Final thoughts on the Nottinghamshire game

It is nice to be back after the weekend sporting social media blackout that I felt it important to support.

I can be quite outspoken on Twitter about 'nonsense' and this has seen me block a good few Derby County supporters. When your only contribution to intelligent discussion, which Twitter can be at its best, is to type 'FFS' when a goal is conceded or 'Sack X' after a defeat, I don't want you on my timeline. Others are far worse and the personal abuse for which I have zero tolerance is rife.

Cricket isn't so bad, but I have seen comments that went too far and received a couple myself. So it was important to make a stand. 

It meant I wasn't able to comment on the heavy defeat to Nottinghamshire, a game from which few emerged with credit. Fynn Hudson-Prentice was best bowler in both innings by a country mile, Ben Aitchison bowled well in the first innings and made a lively maiden fifty in the second, but that's about it.

Of course, we have played four matches now with nary a sign of an overseas player, which hasn't helped. Nor did Nottinghamshire having the services of England legend Stuart Broad. But they outplayed and outclassed us here, which hurts as much to write as to say.

We bowled them out twice again and shouldn't lose sight of that. The likelihood is that Billy Stanlake and Dustin Melton may play against Essex, but the greatest concern at present, the dreadful first day bowling either side of lunch notwithstanding, is the top order batting.

Billy Godleman has been injured, Luis Reece hasn't yet hit form and no one seems to handle batting three especially well. Aside from du Plooy's 98 against Worcestershire, those batting in that position have thus far made only 72 runs in seven innings.

We cannot rely on the middle and lower order to keep scoring the runs. On paper, that top six looks terrific for Derbyshire, but the absence of Godleman has highlighted the current fragility of the top four. 

Madsen looks better and more his old self at four, but three seems a place too high for du Plooy, who has already had four ducks this year, as well as a poor decision or two. Wood may or may not establish himself in the team, but we really need him to, as the potential answer to the problem.

To be honest, I thought he looked skittish at Durham against a keen attack and equally so in the first innings here. We need to remember that he was up against two international bowlers and a county stalwart in this match and his willingness to battle in the second innings was good to see. He played two or three fine shots too, before Fletcher bowled him. 

He has been prolific at all levels up to this one, but every cricketer finds his standard and by the end of the season we should know if this is his, or he will need to carry on bludgeoning club attacks for years to come. The issue is that Anuj Dal struggles at this level, but returns to the seconds and makes a century, while Alex Hughes appears to be seen as a one- day specialist, despite a double century a couple of weeks back in the second team. 

Several old professionals have told me that while every jump in standard has its challenges, none is greater than the leap from second to first team at county level. You are among the elite one per cent, players who will scrutinise your technique and exploit any technical deficiencies. You get a few of them in second team cricket, but also trialists, who may not be up to standard, or academy players who have some developing to do. 

The capitulation on the third morning was a huge disappointment to me. I think we are  better than that and the sheer inevitability of it hurt. That it came against Nottinghamshire made it doubly so and I confess to switching off the feed before the end. There was no desire to see them celebrate their first win in four-day cricket since 2018, very embarrassing for a club of such resources.

For Derbyshire, the work must continue. We played well and battled hard for three games, but with the exception of the two named above, performances in this game were underwhelming.

Let's hope we don't see too many repetitions before the summer is out.