Thoughts on the Johnson signing

I think that one has to make a few assumptions when considering the merits of signing Richard Johnson from Warwickshire.

Let me be clear from the outset that I rate Johnson very highly. He is a very good wicket-keeper and, when I saw him in Derbyshire colours in the CB40 against Sussex this summer, he pulled off one of the more remarkable stumpings I have seen. The ball, jammed down by the advancing batsman, bounced high above his head, which he grabbed and was still quick enough to remove the bails before the batsman got back to his crease. It was a brilliant piece of work which backs up general consensus that he is one of the better young wicket-keepers in the game.

However, Tom Poynton did little wrong in 2012, solid, at times spectacular with the gloves and improving remarkably with the bat. So much so that he was perhaps our most consistent performer in the last four games and certainly not worthy of being demoted to second choice.

By the same token, it is unlikely that Johnson would swap being reserve at division one champions Warwickshire for being the same with division two champions Derbyshire. The former are a side who pay well and I would assume that Derbyshire had to match his Edgbaston salary to lure him to the County Ground.

So my suggestion to you would be that Johnson is coming in because David Houghton and Karl Krikken have seen in him a batting technique that will see him play as a specialist batsman and as backup to Poynton with the gloves. I totally accept that Johnson's career batting average may not lend credence to this view, but for me it is the way that the deal makes best sense. He has good footwork and a strong technique and my feeling is that he is seen as a potential opening bat. Maybe opportunity is what he needs to flower. After all, James Pipe suggested little as a batsman at Worcestershire when batting at nine or ten, but came on in leaps and bounds when batted at seven in Derbyshire colours.

Yes, I accept that this is a leap of faith to some extent, but I'd suggest that we give Karl Krikken and David Houghton the benefit of any doubt here. There can be little doubt, after all, that they know cricket and cricketers and can judge potential and the requisite skillsets better than we laymen. The other inference in the signing, of course, is that Chris Durham is not, at this stage, seen as a potential first-class wicket-keeper. His time may yet come, but he appears likely to have to hone his skills in the Seconds and in the Derbyshire Premier League in the immediate future.

Finally tonight, I am increasingly of the opinion, donning a deerstalker once again, that we will hear sooner, rather than later, about next summer's overseas player. Again, my rationale is simple. Derbyshire need a top player, ideally one who is available for a full summer or most of it and who can become assimilated into the dressing room. Australia and New Zealand are touring here next year, Indians and Pakistanis don't want or need to come and the best South Africans don't need it with the IPL. While we could wait to see who doesn't make the South African ICC Trophy squad, I don't feel that is ideal preparation for an important summer.

My guess is that we will see an overseas announcement inside the next fortnight, another very important piece of the jigsaw.

Keep your eyes peeled, folks.