Leicestershire 168-2 (Harris 77*, Hill 34*)
v Derbyshire
David Lloyd did the first thing a good captain should do and won the toss under cloudy skies - and with the expectation of some early movement.
It was there but three dropped catches before lunch saw Leicestershire eat in better fettle than Derbyshire. Then came the rain and although they returned for eighteen overs late in the day, everything suggested that the pitch had already flattened out and the next three days will offer little different to the usual 4-day game.
You shouldn't have to rely on a generous declaration on the last day to win a game, but unless something radical happens tomorrow morning, or the opposition bowlers are more effective than ours, that looks like what will be required for a positive result here.
Blair Tickner again, bowled well, with considerable heart and skill, but three chances were put down, one by Madsen, two (one very difficult) by Donald and the window of opportunity had been closed and firmly nailed shut.
Sam Conners also bowled well from the City End, but there were few alarms after the first hour or so and Marcus Harris batted steadily for the visitors.
Hopefully tomorrow brings more to get excited about. All around the country wickets are tumbling, but game after game sees high scores at Derby. It will all be fine for one day cricket, but despite a little more pace and greater carry, I saw nothing today to suggest we will force results on home turf in this format.
Underwhelming is right. The state of pitch at Derby is a real problem and it's got the potential to become serious. If we can't produce pitches that facilitate good quality first class cricket, how are we going to justify our continued survival as a first class county?
ReplyDeleteWhat's happened to the more Bowler friendly pitches at Derby this season? The excuse regarding the Kookaburra ball has been and gone
ReplyDeleteThe way today's play panned out feeds precisely into the anticipated narrative of mediocrity and averageness. The attack , when spin is not used, is blunt compared to others in this Division and will pick up few bonus points. Once again we begin the season in a very underwhelming ( agree with u Peakfan that this is the most appropiate word) manner, which is most disappointing.
ReplyDeleteWell unless we make early inroads into the Leicester batsmen tomorrow it looks like being another game without a victory. We just don’t look like a potent attack, all too similar with our seamers, very little to trouble the Leicestershire batsmen today. I'm already looking towards the T20 for joy this season as it looks like being more of the same in the Championship again
ReplyDeleteSadly, the only decent championship home game worth watching this season will be the one at Chesterfield.
ReplyDeleteUnless we bat poorly twice, this game will be yet another bore draw, especially given the forecast for Monday.
T20 will be our only hope of anything positive from this season, and given the signings, was all I was expecting.
If the T20 campaign goes pear shaped, then I would anticipate questions being asked...
I agree Jasper, had such high hopes for us under Mickey but so far there's been little sign of improvement three seasons in. T20 massive for us this campaign
DeleteSo far this season we look like last season. It's early days, I know. But why on earth did Lloyd not bring Thomson on for three or four overs? He brought himself on, which was more of the same. When you have a bowler who has taken 12 wickets in his last game, his thinking is, I can bowl anyone out. Cricket is about skills and fitness - but it's also about psychology, or mindset. Like in the game at Cardiff, in which we could have launched a run chase, like we did at Hove last season, we still seem stuck in a groove. Hopefully, things will change.
ReplyDeleteIt is morbidly fascinating watching Derbyshire in early season expectation, desperately hoping for something different or improvement, either in the team or the pitch at Derby. We'll the skipper used 6 seamers (!) and you might have expected a score of 130ish for 5 or 6 in the conditions and the shortened day. But dropped catches mean one of their top batters is off and running with power to add. Surely with 12 wickets in his last game, Alex Thomson could have turned his arm over towards the end of play. Harrumph!
ReplyDeleteCan I say match drawn already 1 and a half days in. Absolute tedium!
ReplyDeleteThere appears to be an air of resignation about the Derbyshire fielders body language already
DeleteWhat a thoroughly depressing performance this is. Derbyshire doing their best to prove the “cut the number of counties” brigade correct
ReplyDelete