Warming thoughts ahead of the season

While not having made major changes to the playing staff over the winter, it is impossible to deny that Mickey, Arthur has substantially improved the Derbyshire squad in that time.

The hugely prolific and highly respected Shan Masood has gone, as have Dustin Melton and Mikey Cohen. The last two were players not without talent and capable of some fine spells, but injury issues and their South African roots conspired against them when it came to any cost/benefit analysis.

In their place we now have a very good seam bowler of genuine potential in Zak Chappell, a middle order batsman of power in Matt Lamb, spinner Mark Watt for the full season and now Haider Ali for most, if not all of it too. Not to mention securing some of our best young talent to improved, longer-term deals.

For what it is worth, I think the batting looks very good. An article in the Cricketer suggested Ali may open the batting in 50-over and 4-day cricket, which surprised me but may be part of his development plan. I could more understand that rationale in the 20 over game, but perhaps Luis Reece and either Harry Came or Tom Wood will get the nod, with Ali entrusted the role of late innings pyrotechnics.

A sign of a good squad is when you can't honestly name a first choice eleven to start the season. I genuinely can't this year. I think there are players who are guaranteed playing, bar for injuries and the rest will need consistency of performance or rotation of seam bowlers to play.

I would have a go at the following:

Reece

Ali

Guest

Madsen

du Plooy

Lamb

Dal

Chappell

Aitchison

Conners

Lakmal

But I could just as easily make a case for others. It is a position of strength when one looks at four very good seam bowlers and ponder which one is omitted if they are all fit and a spinner warrants inclusion. Which, with Dal and Reece in the side, I think should be the case. I have never been convinced in the need to have four, even five seamers in an attack, if you are picking the correct first three.

Equally, which spinner gets the nod? Watt has the international experience, Thomson can bat, as can McKiernan, but which is more likely to take wickets when the opposition doesn't have to slog?  Decisions..

The side above doesn't include Godleman, Wood or Came, good players all. Nor does it include George Scrimshaw or Nick Potts, or for that matter Archie Harrison, who I suspect will enjoy game time this year as an all-rounder of considerable promise. This is how far we have come in just one year under Mickey Arthur.

With so many players playing for their future, supporters will expect intensity of performance and competition for places like never before.

It should make for compelling and memorable viewing.

Postscript: I have finally got around doing a draw from those kindly sponsoring the blog. My sincere apologies to to everyone for the delay, but there is plenty going on at present.

I have made contact with those who have won and thank everyone for their kindness and generosity.

Another draw will take place in due course.