Few clues in the T20 warm-ups

There's been an encouraging couple of days for Derbyshire in the T20 warm-ups, though few clues as to what Graeme Welch sees as his strongest eleven.

There's been an experienced batting line-up paired with youngsters in one match, then a youthful batting side with experienced bowlers in the next. Then a couple of composite sides, albeit heavier in bowlers than batsmen. At the end of it all, we had three wins out of four, which we'd take when the serious stuff starts.

Of course, we don't know the standard of the opposition and given that Durham and Lancashire's first teams are both playing at present, it's safe to say that it wasn't the best that those counties had to offer. Still, you can only beat what's in front of you and another in the 'wins' column does the confidence no harm whatsoever.

I genuinely don't think I could call a first choice T20 side as there's 18-20 players who all have justifiable claims for a place in the side. Assuming all were fit and available, I think you'd say that Moore, Madsen, Chanderpaul, Durston, Chesney Hughes, North, Groenewald and a wicket-keeper were certainties.

That's eight players, all of them capable of runs and four of them  - five if you include Madsen - who can bowl.

Pick three from Elstone, Clare, Palladino, Turner, Footitt, Alex Hughes, Wainwright, Knight and Godleman, assuming you discount (perhaps wrongly) the claims of Slater (who top scored in one game today) and Borrington, who is in prime form. Who knows, one of the youngsters may have impressed sufficiently to force their way into plans.

Tough, huh?

I'd love to see your first choice side before the Lancashire game, then I'll let you know mine. We're obviously basing them on an assumption (not necessarily correct) that all of them are fit, while any team selection is based on the wicket concerned.

One interesting name in the second team of late is Gareth Cross, formerly of Lancashire. He's a very good wicket-keeper and able batsman, though he is registered with Minor Counties side Cheshire. My understanding is that this would render him ineligible for county championship cricket, but he could play T20 if required. Such a move would depend on the fitness of Richard Johnson and the terms of the loan for Dan Hodgson, of course, but a good wicket-keeper can be the difference between winning and losing in T20. I think it unlikely that Tom Poynton would be fit for at least the early stages of the competition and even more so that MS Dhoni might pop over for a few games ahead of the Indian summer tour...

Graeme Welch will be keen to ensure that he has this key role covered for the duration of this summer's domestic event and we'll doubtless know more in due course.

Finally tonight,  congratulations to Wayne Madsen for a new world record of 282 cricket ball 'keepy-uppies' with a bat in one minute.

I watched the footage tonight on the club's Twitter account and was quite envious. He gets more in the middle of the bat in one minute than I may well manage all summer  - if our ground ever dries out enough to allow play...