current side is a collective of young lads, many of them home-grown, who have exceeded all expectations already. I thought we would challenge this summer and be in the top five around this stage, but then be reliant on results elsewhere to have any prospect of progress. A few people suggested I was overly-optimistic in my assertion, but I just had a feeling that we would do well in this format, just as I was less convinced by our one-day prospects.
Let's be clear about this. With two games to go, Derbyshire control their own destiny. If we keep on doing the things that have got us through the summer with only one defeat - that's ONE defeat - then in two weeks time we will be acclaiming this group of players as Wayne Madsen holds high the championship trophy at the County Ground.
Yes, we have frailties, but maybe here in Derbyshire we're all too willing to concentrate on them at the expense of the things we are good at. We all know that the batting of late has misfired like an old car started up after years under a tarpaulin, but three players, Wayne Madsen, Wes Durston and Daniel Redfern are within touching distance of the thousand run landmark.
We have several young players - Redfern and Tom Poynton in particular - who have made giant strides this summer. We also have the likes of Tom Knight, Alex Hughes and Peter Burgoyne knocking on the door for future seasons.
We have the best seam attack in the division, bar none. As a collective unit, I'd back Palladino, Groenewald, Clare and Turner against any other side.
We have a top-class spinner for the first time in years and the role of David Wainwright in our rise this summer cannot be overstated, nor the occasional support from Wes Durston. When was the last time that we took 50 wickets from spin in a championship season?
We have a captain who has overcome personal tragedy during the summer to lead the side with flair, the courage of his convictions and dignity. I couldn't see Wayne Madsen acting as Gareth Batty did the other day after the actions of Murali Kartik. Whether within the laws or not, it flouted the spirit of the game.
We have excellent facilities at the County Ground and we are no longer the poor relations of the county circuit.
We have an excellent team behind the scenes who repeatedly come up with innovative campaigns and initiatives to spread the word about the club to all ages.
We have an outstanding chairman whose unflagging attitude to work and positive persona has seen remarkable advances being made in a very short tenure.
Above all we have the best team spirit that I have seen in a Derbyshire side in 45 summers. That has been worth an extra few runs, an unexpected wicket and a remarkable catch in every game we have played this summer. From such a team spirit you win games that appear likely draws and hold on to save games that look like slipping away.
That team spirit has got this young side through five hard months of a pulsating season, one that has produced more excitement and talking points than perhaps the previous five put together. They now have eight days, twenty-four sessions and two matches to end it in the best possible fashion and become the fifth Derbyshire side in 140-plus years to lift silverware.
As incentives go, that's got to be up there...
A good assessment of the current position. As you say, everything is in the hands of Derbyshire but, as a Kent supporter, I can't help hoping that the nerves will have some effect!
ReplyDeleteThe forecast for Canterbury next week is very good and the wicket will either be slow and flat or slow and sticky depending upon whether the strip is at the top or bottom of the square. Either way, there's a fair chance it won't suit either the Derby or Kent seam attack which are probably the best in Division II (I would concede first place to Derby on this one occasion!).
I think it unlikely that we will see the same sort of thriller as the match at The Racecourse Ground and, if Derby win the toss, they can secure their pennant by batting for 2 days. Kent have no James Tredwell and might have been tempted to play two spinners with the weather looking OK and the pitch likely to wear as a result of having a full 4 days played on it for the first time this season.
Anyway, good luck to both sides and, if Kent cannot win the Championship, I would prefer Derby to do so above all others - but only for this season!
what we do not have and the main reason we are in the position we are, is Martin Guptil
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Anon, Guptill has been sorely missed in the second half of the summer.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you again Martin with your comments on the wicket, which are appreciated. I'll preview the game on Monday but I think the toss is crucial. The likelihood is that a fourth day track down there might turn and with Tredwell absent I think Wainwright and Durston could be vital to our chances.
We do need to bat well though and really need Khawaja to do what he did down there last summer. The overseas pro has to set the standard.
For what its worth, I'd quite like Kent to have gone up as Jimmy Adams has done a good job there after a difficult winter. Mind you, I hope it isn't at our expense...
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