First off, Brooke Guest signed a contract extension that will take him to the end of next season. I was delighted with the news, as I have been a fan since I first saw him in our colours.
He looks organised, compact and classy at the crease and I suspect he will make a good fist of the number three role this summer. It will be a busy one for him, because as the only keeper on the staff he will play a lot of cricket. But he is a fit lad and I am sure will take it in his stride.
He is also increasingly convincing behind the stumps and we have another reason to be grateful to Karl Krikken, who sent him in our direction.
In addition, as flagged to me by a friend (thank you!), a few news outlets are reporting that former England batting legend Ian Bell is joining the County as a batting consultant, initially for the first two months of the season.
The news reads:
Former England player Ian Bell is to join Derbyshire as a batting consultant. Bell, who won 118 Test caps, will work under a coach he came across regularly on the international scene in Mickey Arthur.
The 39-year-old’s coaching career overlapped with the final seasons of his playing days: he worked with the England Under-19 squad before retiring in 2020 and has spent time at the T10 in Abu Dhabi and as an assistant coach with Hobart Hurricanes at the Big Bash League.
The gig at Derby, which will initially be for the first couple of months of the season, will allow a player renowned for his Test batsmanship to add first-class coaching to his CV.
Interesting news, though what it means for the position of Mal Loye I am unsure. Perhaps something has been lost in translation and he will work with the Academy, or only for four-day cricket.
All will be revealed in due course, but he strikes me as a fine man to have involved!
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