Donald takes on T20 captaincy

So Nye Donald is the new T20 captain for Derbyshire.

I had suggested it likely a few times over the winter. He had signed a new contract with the club, despite interest from other counties and I suspect that part of the conversation was over his taking on the captaincy in the short form of the game. 

I couldn't honestly see any real alternative. Wayne Madsen would want a break from the red ball role and Brooke Guest may not be a first choice for the format, unless captaincy, opening the batting and keeping wicket is one commitment too many. The only other option would have been Matt Montgomery, who has been mentioned as having  future leadership potential by Mickey Arthur, but it is too early in his time at the club to take on such an important role. 

I think he's a great choice and I just hope that it enables him to see a bigger picture than getting the team off to brisk starts. By reining in his natural game a little outside of the Powerplay, he can turn more of these match-shaping innings into match-winning ones.

There are few more dangerous batters in the short format game than Nye and I am surprised that more teams overseas haven't yet picked up on that.

A good summer in 2026 could change all that and make him a global star.

That would be mutually beneficial.

Well done, Nye. And congratulations, skipper!

Mike Page

Mike Page passed away over the weekend, another link gone from the team that I saw in my first viewing of Derbyshire County Cricket Club, in 1967. Only five of them left now, sadly.

He made a typically stylish 88 in the first innings of that match against Yorkshire, sharing a partnership of 96 for the second wicket with Peter Gibbs which my Dad called 'one for the connoisseur', though pronounced 'connor sewer', in the way that they did, where he came from.

Both were front of the wicket players and were half of a top four, with David Smith and Chris Wilkins, that in 1970 looked very good indeed. Some very good judges around the circuit felt Mike should have been considered for England around that time, but competition was fierce and he never got the recognition - nor perhaps scored quite the runs - that were required to make the very highest level. 

But when he was good, he was very, very good, a bit like that little girl with the curl in the poem by Henry Longfellow. He had a secure defence, a graceful array of shots and an ability against spin that was better than most, not just in Derbyshire, but on the county circuit. This was never better illustrated than against Leicestershire at Grace Road in 1973, when he made 96 out of a team total of 198 in the first innings, followed by 67 in the second. This against Illingworth, Birkenshaw, Steele and Balderstone, spinners all. 

It was a surprise when he was released at the end of 1975, because he still seemed to have something to offer. It wasn't a strong side, but he was second top scorer and it surprised then, as it still does. Over eleven thousand runs he scored in the first-class game, between 1964 and 1975, which hints at his consistency on uncovered pitches, and as part of a batting line up that often wasn't.

He was also an outstanding fielder. Anywhere his captains chose to put him really, but especially at slip or short leg. He held 249 for the county and often made the difficult look a matter of routine, a sure indication of high quality hand/eye coordination. 

He was a character, with a fund of stories and a regular smile.

He will be missed.

Rest in peace, Mike .

Madsen injury blow

Very sad news this morning for Wayne Madsen, whose World Cup campaign has ended almost before it began. 

He injured his shoulder diving to try and stop the ball in the fourth over of Scotland's innings and it was subsequently confirmed as a dislocation. 

He will be assessed in 24 hours, but unless he has superhuman powers of recovery, his tournament has ended. From a Derbyshire perspective, it may also be a challenge for him to be fit for the start of the county season.

Nye Donald missed two months of last season with a 'shoulder injury' that I never saw diagnosed or explained as a dislocation. Such injuries generally take between two and four months to heal, depending on the damage sustained and the individual rate of healing.

Wayne will be in very good hands, but I would be surprised were he fit for the start of the red ball summer.

Which of course will be announced when he has been examined by the club's own medical staff. It is too early for conjecture to take the place of the facts, but I am sure that, like me, you are all very disappointed that the crowning glory of his career has been cut short. 

IF his recovery is to take longer, then it affords opportunity to someone else. Nye Donald, Amrit Basra and Mitch Wagstaff would compete for that position in the batting line up, which is why we have a squad, of course. As for the captaincy, Brooke Guest would be a sound option, but Mickey Arthur, in his interview last week, referred to Matt Montgomery as Wayne's eventual replacement as a 'batter and leader'.

For now, I can only wish Wayne the very best in his recovery.

Overseas players

There has been some interesting to and fro in the comments regarding overseas players and I thought I would take a look at that today.

I started watching Derbyshire before we had one. By the time that we recruited Chris Wilkins in 1970, Yorkshire stood alone in not allowing them to play for their county. For that matter, they wouldn't pick anyone born outside the county borders..too bad if you lived the 'wrong side' of Todmorden.

Over the intervening period I have been fortunate to see all of the greats who have come to this country. Many of them wore the colours of our county, but the game today has changed out of all recognition. 

We will never again see the genuine great players in the county game. Back then, Derbyshire v Gloucestershire might see Barlow and Wright v Procter and Zaheer Abbas, Sussex would turn up with Imran Khan and Garth Le Roux, Hampshire with Barry Richards and Andy Roberts. Almost every county had players deserving of the word 'legend' and I could still bore you rigid by reeling off the stellar names of each county in the 1970s and 1980s, for me the absolute pinnacle of the county game.

There are still a few and we should make the most of seeing Mohammad Abbas over the next two years, who shines like a beacon in this context. 868 first-class wickets at just 20 runs each confirms his quality and I am thrilled we have acquired his services. He still sees red ball cricket as being the pinnacle and it is heartening that Mickey Arthur himself continues to extol the virtues and standard of the county game in his interviews. 

Yet by and large, overseas players today fall into two categories. Most are some distance out of the thoughts of their country's national selectors and hope to change that, while others are seeking the opportunity to make a reputation for themselves.

I look around various supporter forums and smile at the names suggested for overseas 'gigs'. In recent months I have seen Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, a good few Indians, Quentin de Kock and numerous others mentioned. These fellas don't need county cricket, they are multi-millionaires, have central contracts that protect them and will never be seen in English county colours. Some might do an occasional short-term county stint, usually for a 'net' ahead of a Test series, but they can make far more money for less work in the various franchise leagues. Good luck to them, if the opportunity was there, we would all do it. 

I have thought for a long time that Ravindra Jadeja would have been an outstanding overseas professional, but he has a net worth of over ten million pounds, drives a Rolls Royce and wouldn't be keen to drive it from Derby to Chester-le-Street or Hove and bowl 25 overs on the last day, before heading home.

A look around the counties shows overseas recruitment is far from an exact science. Leicestershire have done well of late, but they have probably thrown more money at the likes of Peter Handscomb, Wiaan Mulder and Keshav Maharaj than debts of over £4 million justify. Hampshire recruited NINE different short-term players last year, with varying degrees of success. 

Northamptonshire did well out of Matt Breetzke, but probably wouldn't deem Tim Robinson (average 9) Lloyd Pope or even Yuzvendra Chahal (12 wickets at 46) a roaring success. Dane Paterson has been a fine bowler, but 11 wickets at 43 wasn't what Middlesex hoped for. Lancashire signed Anderson Phillip to shake up batting line ups, but 10 wickets at 45 wasn't in the script. Asitha Fernando did OK for Glamorgan, but was 24 wickets at 35 anything special? Pieter Malan has had a good career in South Africa, but Middlesex would have hoped for more than a batting average of 14 in 2023 from their opening bat. 

I could go on, but sometimes you have to wonder if there is greater long term benefit in using the money on the development of young players, or recruiting a role model senior pro from elsewhere. By the time you add up salary, accommodation, flights and a car, there is considerable risk in the signing of someone who *might* be a good fit. Or might not.. 

My point being that Mickey Arthur is far from alone in making mistakes with overseas players. We can all think back to a few who came over for Derbyshire through the years and were disappointing, but the overseas player role carries massive pressure, whether at club or county level. You need to fit into the dressing room, handle the language, get used to the new environment, perhaps get your partner and kids settled AND justify the considerable expense. 

Suranga Lakmal was too old and the grind too much. Haider Ali too inexperienced (and being asked to open didn't help). No one could fault the effort of Daryn Dupavillon or Blair Tickner, but while they huffed and puffed they didn't blow down enough houses. Their collective figures were OK, but you can get that from a decent player in this country. That overseas investment needs more, a batter averaging over forty and a bowler averaging under thirty as my minimum requirement. They should be at or near the top of the club averages, not lurking around the middle or languishing still lower.

The more you spend, the greater likelihood of success, but there are no guarantees. And the reality is that no one can spend enough to bring those REALLY big names here now, slogging around the country for six months when they can make much more for less travel and less inconvenience to their family life.

There will be some interesting and different names here in 2026. Supporters around the country will have great expectations.

Will they translate to reality? 

I will report back at the end of the season!

John M Brown

Sad news today, with the announcement of the death of John M Brown, the county scorer for many years.

John was 89 and had taken on the role that he did so well in 2000, on the death of Stan Tacey. He also served as announcer at the home games and was a well known, highly respected and much- loved man.

He was both a gentle man and a gentleman, always happy to have a word. He always treated me with courtesy when I met him, while I gave him the deference that was appropriate for someone who gave what he did to the club that he loved.

Rest in Peace, John.

Arthur signs new two-year deal

Despite the fact that I have been critical of Mickey Arthur in his time as Head of Cricket at Derbyshire, I am neither surprised nor disappointed about the news of a 2-year extension to his contract. This will take him to the end of the 2028 season. 

He has made mistakes and there have been setbacks, as he freely admits. At the start of his time with the county, he was too bullish with his comments and perhaps not fully appreciative of the difference in level between the international and domestic game. 

He was also naive in suggestions of the timescale it would take to turn around the county fortunes. Rome wasn't built in a day and no one was going to turn the squad that he inherited into world beaters, certainly not as quickly as he suggested. 

He has also made mistakes in overseas recruitment, with Suranga Lakmal, Haider Ali and Daryn Dupavillon being underwhelming recruits. Yet he picked up gems in Shan Masood, Zaman Khan, Mohammad Ghazanfar, Caleb Jewell and (one assumes) Mohammad Abbas. Within the constraints of resources - which I think were ignored in his early assertions - the squad has been improved and the one for 2026 looks to be our strongest for many a year. Overseas recruitment for the coming season has been impressive, at least on paper.

Some of those players would have come nowhere near Derbyshire - nor probably been on our radar - had it not been for the presence of Arthur at the club. His name and reputation has helped in this regard, together with an evolution of the club board. I think he now has important support and also challenge at board level from Tom Poynton, whose own recent experience of the county game makes him an under the radar yet highly  important cog of the club's machine. He will himself know players, agents and the requirements of the county game and will be an excellent sounding board for Arthur.

The challenge now is to ensure the dressing room environment is right and the players are able to produce their best form as a consequence. Appointing Wayne Madsen to the red ball captaincy last year was shrewd, although there were not many options. The signing of Samit Patel for the white ball was more questionable and for me the negatives outweighed the positives in his time at the club. 

When the news was announced that we had signed Mohammad Abbas, I was sure his own extension was a consequence. Such a player would not sign a two-year deal without knowledge that a man who has had a major impact on his career would be there throughout. I would not be surprised if others had clauses in contracts to allow them to walk if there was a change of coach - it is far from unusual in the modern game. That Nye Donald, Zak Chappell and Martin Andersson signed extended deals this winter was another strong indication. So too that Matt Montgomery, like Abbas, left the county champions to move across the East Midlands

So hopefully a winter of recruitment that has been both heartening and exciting will translate into success on the pitch. Arthur has said many times that he will not rest until he has brought success to the county. I don't doubt that. And his recent interview was the best that he has done while at the club, honest, realistic and refreshing for that.

On signing his new deal, he said

Since the first day I joined Derbyshire, I have always said I feel at home with this club and that feeling is stronger now than ever. 

This is a special club and we are working every day to win silverware for our supporters and to get Derbyshire to that top table of county cricket. 

I’m immensely proud of the progress we have made, it’s not always been easy and we’ve had setbacks, but I truly feel we are putting the foundations in place for sustained success.

Our project is moving in the right direction, our players are getting better every single day and we will keep working tirelessly until we are showing those results on the field. 

Arthur has also established the Pathway, which looks set to bring through a higher quality of county-level talent than we have seen in years. 

It has taken longer than he asserted, longer than the less patient among the county support would have wanted. 

Yet perhaps, at last, 2026 might be the start of something special. The original three-year plan has become one of seven years, but stability is important in sport. 

And for a county with five pieces of silverware in 156 years that's nothing, in the grander scheme of things...

Yes, I am happy with that news. 

A nice way to conclude an excellent winter's business.

Midweek warmer

It has been a fairly quiet week - what can we expect after all of the excitement of signings throughout the winter months? I have carried on with the walking cricket, which has sustained me through the winter quite nicely, while making and amending plans for the summer.

My planned trip to Manchester in April has been abandoned, because work on the line between that city and Glasgow starts on the day of the game. What should be a straight journey becomes one requiring several changes and I can't be bothered with that. So I shall watch that one, all being well, from the comfort of our living room. 

But I will be at Derby for the home game against Northamptonshire and I've booked a room in the hotel that overlooks the ground, one with a fine view of the hallowed turf. I also have my hotel booked for the Lancashire game of the Chesterfield Festival, so all all that I need now is the weather to play ball - and Derbyshire to play well, of course!

I remain very excited at the prospect of this season. It's funny, rather than diminishing as time goes by, my anticipation of a new cricket season only seems to heighten. Maybe it is indicative of more of them behind me than in front, but regardless of results, I still find something special in the approach of a new season.

I will soon be at work on the season preview and look forward to your comments on this in due course. 

I am also having a clear out of some more cricket books, so here is an opportunity for sponsors of the blog to register their interest in the following. Please let me know, in order of preference, if you are interested in any of the following: 

Christopher Sanders - The Final Innings

David Foot - Cricket's Unholy Trinity

David Tossell - Blood on the Tracks  - England in Australia 1974-5

Chris Waters - Fred Trueman the authorised biography 

Ryan Hills - Groundwork - the story of Jim Smith's Derby County

Remember, to enter the draw, you simply need to have made a donation to the blog in the last six months. A number of people have kindly set up monthly donations, while others make occasional one-off contributions. All of these are appreciated and valued. 

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Until the next time!