Not the best of starts to the weekend, with Derbyshire's defeat last night being followed by the Rams going down unluckily at Wembley today. Still, that's sport for you and there's no point crying over either of them. Both sides need to pick themselves up, dust themselves down and start all over again. Bit like the old song says, really...
Derbyshire get the first chance to do that with a game at the County Ground tomorrow against a Gloucestershire side that is perhaps more than the sum of its parts. You don't look at their team sheet and think them especially dangerous, but they have produced some good displays this summer and will take a little stopping.
We need a win or an individual performance to lift the mood. Pre-season I was optimistic and felt that we could challenge for a promotion slot in the four-day game. I also felt, like Graeme Welch, that we had a better chance of success in the one-day matches, but there has been what a number of supporters - myself among them - feel is tactical naivety so far. Unless there's a reconsideration of the short-form methodology sometime soon, it promises to be a long and not entirely pleasant season. More on that later in the week.
Anyway, back to the four-day game and there's likely to be a similar team to the one that faced Kent recently. Mark Turner is back in the squad, but my guess at this stage is that unless the wicket is especially green he will be twelfth man, leaving the following side:
Borrington
Moore
Madsen
North
Elstone
Hughes (A)
Cross
Wainwright
Palladino
Groenewald
Footitt
As for the visitors, they have the in-form Will Gidman as a bowling danger man, while their batting line-up always seems to find someone to hold the innings together. Hamish Marshall has had a good summer so far, while Michael Klinger is due some runs and is a good overseas player.
Can we win? Of course.
Will we? I think I'll reserve judgement on that one...
Gutted for Derby today and a total travesty that QPR won, with one shot on target all game. Cruel game at times is football. That Derbyshire side looks so poor Peakfan, and I really do think we're now destined for the bottom half of the table. There really is very little quality in the side.
ReplyDeleteTwo bitter pills to swallow in two days.I feel like a drug addict.
ReplyDeleteI wasn,t expecting many changes for tomorrow,so the final place would rest on Wainwright or Turner. The weather for the first two days looks reasonable enough.
It is imperitive we keep ourselves firmly in the game,either by bowling Gloucestershire out for under 300,or preferably scoring that sort of total ourselves and being in a position to apply some genuine pressure on the visitors.
This is an important game for us and if it ends in another defeat,then in terms of achieving anything tangible,even the most optimistic will have little choice but to re appraise their expectations.
I disagree with mark, who says it looks a poor side. There is talent in it, but we need a partnership , a long partnership to ignite the season and give the whole side a lift. For that reason I hope we bat first and post a total. Peakfan is right, we must move on afresh and go for it - sensibly but positively from the start and hope we get a break or two because I do think we have had some rough luck so far , with the weather and other very unfortunate issues.
ReplyDeleteHow on earth have Notts managed a full mornings play, whilst we haven't even started. Surely the weather can't be that much different between the two counties?
ReplyDeleteI don't think it a poor side either Shaun. There's plenty of talent but they're not playing to potential and various factors coming into play haven't helped us.
ReplyDeleteMark - Trent Bridge is a Test ground with massive investment in drainage. Remember the 10-over game there last year? They'd never have got on at Derby. Weather conditions can vary within a few miles too. I recall getting soaked at Chesterfield once and it was dry five miles outside the town!