Wednesday 25 April 2018

Guest post - from Rob Enderby

After reading Keith's comments on the last blog post, I feel a strong urge to write and offer some support / thoughts.  I normally keep these thoughts to myself but on occasion I can't help myself. 

The comment from Keith is both unnecessary and crass.  For those of us in full time employment and not living remotely near HQ, Peakfan's blog is a regular read and the place to go to find rational comment on the clubs fortunes.  I understand how difficult it is after I guested during his wife's illness last year ( I trust she is on the mend?) So if nothing else, thank you for what is informed and well thought out comment.

It serves to show how differently we view things. I am literally running around Southend with my shirt over my head. My own spouse and others are bored to tears with my mentioning it and at approx 1710hrs on Monday 23rd April, it was noticed that I was either fitting or jigging about in my car while stopped at traffic lights!

A terrific win over four full days, no behind the scenes contrived result, having been put into bat first.  This is fantastic and should rightly be acknowledged as so.  For Keith to talk about injuries and half the team missing does this result a massive injustice and quite frankly is insulting to the team.  I would hate to see this guy when DCCC lose.

In any case he should perhaps keep his negative comments to himself.  That he then contradicts himself by saying that we should roll over a weak Leicestershire side this weekend again does neither him nor the side any favours.  We are not suddenly the cricketing Brazil and any team we beat this year will be hard fought, with full concentration required.  

Which leads me on to my main point.  Both Keith and several so call expert journalists have failed to pick up what I consider a pertinent point.  After this terrific win it was mentioned that Middlesex were resting their England players and others were injured.  Their implied point being that they were much weaker for that.  Well if you look at it my way, so were Derbyshire, but differently.  

Both Mark Footitt, and Tim Groenewald were signed as fringe players turned into excellent bowlers and both, as others, were lured away by 'bigger' counties with expectations of trophies and more money.  As a result, we are continually having to shop around, Even if you do not follow or agree with my point, it is clear that we are not playing on a level playing field.  So one could reasonably argue that our attack was weakened as a result.  This does not happen to Middlesex or Notts or Lancashire and so to feel sorry for them that they are missing their England internationals is not easy.

This point follows on from journalists saying our hard earned handout from the ECB is being spent badly on players who they call mercenaries, or who are not qualified or ever going to play for England.  Well we wouldn't have to if the bigger clubs were not continually sniffing about.  To then carry on by suggesting that Derbyshire and others should be disbanded is again missing the point.  Footitt was languishing in Nottinghamshire seconds, Groenewald similar at Warwickshire. If they were only eight clubs, the above two players would not get a look in and would be lost to the game.  Younger players would not get a chance and there would be no progression.  That this point point is missed continually surprises me.

If Leicestershire were not a professional county, how would Broad, Taylor and Gurney have got opportunities? Repeat that, ad infinitum, around the shires. 

In summary: a fantastic blog, a fantastic win and we should all revel in this. If I'm ranting as much as Keith I most certainly don't mean to be. It's just that continual Derbyshire bashing irritates me!

Up the shire 

A very excitable Rob Enderby, Essex.

7 comments:

  1. Thanks Rob. You make some very good points here and I am grateful for your kind words, and for your thoughts.

    My wife is coming on very well, thank you, and her overall health is getting back to where we and the experts want it to be. We will always be grateful for their skill and high standard of care.

    I am always happy to use a guest post and, as I said before, have no issue with criticism if it is justified, constructive and not personal.

    And one more time to clarify...this blog is COMPLETELY independent of Derbyshire County Cricket Club. It always has been and always will be, until I decide I have had enough.

    Anyone who knows me knows that I am my own man and will always be honest, though tactful when that is required. That I agree with much that goes on at the club now shows how much more in tune they are with my own thoughts.

    'Twas not always so. Might not always be so...but what you read, unless noted otherwise, will always be my opinion.



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  2. It's a fact that this is an excellent blog, patently written by a proper cricket man.
    Great blog, always fair-minded, interesting and informative; a gift to the game.
    You might not agree with all opinions but that is life. This blog backs Derbyshire CCC and people in general. Keep persevering with that attitude Steve because that's how things work keeping it in life.

    On that point, Matthew Critchley will play for England.

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  3. 'A fantastic blog, a fantastic win and we should all revel in this'. Completely agree with Mr Rob Enderby's comments above Peakfan! Already looking forward to the next fixture and your always excellent analysis. Keep up the great work Peakfan! All the best, James

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  4. Fair piece, but not about players leaving for bigger clubs/understrenght teams - Gronewald isn't England qualified and no where near England quality,and we are paying big money to our kolpaks. Middsx were missing over half a team (only 1 being rested for england duties) and effectively down to 8 men in the 2nd innings. Using Leics as an analogy of player development is counterproductive. you can rpeat it around the shires, but not for some clubs, us included. It simply highlights the lack of players we have produced for england or the lions, and id hazard its the likes of us, gloucs and northants who would be most vulnerable to those trying to get rid of counties.

    Keith

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  5. Yes but Timmy G and Footitt were our best bowlers at the time and left for more money. I think that is Rob's point.

    As for them being down to eight men, two of the injured guys made good scores, so not exactly crippled and neither used a runner.

    Agree on history of academy players but that is why Critchley, Qadri, Davis and others are so important. Things are changing for the better and Mal Loye is doing sterling work with them.

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  6. Also I didn't hear teams or their supporters after they had beaten us last season when viljoen was out injured saying " well yes but things might have been different if viljoen had played" Ask Sussex!!

    I said before this last game our bowling looks strong our batting less so. I don't think anyone is getting carried away or disagrees that it was a good time to play Middlesex but the fact is we outplayed them.
    Actually, to be honest i can't see us losing a game now all season ��

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  7. Some are glass half full, some are glass half empty and some are glass broken.

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