Wednesday 13 April 2016

Game ends in predictable draw

While affording the players valuable match practice over the past three days, the friendly against Durham MCCU petered out into a draw today, something that was always likely after the second day was largely wiped out by rain.

It will be remembered by the batsmen as being a good opportunity to find form, which most took, while the bowlers had a curate's egg kind of day today. Tony Palladino did what he always does, ran up, bowled tight and took wickets, while Shiv Thakor again showed himself to be a man with a golden arm.

The others were less convincing. Ben Cotton has proven himself as a bowler who can keep things tight in all forms of the game, but now needs to show he can take wickets. Having said that, the coach will doubtless be more pleased with his performance than that of Tom Milnes and Tom Taylor, both of who bowled too many loose balls for their and the team's good.

Unless the promised loan bowler makes an appearance between times, my guess is that Cotton has played himself into the seam attack for Bristol, alongside Palladino and Andy Carter. If you are not taking wickets in any side, it is important that you build pressure on the batsmen from which the other bowlers will profit. It was something that Gladwin and Jackson did so well, on the rare days they didn't take wickets, which enabled the change seamers to come into their own as batsmen tried to get runs on the board.

More from me later in the week, but for now a quick word on James Taylor, who has sadly had to retire from the game with a serious heart condition. Taylor always looked like a man most likely to succeed from his early days at Leicestershire and little changed. He was a busy, compact, skilled batsman whose RLODC century against us a Trent Bridge a couple of summers ago effectively put us out of the competition.

I am sure that he will make a success of his second career, inside or outside the game and, for all the comments passed on him, it is worth remembering that his career has ended but his life has been saved. In the many columns of text I have read there has been scant recognition for the medical people and the prompt and excellent attention that picked up the problem quickly.

Tragic as it is for the play, his family, friends and club, it would have been far worse had he suffered a similar fate to Fabrice Muamba and passed out on the pitch, which might otherwise have happened.

Like anyone and everyone I wish a highly talented player well for the future and first the major surgery he faces later this week. With the assistance of friends and family he will rebuild his life and career.

We should all be very thankful for that.

4 comments:

  1. hi peakfan - not sure we learnt much - batting looks ok - bowling some way off and cant see us bowling too many sides out - thats where we need to beef up the side

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  2. Not the most encouraging start especially with the bowling, and a few of us have already highlighted this area as a weak spot. We will score runs, plenty of them but whether we can bowl sides out twice is a different matter altogether. Palladino apart, which other bowler is going to take a lot of wickets?

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  3. Carter Mark. He and Dino need luck with fitness like any bowler but both are capable of 50 wickets..as for the others someone needs to step up to the plate. Simple as that!

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  4. As Derbyshire fan try to read into university games are pointless. I think the effort level will be very different at Bristol as league points at stake. The batting is exciting and in my opinion stronger now than when promoted. I Personally would go for a Ruderford and Slater combination. We have to patient with Broom we can't expect him to instantly adapt to different wickets. To be fair vasty majority supporters are patient. I think Derbyshire aware their light in Bowling and hint loan move would be good idea. I also think there unrealistic expectation on Carter. He may need to play a few matches and be rested I think maybe a good idea like with Paladino not play him in all formats and stick to County Championship. Lots of games increase chance of injury with hamstrings getting tighter and stiff lower backs. Last year thought Cork and Cotton developed into good one day bowlers combination with bowling and hopefully they take workload off Palidino and Carter in one day format. I think be very naive of Derbyshire to play Carter in all formats as thats potentially lot of games. I'm sure this will be monitored carefully by Jamie pipe a fantastic Physio and experience of the game.

    Gary

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