Friday 26 January 2018

Milnes turn to leave Derbyshire

Following on from the recent release of Tom Taylor, who next day was announced as Leicestershire's new signing, comes the news that Tom Milnes has left the county by mutual consent.

As was the case with Taylor, I am a little disappointed that a player of talent fully failed to register it in Derbyshire colours, because there's no doubt that Milnes can play. He is a lively bowler, capable of bowling some really good, wicket-taking balls, and is a batsman who suggested that he could, in time, become more than just a cheerful tail end clumper. Indeed, I shall always remember, as I sat talking to him in his office ahead of my last book, Graeme Welch saying that he saw himself as a young man in Tom's style of play.

The problem has been, with bowling his stronger suit, that he mixed up those wicket-taking balls with too many that were poor. His economy rate wasn't good and as we all know, a batsman who can rely on a four-ball or two an over will get settled pretty quickly.

As with Taylor, the timing is unusual, the expectation being that he would see out the final year of his deal at this stage of the winter. Yet the club has been honest with him and he would have got little senior cricket this summer. How could he, with Rampaul and Viljoen in there, as well as Palladino, Davis and Cotton ahead of him?

I wish him well for the future, wherever it takes him.

The departure, for me, suggests that plans for the overseas seamer who can bat are well advanced and hopeful, as they would look mighty silly if they end up with two or three injuries and a couple of teenagers from the academy getting early elevation.

Yet those same boys will now get regular second team cricket, which they should do. And if they handle that, we might well see them getting senior opportunity earlier than would otherwise be the case.

If that overseas bowler is, as was suggested last weekend in the media, Vernon Philander, then my viewing of him in the current Test match at Johannesburg was encouraging. He bowls a terrific line and his control is superb, conceding only one run in his first eight overs on the first morning. If we can get him in and, with the other senior professionals, he can teach young bowlers his secrets, it will be money well spent.

Having said that, the rest of a keen attack produced some poor bowling today on a pitch offering irregular bounce and extravagant movement. Morkel, Rabada and Ngidi will all look back on a day when they started banging it in short, rather than putting it on a length and letting the wicket do the rest. In doing so, they let the Indian batsmen rule out the worry of front foot play and the one that flew, simply rocking back and pulling or cutting.

Unless they bowl equally badly, India should win tomorrow.

11 comments:

  1. Good luck to the lad but for me I was expecting this news at the end of last season. If I remember rightly we announced he was staying for another season so makes me question the decision making process.

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  2. I am not so sure Mark. It may well be timed with contractual 'end' dates, or perhaps a sign of moving goalposts.

    If we are close to sealing the player we wanted, or the type of player, then Tom would understand that an extra year was going to do his career no good if it was to be in 2nd team cricket.

    I can only assume that they are sufficiently impressed with the next line of seamers coming through that they are prepared to clear a pathway through for them. They need to play a better level than academy cricket but wouldnt get second team games with Milnes and Taylor sharing a new ball.

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  3. Not surprised at all Peakfan.
    We are all aware of the lad's failings, so I wish him well wherever he ends up, but, as usual, not if he ends up playing against us.

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  4. Cotton to go next, watch this space.

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  5. Simply supersonic28 January 2018 at 10:39

    Can’t believe what is happening with the bowlers. We will be left with hardus with poor injury record, Rampaul 35 +, palladino 37 and Davis who can’t stay fit for more than 2 games at a time . Could be a heavy burden on Cotton.
    Feel sorry for the lads as they have had no red ball coaching since Welch left . Palladino’s only aim is to keep himself in the team. I can’t help but think we are going in the wrong direction, the academy has produced some real potential, but we have cast them aside. Overseas signing needs to be very special

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  6. Nice to see a new name and thanks for getting involved, but for accuracy Rampaul is 33, Dino 35 and until last year Viljoen had been robust for several seasons.
    Take your point on Davis, who has to prove he is not a modern era Alan Ward, but you can't make such a comment on Tony, whose dual role will see him as a horses for courses man.
    I take your point on those released, but I think we must trust the judgement of those in charge. Maybe there were no winter signs of progress from them, but more from the young lads in the Academy.
    We will see, but again, in agreement that our overseas has to deliver for us.

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    Replies
    1. Tim, Chesterfield3 February 2018 at 08:07

      I'm not sure we should 'trust the judgement of those in charge'. I'd suggest it's a pretty poor motto for life and an even worse one where Derbyshire cricket is concerned!

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    2. Yes, but they know the plan here, Mark.And put it this way...if we had three main seamers out injured, do you think bowling teams out in 4 day cricket would be better served by one of them, or by getting someone on loan from Surrey, or Notts, or wherever?

      Much as I liked the lads, and the fact they were ours, can we afford to pay them decent money to play in the 2s all summer?

      Thats all they would be doing...

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  7. With the same bowlers you could also spin it that none of them have bowled for a full English season in the last couple of years!
    Assuming that the promised overseas pace bowler arrives, then I am Ok with our approach to the first half of the season. However I am not sure about the second half of the season. My recollection is that it our overseas plan is for a spinner who can bat a bit. With no overseas pace bowler & injuries more likely in the second half of the season we could be stretched on the pace front. If this happens then it would be unfortunate if it derailed a promotion challenge.

    Mark B

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  8. Absolutely, Mark. But do we think Taylor, Cork and Milnes, based on what we know so far, would have bowled sides out anyway? Based on last year all had a lot of work to do to get to that stage and I am not convinced you can spend money on 'just in case' players.

    Besides, if things turned bad, the loan market will be there again and could be utilised.

    My concern, as I have written before, is the dearth of REAL quality spin around the globe and I can only think of a couple of genuine options.

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  9. Great shout on Cotton, Bob. Left today, what's going on?.

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