Apologies...when I checked the table earlier, Cricinfo had our win added to it but had not added the points from it to our tally, leading me to suggest we were still some way adrift of Somerset and Surrey.
That's not the case. We have Middlesex to play at home, then massive games against Surrey and Somerset away, before finishing at the County Ground with games against Durham and Warwickshire.
With three home games you have three result pitches and we have to prepare wickets that offer us a chance of the points, while not falling foul of pitch inspectors.
I'll not suggest that we're going to escape relegation at this stage, as seven defeats this summer tells a tale of a fragile underbelly to this side on too many occasions for comfort.
Yet this win - and more, the manner in which it was achieved against a good side - suggests that our demotion need not be the foregone conclusion that it has appeared for the past few weeks. The manner in which the young players went out, playing without fear and with considerable pride, suggests that we could yet escape the end of season shake up.
The key? Keeping players fit, going out and playing purposeful cricket as we did last year and seeing what happens. We need continued good form from the skipper and for Shiv to reach his very best, at the same time as the youngsters go out and play their game.
I'd like to see Wes Durston get some form between times and swapping him in for Richard Johnson would be my only change for the next championship match. Unless Palladino, Clare and Turner regain form and/or fitness, Matt Higginbottom should also keep his place in a young side that bodes well for the future.
If the senior players produce the goods as they did here (take a bow, Timmy G) who knows?
Postscript - good to see Albie Morkel tweeting congratulations to Groenewald on his bowling today. With Martin Guptill also maintaining a close interest, the Derbyshire 'family' is alive and well.
Should stand them in good stead in the coming weeks.
I only hope Madsen stays with us as he's without a doubt the heartbeat of this side. I just worry that other counties will see just how good a player he is, and start showing serious interest in him. Madsen's head could well be turned in moving to a bigger county. What do you think Peakfan, possible or a total no go?.
ReplyDeleteI agree on your team selection Peakfan.
ReplyDeleteWith Hughes, Slater, Madsen and Shiv we have a top 4 that contains arguably our two best players, and two openers who have loads of potential and I think deserve to be playing on that basis.
Burgoyne and Slater have made a good start of things in the middle order and are very exciting players.
I just feel if one of Redfern, Durston or Johnson could hit some form and occupy the number 5 slot then we'd have a batting line up that looks not-bad, and certainly good enough for a promotion challenge in Div 2. Durston at least has form in the T20.
If we could get some or all of our pace bowlers fit then the end of season run-in might just be a little more exciting than we had been expecting.
Will answer that one for you tonight Mark!
ReplyDeleteDead right Oliver and Palladino should be fit for the next home match...
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting last week seeing the crowds reported in the Derby Telegraph for all our T20 games.
ReplyDeleteLet me say at the outset living in Matlock I have no bias towards Derby or Chesterfield.
I do though enjoy the cricket more at Chez as the bowl shape of the ground creates more atmosphere and you do feel a lot closer to the action.
The crowds do make interesting reading with Derby having 4800 for Notts and 3500 for Leicester. Chez got 4000 for Yorkies. Interestingly the Lancashire game live on Sky and dogged by terrible weather beforehand got 1400 and the Durham game at Chez which everyone was saying was a good crowd only got 200 more at 1600.
This leads me to think that there is a big misconception that the Chez crowds are always bigger than Derby. These figures show that there isn't with the Yorkshire crowd probably being half from the visitors anyway.
Derby is a much bigger ground with a lot of people watching from inside various buildings and until this year cars. BTW another ridiculous rule probably from ECB that cars are not allowed in sight of pitch any more.
Chez is great when the weather is good but hopeless when cold wet and windy with no cover available even for members. Also the catering apart from the oversized tent is poor.
I believe the days allocated to Chez are about right given the crowds above which could be even less if played more. Dont know if it's possible but could Buxton be used for Lancashire which would guarantee a huge crowd like in the past. This could be instead of Leek which has no local derby and on a glorious day only pulled in 1200 for Essex game.
What do you think?
Sounds like Palladino will be fit for Middlesex and I would give Footit a rest as he's played a lot of cricket.I will say it again ,we need to sort out this 2 keepers situation and Durston must now come back in for Johnson. TP has been given his chance and his keeping has been great. JF
ReplyDeletePaul totally agree about buxton, Derbyshire vs lanky in a 50 over match would bring a massive crowd, certainly think it something should into.
ReplyDeleteFirstly let me say i love going to watch derbyshire at outgrounds, But to be honest two games two sundays in a row at chesterfield are too many it would of be better to play one T20 one 40 over game and one championship game with two being part of the festival and the third some time later. I think a lot of southern members will drive up for the first game but the second week they think twice about it, Hence lower crowds (plus the fact the first sunday was full of Yorkies). I also think it was a mistake having both sunday T20 games at chesterfield, It makes it difficult for younger fans to attend a T20 game(who the format is supposed to attract into cricket), as all the T20 games in derby finish too late for a lot of younger kids (i realise that from next season playing them all on a friday night there will have the same problem). personaly id like to see one game of each format played at chesterfield each year, plus one other outground (Leek, Buxton, Ilkeston) play a championship and 40 over game back to back
ReplyDelete