Considered thoughts

Tom Wood top-scored with a dashing 50 from 32 balls today, for a Derbyshire side against Nottinghamshire at Repton School.

It was no mean attack either, with Patterson-White, Evison, Barber and James in it. With Anuj Dal he added 71 in the first six overs, as the county posted 205-6 in their 20 overs.

Now I fully understand that second team isn't the same as first eleven, there's a lessening of intensity, bowlers finding rhythm and others who aren't quite up to it. But that isn't a bad effort against a decent attack.

Given that the skipper is struggling with just nine runs in four innings, Dominic Cork SURELY has to give Wood a run in the side now to see what he can do?

If he doesn't, team selection becomes a laughing stock in the eyes of supporters and members. Questions have already been asked about his absence and it may be that the coaches see him only as a very good club player, not quite up to the requisite standard.

If that is the case, why put him on contract? Either that decision, or the regular ones to omit him from the side, were wrong, because they cannot both be right.

What is there to lose? I applaud the bullish comments from club personnel that say we can still qualify in the T20, as there is a lot of cricket still to play, but I don't agree with them. Such hopes left when we signed and quickly lost an injury prone quick bowler, then our other overseas had to return home. When two of our key players, Wayne Madsen and Alex Hughes, dropped out with injury, my expectations plummeted like a stone. 

Billy Godleman quite obviously needs a break. Every player does at times and they should tell him to take the rest of the tournament, get ready for the RLODC. Let's see what Luis Reece or Matt Critchley might make of the captaincy and whether they might make better use of an inexperienced attack.

Let's also see if Tom might have the same effect as Harry Came, who played splendidly last night after two cameos that suggested he could bat. Again, what is there to lose? We either confirm he isn't quite at the level or find that he is actually a pretty decent player, at least in this format.

We should do the same with Mattie McKiernan. His contract is up at season end but when he has played his bowling has been forgotten, just as that of Alex Thomson was after one over last night, and Mikey Cohen was after one (for just six runs) last week.

In that same game this afternoon, Cohen's four overs went for 68, while Sam Conners went for 48 runs. McKiernan bowled his four for just 24, against Ben Slater, Joey Evison and Australian-raised Sol Budinger, who hit thirteen sixes in a 31-ball century. He took the wickets of the last two named in a pretty impressive effort. 

If there is any value in having a second team, as a manager and coach you have to respect and reward performance there, after due consideration of the opposition.

Derbyshire haven't batted badly in T20 this year, but they have carried an obvious weak link. They haven't really bowled economically, but Matt Critchley's leggies have been the most frugal. Might not McKiernan's be worthy of opportunity, when everyone else is going around the park anyway? He also hit 32 from 18 balls today and is a brilliant fielder, so again there is little to lose, much to gain.

Reading back over my recent blogs, I have been much more negative than usual. Quite frankly, I don't see leadership on the cricket side, nor consistency of selection. I don't even see common sense in selection, nor in game management when we cross the line.

It has hurt me to write it, quite frankly, but I am firmly of the opinion that the plot has been forever lost by the current cricket leadership. We need structure, a pathway, good communication and team spirit and I don't see a sign of any of it. What I see concerns me, what I hear from various sources deeply saddens me.

We are only doing well because of the individual professional pride of players, but the club board MUST look at a succession of flawed decisions made last winter and this summer before acting at season end. Or even before, to allow for a robust, thorough and transparent recruitment process of the right man to take this club forward. 

We might win another game or two this year, but limited successes should not mask, nor be allowed to mask, a patently obvious need for change, on and off the pitch.