Thoughts on a Belper sojourn

I like watching second team cricket.

There's a relaxed air to the proceedings and no need for stewards, though the cricket itself is competitive, the appeals vociferous and the talent patently obvious. Belper Meadows is a lovely ground, the crops in the neighbouring field giving a rustic, rural feel, reinforced by the pavilion boundary running a pronounced uphill. How many catches have been misjudged on that incline over the years?

It was a good game for a Derbyshire fan. James Kettleborough led the team with a quiet authority and the opening attack of Charlie Hartley and Will Davis was a potent one. Davis looked to be bowling more within himself, still lively, but not the express pace of the past two truncated summers. Hartley looked quicker and a talent. I could see why some Kent supporters were surprised at his release last season and why he has been taking plenty of wickets this summer. His run up and action were smooth and impressive, the end products even more so.

The change bowling of Sam Conners and James Taylor was more sedentary in pace, but both bowled well, accurately and with success. I have heard good things about both and their youth allows them a few years of growing and development time. It is good to see both at that level in their teenage years and augurs well. Equally so the selection of Anoop Chima of the county under-FIFTEENS as keeper. He was most impressive, the age being largely irrelevant. He held good catches, showed good hands throughout and must have enjoyed the supportive words of Daryn Smit at second slip.

It was good to see Smit make a typically compact and stylish century when it was our turn to bat. He has an average akin to Bradman at second team level and rarely looked like getting out, batting at five. Maybe, as he did latterly in South Africa, batting higher might be beneficial in first team cricket and offer a different mindset. Certainly he scored heavily at three in South Africa and the technique is there. With Aneurin Donald of Glamorgan he looked on a different level to some very good batsmen, though I would have loved to see more of Anuj Dal, who played some delightful shots before being dismissed.

It was good to see Chesney Hughes batting well, tested out with a number of yorkers that the big back lift came down on in time. He looked in good shape, was moving well, hitting the ball cleanly and I enjoyed a few words with the genial Anguillan in a break in play. Tom Wood also looked in decent shape and played an excellent first innings knock before a most unfortunate dismissal.

What perhaps most enthused me was Matt McKiernan, a leg spinner who gets genuine turn and looked a decent cricketer. A couple of times he went for six as the batsmen tried to get after him, but he came back well and deceived the talented Donald after being hit a couple of times, bowling a very good batsman. He also held a very sharp caught and bowled and is one to watch, I think.

Around the ground the chat was about the forthcoming T20 and who was going to be our second overseas player. My understanding is that Duanne Olivier has to go home, so it won't be him, but the county has to identify and bring over a player pretty soon, if they have not already done the former. To focus minds, the competition starts two weeks tonight.

All players need time to acclimatise to conditions, stretch their muscles and get the air miles out of their legs. That is especially so if we are going with John Wright's stated preference of a bowler. The embarrassment of bringing someone over late, who then pulled a muscle after inadequate preparation is too awful to contemplate.

Though not, I have to say, as awful as our not having a second overseas player, for whatever reason. I know that we were desperately unlucky in losing the services of Mitchell Santner and, after a hefty delay since his name was mentioned in the media, one assumes we haven't got Yasir Shah either. He would have been a gamble anyway, but with so many competing attractions for their services, overseas players of talent are not easily available.

Yet we need one. Have to have one. One who brings something different to the table than our existing personnel. Having gone out earlier in the year and said that T20 is our focus, to go into it with only one overseas player would be a huge faux pas. Having replaced Imran Tahir with the differently skilled but equally talented Wahab Riaz, we now need to find our Matt Henry for 2018. There may be a few titters around the shire at that one, but he's done Kent well this year and there will be bowlers out there who could do us a fine job. I have confidence that the collective nous of Messrs Barnett and Wright will come up with the goods and hope that confidence is proven correct.

I know that we aren't especially flush for cash, but the forthcoming Little Mix concert (see how hip I am?) should be an earner for them and produce the funds for a player to throw into the...er...little mix.

If not, supporters will rightly question why we are effectively starting a lengthy three-legged race with only two legs, while standing ten yards behind the others on the starting line.

Like you, I hope for news soon.

It had better be of the good variety...