Quick reminder

Just to remind everyone to please add your name - or a name - to posts. It is a courtesy to all the users and enables us to get to see who is who, which is always useful. 

That is especially important for any posts in the future that may be critical - as we cannot win every game! 

I will reserve the right not to publish any post - especially critical - that does not have a name appended, to maintain the reputation of the blog.

I know it is easy to forget, if you don't use a Google account, but please send a second post with your name if you happen to do so. 

It would be very much appreciated. 

Many thanks to everyone! 

Lancashire v Derbyshire preview

Ben Aitchison returns to the Derbyshire first team squad for the first time since June 2023, for the game against Lancashire at Old Trafford, starting tomorrow. 

It is great to see the genial, undemonstrative seam bowler back in the squad. There will have been times in his recovery from injury that he perhaps thought this day would never come, but Derbyshire have missed him, his ability to dismiss good players and to keep control. I have also missed, in this era of 'celebrappeals' (a personal bete noire) his understated fist pump when the umpire signals the dismissal. Long may it continue...and with great frequency!

Luis Reece is understandably missing after the hamstring injury that limited his involvement in the last game, so it might be that Ben replaces him as a bowler, unless the pitch, after all of this dry weather, suggests it will turn before too long in the game. Given that Ben is no mug with a bat, I think he will take his place in the side, with Jack Morley and Alex Thomson vying for the lead spinner role and Mitch Wagstaff wondering if he might get the nod ahead of Harry Came.

Regardless of our individual preferences, much will depend on how both have shaped up in the nets and I expect something close to this side: 

Lloyd

Jewell

Came/Wagstaff

Madsen

Guest

Andersson

Dal

Chappell

Aitchison

Thomson/Morley

Tickner

There is no news on the Lancashire side at the moment, but they will be hurting after the defeat at Northampton. Keaton Jennings resigned the captaincy afterwards and Marcus Harris, closing in on being the first man to a thousand runs this season, has taken over as interim skipper.

Jimmy Anderson was due back for the next match but it appears has been rushed back for this one, with Ollie Sutton and Michael Jones also in a 14-man squad

Likely side: 

Jennings, Bell/Jones, Bohannon, Harris, Hurst, Wells, Balderson, Hartley, Bailey/Phillip, Anderson, Williams, Sutton

I can't believe our opponents can play as badly again, so I expect a tougher match here. Key to Derbyshire success would be the early dismissal of their two best bats, Jennings and Harris and Lancashire are bottom of the table because they haven't played very good or consistent cricket, so far. The return of Anderson will no doubt attract media attention and will give them a boost, but at the end of the day he is 42 and can only bowl at one end..

Beware the wounded beast, but if Derbyshire play as they have done so far, they can come back from Lancashire with draw points at the very least. 

What do you think?

Seconds win at Belper

The Seconds duly wrapped up victory over Leicestershire at Belper this morning, winning by eight wickets with a day and two sessions to spare. 

Will Tarrant took his overnight score to 42 before being dismissed, while Mitch Wagstaff scored 11. Victory was sealed by Amrit Basra, who made an unbeaten 30, with six fours and a winning six from just seventeen deliveries.

While my viewing, like everyone else, has been limited to the clips, Basra looked on a different level to everyone else in this match. One would hope, whether it was with Derbyshire or elsewhere, that there was a place in county cricket for a player of such obvious talent.

But that is another fine display by the twos and Ben Aitchison will be very happy with his continued return and his spell of captaincy.

Seconds on the verge of victory at Belper

Derbyshire's second team ended day two of the game against Leicestershire at Belper on the verge of victory after an impressive team display.

Ben Aitchison took his score to an unbeaten 43 as his team reached 216 all out, a lead of 130 runs. Then Rory Haydon took 3-38 to end with match figures of 8-55, while Academy off-spinning all rounder Joe Hawkins, just 18, took 3-43. 

Leicestershire were in all sorts of trouble at 63-4, but George Maddy (43) and Scotland under-19 international Jamie Dunk (88) at least forced Derbyshire to bat again.

With 98 needed to win, Will Tarrant led off with a flurry of boundaries, unbeaten on 33 as Derbyshire closed on 39-0.

It has so far been an exceptional performance from a very young side.

Seconds take control at Belper

There was another terrific day for the second team at Belper, on the first of what is supposed to be a four-day friendly against Leicestershire.

Again led by Ben Aitchison, who won the toss, they bowled the visitors out for 86 in just 40 overs. Staffordshire seamer Rory Haydon led the way with 5-17, while Nick Potts and Ben took two wickets each. Pat Brown took the other in an excellent bowling effort that conceded only four leg byes as extras.

Derbyshire didn't find conditions any easier and after Will Tarrant was caught on his back foot when called for a quick single and run out, bin Naeem was quickly caught in the slips. Mitch Wagstaff made 24 before edging loosely to the keeper, but Amrit Basra appeared to be on a different pitch to everyone else, making 72 from 82 balls, with thirteen fours and a six in a fine display. Some may recall him playing for SACA in the pre-season friendly, when he scored a breezy 20-odd and dismissed David Lloyd. He certainly looked a talent today.

He was eventually adjudged leg before, but George Lavelle added a gritty 45 and Aitchison was unbeaten on 21 at the close. 

Derbyshire ended on 186-7, a good effort against an attack including Chris Wright, Roman Walker, Matt Salisbury, Ben Mike and Liam Trevaskis.

They will be happy with a current first innings lead of a hundred, at the end of day one! 

Weekend talking points

If runs and wickets are your currency for success in cricket, then Mitch Wagstaff should be in the Derbyshire side at Old Trafford next weekend.

It is an oft-used phrase by Mickey Arthur and I fully understand the rationale. Only if those ahead of you are in prime form should your route to a senior side be held up, when you are in good nick yourself.

I have rated Mitch for a while but there was a time when I felt he was at the time too slight for the senior game. He has filled out now and, at 21, is fully deserving of greater opportunity.

Consider the statistics. In the opening second team game against Lancashire, Mitch made 69 and 73, as well as taking 1-19 and 2-68 with his leg spin. In the one just finished, against Nottinghamshire, he made 74 and 119, as well as taking 2-11 in the second innings.

These are heady figures for anyone and for me Harry Came, averaging 23 this summer, is the one under threat at present. I like Harry a lot, but what appeared to be good touch pre-season has deserted him and were I selecting the side for Old Trafford, Mitch would be pencilled in. 

It is important the Derbyshire are seen to be encouraging their own players and Mitch is in the vanguard with Harry Moore in this respect. Yousaf bin Naeem isn't too far behind and Will Tarrant seems to be making a case to be on the staff next summer. The financial value of playing players we have developed is considerable, although of course they have to make the team when the time is right. Kim Barnett, John Morris and Chris Adams made the Derbyshire side and played alongside seasoned professionals like David Steele and John Hampshire, as well as the likes of John Wright and Peter Kirsten. How can you not learn with such experience? 

We will see what happens, but in a fixture-free weekend here's my latest interview with North Derbyshire Radio's Matt Rhodes. We discuss the Glamorgan game, next weekend's game at Old Trafford, Brooke Guest's contract and Mickey Arthur's lower key approach this summer. 

You can listen to it here and I am on at 13.40 in what is a very enjoyable show.

Enjoy the sunshine and your weekends! 

Postscript - Harry Came scored 128 today for Swarkestone against Mitch Wagstaff's Alvaston & Bolton...

Seconds win in three days at Lady Bay!

Derbyshires Seconds completed a terrific victory over Nottinghamshire at Lady Bay today, winning by six wickets with more than a day to spare. 

Martindale (52) Montgomery (46) and McCann (34) were the only real scorers in the top order, as Derbyshire chipped away at the home innings. The ball was keeping low on occasions and a ninth wicket stand of 54 runs set Derbyshire a victory target of 251, which looked challenging.

Yet Mitch Wagstaff and Will Tarrant led off with a brilliant opening stand of 178 in 36 overs, before Tarrant was bowled for an excellent 73 from 106 deliveries.

Wagstaff went on to a very fine century, with 119 from 128 deliveries, including 15 fours and 3 sixes. When he was dismissed, Yusaf bin Naeem took Derbyshire to the brink of victory before being caught in the deep for 37. George Lavelle ended up unbeaten on 12.

That was a very fine effort by a young team against a similar Nottinghamshire side with decent first team cricket experience across it. 

Wagstaff also took 2-11 in the Nottinghamshire second innings and there were three wickets for Nick Potts. Ben Aitchison continued his return with another wicket and will be delighted with a win as skipper.

Well done, lads. Let the good times keep coming! 

Good game at Lady Bay

At the end of day two of the second team game, Nottinghamshire were 77-1 in their second innings. 

They took a first innings lead of 18 runs, after Derbyshire were dismissed for 308, replying to 326. 

Mitch Wagstaff made 74 and Yusaf bin Naeem 48, before a mid innings collapse saw Derbyshire slip to 248-9.

Then Ben Aitchison made a blistering 54 from 44 deliveries, with eleven boundaries, adding 60 with Matt Stewart, who hung on gallantly at the other end 

Ben Martindale took 3-25 for the hosts and he (32*) and Freddie McCann (34*) are at the crease, after Pat Brown took an early wicket.

Ben didn't bowl in the second innings as his workload continues to be managed during his return.

Aitchison continues his return

Nottinghamshire were all out for 326 at Lady Bay today, against the Derbyshire Second XI led by Ben Aitchison.

Ben built up his workload and finished with figures of 2-57 from 18 overs, which will have done him good.

There were two wickets for Pat Brown and one for Nick Potts, although both went for four runs an over. The standout bat for the home side was the talented Ben Martindale, who made 97 before falling to Academy seam bowler Matt Stewart.

He went on to return the excellent figures of 4-19 in 13 overs.

The Derbyshire side again included former Lancashire keeper George Lavelle and Staffordshire seamer Rory Haydon, previously on the Warwickshire Academy.

They closed on 12-0, with Mitch Wagstaff and Will Tarrant at the crease and Yusaf Bin Naeem and Ajay Khunti - so prolific last season - to follow.

One to keep an eye on tomorrow! 

Observations on the Derbyshire start

There have been times, over the first three years that he has been in post, that I have been critical of Mickey Arthur. There is no need to go over old ground, but I like to think I have at least been fair, realistic and constructive in that criticism. 

Equally, it is appropriate to praise when things have been done correctly. While it is still early in proceedings to give overly effusive comment, this has been the most positive start by Derbyshire in many seasons. 

Arthur brought in Ben Smith as batting coach last year and a winter working with him seems to have been very beneficial for the players, as a look at the statistics shows. 

No other county in the division has four players averaging in excess of fifty (Madsen, Jewell, Reece, Andersson) and a fifth just under it (Guest). Yet with the exception of Pat Brown, who only had one innings, all except Anuj Dal are averaging in excess of twenty. Nuj hasn't yet got going with the bat, but contributes in other ways and if your 'worst' batter averages 17, that is a remarkable collective effort. 

It is also indicative of a squad that understands and buys into the game plan. It may not be an eleven of Galacticos, to cross-pollinate sports, but it is a team that works for and with each other.

The team spirit is clear and the contributions of the overseas players chosen have been important in these early weeks. Caleb Jewell would have liked to turn one of his five fifties into a hundred, but an average of 54 is a good start. He has been involved in strategy discussions on the pitch and proved a very safe pair of hands at slip, where we were fallible last year. 

Plenty, myself included, were wary of the re-signing of Blair Tickner, but I was at least prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. He is second leading wicket taker behind Luis Reece and in the game just finished showed himself a warrior. He ran in hard, was aggressive and gave us something we have lacked in a number of years. He seems to enjoy a 'chirp' on the pitch and probably got plenty back when he came in at the end to try and save the game yesterday. But he handled it and again, regularly chatting with the bowlers, shows what a good overseas can do. 

Good overseas? I accept that the market has shrunk and comparisons with the greats of yesteryear are not always positive. Like many of you I have seen all of our overseas players and you could put together an eleven to take on Mars from their ranks. But compare performances of our recruits so far with others in the division and you might agree. 

Asit Fernando at Glamorgan seven wickets at 66, Cameron Green at Gloucestershire averaging 23 with the bat and not bowling. Dudgeon at Kent gone home injured, Phillip at Lancashire 2 wickets at 85, even Dane Paterson at Middlesex only eight wickets at 43.

So many counties have overseas players coming in through revolving doors, due to visa criteria limiting their stay. Arthur has done very well - and used that oft-quoted little black book of contacts - to pick up long-term signings who buy into the team and club ethic.

Leicestershire have chosen well and are getting good value from Peter Handscomb and Logan van Beek, while their success is, like ours, down to a long batting order and plenty of options with the ball. It is another team effort and should there be any real surprise in such sides sitting one and two in the division? 

It is also worthy of note that domestic recruitment and retention by Mickey Arthur has been very good. Jack Morley has come in and bowled some canny spells for a young man, while clearly working on his batting over the winter. He can and will get better. Meanwhile Martin Andersson has been a revelation, with big runs, useful wickets and a safe pair of hands. It just shows what the right environment, where they are respected and appreciated, can do for someone 

Wayne Madsen and Brooke Guest, two of those whose deals were due to expire at the end of the summer, have signed new ones and it has been a joy to see the new life in the Wayne-meister. Nearly 500 runs in just eight innings, a spring in his step and so, so nice to see a skipper who doesn't make bowling changes by rote and sets innovative field settings. 

Mickey Arthur has changed the staff considerably in his time at the club and there are plenty with deals to play for over the remainder of the summer.

To the best of my knowledge, the deals for

Harry Came, Luis Reece, Ross Whiteley, Samit Patel, Alex Thomson, Nick Potts, Ben Aitchison and Yousaf Bin Naeem expire this year. 

Luis is making a strong case for retention, averaging 58 with the bat and 22 with the ball, though he will not want to miss too much cricket with the injury aggravated at Cardiff. Bin Naeem needs to work but should be afforded time, but the others will understand that top level cricket is unforgiving and the currency of performance is key. They all have incentives to produce their best games and I especially hope that Harry Came rediscovers his best form, as there is no doubt that he can play. Alex Thomson got the nod at Cardiff and did a good job, but he will likewise know that standard has to be maintained. 

We know Ben Aitchison can do it, but must only hope his repaired back can stand up to the rigours of the first class game. He is a very fine bowler with big potential, but needs to be able to play on a regular basis and not everyone can do that. Fingers and toes firmly crossed for Ben to be back at his best.

As for Nick Potts, he has to work hard to show he can get there, or join the ranks of many others who had obvious talent, but perhaps neither the sustained performance nor physical and mental resilience to play enough throughout a long summer.

It will be fascinating to see how the rest of the summer plays out. Perhaps this will prove to be the latest false dawn in a club that has had more of those than a Tony Orlando tribute  show.

Or maybe, just maybe, Mickey Arthur has got a handle on the requirements of the county game now, more than I think was initially the case. I understand that even now he has targets in mind for next summer, players who will further strengthen the team.

He deserves credit for the start, as does the club board, who could easily have gone the other way when the groundswell of support was clearly turning against him. 

I am really enjoying this summer and I didn't think I would. Thanks to everyone concerned for making it so. 

Let's see if we can keep it going...

Glamorgan v Derbyshire day four

Glamorgan 431 and 256-7 (Kellaway 74, Tickner 3-44)

Derbyshire 350 and 308-9 (Andersson 78, Guest 48, Jewell 44, Lloyd 42, Dal 34, Kellaway 5-101, Leonard 3-66)

Match drawn

One of the best final days of County Championship cricket that you could wish to see ended in a draw at Cardiff, with the last two Derbyshire batters at the crease. 

The morning didn't suggest anything especially exciting and the declaration came at the interval, 338 in 65 overs the target. I didn't really think it was on and said so on social media. It was a higher rate than had been managed throughout the game, the fielding side could put as many back as they wanted, legside wides would not be penalised and the pitch was fairly slow.

Yet at one point Derbyshire looked to be winning it. Lloyd and Jewell batted very well but, like everyone in the match, got out before making the match-defining score - it was one of those pitches. Madsen looked in imperious form before being brilliantly taken at long leg by Gorvin, who was seldom out of the match and at that point it looked like the shutters might go up. 

Yet after tea, Andersson and Guest launched a counter offensive full of brilliant strokeplay. Guest was especially strong on the reverse sweep, while Andersson just looks the business every time he plays. They added 97 runs and looked like they were about to lead a victory charge, when Guest was adjudged leg before. I have to say I was less than convinced and it took the umpire an age, but such is the game. 

Enter Dal and his partnership with Andersson had Derbyshire chasing a run a ball off the last ten. It was stirring stuff and it seemed like the unlikely just might happen. 

Then Kellaway, who batted well earlier, bowled an excellent spell for the home side and extracted increasing turn, got one to 'pop' and Andersson was defeated on the reverse sweep after a magnificent display. With the T20 fast approaching it was a reminder that he opened in that competition for Middlesex last season and to very good effect.. food for thought, perhaps?

Chappell was elevated, presumably to hit, but was bowled first ball by one that turned through a sizeable gate. Thomson then played too early at Leonard, which left the limping Luis Reece to enter proceedings at ten in the order, certainly the best we have had coming in with eight wickets down, I suspect.

Dal used his feet to try to combat Kellaway but was cleverly defeated by his arm ball, which brought in Tickner to try to save the game, with 28 deliveries remaining. He stoically faced ten of those deliveries, as Glamorgan switched pacemen at one end and hoped Kellaway could twirl one more piece of magic at the other. Then again, Blair averages 32 with bat and ball this summer, so perhaps we shouldn't have worried..

Reece and Tickner resisted. Kellaway even bowled the penultimate delivery with his left hand to try to shake things up, but with everyone around the bat, Luis stood tall and earned the draw points.

Of course it is easy to say that we missed out on the win points today. Yet for me, we took it much closer than I expected and once again I was very proud of the way the team battled and saw their way to draw points that could be very important in September. 

We remain undefeated, we remain in second place. These are giddy heights indeed, yet thoroughly deserved for the brand of positive, exciting cricket that the team are playing.

A win would have been quite special, but I am very happy with our efforts and the progress clearly being made this summer.

Phew! Time to unwind now...

Glamorgan v. Derbyshire day three

Glamorgan 431 and 132-5 (Ingram 64, up Hassan 48, Tickner 2-19)

Derbyshire 350 (Reece 73, Thomson 60, Gorvin 5-85)

Glamorgan lead by 213 runs with 5 wickets remaining

I doubt that even the most positive of Derbyshire supporters - and I number myself among them - could have foreseen the side, at 162-7, getting three batting bonus points. 

Even if they did, to then envisage Glamorgan fighting for their lives before tea would have got you some serious odds at the local bookmaker. 

And yet so it transpired. Alex Thomson and Luis Reece took their eighth wicket stand to 105, before Alex edged a good one through to Chris Cooke. At that stage fourteen were still needed to avoid the follow on, but a few lusty, trademark blows by Zak Chappell got them there, before he was bowled. 

Even then the comeback was not finished, as Blair Tickner proved an admirable, unorthodox foil for Luis Reece, as they added a further 62 runs for the last wicket. 

There is something endearing about watching Tickner bat. He combines the highest backlift this side of Brian Lara, with footwork sometimes akin to Groucho Marx. He might move outside leg stump, or down the pitch, or a bit of both. His feet, hands and head are not always where they should be and there seem more limbs down the batting end than usual, yet he gets a surprising number in the middle of the bat.

Certainly, if you drop it short he will have a go and, with batting and bowling averages near identical this summer, could perhaps claim - with that trademark smile on his face - that he is a genuine all-rounder.

He was a perfect foil for Luis Reece today, who went above and beyond the call of duty in making an unbeaten 73 in 184 balls of defiance. It amply illustrated his commitment to the cause and also the huge advantage of having a man who has faced the new ball in the middle order, when things go wrong. His footwork was limited by his injury, but he ground the bowlers down and got Derbyshire back into the game. He even managed the shot of the innings, a beautiful leg side pickup for six, just before lunch.

He didn't take the field after Tickner was finally bowled, trying to hit Fernando to somewhere near Swansea after 350 had been reached. Yet he undoubtedly looked on, impressed, as the Kiwi followed his batting heroics with his best spells for Derbyshire. 

He and Dal wasted nary a delivery and Tickner's pace earned him two wickets, hurtling in and causing problems for all. He could have had more, as both ul Hassan and Ingram had close lbw shouts.His three spells were first rate, real 'lead by example' stuff, and 2-19 in 13 overs was a magnificent effort. I also liked his applause for Gorvin, who again resisted a solid working over at the end of the day.

Thomson followed his fine innings with some very accurate bowling, thoroughly justifying his choice as lead spinner. With respect to Morley, a young player I rate highly, he wouldn't have scored the runs we so badly needed here. Mickey Arthur got that selection spot on.

There was no real urgency in the Glamorgan batting until the closing overs, when both set batters were dismissed. After that it was a case of battening down the hatches. The home side will hope to set Derbyshire north of 300 in the final innings, while our hope will be to keep it under that score. 

A good final day has been set up. 

Let's hope that it lives up to the sense of anticipation.

Glamorgan v. Derbyshire day two

Glamorgan 431 

Derbyshire 215-7 (Andersson 46, Guest 45, Jewell 34, Thomson 30* Gorvin 4-49)

Glamorgan lead by 216 runs

Last night I wrote, as I have many times over the years, that you cannot judge a pitch until both sides have batted on it.

Now we have seen that, there are several observations that can be made, with a degree of confidence. 

One is that the wrong decision was made to bowl yesterday. There was much more lateral movement today and Glamorgan's seam-heavy attack made the best of it. 

Not to put too fine a point on it, they - and in particular Andy Gorvin - bowled much better lengths and allowed the ball to zip around. Perhaps the overhead conditions were more conducive to movement, but surely that was an even greater reason to have a bat, when we won the toss yesterday under clear blue skies? 

Nor do I understand our obsession, when the tail enders come in, to start digging it in short. I am not convinced that too many players, in this day and age when there is so much protective equipment, are that bothered by it. Long gone are the days when a couple of steps towards the square leg umpire became the norm from nine, ten, jack when the quick ran in.

 All that the - and I am choosing the word carefully - naive approach from Blair Tickner seemed to do was fire up Gorvin, who was not at all discomforted by the short stuff and after the initial blow on the helmet just ducked and let it go sailing through to Brooke Guest. 

The 86 runs added with Timm van der Gugten, for the eighth wicket, were priceless in the context of the game. Without them we would now have at least avoided the follow on. After getting Ingram early, the tail wagged with far too great a vigour for Derbyshire liking, but they were undoubtedly helped along the way by the naivety. Or daftness, where I come from.

ul-Hasan, not one of the home side's front line bowlers, was also zipping it around and was helped by some ponderous footwork, while van der Gugten, one of the best day in, day out, bowlers on the circuit, had it on the proverbial piece of elastic. 

Guest and Andersson batted well, but an injudicious cut from the latter opened the gate and Dal was immediately suckered down the leg side in a clearly planned move, brilliant wicket keeping by Chris Cooke as it was. When Guest was bowled by a beautiful leg cutter from ul-Hasan, the writing was on the wall and in very large letters.

Yet even then the fight of '25 was shown by Thomson, who batted very well, and Reece, clearly inconvenienced and batting with a runner, but hanging in there. 67 more, with three wickets left, to avoid the follow on..

This has been a very encouraging start to the season by Derbyshire and we should perhaps not get too carried away by one bad day. 

But bad habits can become the norm just as easily as good ones, perhaps more so. 

The trick now is to return to things we have done well. 

Oh, and have more confidence in ourselves if we win the toss.. 

Glamorgan v Derbyshire day 1

Glamorgan 336-6 (Ingram 80*, Northeast 63, Tribe 58, Reece 2-33, Dal 2-41)

v Derbyshire

I can only assume that when Wayne Madsen won the toss today, he and Mickey Arthur had seen the green tinge in the pitch and thought there would be considerably more help for the bowlers than transpired. 

And there wasn't a great deal, for seam and spin alike.

The home side made good use of the pitch, almost everyone getting going, but a couple of them giving it away with unnecessary hook strokes. Were it not for such acts of profligacy, we could have been really struggling tonight. Tribe, off the back of a double century for the second team, did well for them in the morning session, playing some nice strokes.

As things stand, Glamorgan may yet make 500 in the first innings, with Colin Ingram, dropped twice, still there to add more tomorrow. I must have written 'Ingram makes Derbyshire toil' a few times over the years, since he was a successful professional locally..

The bowling was okay, but we could have done without Luis Reece pulling up for the second consecutive game and probably unable to bowl again in the match. His two wickets before lunch brought Derbyshire back into it, while two from Dal later on gave a semblance of parity to the day.

The good thing is there was no sign of any spin and when their turn comes, Derbyshire should have every opportunity to score heavily themselves. With genuine all-rounders down to number ten, maybe the rationale is that we can go for a last afternoon run chase, if something realistic is set. 

We will see. Long ago I realised you never comment on a game, until both sides have had an opportunity to bat. 

Tomorrow is another day..

Glamorgan v Derbyshire preview

Despite concerns that at least two of them may be missing through injury, Mickey Arthur has named Luis Reece, Anuj Dal and Martin Andersson in a thirteen-man squad for the trip to Cardiff tomorrow. 

The final eleven will as always depend on the pitch in Wales. Alex Thomson bowled with excellent control against Middlesex, but is the one likely to miss out - probably with Pat Brown - as Derbyshire look to extend their unbeaten start to the season.

There is reassuring depth to the county batting so far, with the plethora of all rounders - David Lloyd also in the mix - also giving bowling options a-plenty. If Thomson's spin is likely to come into the equation, in the light of a dry forecast, then it is anyone's guess who misses out. Probably the one most in need of a breather, ahead of long and hectic season.

David Lloyd will hope to build on his return to form in the last game, while others will hope to continue a very good start to the summer, where runs have come throughout the order. 

My likeliest side:

Lloyd, Jewell, Came, Madsen, Guest, Reece, Dal, Andersson, Chappell, Tickner, Morley (Thomson and Brown)

Glamorgan haven't got off to the best of starts and currently lie bottom of the table. They are missing experienced seamer James Harris and all rounder Dan Douthwaite, as well as leg-spinner Mason Crane. Meanwhile, supporters seem annoyed at the absence of Billy Root, who has been excluded from the side so far, as twelfth man, but here finds himself out of the squad altogether. In the final year of his contract, that is a situation that many clubs will be monitoring as the summer progresses.

Timm van der Gugten continues to spearhead the bowling, this year with assistance from Sri Lankan, Asitha Fernando. Sam Northeast and Kiran Carlson continue to be batting lynchpins but Colin Ingram, forty this summer, remains the key wicket. Like Wayne Madsen he has been a stalwart servant for a long time (since 2015 in his case) and a player you hope to remove early.

Glamorgan squad:

Byrom, Northeast, Carlson, Cooke, Fernando, van der Gugten, Gorvin, ul-Hasan, Ingram, Kellaway, Leonard, McIlroy, Tribe

The toss will again play a part, but if Derbyshire wants to maintain their good start and make a genuine push for promotion, this is a game that they have to win.

In good form and high in confidence, I think they will. 

What about you? 

Derby Book Festival - a worthwhile cricket event!

Cricket books and writers don't often make it to book festivals. Which is a shame, because there is an audience there and for the right person, people will turn up, just as they will for any writer on any subject. 

So it is a pleasure to help to publicise the appearance of David Kynaston, a well-known social historian, at the Derby Book Festival later this month.

Richie Benaud's Blue Suede Shoes was The Cricket Writer's Club Derek Hodgson book of the year and was longlisted for the William Hill sports book of the year prize in 2024.

David Kynaston and Harry Ricketts relive the compelling story of a gripping Ashes-deciding Test match that heralded the dawn of a new era for English cricket.

The Ashes are on the line as England and Australia meet at Old Trafford in July 1961 for the fourth Test. For most of the match, England have their noses ahead – until a dramatic final day, of intensely fluctuating fortunes, as the tourists eventually storm to victory. In short, an Ashes classic, told here by David Kynaston and Harry Ricketts in vivid and immersive detail, recreating the sometimes agonising experience of millions of armchair viewers and listeners.

At the heart of Richie Benaud's Blue Suede Shoes are two strikingly contrasting personalities: England's captain, the Cambridge-educated, risk-averse, establishment-minded Peter May; and Australia's captain, the charismatic, risk-taking, open-minded Benaud – a contrast not only between two individuals, but between two cricketing and indeed national cultures. Whereas Benaud and Australia symbolised a new, meritocratic era, May and England seemed, in what was still an amateur-dominated game, to look back to an old imperial legacy out of sync with the dawning Sixties.

The sharply observed final chapters take the story up to the present day. They relate the 'after-lives' of the match's key participants, including Ted Dexter, Bill Lawry and Fred Trueman as well as May and Benaud; trace the continuing chequered relationship between English cricket and broader social change; and, after six more decades of fierce Ashes rivalry, wrestle with the perennial conundrum for all England supporters – why do the baggy green caps usually beat us?

The talk venue, timings and ticket details are below and while it coincides with the date of the first T20 match of the summer, at Leicester, it is in the afternoon, so you could manage both events, should you wish. 

Or, if you prefer your 'cricket fix' to be more local, perhaps this is an opportunity for you.

Do consider going and supporting the festival and this, which should be an excellent event!

David Kynaston: Richie Benaud's Blue Suede Shoes

 Friday 30 May | 2:00pm - 3:00pm

 £10 

The event is sponsored by Geldards and tickets can be booked here

 Venue: QUAD, DE1 3AS

Guest signs new two-year deal

I couldn't be happier with the announcement today that Brooke Guest has signed a new deal with Derbyshire, which takes him to the end of the 2027 season. 

He is a class act and has been since he came into the Derbyshire side in 2020. Long-time readers and supporters will recall the 'battle' for the gloves with Harvey Hosein, with a number of supporters hoping the locally-reared lad won out.

I was always in the other camp, respecting the ability of Harvey, yet appreciating what extra Brooke brought to the team. He often doesn't get mentioned in comments these days, because his standards are so high. He rarely misses a game, regardless of the format and he maintains a very high standard with bat and gloves. He has made more than a thousand all-format runs in each of the last three summers and has kept very well against pace and spin alike.

He can bat anywhere in the order and, while some don't deem it important, always looks like he is having a lot of fun. He must take a ball very cleanly, because in his time at the club he has had only one broken finger - which he played through, rather illustrating his attitude and importance to the side. 

Being back up keeper to him is similar to having the same role to Bob Taylor, many years back. They are completely different cricketers, but each has been inked into the team without any real thought, because of their high standards. Every team hopes for a top wicket keeper who can handle a bat and Derbyshire certainly have one.

He is coming into his peak and it is heartening that he will be spending those years, at least, with the club that gave him the opportunity to play first class cricket, when it didn't work out at Lancashire. 

As I wrote recently, only Golden Age hero Bill Storer, with twelve centuries while keeping wicket has exceeded the seven that Brooke has in red ball cricket so far.

I would be prepared, even as a non-gambler, to put money on him being top of the pile by the time he finishes with the county.

I just hope that is many years away.

More great news in what is so far a hugely enjoyable season.

Derbyshire v Middlesex day four

Derbyshire 472

Middlesex 315 and 307-7 (Holden 94, Eskinazi 61, Higgins 56, Gohar 52*

Match drawn

Rather like the Big Bad Wolf of the fable, Derbyshire, huffed and puffed all day but eventually had to admit defeat in blowing down the Middlesex batting order. 

They battled well, but my assertion last night - indeed two nights ago - that the pitch was simply too good for a positive result proved to be correct. 

They can be very proud of their efforts and once again it was fine margins.. half chances being spilled, edges going wide of the man and the decision going to the batter, when Gohar looked to have failed to regain his ground. Certainly Guest, a player not known for histrionics, seemed to think he had him bang to rights, but the person whose decision mattered felt otherwise. 

It was a good game of cricket and Derbyshire certainly held the initiative for the vast majority of it.

The draw points lifted us to second place in the table, behind Leicestershire, who have started very well. Next up is a trip to Glamorgan, on Friday, a team struggling for form so far this summer. The question will be over the fitness of the key all rounders, with Anuj Dal missing this game, Luis Reece unable to bowl for much of the second innings and Martin Andersson only bowling two overs.

No doubt we will hear more in the coming days. 

As always, I look forward to your thoughts on this game when you are able to give them!

Derbyshire v Middlesex day three

Derbyshire 472

Middlesex 315 (Geddes 59, Davies 54, du Plooy 52, Chappell  4-55, Tickner 2-52, Thomson 2-44)

Derbyshire lead by 97 runs

Derbyshire did extraordinarily well to enforce the follow-on today against Middlesex, the first time that they have managed to do so against this opposition.

Yet my assertion of last night still holds. I do not think the pitch has sufficiently deteriorated to allow us to take another nine wickets tomorrow and be able to force a win. 

The lead is 'only' 97 runs and of course, every run past that effectively counts double, as we have to make them. If I had seen signs of increased turn or any consistent form of lateral movement today, I would have been more optimistic, but I suspect this time tomorrow we will be praising another battling performance, rather than one that has resulted in the win points. 

We will see, but it should take nothing away from Derbyshire in this match. Middlesex are a good side with some very fine players. We have dominated proceedings and can be very proud of the collective effort so far. 

Zak Chappell bowled splendidly today, as did Blair Tickner and they were supported by some excellent catching. Alex Thomson also had a good day, with two wickets and a stunning catch to start the ball rolling, with the dismissal of Ryan Higgins. Yet the relative ease with which the lesser known Davies, Cullen and Geddes dug in suggested that it may need a howitzer and rocket launcher to get through the visiting line up tomorrow. 

I thought Brooke Guest kept splendidly today, one leg side catch especially noteworthy, but he set the tone in the field and both Madsen and Jewell were sure when opportunities came their way. Andersson too has a good pair of hands and is making a name for himself, especially at gulley.

We will see how things go. I would love to see us conclude a solid, professional performance with a win, but my head tells me that it is unlikely. We need a muggy morning, a lot of swing and radars firmly locked on from the outset, as well as holding on to chances when they come.

It makes for a gripping final day in which, at least, we are firmly in the box seat.

Derbyshire v Middlesex day two

Derbyshire 472 (Andersson 107, Reece 60, Fernandes 3-53)

Middlesex 101-3 (Tickner 2-23)

Derbyshire lead by 371 runs

Martin Andersson is turning out to be quite a signing, isn't he?

A second first class century in as many matches put Derbyshire in the driving seat today, although there appears to be little in the pitch, once the new ball has lost its seam and hardness.

Andersson and Luis Reece batted throughout the morning session with sound defence and no shortage of punishing strokes. When Reece was run out, Zak Chappell lent the necessary support to enable the former Middlesex all rounder to reach another splendid century. With Blair Tickner lending further support, the home total became one that appeared out of the question at the start of play. 

Then two wickets for Tickner and a third for Andersson put the home side in the box seat, before the limping du Plooy, struck on the foot by Reece, had to retire hurt before the close.

With a lead of 371 runs, Derbyshire are in a good position here, but unless the pitch deteriorates, which seems unlikely at this stage, it is hard to see where seventeen wickets can come from. The first session tomorrow will be very important, but once again the fighting spirit was a highlight of the day. 

Derbyshire would not have nearly doubled their overnight score last year. There is a refreshing new steel and determination about them, which is a joy to watch, especially for those used to years of capitulation. 

Andersson, with his century, a wicket and catch again showed himself a very talented player and shrewd acquisition by Mickey Arthur. Meanwhile, in the final session, Tickner ran in hard and was rewarded with two good wickets.

There is a long haul ahead and the likeliest result on a slow pitch appears to be a draw. 

But early wickets tomorrow and sometimes things can go your way. And if du Plooy is unable to continue his innings - who knows? 

Derbyshire v Middlesex day one

Derbyshire 267-5 (Lloyd 93, Came 73, Madsen 49) 

v Middlesex

I didn't see much of today's play, because we were enjoying our last day in Berwick and then returning home. 

In the last hour, the second new ball seemed to change things and neither Guest nor Madsen could do much about the deliveries that removed them. 

Let's face it, the Middlesex attack is probably a strong as a unit as there is in the division and Derbyshire's total, having been put in, doesn't seem too bad, if they can add more in the morning. 

I was really pleased to see David Lloyd make some runs after the early dismissal of Caleb Jewell, who didn't seem to do a lot wrong either. Also good to see Harry Came back in the runs, on what appears to be a battling day 

So I will leave today's comments for you to fill in the blanks! 

Derbyshire v Middlesex preview

Fourteen becomes thirteen for Mickey Arthur and Derbyshire's squad, for the game against Middlesex which starts at the County Ground tomorrow.

Anuj Dal sits this one out to rest a back problem, but the rest of the squad is as played at Leicester. I would assume that Mitch Wagstaff will get his first opportunity of the summer in place of Dal and we are likely to field the following eleven (with those missing out at the end)

Lloyd, Jewell, Came, Madsen, Guest, Reece, Wagstaff, Andersson, Chappell, Tickner, Morley (Brown and Thomson)

Four seamers and three spinners in that eleven, which covers all of the bases, quite nicely.

MIddlesex are one place below. Derbyshire in fourth and I suspect that this will be a good toss to win tomorrow. With Dane Paterson and Zafar Gohar in their ranks they cover seam and spin quote nicely, while Leus du Plooy will hope for runs against his old county.

The Middlesex squad: 

Roland-Jones, Brookes, Cullen, Davies, du Plooy, Eskinazi, Fernandes, Geddes, Gohar, Higgins, Holden, Hollman, Paterson

With the exception of a few potential showers on Saturday, the game is set to be blessed by good weather. I can't call this one, but as I said at the start, I suspect that the team that wins the toss will dictate the match. 

I won't see any of the first day, as we will be spending our last day in Berwick, but I will post the score at the end of it and you can all add your comments as you see fit. 

I will of course be following our fortunes, but in what is forecast to be another beautiful day in Northumberland...

Fingers crossed the boys do us proud!

Book Review: Cricket Changed My Life: Eleven Personal Journeys by Annie Chave

Despite a lifetime spent following cricket as part of a family totally immersed in the game, Annie Chave has only fairly recently become known to The wider cricketing audience. 

Her sterling work as the editor of County Cricket Matters, a quarterly magazine that celebrates the county game, is laudable and she is a regular contributor to The Cricket Paper. She has also, among other things, been part of the commentary team for Guerilla Cricket and a third voice for the BBC commentary team at Somerset. 

This is her first book and will almost certainly not be the last. The premise is simple.. eleven people, men and women, whose lives have been changed by their involvement with the greatest of sports. Not all of them are well known to a wider audience, but their inclusion makes it a better read and helps to strengthen the argument  - cricket DOES change lives. 

I look back at nearly fifty years of playing the game and over twenty writing about it and the greatest 'buzz' has been the people it has allowed me to meet. Forget the runs and wickets, it is lifelong friendships, funny stories, the encounters with heroes who turned out to be every bit as nice as you hoped for. 

I especially enjoyed the chapters on Fred Rumsey and Enid Bakewell  because of their local interest. Also because Fred convinced the young me, when he played for Derbyshire, that you didn't need the build of an athlete and 20/20 vision to play the game and Enid, as the first female cricketer I ever saw, that women could be rather good at it too. 

The chapter on Callum Flynn, who had bone cancer as a child and yet recovered to play disability cricket is awe-inspiring. So too that on Waleed Khan, in a coma for several days after being shot several times in an horrific school shooting in Pakistan that saw 153 killed, 132 of them children.

The author's style is engaging and one suspects by the end of it that you would enjoy time spent in her company. The subjects, including Roland Butcher, Georgie Heath, Sue Redfern and David Lloyd are well-chosen and it makes for an enjoyable - make that refreshingly different - read.

Recommended - and another excellent title from Fairfield Books

Cricket Changed My Life : Eleven Personal Journeys is written by Annie Chave and published by Fairfield Books

Derbyshire v Northamptonshire day four

And the expected rain came along and it ended in the expected draw.

I didn't miss much today, did I? 

Please add any comments you wish to make  below

Derbyshire v Northamptonshire day three

Derbyshire 307 and 202-3 (Jewell 71, Madsen 62*, Leech 2-54)

Northamptonshire 500-8 declared (Procter 150, Zaib 105)

Derbyshire lead by 9 runs

Looking at the forecast for tomorrow, the weather should save Derbyshire from defeat in this game. You can never discount possibilities, of course, but there should be harsh words if they don't get draw points from this fixture, with a 50% chance of rain pretty much throughout the day likely to reduce the number of overs.

Northamptonshire progressed serenely to 500 before declaring, not really encountering any demons other than the desire to overstretch themselves. None of the Derbyshire bowlers looked especially dangerous, which suggested a draw should be within their compass when the time came to bat. 

Luke Procter took his innings to an admirable 150 before being well caught by Andersson from the bowling of Tickner. He looked very nervous early in the morning, before reaching his century and the leg before appeal from Reece when he was on 98 looked very, very close. Zaib also recorded a century, his at faster than a run a ball, in another fine display.

David Lloyd again, as is his wont, set off like a train but was derailed before his innings became anything other than useful. His 23 was a season highest, but it is worrying for an opening bat to be so short of runs. 

Harry Came got going but was another to fail to kick on, his dogged innings ending leg before to the impressive Leech, after a stand of 63 with Jewell.

The Australian again looked imperious and his stand with Madsen offered some of the best in batting. He registered his fifth half century in six innings, which is an impressive return, but again, he failed to turn his score into a big one. I am currently getting Lawrence Rowe vibes, another player delightful to watch but who, for all his charm at the crease, failed to register the BIG scores his side needed. 

I am hopeful that Jewell will do so before the summer is out, because the Australian selectors will not be overly impressed with a succession of fifties, no matter how breezily and classily they are made. His dismissal today, a slash at a ball he didn't need to play, was careless and unnecessary, given the match situation.

As the shadows lengthened, Northamptonshire pressed for another wicket, Harrison bowling an impressively accurate spell of leg spin from the City End and Guthrie bowling quickly at his old school friend, Guest, at the other. It was good, tense, PROPER cricket, the two most technically correct players in our side, against two contrasting bowling styles. 

At the other end was Madsen, of course. I am running out of superlatives for him, seemingly on a quest to be in the middle for most of his year as captain. He was unbeaten on 62 at the close, taking his season average to 96.5 in six innings. He is playing so straight, so late at times, an object lesson for anyone. His footwork is sure and he just looks on a different plane.

Eight runs ahead at the close with seven wickets in hand. I would hope we can see this one out amid the promised rainfall. 

After all, where there's Wayne, there's hope.

Anyway, we are off tomorrow on one of our three breaks this summer to delightful Berwick upon Tweed. I won't see much of the final day, but will post the final score for your comments.

Hopefully we are all of sound mind by then! 

Derbyshire v Northamptonshire day two

Derbyshire 307 (Guest 91, Madsen 89, Reece 36, Broad 4-60, Procter 3-61, Guthrie 3-74)

Northamptonshire 236-3 (Procter 97*, Vasconcelos 82) 

Derbyshire lead by 71 runs

By the end of day two of this match, Derbyshire had experienced their first 'average' day of the season.

As is often the case at Derby, wickets fell in the first session, too many of them for home comfort. Guest added only four runs to his overnight score before being bowled and while Reece, not in his best touch, battled hard, it was left to Tickner, with a few lusty and at times unorthodox strokes, to take his team to a second batting bonus point. Broad bowled well and got considerable swing, but the engine room wasn't running at its peak capacity today.

Morley was out on the stroke of lunch, which meant the visitors batted in the afternoon. They got through to tea unscathed, after a somewhat insipid home bowling performance. Vasconcelos and Procter batted well, but there were enough loose deliveries to prevent pressure being built and they could have been made to work harder for the runs. 

The partnership had reached 143 when Tickner removed the former for an excellent 82, but the admirable Procter, fresh from 21 overs and three wickets, held an end down with gritty determination, judicious leaves and an occasional stroke of flamboyance. He is a good player and they are lucky to have him, the sort of professional, no-nonsense bloke that makes the county game.

Chappell got Bartlett, like Broad formerly a target for Derbyshire, to nick behind and Reece bowled Sales after an underwhelming stay that never suggested permanence. 

Yet by the close the game seemed to hang on tomorrow's first, often bowler-friendly session. Derbyshire must make better use of conditions than they did today, or could face a deficit of 100-200 runs, maybe more. For all the fight being shown so far this summer, I would suggest that might not end well. 

Having said that, the forecast for Monday suggests they will be on and off all day, so it is important that we keep the visitors in check - and ourselves battling - tomorrow.

Finally tonight, thank you to all who got in touch to congratulate me on the blog award. Your kind words are very much appreciated, as is your continued support and interest.

Latest radio interview

My latest interview with Matt Rhodes of North Derbyshire Radio was on air tonight.

We discussed the Leicestershire game, thoughts on the one that started today and on Wayne Madsen's contract renewal

You can hear it here

I am on around 14.20, but it is a great show, well worth a listen to the whole thing!

Seconds win thriller at Repton

Ben Aitchison completed an excellent comeback match for the second eleven, by winning the match and sealing an excellent run chase at Repton this afternoon.

Chasing 311 to win a terrific game of cricket, Mitch Wagstaff made 73 and Will Tarrant 53, before a slump reduced Derbyshire to 207-6, despite 39 from Yusaf Bin Naeem. 

Then a crucial stand of 85 between Nick Potts (55) and 18-year old Joe Hawkins (24) turned the game, before both were dismissed with 15 still needed.

Enter Aitchison and with a delicious 'flip' off his toes for six and a flashing stroke through the covers for four,  the game was won.

Friendly or not, this was a cracking game on an excellent pitch, with Charlie Barnard hardly deserving to be on the losing side with figures of 6-108.

Terrific stuff, guys. And great to see you back, Ben! 

Derbyshire v Northamptonshire day one

Derbyshire 216-4 (Madsen 89, Guest 87*)

v Northamptonshire 

The fighting spirit that served Derbyshire well at Leicester once again came to their rescue against Northamptonshire today. 

Having won the toss and inserted the home side, the visitors were vindicated when they reduced Derbyshire to 29-3 inside the first ten overs. 

Yet by the close the score had reached 216-4, thanks to a record fourth wicket stand for the fourth wicket against this opponent at Derby, knocking Levi Wright and Bertie Lawton from a record set 118 summers ago (thanks to David Griffin, X).

Of course Wayne Madsen was part of a new record stand of 169, yet again coming to the rescue after Luke Procter and Liam Guthrie found early movement. The maestro is rekindling memories of his last stint as skipper, when the runs flowed from his bat like the finest of wine.  Just like wine, Madsen is maturing, as Levi Wright did before him, after the age of forty. He looks solid in defence, is playing delightfully straight, yet showing the timing and placement of his salad days.

A prolific bat in the game's 'Golden Age',  Wright played until he was 47. We would take that from Wayne, I think...

With him was Brooke Guest, who remained at the close after the skipper was caught behind. He is thirteen runs away from his eighth first class century for the county, a record only exceeded as Derbyshire wicket-keeper by another hero of the Golden Age, Bill Storer. He made fifteen centuries for the county, a round dozen of them while also keeping in the match (he also bowled handy leg breaks).

It was a good day's work against a keen attack and although rain sadly truncated the day, they will be well satisfied at the close. 

If they can push on towards 350-400 tomorrow (assuming the rain relents) then the foundations have been set for another good display.

A winning one? The weather will dictate that, but we have done ourselves no harm with today's efforts.

Chapeau, gentlemen...

Proud Day!

I was delighted today to hear that the blog is, according to Feedspot, in the top ten ranked cricket blogs in the UK, ranked at four with some heavy hitters around me, including The Cricket Paper.

I am very proud of this but just keep writing what I hope people will enjoy. Readership continues to increase after all thos time and thank you so much to everyone who regularly checks in to read what I have to say. 

I am grateful to all of you, especially those who contribute their own thoughts on a regular basis. It is especially gratifying to have so many supporters of other counties getting involved too.

Thank you

Derbyshire v Northamptonshire preview

Mickey Arthur has named a 14-man squad for the game against Northamptonshire, that starts at the County Ground tomorrow.

To the eleven that played at Leicester are added Alex Thomson, Pat Brown and Mitch Wagstaff. The latter enjoyed a fine game in the well-balanced second team game against Lancashire, making 69 and 73 in his two innings, while Thomson did the same, making 87 in his only innings and taking six wickets in the match. It is heartening that everyone is making a strong case for inclusion in the first eleven at present and it can only be good for the team. Nye Donald is working with fitness staff to be fit for the T20, so looks likely to miss out until then.

Having said that, I would be surprised if there were any change to the eleven that played at Leicester, so I expect Derbyshire to line up as follows: 

Jewell, Lloyd, Came, Madsen, Guest, Reece, Dal, Andersson, Chappell, Tickner, Morley

Northamptonshire have named a 12-man, unchanged squad from the game against Lancashire, which they dominated but narrowly failed to win. They are currently missing Ben Sanderson, a very fine bowler, but Nottinghamshire spinner Calvin Harrison enjoyed an excellent debut on loan and Australian Liam Guthrie has made a positive impression with the new ball, since arriving on a 3-year deal and UK passport. Saif Zaib and Lewis McManus are in good batting touch, while Rob Keogh so often turns into Jim Laker against Derbyshire.

It will be a good game, but if the weather stays out of it, Derbyshire are capable of getting a second win on the board. The toss will again be important and hopefully Wayne Madsen can continue his fine form with bat and coin into this game. 

In hoping for a decent forecast, I'm going for a Derbyshire win here.

What do you think?

In closing, I will be on the North Derbyshire Radio sports programme again tomorrow evening, discussing the Leicestershire game, this one and my thoughts on Wayne Madsen's new contract with Matt Rhodes.

I hope you tune in. For those who can't, I will post a link to hear it on playback, later tomorrow evening.

Madsen signs one-year contract extension!

It is fair to say that there will be no dissenting voices at the news that Wayne Madsen has signed a one-year contract extension, taking him to the end of 2026. Indeed, it is quite likely that street parties are being planned, to celebrate the news...

For the past few seasons, I have watched closely to see any signs of deterioration in eye, technique or commitment. Truth be told, there is hardly any. No thickening of the waistline, no reduction in the output of runs, no lessening in the safety of the hands at second slip. The hair may be a little grey at the temples (speaking as one who would love hair at my temples..) but Wayne, like a fine wine, gets better with age. 

His three innings so far this season have brought 236 runs, with a century and 96 among them. He still looks imperious at the crease and so far his feet, hands and eyes seem to be in perfect coordination. He remains the most prized wicket in the side and the man most feared by opponents. That has been the case pretty much since he first joined the county in 2009. 

What a servant he has been! With the way the modern game is going, it is fair to say that we are unlikely to see his like again. 

I am just thrilled that we have at least two more seasons to enjoy his contributions to the team and the club. 

He remains one of the nicest blokes you could wish to meet and I am sure that sentiment is echoed by anyone who has come into contact with him. 

Fabulous, fabulous news.

Second team in control at Repton

The second eleven did very well on the first day of four against Lancashire at Repton.

Winning the toss, they elected to bowl and put the visitors out for 269. George Bell made 76 but the bowling was keen. Former Sussex left arm seamer Will Rogers took three, but the talking point was two wickets on his return to action from Ben Aitchison. He also held two very sharp catches at slip, on a return he will be delighted with. Pat Brown and Alex Thomson also took two wickets each, the latter skippering the side.

When Derbyshire went in, Mitch Wagstaff showed nice touch with his first half century of the summer. He and Yusaf Bin Naeem added an unbroken 106 runs for the second wicket, after Will Tarrant was dismissed by Blatherwick.

At the close, Derbyshire were 135-1 with Wagstaff on 69 and Bin Naeem 37.

A good day's work, consolidating a fine start to the summer all round.

Second team in action at Repton

Interesting looking second team in the game against Lancashire, starting at Repton today..

Ben Aitchison returns to action and Pat Brown is also in the side, as is Nick Potts. Former Lancashire wicket-keeper/bat George Lavelle lines up against his former team mates, in a side captained by Alex Thomson and featuring several academy players.

The Derbyshire side:

• Wagstaff, Tarrant, bin Naeem, Thomson, Lavelle, Hawkins, Potts, Aitchison, Brown, Rogers, Green

More on this, later.

Leicestershire v Derbyshire day four

Leicestershire 484 and 357-9 declared (Tickner 3-82, Morley 3-84)

Derbyshire 393 and 305-4 (Madsen 96, Jewell 73, Guest 68* Reece 38*) 

Match drawn

What could have been a fascinating final day at Leicester was ruined by the negative mindset of the home side. 

They could have declared overnight, or after three or four overs this morning, but instead opted to bat Derbyshire completely out of the game and then attempt to bowl them out in 86 overs. 

Perhaps they thought there would be a collapse, or that the pitch would suddenly misbehave. But it was a flawed idea, because for Derbyshire to go for the runs and potentially lose wickets in the process, there needed to be a carrot, or incentive. They even had boundary riders from the outset, so were not overly aggressive with field settings.

It was a case of batting out time. Perhaps briefly, when Wayne Madsen and Caleb Jewell were together, there was a brief consideration of a chase, but the dismissal of the Australian made the draw points the prize.

Jewell made his fourth half century in as many innings and again looked a very fine player. For me, his next challenge is to go on to a match defining century, because red ball cricket is rarely won by fifties, regardless of how stylish and enjoyable they are. As one old professional once said to me, when you have that many on the board you are seeing it like a football and should be 'drinking at the well' while the eye is in. There will be plenty of days when it isn't, for anyone.

Madsen again led from the front with a stylish innings, the only surprise being when he missed out on yet another century. But he can be proud of how his team battled in this game and how once again he has shown himself one of the all-time greats of the county. As well as a nigh-perennial problem for Leicestershire, averaging over sixty against them throughout his career 

It was left to Brooke Guest and Luis Reece to find batting form and steer Derbyshire to a comfortable draw. There were a couple of loud appeals against the former, though more indicative of a lack of understanding of the lbw law, as viewed from short leg, in the second instance.

In the end, both sides will be happy with the draw. Derbyshire showed that they will be prepared to graft this summer and will be very satisfied, from the position that they were in on day two. 

Leicestershire? A good side, but unless they show greater willingness to risk defeat in going for a win, I don't see enough variation in their attack to really challenge for promotion at the end of the summer. They missed Chris Wright here and cannot depend on his body holding together throughout the summer.

In closing, Derbyshire's second team are in action tomorrow and I suspect that David Lloyd might fancy a bat in that fixture. He seems to be pushing at the ball at present, never a good move as an opener. He remains the best option for us in that position, because we cannot burden Luis Reece, with greater responsibility than he already has in opening the bowling. 

I think David will come again and his importance to the balance of the Derbyshire side is clear. But Mitch Wagstaff will also aim to impress and offers a similar skill set, if required.

But a good effort. I don't think anyone can deny that.

Unbeaten, going into game three. We would have taken that in advance, I think? 

Leicestershire v Derbyshire day three

Leicestershire 484 and 291-8 (Ahmed 77, Budinger 44, Tickner 3-59, Andersson 2-32, Morley 2-54)

Derbyshire 393

Leicestershire lead by 382 runs

A fascinating but curious third day of this game set up what should be an intriguing finish at Leicester tomorrow.

Blair Tickner and Jack Morley added a plucky 47 for the last wicket, after Andersson was dismissed with no addition to his overnight century. There were a few edges but some good shots too, Morley clearly illustrating he has worked on his batting over the winter and can no longer be considered the 'Binary Jack' that his scores last season suggested. 

Budinger and Ahmed set off at a fair lick and extended the lead of 91 very quickly with a fine  stand of 132 in just 20 overs. Yet thereafter they lost wickets steadily to a Derbyshire attack that largely offered Tickner and Chappell's brimstone at one end and Morley's treacle at the other.  So much so that the next 50 overs added only 159 runs. Indeed, in the final session Green and van Beek batted as if they were trying to save the game, rather than win it. 

I can only assume that the home side doesn't see the pitch as having deteriorated so much as to leave Derbyshire a day and, say, twenty overs to get the runs, or maybe they are a bowler down. Both Ahmed and van Beek were struck on the helmet by a hostile attack and concussion protocols may or may not come into play.

 It seemed unduly negative, although perhaps they are banking on an historically accurate Derbyshire collapse tomorrow. Time will tell on that one, but when bad light brought the players off early, it seemed they had missed a trick in not getting Derbyshire in for a few overs and maybe nicking a wicket or two tonight.

Tickner in particular ran in hard, bowled aggressively and deserved his three wickets, while Andersson added to his fine match with two, but for me the best bowler was Jack Morley. The slow left armer bowled a beautifully controlled spell and clearly illustrated both why he was signed and why he has become the lead spinner at the club. He was by far the most economical bowler and maintained a nagging, probing length throughout, with a lovely loop to his bowling.

One assumes that Leicestershire will declare overnight and that Derbyshire will be set what would be a club record run chase of 383 to win. With Anuj Dal struggling and off the field with a back injury, one or two batters will need to step up, but it should be - weather permitting - an absorbing day.

Let's hope that the fighting spirit shown by Derbyshire so far extends into the final day. Record or not, with a fast outfield and not overly long boundaries it is not beyond them, if key men get in. 

There will be a few of us watching, for sure! 

Leicestershire v Derbyshire day two

Leicestershire 484 (van Beek 82*)

Derbyshire 346-8 (Andersson 101*, Jewell 83, Dal 43, Chappell 37, Tickner 13* van Beek 3-87)

Derbyshire trail by 138 runs

While accepting that the early season frailties of the Derbyshire top order are a cause for concern, I have considerable admiration for the fighting spirit that they showed at Leicester this afternoon. 

Led by a magnificent maiden first class century by Martin Andersson, with support from Nuj Dal, Zak Chappell and Blair Tickner, Derbyshire recovered from the perilous position of 66-4 and 139-6 to reach 346-8 by the close.

After Logan van Beek and Tom Scriven had added 83 for the last home wicket, before Jack Morley finished things off, Derbyshire did not start well and lost David Lloyd to a fairly ineffectual push at van Beek to be caught and bowled. Came was leg before without scoring, as was Guest soon afterwards and when Madsen went the same way, the follow on was a very distant target. 

Reece added a half century stand with Jewell, before being dismissed and without looking entirely convincing. The Tasmanian again batted beautifully, but gave two lives that came back to bite the home side. He made his way to a third successive half century before being bowled by one that kept horribly low. 

A century stand between Dal and Andersson gave Derbyshire hope, with plenty of common sense cricket being played, but the dismissal of Dal, a third wicket for van Beek who has enjoyed an excellent debut, looked like the end for the Innings. 

Chappell is much improved with the bat however and added 58 with Andersson, before an ill-advised swipe at Mike saw him caught on the square leg boundary.

With Derbyshire still 28 runs short of avoiding the follow on, Tickner came in and played with great common sense, enabling Andersson to steer his side to the target and reach his maiden first class century in doing so.

Andersson looks a very organised, composed and controlled cricketer. I don't think anyone will deny he improves the side and will be a considerable asset to it in the months and hopefully years ahead. I very much enjoyed what I saw of him today.

By the close, with Tickner refusing singles to protect Andersson, Derbyshire were still 138 runs behind but in a place that seemed unlikely earlier in the day. 

I won't get overly upset about batting failures after three first class innings and I am sure the ones struggling will soon discover their best form. 

I will, however, celebrate the fighting spirit that kept Derbyshire in this game. If that becomes a feature of the summer, we will do considerably better than those of recent past.

Leicestershire v Derbyshire day one

Leicestershire 423-9 (Budinger 81, Holland 74, Handscombe 63, van Beek 53*, Cox 49)

v Derbyshire

I have to admit, I'm not sure of the rationale in winning the toss and having a bowl this morning. 

The pitch looked pretty good after the recent dry spell and I can only assume the hope was to make early inroads into a long home batting lineup. 

It didn't work, as Sol Budinger, batting in his trademark style, played some sparkling strokes and straight away put to Derbyshire onto the back foot. 

They did well - perhaps were lucky - to dismiss him before the lunch interval, but Leicestershire were scoring at a run a minute by that stage and had built a platform for a sizeable score 

Derbyshire fought back well in the afternoon. and claimed three more wickets, but at no point did there appear any justification in the decision at the toss. The only thing you could say was that no one made a huge score and the bowlers, as a unit, stuck to their task pretty well.

Perhaps they hope to have a run chase on the last afternoon and feel that is the best chance of victory. If that is the case, there might have been mild concern that a couple of the wickets that fell went to deliveries that kept a little low. Perhaps Rehan Ahmed will come into the game as it progresses, but it was hard work for the bowlers for the greater part of the day. 

After a loose, adjusting first spell from Blair Tickner, he bowled very well after lunch. But by the end of the day, having lost the toss, I would probably say that this was Leicestershire's day. Highlighted when Logan van Beek showed batting touch he didn't do in our colours 

But of course, we never know how good a score is until both sides have batted. There should be no real demons in this pitch as it stands, for Derbyshire, sometime tomorrow 

One final point - the stream this morning was pretty awful. There is a certain irony in this, for a county that was on pay per view at the end of last summer and has a CEO whose stated aim is to take the game to new audiences.

While it is hard to complain when a service is offered free, surely constant buffering and a static camera at either end is pretty poor fare.

In my opinion, anyway.

Leicestershire v Derbyshire preview

There was good and bad news for Derbyshire supporters this morning.

Harry Moore has been ruled out for at least the next 8 weeks with a back injury, which is a blow for the young man, as well as the county. His height - and long back as a consequence - will always present challenges, of course and it is further evidence that he will need to be well managed, moving forward. 

But Blair Tickner has arrived and pronounced himself fully fit after a bicep injury and a very successful winter in New Zealand. So he goes straight into the Derbyshire squad for the game against Leicestershire tomorrow. Mitch Wagstaff is also in the squad, with Nye Donald continuing to be assessed after the shoulder injury sustained in the field against Gloucestershire.

The Derbyshire squad of 13 - my likely eleven first:

Lloyd, Jewell, Came, Madsen, Guest, Reece, Dal, Andersson, Chappell, Tickner, Morley (Brown and Wagstaff)

There is no news on the Leicestershire squad as I write, with Rishi Patel a potential doubt after injury in their ten wicket win over Glamorgan last weekend. He would be a big loss, but Logan van Beek has arrived to take his place as their second overseas player alongside Peter Handscomb and the squad is likely to be broadly the same as in that opening win:

Patel, Budinger, Holland, Hill, Handscomb, Ahmed, Cox, Green, Mike, Scriven, Wright, van Beek

The game is set to be blessed by good weather throughout and after such a dry start to the season the spinners may come into play as the game progresses. Whether that opens the door for Mitch Wagstaff's leg spin is a moot point, but Mickey Arthur will be loathe to change a winning side, especially with two good spin options already available in David Lloyd and Jack Morley.

Early days, but a top of the table local derby has a nice sound to it! The arrival of Tickner might just give Derbyshire the edge and I am going for a follow up success to the excellent win last week.

What do you think? 

Update: Both Rishi Patel (dislocated thumb) and Chris Wright (knee) miss the game for the home side who have the following thirteen:

Ahmed, Budinger, Cox, B Green, Handscomb, Hill, Holland, Kimber, Mike, Patel, Scriven, Trevaskis, van Beek, Walker.

Book Review: The Cricketers' Who's Who 2025 with a foreword by Rory Burns

Which current Derbyshire player can solve a Rubik cube in thirty seconds? And which one cites 'otter watching' as one of his interests? For that matter, who played chess at national level and who speaks fluent Spanish?

The answers are at the end, but the 46th edition of The Cricketers' Who's Who is no less compelling than its predecessors. For me, it has long been the 'go to' book for information on players and the one that you ensure is safely in the bag when heading off for a day at the cricket.

Wisden will always be the most collectable of cricket books, but with passing years and less acute eyesight, I find it an increasing challenge to read these days. With so much cricket around the globe to cover, it dictates font size must be small and a large print edition doesn't appear likely!

The Cricketers' Who's Who focuses on the game in which I have the most interest and it is a joyous read, always. While complete currency will always be a challenge given the nature of overseas recruitment, it does an extraordinary job of providing last year's county averages in all competitions, biographies of contracted players and responses to 'quirky' questions, as well as others about the game. The top women players are also included, in a book that is an essential purchase for the discerning cricket fan.

With a foreword by Rory Burns, the book packs so much into its 640 pages. 

There is a long summer ahead. Treat yourself to a book that will be the very best companion during the usual rain breaks.

The Cricketers' Who's Who Is published by Fairfield Books

Answers: Nick Potts is the Rubik master, Zak Chappell likes his otters, Luis Reece played national level chess and Anuj Dal is a fluent Spanish-speaker

Anniversary celebration at Buxton

Buxton Cricket Club are holding a celebration of the famous - or infamous - snow game of 1975, when Derbyshire were caught on a wet wicket after an unseasonal snow storm.

"When I went out to inspect the wicket, the snow was level with the top of my boots. I'd never seen anything like it."  - umpire, Dickie Bird. 

To celebrate the famous event, Buxton Cricket Club has invited players and officials from that game back to the ground. There'll be a buffet lunch, interviews with some of the players from 1975 and a keynote speech from Geoff Miller OBE (who played in the game).

To mark the occasion further, the club plans a ‘Cricket for All’ big club day with games for all ages and standards to watch while you enjoy the bar refreshments and cake stalls. There'll be a snow machine for the young to enjoy! 

The event is on Sunday June 1 between 1pm and 4pm and tickets can be booked here

It sounds a lot of fun and I hope that it is well supported!

Derbyshire v Gloucestershire day 3

Gloucestershire 222 and 259 (Charlesworth 110, Reece 4-45)

Derbyshire 391 and 93-1 (Jewell 51*, Came 27*)

Derbyshire won by nine wickets 

Derbyshire completed a thoroughly professional victory over Gloucestershire at the County Ground today, winning by nine wickets with over four sessions to spare. 

It was an outstanding performance from the start and as I wrote the other night, they have now set a standard they must endeavour to match throughout the season. 

Gloucestershire were always likely to fight on the last day, but the dismissal of Bracey and van Buuren in the morning session meant they were facing an uphill battle, despite a fine century by Ben Charlesworth, eventually dismissed by Luis Reece in what seemed a definitive moment in the game.

There were four more wickets in the innings for Luis Reece, giving him ten in the match, while David Lloyd took two with his offspin as the visitors were eventually bowled out for 259, leaving Derbyshire just 91 runs to win.

10-97 in the opening match was a magnificent return for Luis Reece. This was the Reece of old, running in hard and with the chance to have a breather when his turn comes to bat. Blair Tickner will have a fight for the new ball when he gets here, but that's not a bad thing!

Although Lloyd departed, caught by Ollie Price off the bowling of his brother Tom,  Came lent admirable support to Caleb Jewell, who completed a second highly impressive half-century on his debut.

The Tasmanian has wonderful timing and a full range of strokes, yet he shows serious power, especially through the off side.

The only shadow on the Derbyshire performance was what looked like a serious injury sustained by Aneurin Donald, landing heavily as he prevented a boundary and seemingly damaging his shoulder or elbow. No doubt we will hear about that in due course and I'm sure we all wish him a speedy recovery. 

There can be no complaints after this performance. It has been some time since Derbyshire delivered one of such total conviction and professionalism in red ball cricket. 

Wayne Madsen led the side very well and the bowlers were supported in the field in a genuine team effort. I don't think a session was lost in the game and if we can reproduce that form moving forward, a few of the so-called experts may have egg on their faces, later in the summer.

Great job, boys. Fair to say we all enjoyed that!

Shall we stop the season there?!

Derbyshire v Gloucestershire day 2

Gloucestershire 222 and 128-3 (Charlesworth 77*)

Derbyshire 391 (Madsen 118, Came 83, Chappell 61 de Lange 3-31)

Derbyshire lead by 41 runs 

Derbyshire ended up with pretty much the total I expected today, although the way that they did so was considerably different. 

A magnificent stand in the morning, between Wayne Madsen, who progressed to a wonderful century and Harry Came, who batted with considerable charm, took them almost to lunch, before the latter seemed to misjudge the length and was leg before to Ollie Price 

It signalled a post-lunch collapse of true Derbyshire proportions, as 271-2 became 290-7. Guest seemed unhappy to be adjudged caught behind, but others fell to a combination of insipid strokeplay and better bowling. de Lange bowled especially well and quite quickly, several times ending prone on delivery with the effort. 

Truth be told, Gloucestershire were unlucky in the morning, edges falling short or evading the slips or stumps, while on the occasions the ball carried, the catches were put down. Yet Madsen and Came batted in resolute fashion to add 177 for the third wicket, a stand that should have allowed their side to push on to a winning situation.

They still took a first innings lead of 169 thanks to some fine later order hitting by Zak Chappell, who made an excellent 61 and, in company with Madsen and Morley, ensured that one hundred runs were added for the eighth and ninth wickets. But there will be disappointment when considerably more was on the cards at lunch. 

When the visitors batted again, Charlesworth, who interested Derbyshire last season, anchored the innings but played some fine strokes. There was less help in the pitch  but three wickets fell by the close, with the visitors still 41 runs behind.

While Derbyshire hold the advantage, they require early wickets tomorrow, as well as more astute captaincy from the incomparable Madsen. Price flicked one to leg gulley two balls after he had set one and he couldn't have done more on his return to the 'throne'. It is still hard to imagine a Derbyshire side without this remarkable cricketer.

Finally, I must commend the quality of the stream over these two days. The angles, editing and replays are really something and those concerned deserve all the plaudits.

Nice job guys! 

Now let's see if our lads on the pitch can finish it off tomorrow.

Early cloud cover would be nice, wouldn't it? 

Derbyshire v Gloucestershire day one

Gloucestershire 222 (van Buuren 67, Bracey 48, Reece 6-52, Dal 4-43)

Derbyshire 127-2 (Jewell 61, Came 29*)

Derbyshire trail by 95 runs

Hail the all rounders!

Derbyshire bowled out Gloucestershire for 222 at the County Ground today, a score that would have had the visitors' old middle order bat and later first class umpire, David Shepherd, hopping around on one leg. 

Missing three seamers who would have been in contention to play here (Tickner, Moore, Aitchison) the side bowled well as a unit but the ten wickets were shared by Luis Reece with six, the other four going to Anuj Dal 

It was superb bowling. Reece neatly topped and tailed the innings, with Dal ripping out the middle order. The greatest praise I could give Nuj is that it was like watching prime time Tony Palladino from the City End, few loose balls and testing the techniques of the opposition batters to the full

Meanwhile Reece, shorn of the responsibility of opening the batting, took the new ball and got movement both ways. He was running in more freely and bowling more quickly than I have seen for the past couple of seasons and it was great to see.

Others bowled well, yet without luck. Brown was lively, Andersson probing and although Chappell was a little out of sorts it didn't really matter.  The bowlers were backed up well in the field, especially in the slips. Jewell held two good catches, as did Madsen and we look a little more secure there at this early stage. 

I thought Wayne Madsen handled his bowlers well, after doing what all the best skippers do and winning the toss. It is clear the players are all behind him and that there is a good spirit in the camp. Long may that continue! 

The pitch is a good one. Good players can score runs, but there is something there for the seamers. That's my kind of pitch. I think Blair Tickner, wherever he is, will enjoy such pitches if they are to be the new standard.

For the visitors, Charlesworth set off with some sumptuous drives before becoming a little bogged down and getting out. Bracey and van Buuren mounted a steady rescue act, as they so often do, before Bracey was deceived by a full ball from Dal that dipped late. van Buuren threatened a big score, but top edged the first ball after tea into the safe hands of Chappell at long leg.

Derbyshire set off at a merry rate, reaching fifty in the eighth over before Lloyd was bowled by a fine ball from Price. Both he and Jewell had dished out punishment to Singh Dale and Taylor and the Australian progressed to a beautiful half century, full of fine strokes through the covers. 

His end was disappointing, as the whole-hearted de Lange, steaming in from the Racecourse End, had him hurrying against a bouncer which was sure to be repeated. Jewell took him on again and holed out to long leg, an unnecessary dismissal more in keeping with twenty-over than four day cricket. He will learn from it, I am sure, but the assertive start was reminiscent of Martin Guptill's assault on Northamptonshire in 2012, which turned out quite nicely. He will doubtless entertain this summer and his timing was quite exquisite today.

Throughout, the bowling seemed trickier from the City End and Price bowled a steady spell for the visitors before the close. But Came looked very good again, playing three sumptuous on side drives that Peter May would have been proud of. Meanwhile Madsen was circumspect, probably aware that a big innings from him could put his side into a very strong position. 

It could all go pear-shaped of course, but I liked the look of this Derbyshire side today.

Had Mickey Arthur asked Quentin Tarantino to script the opening day, it could scarce have gone better.

They have now set a standard for the summer and they must endeavour to meet it on a regular basis. 

That was an impressive day's work.