The morning after...

A couple of things struck me this morning, when I logged onto my laptop to check the statistics for this site.

First up, usage is higher than it has ever been, which, if nothing else, reflects a major interest in Derbyshire cricket. Every post has thousands of views, which is flattering and very much appreciated. 

Secondly, the number of comments are increasing. If you regularly log in and would like to say something, please feel free to do so. Comments are approved before publishing, just to ensure that nothing unduly personal is put out there. But please feel free to say something and participate, preferably adding a name - even one you would prefer to use on the site, if not your own.

Going back to yesterday - and I would prefer not to, but needs must - it is easy to forget, after another defeat, that there are positive signs. 

Our batting is not really an issue. I think that Ben Smith has done a pretty good job and if one looks ahead to next season, there is strength in both red and white ball lineups. 

We don't yet know about Harry Came, though I would expect him to sign a new deal and probably open the batting with Caleb Jewell. With Montgomery, Madsen, Guest, Basra and Reece to follow, we shouldn't lack runs. Maybe another young batter will force his way in, which would be nice, but with Nye Donald and maybe Ross Whiteley for white ball cricket, we should usually get runs on the board.

What we REALLY need is an attack leader. An experienced overseas player who we can first of all afford and who wants to come and play in England and specifically for Derbyshire. The riches available in global franchise cricket these days almost make that a mission worthy of Tom Cruise (or Peter Graves, for those of my era, not the former Sussex player...)

Therein lies the challenge. Assuming Rory Haydon signs, with him, Ben Aitchison, Harry Moore, Nick Potts and Pat Brown we have a youthful quintet of seam bowlers who would further benefit from on-field guidance. A name, a man you could throw the ball to, as Kim Barnett once did to Michael Holding, or we once did with Tony Palladino when the going got tough. Or Mark Footitt, who for two summers was a one-man Blitzkrieg on batting lineups, thigh pads and helmets.

But just as I have praised the work of Ben Smith, at the end of the summer there has to be an evaluation of Ajmal Shahzad, as there will be of all coaches and players. While accepting that the Derby pitches are too heavily weighted in the favour of batters (in my opinion) I don't think there is a bowler who could hand on heart say they have improved this year. 

Maybe Jack Morley, but the seamers have all appeared less grooved, less effective than in 2024. The question needs to be asked why? Maybe it is the pitches, but when there is a collective deterioration, the question at least needs to be asked if they are getting the wrong advice, coaching or support. I can accept form being a cyclical thing, but everyone? There has to be a reason and Mickey Arthur has to get to the bottom of that.

Pat Brown came in for a lot of stick yesterday, both on and off the field. Yet he was starring for England Lions less than twelve months ago and has previously been very effective in white ball cricket for Derbyshire. It is painful to see a player struggling as he did yesterday, the nadir of a troublesome season for him. He can get it back, but needs help, the right help, in order to do so. 

He has been at the Hundred, sat in the dugout, lacking game time and probably confidence. The latter is a big thing in cricket and sometimes the feet aren't right, the head isn't as a consequence and the ball comes out all wrong.

Years ago I played under a very good professional who brought my game on considerably. His coaching stripped down my batting technique and in his two seasons I scored consistently and took my share of wickets. He even got me through coaching badges to better understand the process and I only wish I could have played and worked under him longer. Subsequently a 'name' Australian was professional and he hadn't remotely the same skills in coaching. When I hit the inevitable bad patch, he couldn't help and it was down to me to get out of it.

Sometimes the message can be overly complicated, sometimes it has been heard too often and a fresh approach - or voice - is needed. Mickey Arthur himself said when he came to Derbyshire that three/four years was usually the 'fresh' lifespan of a coach. 

So while I don't expect wholesale changes this winter, I do hope that this side of the club is not neglected. There is talent, we see that throughout the summer with some stirring displays. 

But the message from coaches to players has to be consistent and clear. The ability to galvanise, to motivate, is not given to all, but it is crucial that all angles are looked at. Why are almost all of our bowlers averaging over forty in red ball cricket, a couple over thirty? Why are they going at tens and elevens in T20? Are the coaching methods wrong? Are the instructions flawed? 

In any organisation I worked in, the performance of a team was the result of the managers and their ability to get the best from those underneath them. The best managers, like coaches, get to know their team, how they are most effective and how they produce their best. Then create the environment and culture to enable them to grow and develop their skillset.

Cricket is no different.