Derbyshire v Middlesex Metro Bank One Day cup game 2

The nonsense that the English Cricket Board have allowed the domestic game to become has been made even clearer with the selection of Ross Whiteley for Welsh Fire. 

So after one game as Derbyshire skipper, he will be replaced in that role by Samit Patel. The county have named 13 players in the squad to face Middlesex on Saturday, which is pretty much, with injuries and existing absentees, what they have available.

It is absolute nonsense. If we have to have this abomination of a tournament, squads should be selected ahead of the competition of sufficient size that no change can be made from one week before it starts. Surrey has lost FIFTEEN players to it, Somerset and Lancashire ten each. Leicestershire have lost six, but they still have two overseas players, as do Hampshire, who opened their bowling today with Abbott and Abbas. Meanwhile, Derbyshire won their opening game with no overseas input, although Daryn Dupavillon is back in the squad for the weekend. 

So what happens if Zak Chappell gets called up next and a bowler sustains an injury? Because nothing has happened, I assume we're not going to sign an Indian superstar, like Northamptonshire and Lancashire, so it will be a case of elevating another young player from the academy

Despite our beating them the other day, I expected Northamptonshire to do well, so too Glamorgan, both largely unaffected by the other competition. Worcestershire have only lost one player, but with five regular bowlers injured, they are effectively fielding their second team attack already. Somerset will probably be in the mix, too.

Anyway, rant over, back to tomorrow and the visit of Middlesex. With Whiteley gone, I expect Yousaf Bin Naeem to play, probably in his place, while Dupavillon will probably replace Mitch Wagstaff.

I do feel sorry for Mitch. He has gone from promising second team opening bat to a lower order bat who bowls a bit of spin. Then he was elevated to bat as an opener again at Chesterfield where he was on a hiding to nothing, before again being put in to bat eight but not bowl at Northampton. There is a good cricketer in there, but some form of consistency in selection and place in the order would be beneficial for him, as it is for anyone else.

The likely Derbyshire side: 

Came, Reece, Guest, Lloyd, Lamb, Naeem, Patel, Chappell, Moore, Conners, Dupavillon

Wagstaff and Potts also in squad.

Middlesex have lost the hugely influential Ryan Higgins and Leus du Plooy, as well as Helm, Holden and Eskinazi to the Crisp Competition. They still have a decent squad, but were hammered by Worcestershire in their opening game, conceding 371 before being bowled out in just 25 overs. Ethan Bamber, due to move to Warwickshire in the close season, will spearhead their attack, while former England men Sam Robson and Mark Stoneman anchor an otherwise inexperienced batting lineup. 

They travel with the following squad: 

Stoneman, Andersson, Bamber, Brookes, Cornwell, Bracknell, Cullen, Davies, de Caires, Fernandes, Hollman, Kaushal, Robson, White

The weather is set fair and in theory Derbyshire should have enough to win this one and make it two wins from two matches. Five from eight *should* be enough to see us make the knockouts and hopefully salvage something from what has otherwise been a dispiriting season.

Fingers crossed, eh?