Derbyshire v Leeds/Bradford UCCE day 3

Derbyshire 256-9

Leeds/Bradford UCCE 226-2 (Moulton 104*, Lloyd 80*)

Match drawn

It would be very easy, after the day of cricket that many of us have watched, to prophesy doom and gloom in the season ahead. After all, 256-9 doesn't look overly good, against the 226-2 of a university side.

Yet there are mitigating circumstances.

Derbyshire batted first on a pitch that had been covered for several days, which was always likely to be a challenge. It wasn't an especially impressive display by the top order, but such is the way of things at this time of year.

Today's play, after the washout of yesterday, was not an advert for brighter cricket and there was a  point at which the run rate was less than two runs an over. But Staffordshire's Tom Moulton batted very well to get through the day and register an excellent hundred, while Tim Lloyd, who has played for Surrey's second eleven, kept him company for a good part of it. Maybe we will have a look at Moulton in the second team during the summer, as he looked a disciplined, organised player to me.

I don't think for a minute that Derbyshire's bowlers were anywhere close to flat out, however. Indeed, as one one sage former county professional once said to me, 'only fools bust a gut in pre-season and second team games.'

They are all about finding rhythm, getting the run up and action grooved and being ready for the serious stuff. Most of the frontline Derbyshire bowlers had a spell or two, but truth be told there wasn't a great deal of movement for any of them, regardless of bowling style, or the effort put into them. 

My criticism would be that the attack is very repetitive - right arm seamer after right arm seamer. Perhaps Blair Tickner, who arrived today, will be the missing piece of the jigsaw, but I was minded of Mike Hendrick, who once labelled a pitch as being 'as flat as a fart'. Probably not live on Sky...

I really do hope that we are prepared to be more adventurous in our pitch preparation this year. This isn't a criticism of Neil Godrich, who is excellent, but he prepares what he is asked to do and to be fair, opportunity to do much hasn't exactly knocked, with the awful early Spring weather.

In my season preview I suggested that Derbyshire **might** challenge for promotion if the pitches offered more to bowling. On the basis of what I saw today - and I profess to having been working and not seen every ball - we won't.

There is a fine line between a helpful pitch for bowlers and one that goes too far. I would like to think we have the skills in pitch preparation to get that side of things correct. I also hope that we trust the respective skills of the batters and bowlers to win games in a range of conditions.

My opinion, of course, but as another equally sage former pro said to me, 'everyone has opinions, but usually only one is right.' That may or may not be me, but time will tell.

We will see how we are shaping up when the business proper starts, this weekend.