Derbyshire haven't got a very good record in twenty-over cricket against Lancashire...
So read a preview I saw online today. No kidding, but then again we haven't got a very good record against anyone in this format...
We need to put it right. There's a good bunch of players at this club and it's time that they went out and proved it. While there's been a tough old start to the summer for well-documented reasons, we have a chance to start what is potentially a great weekend for old Peakfan with a bang.
After this game tomorrow, there's the big match at Wembley on Saturday, a night out with friends in the evening and then my first forty-over game since Gandhi was a lad on Sunday. The latter answers a player crisis of monumental proportions at my club, where we currently only have nine players for our match. If the two lads that Graeme Welch leaves out tomorrow fancy a hit, they're welcome to drop me a message...
Back to that game and the squad is pretty much as I expected, with a likely final choice between Jon Clare and Alex Hughes for one place, while Tony Palladino and Mark Footitt compete for the other - again, in my book. That would leave my side as follows:
Moore
Hughes (C)
North
Durston
Elstone
Madsen
Cross
Hughes (A)
Knight
Palladino
Groenewald
That's eight bowlers and as long a batting line-up as you could wish for. There's also some quicker legs in the field and we can afford to give the openers their head in the first six overs. There's also an argument for sending in Tom Knight as a genuine pinch-hitter at the top, someone who would either clatter quick runs or get out, but it's a good-looking side and I don't think we could field a stronger one in this format.
Yes, there's five spinners, but they're different enough to bowl two or three overs each and keep the opposition guessing. If we're playing this game properly, at least four of them should be bowling
As for that opposition, Lancashire are a team without real stars, if one ignores Pakistan bowler Junaid Khan. There's no Ashwell Prince, James Anderson or Jos Buttler, but plenty of home-grown talent who we will underestimate at our peril. Kabir Ali is still a good new ball bowler, but we should be looking to win this game.
Their squad:
Paul Horton (capt), Andrea Agathangelou, Karl Brown, Jordan Clark,
Steven Croft, Alex Davies (wk), Junaid Khan, Arron Lilley, Kabir Ali,
Stephen Parry, Luis Reece, Tom Smith, Wayne White.
My forecast? I'll go for a welcome first win. That's if we don't make the same mistakes that littered the first, eminently winnable game last week.
And you?
For me there is no room for Footitt and I would only consider Clare as a batsman,but we have enough already. I would be inclined to put Knight ahead of Cross as a man in form. There is even an argument he should bat higher but I doubt that will happen.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how Madsen handles his bowlers,hopefully much differently to the previous game. Mistakes happen but it,s the lessons learnt from them that really count and tomorrow we will see if we have. If we lose this match we already have our backs to the wall. A victory would do much to erase the memory of the Leicestershire disaster and give us a timely boost. All we need is the weather to allow it to happen.
I'll go for a comfortable victory tonight Peakfan. Lancs aren't all that really. Are you heading to Wembley on Saturday Peakfan?. Good luck to the rams, and would be a local game for me next season following Manchester City.
ReplyDeleteWe don't learn from our mistakes do we? A near re-run of the first game in many ways. Time for Chesney to be bid farewell as far as I'm concerned. There are signs that it is going to happen for him in any form of the game.
ReplyDeleteVery poor use of the power-play whilst batting which is a recurring theme almost since the advent of this darned game. Why do we think 40-1 or so is better than 70/3 from 6? It ain't.
Can't argue Tim - and won't, especially with the length of the batting lineup.
ReplyDeleteNot going to Wembley Mark - only a couple of days ago I thought I was going to have to work it!