With Pat Brown and Nye Donald already selected, Derbyshire will be without four of their first choice players for the One-Day Cup, which has led to considerable wailing and gnashing of teeth on social media.
Yet supporters will need to accept - as I have - that the game has changed and the 50-over competition, whether we like it or not, is a development one. It is a chance for peripheral players to stake a claim, for young ones to make a name and for players possibly to change county and impress potential new suitors (assuming his own county has the resources to let him leave..)
Our best chance of success this year is in the T20, especially after the announcement of Allah Ghazanfar as overseas player for that competition. The announcement of Harry Moore in the Birmingham squad is a bold one and probably suggests he will play in the Vitality Blast this year. Is it asking a lot of a young man who hasn't yet played a T20 match to be participating in the ultimate of slap and giggle cricket? Perhaps, but Moore is a precocious talent and while Derbyshire will field two players over forty in the Blast (Madsen and Patel) it looks likely they could also field two eighteen-year olds in Moore and Ghazanfar.
So what is your first choice Blast side, assuming fitness and form? I would likely go with:
Jewell
Donald
Madsen
Andersson
Whiteley/Lloyd
Guest
Patel
Chappell
Moore
Ghazanfar
Brown
You could go with Donald as wicket-keeper, but especially for a mystery spinner you need your best man behind the stumps. Andersson opened with success for Middlesex last year and there will be a decision between Whiteley (who really needs to play this format if he is going to) and Lloyd.
Ross gives you another left-hander but perhaps his might be a floating role, to keep the bowlers changing their lines if Jewell went early.
Conversely, Lloyd is a quick scorer and a bowling option, but the addition of Ghazanfar gives Derbyshire a VERY strong bowling unit for all surfaces.
Brown, Chappell, Moore, Ghazanfar and Patel. I am loathe to heap expectation on to the shoulders of two players still in their teens, but that might be our strongest-ever T20 attack.
Consider me excited. It could go wrong, of course and injuries can derail any side, but that looks a pretty decent side to me
Thoughts? What would be your first choice eleven?
I think you've nailed it there Steve. Temptation for Donald to keep but I agree totally with your reasons against. Dal might be an option, but can't see anything other than the 12 you name as being the first choice, with a difficult decision between Lloyd and Whiteley.
ReplyDeleteOther teams in our group have made some solid signings, so it will not be easy to progress beyond the group, but I agree, it's our best chance of 'success' this season.
Will you be giving any coverage to the rebranded Women's team? They have announced their squad for the first year of Tier 2.
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't think I have time. But if anyone wants to mail me with a view to covering their matches, I would of course be happy to publish reports and news. I wish them well, they have a very good side.
DeleteI also hope to look at the very talented pathway sides, as and when I have the opportunity
Another option is to look at 4 overs from Andersson, Whiteley & Lloyd. That way Moore would probably be the one to miss out. With Reece, Came, Wagstaff & Thomson also not in that XI, this looks to be our strongest T20 squad ever. It should be exciting
ReplyDeleteMarkB
You could go that way, Mark. But if a lad who has been signed by a Hundred franchise isn't playing for his county, maybe it isn't the best look?
DeleteFunny to think Luis Reece, so long a staple of this format, may not get a game. But his strike rate has been dropping for several years.
If Jewell bats through, we should get some good scores on the board and the attack looks very keen
That's a good team, Steve, and it bats down to nine. With some big hitters and an excellent bowling attack, we have a great chance of reaching the quarter finals this season - on paper.
ReplyDeleteWe do. As long as we translate that on to that pesky grass, it should make for fascinating viewing
DeleteOn paper that looks a solid team . The 50 over tournament has sadly been downgraded by the ECB so we have to plan accordingly Reece,Tickner,Dal,Came,Aitchison,Thomson and Potts not in the team listed in the article so not all bad if fit and in form .
ReplyDelete50 over team: Jewell, Came, Reece, Lloyd, Wagstaff, Guest, Andersson, Dal, Thomson, Aitchison, Tickner.
ReplyDeleteOk the competition is not as high profile as the others, but that team should produce some good cricket & qualify as a minimum.
MarkB
Yes, I'd agree that side ought to be competitive against weakened opposition. You have assumed (and I agree it's likely) that Zak will be chosen as a wild card pick for The Hundred.
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