Weekend warmer

I remember a few years ago, when the competition that many of us have come to loathe first started (it begins with an H...) I was on speaking tour of Lancashire.

How do you feel about the team for your area being the Manchester Originals, I asked in Southport, Liverpool and at Old Trafford. Somewhat unsurprisingly, given the parochial nature of sports support, there were very few in favour. None in the first two places, which should have come as a surprise to no one, given the long rivalry between the football teams of Liverpool and those in Manchester. More surprisingly, there weren't that many people in favour in the large audience at Old Trafford. Manchester doesn't represent Stockport or Salford either, to give a couple of examples. 

So it was no surprise to see Warwickshire this week deciding to do away with the moniker of Birmingham Bears, for the Vitality Blast. Plenty of people in that county are not Brummies and a few will have voted with their feet when the name was changed.

It is why people around God's Own County get annoyed when commentators (and an occasional player) refer to 'Derby'. Had we opted at any point to go down that route, I would have had plenty to say about it. I am from Ripley, from the county of Derbyshire, but not from the city. There are many more in the same situation, plenty in the north of the county, a good few from the south. Sports teams depend on supporters and it is not the wisest of moves to antagonise a large section of the fan base. It is different for football, when there are more teams and many major towns and cities have their own that people can get behind. Whenever I hear anyone refer to 'my' cricket team as 'Derby', I feel the hackles going up and my teeth clenching...

A similar thing happened this week, when Nottinghamshire announced that they would be playing one of their 50 over games at Chesterfield. They cited Queen's Park hosting The Blaze as the rationale, but looking around social media, the move to play Northamptonshire there on August 7 has not been well received. Lancashire fans are never happy when they play an occasional game at Sedbergh, outwith the county boundaries in Cumbria. Even less so when it usually rains there on the day of the game..

Maybe the Chesterfield game will be a great success, but I do think administrators need to take greater cognisance of the views, real or anticipated, of supporters. Sometimes the wiser choice is to go with what you know will work and will be the path of least resistance. Surely they could have played a second game at Welbeck? Equally there has to be a second club ground within their own county borders that would have been suitable. What about Lady Bay, where they play a lot of second team cricket? 

I have got to a certain stage in life where I realise problems will come and find you, without necessarily having to look too far. I just think these examples are classic ones of shooting oneself in the foot.

I hope that Derbyshire are never sufficiently naive to think supporters would accept such actions. 

I certainly wouldn't. While I understood the rationale of moving a T20 game to Edgbaston for a couple of years for the so-called 'Blast Off' (which it wasn't, last year) I would certainly struggle to accept playing a home game outside of my county in the normal run of things.

What do you think? 

Fixtures are out!

The fixtures are out, in full. All is well in the world..

I have had a quick look at them and the Blast looks fun. 

We are in group A, with Durham, Lancashire Lightning, Leicestershire Foxes, Notts Outlaws and Yorkshire. We play each of them home and away, and in addition, we play Essex at Chelmsford and Somerset at home, which will be a fine game! 

I don't see myself making any of these in person, purely because of the distance involved. Yet there are other good options in the 50 over and 4-day fixtures, released today.

I especially fancied in the 50-over competition the Yorkshire game, to be played at Scarborough. Then I realised it was on the date of my wife and I's fortieth wedding anniversary. Unless she fancies a trip to the seaside, I had probably best not head off to that one...

The two 50 over games at Derby on 31 July and 2 August might work for me, so too the four-day games at Durham and Lancashire. A trip to Derby in September will be nice, maybe earlier if things work out.

Of course I fancy the Chesterfield Festival for a few days (who doesn't?) but at this stage I need to hold fire, as my wife may or may not need double hip surgery. It would be just the thing to book up and then get those dates through...

Anyway, which ones are you looking forward to? Repton should prove popular, I think...

Donald signs two-year extension

I have no doubt that after his heroics in last year's Blast, a few teams showed an interest in the services of Nye Donald. I am surprised that more winter franchise offers haven't come his way, because players who can hit as cleanly as he are not common. 

Yet a Derbyshire player he remains, for which we all give thanks, until the end of 2028. That top five of Donald, Jewell, Montgomery, Madsen and Basra looks mighty dangerous for the Blast, with plenty of talent to follow.

I suspect that in due course he will be announced as captain for that competition. The responsibility could be the making of him and see him turn some of these glittering fifties into match-defining knocks, with greater frequency. He is an intelligent, articulate lad and my only concern would be if opening the batting, keeping wicket and skippering the side might not be too much. You don't know until you give it a try and I would be more surprised if he was NOT the captain in 2026. 

Derbyshire's winter business has been conducted professionally and efficiently. At this stage we look to have a good, strong squad for next summer, regardless of the format. 

Things are moving in the right direction. If we can nail those two key overseas places - and get the new bowling coach in - I fancy a very enjoyable summer for my 60th as a county supporter.

Great work, by everyone involved.

Weekend thoughts

A couple of weeks back I was asked why I am less interested in the England national side than I used to be. 

The last couple of days have given an eloquent answer. They were ahead in the first Test, yet squandered a strong position by inept batting. I'm sorry, but if you choose to try and win five-day cricket by playing T20 style, or hope to win 50- over cricket by not having your best players involved domestically, you reap as you sow. 

Only three English innings in the match exceeded 42 balls. In a Test match...

Time was when tea on the second day often saw a declaration, the opposition put in for a tricky session before the close. You might get away with playing Bazball against lesser lights, but there has to be an understanding that a gung-ho approach has to be tempered with a modicum of common sense. Not to mention a lot less arrogance...real or perceived.

I mentioned that I felt the England side was a gentleman's club, an 'elite' group that was harder to drop from than should be the case.  Zak Crawley, for example - is an average just north of 30 acceptable for a bloke who has played (checks notes) 59 Tests? Harry Brook is a great talent, but you can't play as he does against all opposition. It is disrespectful to opponents - not to mention supporters - to just think you can smack everything out of sight. No one is that good. None of this England team is in the same league as Barry and Viv Richards, the two best I have seen, yet even they didn't attempt to hit everything.

Unless there is a restraining order placed on the batting lineup, I suspect the loss today will not be the last of this tour. I feel for those who have spent a lot of money to go and support their team. You would hope for more than two days play in a scheduled five and to watch their team being bowled out in 33 then 34 overs is a disgrace. At least in that they are consistent...

Moving on, I was asked if I saw Derbyshire making a move for Dawid Malan, who has been released from his Yorkshire contract to take up an opportunity elsewhere. 

My short answer is no. I doubt we could match what he was earning there and he seems to have wanted only to play T20 in recent summers. I am not a fan of single format cricketers and while he is a fine player and theoretically could have been a short term replacement for Wayne Madsen, the timing is wrong. 

Logically he will be moving to the franchise circuit and earning himself a few last hefty pay days, because that's where the money lies, whether we like it or not.

Anyway, the Derbyshire squad for 2026 has been shaped quite nicely and I am happy with the look of it, as it stands.

Just need those overseas roles confirmed...

Chappell commits future to Derbyshire

Zak Chappell is the latest player to commit his future to Derbyshire and I am sure that everyone is delighted with that. He has signed a three-year deal until the end of 2028.

At 29, he is probably committing his peak years to the club and will undoubtedly reinforce his position as one of the attack leaders. 

I suspect that he will benefit from a new voice in his ear as bowling coach and will go into 2026 with fresh enthusiasm, especially if he can get the support of a quality overseas bowler to work alongside.

When Zak came to the club in 2022, I was sure that we had landed a seam bowler of talent, but also a useful tail end bat. In the intervening period he has become, in my opinion, a genuine all-rounder. Last season he again played some important, punishing innings while being one of the few bowlers to get through the summer largely unscathed, playing all of the red ball matches and missing few white ones. That is far from an easy thing to do and speaks volumes for his fitness, as well as a well-grooved, repeatable action.

I expect him to be back to his best in 2026 and if others progress, to take their part in a keen seam attack, it will be very much to the side's benefit.

More great news. Let's hope that it keeps coming.

I also applaud the club in securing the futures of players whose availability would undoubtedly interest other counties. Gloucestershire slipped up badly in allowing too many contracts to expire at the same time and basically have to replace their attack for 2026.

Mickey Arthur has been canny in this regard and deserves credit. Zak follows Martin Andersson, Nick Potts, Ben Aitchison, Joe Hawkins and Yousaf Bin Naeem in committing his future to the club this winter.

Weekend warmer

I think that for me this is the most difficult part of the winter. The dark nights are upon us and the rain has been incessant over the past few days. Cricket seems as far away as possible. 

Yet the Ashes are due to start soon, for those who are interested (me, less than I used to be). The Derbyshire players have reported back for fitness training and we still eagerly await any news on additional winter signings. 

Specifically, in our case, overseas players. Nottinghamshire has announced the signing of both wicket keeper Kyle Verreyne, for the entire summer and seamer Fergus O'Neill, for the period between April and June. One could be excused for thinking that leaves the door open for Derbyshire to complete the signing of Mohammad Abbas, but it rather depends on what the player wants to do. 

Perhaps he sees his future as a part-time county player, so covering later summer might suit him. But you are a long time retired in professional sport and if the rumoured Derbyshire offer is correct, he has a chance to continue his glittering career and still further heighten his reputation in a move to the county.

Yorkshire are also keen and Peter Graves told a forum last week that they are pursuing an overseas quick bowler who is available for the full season. Having told the gathering that they are now debt-free and have twenty million in the bank, they could blow any Derbyshire interest out of the water, but again it depends on the player and what he wants to do. 

All we can do is wait and keep our fingers crossed, for a bowler who would undoubtedly be a talisman. Should his plans lie elsewhere, the county will already have plans B and C in place. South Africa might be of interest, as their commitments during the English summer next year seem lighter than most.

As for the other rumour of Wanindu Hasaranga plying his trade down Derby way, I am less hopeful. Historically Sri Lanka tends to schedule international series later than most and the wily leg-spinning all rounder seems to be a part of their white ball plans, even before we consider any interest from other T20 competitions. I suspect that one won't happen, but of course would love to be proved wrong. I don't see the point of signing him (or anyone else) for part of the tournament, then bringing in someone else for the rest. It tends not to work and wouldn't be the best for the team dynamic, at least in my opinion.

As for the bowling coach, recruitment is under way and the job advert can be seen here. The deadline is Tuesday of next week, with in-person interviews being held w/c December 8, according to the advert. 

It will be very interesting to see who applies and who ultimately gets the job.

Enjoy your weekend!

PS well done to South Africa in beating India on a wicket that was underprepared and had not been watered for four days before the Test started.

It smacks of arrogance, when the opposition contains Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj. In losing the toss, they lost the match.

Deservedly so, because that was barely a good club wicket...

Pathway awards night highlights talent

I didn't want the week to end without reference to the Pathway presentation evening, which saw a couple of notable names to keep an eye on.

Those who followed the fortunes of the under 18s will know the name of Rubaiyat Abrar. He had a stellar summer in which he scored 816 runs at an average of 32, including eight scores of 50 or more, while he also claimed 47 wickets at an average of 17, with best figures of 4-18.

His displays saw him take home the Under 18s Batter of the Year, Bowler of the Year, Players’ Player of the Year and Coaches’ player of the Year awards. From the videos I have seen he would appear a young man with a very big future.

So too, although much younger, is Colby Edwards. He won the Frank Burton Memorial Trophy, as a special recognition of a season in which he scored 1,243 runs at an average of 47.16 across under 12s and under 13s, with four centuries and seven half-centuries. He was batter of the year for both sides, suggesting a talent that is capable of making the step ups between age groups.

There is much to cause excitement among the Pathway players. I am sure I'm not alone in wondering how many of these boys will become established county players in the years ahead.

Full list of winners, courtesy Derbyshire CCC

Under 11s: Muhammad Usman (Batter of the Year), Samuel Ball (Bowler of the Year and Coaches’ Player of the Year), Joe Webster (Players’ Player of the Year).

Under 12s: Colby Edwards (Batter of the Year), Dev Jerath (Bowler of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year), Charlie Hall (Coaches’ Player of the Year).

Under 13s: Colby Edwards (Batter of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year), Muhammad Abu Bakkar (Bowler of the Year), Jack Bloor (Coaches’ Player of the Year).

Under 14s: Toby Newsome (Batter of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year), Sadev Mudalige (Bowler of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year), Charlie Jordison (Coaches’ Player of the Year).

Under 15s: Hugo Schroder (Batter of the Year), Ben Wilson (Bowler of the Year, Coaches’ Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year).

Under 16s: George Blount (Batter of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year), William Ball (Bowler of the Year), Oliver Woodward (Coaches’ Player of the Year).

Under 18s: Rubaiyat Abrar (Batter of the Year, Bowler of the Year, Coaches’ Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year).

Frank Burton Memorial Trophy: Colby Edwards

The future is bright! 

Weekend warmer

It was a busy week for Derbyshire with plenty happening. Blair Tickner was twice man of the match against England, which really couldn't happen to a nicer guy, while I have had plenty of messages asking who I would like to see as bowling coach.

Honestly, I don't know, because I have no idea who might be available for such a role. I saw that former England all rounder Craig White had left his role as bowling coach at Lancashire, but I have no idea if that was because he had an offer from elsewhere, or simply wanted a change. There will be plenty of interest in the Derbyshire job, as I wrote the other day, and they might want to re-work it to allow for specialist input on a consultancy basis, perhaps bringing in the likes of Steffan Jones and Graeme Swann for different groups. It is a blank canvas and they will be free to use it as they see fit. 

No other news from me today, apart from that I am going to be clearing out some of my accumulated memorabilia from over 60 years. I think it is the time to do it  and anything Derbyshire-related I will publicise here. 

First up is a lovely miniature cricket bat in near-pristine condition, signed by the Derbyshire side of 1990, which won the Refuge Assurance League. Autographed by the likes of Kim Barnett, John Morris, Chris Adams, Devon Malcolm, Ian Bishop and Adrian Kuiper, it is a chance to own a little bit of Derbyshire cricket history.

There is a little wrinkling to the club sticker at the top, but this does not detract from an excellent item.

The bat is on eBay here and it would be good to see it go to a fellow Derbyshire fan!

Finally, I will be doing the sponsors draw for the cricket books in the next 24 hours. Anyone who wants to let me know their preference has until this evening to email me accordingly. 

Until next week - or as soon as more news breaks!