What a magnificent innings from Chesney Hughes today! An unbeaten 171 gave us our first genuine excitement on the batting front this summer and the big Anguillan showed remarkable powers of concentration, the likes of which we haven't seen since he first burst on to the scene a few summers back.
"He hits the ball as hard as anyone on the circuit" said Andrew Gale, "but I haven't seen him play with that discipline before. Karl Krikken attributed it to both Dave Houghton and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, though one has to give credit to a player who has battled his way back from what appeared a crisis of confidence. Last summer he was barely recognisable, but pre-season some technical adjustments seemed to have helped him rediscover his mojo.
Failures at Lords were a setback, but Hughes dropped into the second team and responded with runs, which is all any player can do. I hope we see the same from Ross Whiteley, a very good cricketer who hasn't got going yet. He is too good a player for this to be a permanent, or even long-lasting issue and I'm sure it won't be long before we see him back in the side.
It was a good day for Krikk. Elevating Chesney to opener paid off handsomely, while the return of Wayne Madsen to the middle order saw him make an admirable 93. There are few more worthy cricketers than the Derbyshire captain, a player who offers total commitment whether he is in or out of form. He fell short of fifty against Nottinghamshire and just short of a deserved century today, but it is good to see the skipper back in the runs.
I hope we see him stay in the middle order. As anyone who has played regular cricket will tell you, there is a substantially different mindset between opening and batting three. Even if an opener goes quickly, going in first wicket down feels different. If you're not convinced, think about the likes of Bradman, Kallis, Richards, Worrell and many more. You didn't see them open many times, did you?
Our middle order looked more substantial today, even though it was a somewhat lopsided innings. Two players score 264 runs between them and three others contribute a total of nine, one of them our overseas star. Mind you, Shivnarine could be excused as he'd probably seized up, waiting 68 overs with his pads on. Durston is another player struggling for his best form and fell before the close, but Dan Redfern seems to be getting to grips with this level and accompanied Hughes to the close. Those two players, 23 and 22 respectively, offer massive potential for our future.
There is a lot of work still to do, of course. I'd like to see us make 450 minimum, then the work of bowling out a lengthy batting side begins. We may or may not win this game by Thursday evening, but we have already gone some way towards restoring self-respect and boosting confidence.
There are some good comments below yesterday's post and notoveryet makes some especially pertinent points. Whatever happens this summer, good or bad, this is a young team and they WILL come again. If it transpires that relegation and another summer in the second tier are needed before they reach maturity, then so be it. Let's think about that in due course though and celebrate a very good day today.
It's a funny old game. As notoveryet also points out, James Taylor struggled last year, having been a stand out at Leicestershire. Likewise, Jack Brooks and Liam Plunkett presumably cost Yorkshire serious money in the close season and they're not yet pulling up trees.
Here's hoping they don't tomorrow. Onwards and upwards lads...onwards and upwards.
Not far short of spot on Peakfan.the only regret I have today was not seeing it. I will be there tomorrow though.
ReplyDeleteWhere to start. Well, a superb partnership between Madsen and Hughes,both of whom showed tremendous application and nerve and i,m delighted for both of them. I think sometimes myself and others may come over as a little negative and critical. If that,s the case it,s only because I want to see Derbyshire succeed.
Today was a good day. On second thoughts,make that a very good day. I am pleased for Madsen. It,s never easy being a skipper and even harder when your own form is under the spotlight. Hughes showed exactly what he is capable of,which I have been saying for long enough. He may not be the finished article but boy oh boy,he sure as hell has talent.
I hope this game finally puts to rest all this nonsense about batting first. Get your runs on the board and the match is there to be won. We did it today and there is no reason we can,t do it in every game.
At the moment we are in pole position and another hundred runs tomorrow would be very handy indeed. I realise i,m probably nit picking a bit here,but i,m not sure it was a great idea to send Chanderpaul in after sitting 70 overs waiting to bat. Better to send someone in who hasn,t had to endure such a long period of mental pressure thinking he,s going to be in next ball. The mental pressure of having to wait so long can be as bad as being out in the middle.
I hope,and I do genuinely mean this,that we haven,t missed a bit of a trick by not playing Footitt. I would have played him in front of Wainwright,but if Krikken has called it right then I will be the first to hold my hands up. it doesn,t sound as if it,s a spinners track,but we shall wait and see.
I,m really pleased with how today has panned out and it gives us a real chance of winning this game. there is still much work to do but a great start,which now needs to be built on.
Anyone concerned about Durston's poor form so far this season?. I pinpointed him and Godleman as the ones who will probably struggle to get the runs this season. Early impressions don't seem to be that far off. Would love to see Chesney make his double hundred this morning, that would be special.
ReplyDeleteI thought last season that our batting problems started the moment Guptill's stint was over. He gave the the team a glow of confidence from his skillful aattacking approach, rather in the mould of Rogers and Di Venuto.
ReplyDeleteAfter he'd gone, we never got the same initial impetus and the innings used to wither on the vine.
If Chesney can come up with some more of these innings, we may have solved a major problem. I never thought Billy G was really the right signing (nothing against the bloke)in as much as he bats in the same mould as Borrington and the innings gets bogged down. We needed someone to get the innings off to a flier and, dare I say it, our money may (I say may) have been beter spent on a really top class opener than Shiv.
I'll just go and put my tin hat on...
ChrisH
Well done Chesney lad, well done. 208 not out as I post. Brilliant effort.
ReplyDelete270 not out, new record for Derbyshire Peakfan?
ReplyDeleteNo Mark. Second best - see tonight's blog.
ReplyDeleteChris - but which top class opener was available...and better than the world number 2?