Derbyshire v Lancashire day 3

Lancashire 161 and 226 (Harris 58, Moores 57 Aitchison 5-49, Haydon 3-71)

Derbyshire 364 and 25-1

Derbyshire won by nine wickets

Outside of family events, there is little better in life than to open the curtains in your hotel room, see the sun stream in and realise that you will soon be walking to the prettiest of cricket grounds. Even better, likely to witness a win for your team, which seemed on the cards today as I enjoyed a leisurely stroll to the ground on very quiet roads. 

A couple more observations from this trip. Whatever the shortcomings on the pitch at times, this is an EXCEPTIONALLY well run club. From the signposting, ticketing, warm welcome and catering onwards, it reeks of professionalism. 

So too with the players and their pre-match routine. It is structured, with plenty of different exercises and drills to warm up, as well as those to engender team spirit. It is high, so much is evident, with the laughter and enjoyment of what they do clearly evident. Diametrically opposed from that of the opposition here, where it was clear that all is not well in the Kingdom of Lancastria...

Bashir-watching was interesting over these three days. There are many players of renown whose reaction to omission from the playing eleven would not have been positive. Shoaib would have been a contender for Twelfth Man of the Year, were there such an award, going about his duties with a smile, a laugh, a hug for a team mate, a word and autograph for fans. You couldn't ask for more.

When the action started, Joe Moores reinforced the positive impression of his wicket keeping with three delightful square cuts and a sound defence. But for Lancashire to threaten a repeat of Old Trafford, Marcus Harris had to go big and he was removed after half an hour by the ubiquitous Aitchison, clean bowled. Soon afterwards Balderson was smartly held by Jewell at slip and 'Big Ben' had picked up another five-wicket haul.  Still, as a nickname it is better than 'Michelle'..

It is the third time in successive matches he has had five wickets in an innings. The last Derbyshire player to do that was Michael Holding in 1983. Pretty illustrious company to be in.. 

Moores and Coughlin held up Derbyshire with a lively ninth wicket stand before Dal, after being hit for six, then four, held one back and had the latter caught by Reece at mid off.

A big six over mid wicket by Moores ensured that Derbyshire would have to bat again and further fine strokes meant that Derbyshire needed 24 when he was eventually bowled by Montgomery. He looks quite a talent and deserved better support.

I have no idea why Harry Came played the shot he did in the Derbyshire run 'chase' of 24 in 163 overs: best filed under 'stupid and unnecessary' and redolent of the vibe of a beer match. But Reece and Montgomery took their side over the line to clinch an excellent nine-wicket win, all before lunch on the third day. It was their first win in red ball cricket against Lancashire since 1997 and the first over them at Queen's Park since 1961 (courtesy David Griffin). 

This was a polished, professional display by Derbyshire. The frustration is that we know they have such cricket in them, as does Mickey Arthur. Perhaps if the players themselves fully l realised it, they can take the final step forward to consistency.

They are temporarily back to third in the table after this win. Had they won at Old Trafford and done better against Gloucestershire, promotion would have been more 'likely' than 'possible'. But if they can keep the momentum going when red ball cricket  resumes on August 20 (crazy, isn't it?) then who knows? 

Between times, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that they can have a good run in the Metro Bank One Day Cup. Having only lost Nye Donald to the 'other' competition, they really should make a decent fist of it this year. 

Anyway, thank you to everyone who I spent time with over the past few days. It really was a pleasure and I travel back north tomorrow having seen two wins in two trips this summer, as well as not missing a single ball of cricket here.

Lucky mascot? I am a bit big for that, but the trip home is much easier as a consequence! 

Catch you all soon. 

One man and his blog...thanks to Andy for the photo!

Derbyshire v Lancashire day 2

Lancashire 161 and 140-6 (Harris 57* Jones 29, Aitchison 3-25, Haydon 3-38)

Derbyshire 364 (Aitchison 75, Madsen 41, Dal 41, Stanley 5-80

Derbyshire lead by 63 runs

It was another glorious day at Queen's Park. Perhaps less warm than yesterday, but with a pleasant breeze and intermittent cloud that kept things comfortable.

It was less comfortable for Lancashire, who finished the day 63 behind with only four wickets left at the close.

Of course, Derbyshire supporters will recall outplaying them at Old Trafford, only to finish on the wrong end of the result, so there will be no chicken counting going on just yet.

After an excellent first day, Derbyshire continued to dominate on the second. Resuming their innings this morning, they took their lead to 203 with some enterprising stroke play. The highlight was an aggressive 75 from Ben Aitchison, well-supported by Anuj Dal, who made 41. Both played splendidly in their differing styles, with Aitchison taking a liking to the bowling of Jimmy Anderson (something not many have said over the years).

Lancashire had a mountain to climb but started well, before Jennings was dismissed by Haydon, who again impressed here. He has a lovely, lithe run up and action, the vitality of youth personified. He was a constant threat, but it was Aitchison who removed Bohannon, well caught by Guest, standing up. When Haydon then removed Jones - another catch for Guest  - a few people might have thought the game could finish tonight. 

Harris and Singh then dug in, for a stand of 59 in 23 overs, in which the latter scored only 12 in 58 balls. It was gritty, attritional stuff, symbolic of the importance of this game to both counties. There were a few edges, showing the ball was still moving, but they held on until Singh left one from Haydon and was bowled by one that came back a long way. 

There were plenty of appeals, some more convincing than others, but no upraised finger was forthcoming, until the recalled Aitchison found the edge of Livingstone's bat and a routine catch was again pouched by Guest. The former England all-rounder looked like someone who hadn't played red ball cricket in a long time and was never convincing in his 22-ball stay.

Mitchell Stanley was sent in as night watchman, but the perennially-effective Aitchison had him palpably peg before and Lancashire were six down. 

They got through to the close with no further loss and with the admirable Harris unbeaten on 51. Their hopes of parity seem to lie on him tomorrow but Derbyshire should wrap up a win, probably sometime tomorrow morning.

Lancashire have looked a disjointed, dispirited side here, but they have a fine fast bowling prospect in Mitchell Stanley, who was hostile throughout, while 17-year old Joe Moores looks a tremendous prospect behind the stumps.

They will cling on to the Old Trafford result and feel they can still put Derbyshire under pressure in the final innings, but they really shouldn't. 

In closing, a word for Mohammad Abbas. I thought he was terrific here and 0-32 in sixteen overs in no way reflects his bowling and the effect of it on the game.

I think both Ben Aitchison and Rory Haydon are helped with the pressure that he applies and Derbyshire have looked a pretty good side here.

If they held a greater percentage of half chances that comes their way, they could be very good.

Postscript: I don't know about anyone else, but someone has to do something extraordinary in the second half of the summer to prevent Ben Aitchison being player of the year. 

Another special day in a very special season for him. He looks a serious cricketer in all facets of the game.

Derbyshire v Lancashire day 1

Lancashire 161 (Balderson 37, Dal 3-49, Abbas 3-49)

Derbyshire 197-5 (Montgomery 86, Madsen 26*)

Derbyshire lead by 36 runs

Sixty years on, the joy of entering Queen's Park at Chesterfield continues unabated.

Any trip south to see my parents included a trip to Chesterfield. 'You like the shops and market, don't you?' I would say to my wife and she would give me a look. She knew full well our lunchtime sandwiches would be consumed on a bench there, the kids would go on the miniature railway, we would feed the ducks and I would regale them with stories of feats and visits past. 

It's funny, 25-30 years on they tell these tales to me, so they must have listened. I even got 'good luck' messages from them all this morning, which perhaps had more to do with recent form, when I think about it...

It has changed so much over the years, all for the better. The marquees, children waving flags, stewards with smiles and a friendly word. My Dad used to reckon they recruited the old stewards from the remnants of the SS and they weren't known for their interpersonal skills back then.  

Derbyshire went into the match with neither spinnerand Lancashire opted for all seam, perhaps an early indicator to the expected pitch. Anuj Dal back to offer the 'stock' overs and lengthen the batting, Rory Haydon deservedly so to offer, on paper, our strongest seam attack with Mohammad Abbas and Ben Aitchison. Winning the toss offered an early opportunity to see if the cunning plan might come to fruition.

It did, in so far as they bowled out Lancashire for 161, with consistent pack-based bowling, albeit aided and hindered alike by catching of variable quality. Some good slip catches were taken, the first over one by Aitchison from the bowling of Abbas setting a tone. But some were missed and Lancashire shouldn't have cleared 150. The reassurance was at least that we wouldn't have to follow on, while aware that Lancashire have themselves a decent seam attack.

There were three wickets each for Abbas and the returning Dal, who bowled in similar style and let the pitch do the work. Aitchison and Haydon grabbed a brace apiece and the overriding feeling was satisfaction, with a job well done. If you win the toss, ask the opposition to bat and have them out well before tea you can be happy.

Came went early but Montgomery was quickly into his stride and playing strokes around the wicket. For all that there are those who prefer the bucolic styles of many you might care to mention, there remains considerable charm for yours truly in a player who leans into the ball and uses its pace to caress a boundary. His on driving was especially good today and he reached a classy and deserved fifty with over 20 overs left in the day. Derbyshire had passed their hundred shortly before and although the ball was still beating the bat, Montgomery and Jewell gradually asserted their dominance.

This was an important innings for Jewell and he played some nice shots without ever looking fully convincing. He was eventually undone by the extra pace of Stanley, who jagged one back in and bowled him. Did it keep a little low? It appeared so from the boundary edge, but his search for a score goes on, frustrating as it is for everyone. 

Madsen came in and batted in his usual authoritative way, conscious a score from him could be the deciding factor here. Montgomery looked set for a century, before falling leg before to Balderson, but Derbyshire could have done without losing Andersson to the part-time bowling of Bohannon in the following over.

Thankfully Guest came in and saw it through to the close with his captain. Derbyshire 31 runs ahead and batting to come. Anything upwards of a hundred would be very handy indeed on a pitch that offered help to the bowlers, especially with the new balls.

In closing, thank you to everyone who stopped to say hello and have a chat, during the course of the day. It was a pleasure to do so and I hope to see more of you over the next two days.

I can't see this game going past that, as things stand.

Postscript: in my haste to finish this last night, together with tiredness after a long day, I omitted to mention the county caps received by Ben Aitchison, Martin Andersson and Harry Came. 

They have all had fine seasons and have grown as cricketers in their time at Derbyshire. My sincere congratulations go to all of them. 

Also worthy of note is that Wayne Madsen became the County Championship leading run-scorer for a single county in the 21st century yesterday, now with 15,707 runs for Derbyshire. 

In an age when players often change counties every two or three seasons, his loyalty and consistency makes him a genuine, undisputed county great. 

I may be wrong, but I don't think that this summer will be his last in Derbyshire colours. I can see him carrying on, at least in the red ball game. With a current average of 50, why wouldn't he? 

Even more important, why wouldn't we want him to? 

Seconds set for defeat

Lancashire seconds need 121 runs to beat Derbyshire at Liverpool tomorrow. 

The young Derbyshire side battled down the order, Bin Naeem making 41 and Basra 32, while late resistance came from under 18 skipper Niall McHale (65) and Joe Hall (50*) as they were eventually all out for 309.

Lancashire needed 145 to win and were 24-0 at the close.

Derbyshire v Lancashire preview

I'm writing this from my room in Chesterfield, after a train journey down today. 

It wasn't the best, as the air conditioning wasn't working and they had somehow managed to double book a lot of seats, which left most carriages akin to the Black Hole of Calcutta. Anyway, I lived to tell the tale and more importantly, to see the first three days of the game against Lancashire, which starts tomorrow. 

Mickey Arthur has gone with the same squad, so there is no Zak Chappell. I don't expect any major changes to the side, either, so Derbyshire may well field the side that lost pretty badly at Durham. Rory Haydon may replace Nick Potts, but the tail would then be lengthy. We will see tomorrow.

Lancashire travel with fourteen. All-rounder Paul Coughlin and fast bowler Mitch Stanley have both recovered from injury to be named in the squad while batters Rocky Flintoff and Michael Jones have been included.

Ben McDermott misses out with hamstring tightness. Jack Blatherwick and Phil Salt remain sidelined with Ajeet Singh Dale, Arav Shetty and Luke Wells still long-term absentees.

Their squad:

⁠James Anderson (c), Tom Bailey, George Balderson, Josh Bohannon, Paul Coughlin, Rocky Flintoff, Marcus Harris, Tom Hartley, Keaton Jennings, Michael Jones, Liam Livingstone, Joe Moores, Harry Singh, Mitch Stanley

Marcus Harris and Liam Livingstone make up a powerful engine room for the red rose county and Derbyshire supporters can only hope that their favourites erase memories of the game that went horribly wrong at Old Trafford. I still struggle to figure how they lost that game after dominating for three days.

Predictions? Honestly, I can't, as it is impossible to know which Derbyshire side turns up. We all know that they are eminently capable of beating anyone, on their day. Yet this season has seen defeat snatched from the jaws of victory more than once.

I hope things go the right way this time and I look forward to getting there nice and early to find out.

The forecast looks pretty good for the weekend, with high temperatures forecast, so don't forget your sunscreen and water! 

I look forward to seeing you there.

PS my report on tomorrow will be much later, possibly even the following morning, as I am meeting some old friends for dinner in the evening. 

Just to set your expectations! 

Seconds toil at Liverpool

A young second team attack was put to the sword at Liverpool today, as Lancashire racked up 447-7 by the close.

Kesh Fonseka, from England U19s made 54, including ten boundaries, while Michael Jones scored 38. Rocky Flintoff added 37, after the comparative failure of George Bell and Matty Hirst .

That was as good as it got as Tom Hartley and Ben Walkden added 179 for the seventh wicket.

Hartley finished unbeaten on 122, while Walkden was out just before the close for 90.

Yusuf Bin Naeem was the pick of the bowlers with 2-31. 

Derbyshire have trialled a few left arm seamers this year and both Will Rogers and Chinmay Mullapudi, the latter from SACA, were in today's attack. It would appear the club acknowledge a gap in their seam options, especially with Luis Reece unable to do much bowling this year. 

Whether they can find someone of his stature is a moot point.

Chesterfield-bound!

At 8.15 am tomorrow morning I will head to the local railway station, courtesy of my chauffeur, Mrs P, to catch the train to Edinburgh.

From there I can sit back and enjoy four hours on the train, until I get to Chesterfield. There will even be the added bonus of a stop at Berwick-upon-Tweed, where we will be in around ten days time. It is more civilised (and cheaper) than heading down the highways and byways in the car and should ensure that I get there refreshed, rather than the zombie that emerged from the car at Derby after a near six-hour drive.

I am really looking forward to this trip, even if it is considerably longer than the first time I went to the ground, when Dad and I travelled in his Ford Anglia from Ripley to Queen's Park.

I think the old fella would approve and I just hope that the weather is kind. I am planning to meet up with a few friends, old and new, the oldest being from my student days in Manchester, almost fifty years ago now. 

If you see me wandering around, please do say hello. It is always so nice to meet readers of the blog and usage continues to rise, which is incredibly flattering. I am always happy to sit down and have a blether and the greatest thing about doing this for nineteen summers is the many terrific people that I have met in the process.

I am also hoping to pop down to see Edwin Smith and his wife, Jean, while I am there. The county legend has had a poor spell of health but will hopefully be discharged from hospital in time for a visit and a catch up in person.

Anyway, see you at Chesterfield. If my trip produces the same result as when I was down at Derby last month, we will all be happy! 

Morley signs contract extension

I am delighted with today's news that Jack Morley has signed a new two-year deal with Derbyshire, taking him until the end of the 2028 season.

He is a good cricketer and as I have written before, there are plenty who feel that Lancashire backed the wrong horse in releasing Jack and retaining Tom Hartley. The latter obviously offers more with a bat, but when I have seen the two of them in opposition, he looks the lesser bowler. 

Jack has done little wrong since he arrived at Derbyshire. He clearly enjoys his cricket and has taken his share of wickets along the way. There have been times he has bowled less effectively, but at 25 he is some way from being the finished article. So too with Shoaib Bashir, who is three years the younger.

Few people would have had him as a starter in the T20 side this summer, yet the way that he bowled was very impressive and suggested greater maturity already. He can improve further with bat and ball, but he is a reliable fielder and another who plays the game with a smile on his face. That may mean little to some, but I like to see it. I don't doubt there is a considerable difference between playing for a living and playing for fun, but there is no reason why you can't obviously enjoy a career for which many would donate a body part.

I understand that there were several approaches for his services after those early appearances in The Blast, but Mickey Arthur acted quickly to tie the player down to a longer deal. 

Should Shoaib Bashir do well for England this summer, the likelihood is that he will be retained on a central contract in 2027, so his appearances with Derbyshire will be limited. Jack is well-placed to replace him and he appears to be a lad with the right work ethic to succeed.

I haven't always agreed with some of the bullish comments the Derbyshire Head of Cricket has made, but I cannot disagree with his assertion that he has two of the best finger spinners in the country at the club.

That is now set to continue.

Excellent news! 

Seconds bat first at Liverpool

A young Derbyshire second team was all out for 291 against Lancashire at Liverpool today. 

Yusuf Bin Naeem won the toss and opted to bat but only Mitch Wagstaff (82) and Ajay Khunti (61) got going among the top order 

Later there were useful contributions from Rohan Vallabhaneni (22), Niall McHale (31) and Joe Hall (20), with Ollie Sutton taking 5-59 for the hosts.

They will bat tomorrow, as the four-day game continues

Scorecard and video clips here

Apologies

Please accept my apologies for your recent comments failing to appear on the blog.

Having looked into it, it appears that the setting which emails me a notification of a comment for approval had switched itself off in an upgrade.

I *think* it is now working, so feel free to comment on recent posts and I will double check, to ensure that everything is working as usual.

Alan Ward (1947-2026)

It is always sad when your heroes die. 

As one gets older, it perhaps makes you more aware of your own mortality and the fact that there are more days behind you, than ahead. 

So it is that the news of the passing of Alan Ward today has saddened me considerably.

The statistics don't give the full picture of the fastest English bowler that I have seen in Derbyshire colours. Mark Footitt was fast, but when Alan burst onto the scene in 1966/67 it was akin to a meteorite hitting earth. He was seriously quick, more than the tall, slim frame suggested was possible. The smooth and rhythmic run up, the gather at the crease and then POW! Or 'Bloody hell, that was sharp', as a bloke at the side of us said on one of our early visits to Chesterfield.

Even from the boundary edge, it was clear that some good and experienced players didn't fancy it. When the rhythm was right, when the pitch was helpful and when Alan was mentally and physically at his best, there were a few who backed away. Bear in mind that there was none of the protective equipment of today and a trip to face Derbyshire in the late 1960s might make a few consider their career choice and the validity of any injury cover they had. There was Harold Rhodes at the other end too, past his very fast peak, but still extremely lively.

Alan took 460 first-class wickets, most of them for Derbyshire before he left the county for a brief spell with Leicestershire, ahead of his first-class cricket retirement in 1978, at the age of only 31. He later emigrated to Australia and spent his later years on The Gold Coast with the sunshine on his back. Perhaps more of that and less of the strong Derby crosswinds might have lengthened his career, who knows? 

Many will sadly remember him best for being sent from the field by then captain Brian Bolus in 1973. It was poor captaincy from someone who wasn't the best in that field. Poor man management, for someone who clearly needed help, empathy and support, but got none. Perhaps had his formative years been spent under Eddie Barlow, he might have enjoyed a longer career and been more sympathetically managed. I don't know, but after 1970 he was never quite the same bowler that he once threatened to be, as recurring injuries took their toll.

I prefer to remember the Alan Ward who was my first cricket idol. I wanted to bowl like him. Not that I ever could, very few others were able to either. It didn't quite work out in England colours, though fourteen wickets in five Tests was far from a disgrace. 

Were all the injuries mechanical, or was some of the issue in his head? I don't know and I have heard contrasting opinions on that over the years. But those 460 first-class wickets cost him just 22 runs each, so in between them he must have done a lot right. When he marked out his long run and was in his pomp, newspapers were put down, trips to the toilet were postponed and your eyes were firmly fixed on the middle. Not that you could always follow the speed of the ball..

My favourite two memories both involve Sussex. The 1969 Gillette Cup semi-final, when Derbyshire only made 136, but it might as well have been 500. That day he bowled 8-5-11-2 and the roar when he destroyed the stumps of Les Lenham, worthy of a football crowd, lives with me to this day. They were all out for 49, with Ward, Rhodes, Rumsey and Eyre unplayable.

Then a year later, a John Player League game at Derby. After one lightning over (from a shortened run..) Sussex were 1-4. Mike Buss caught behind, Peter Graves leg before, Jim Parks also caught behind and then Tony Greig bowled neck and crop. Four wickets in four balls, on the way to 8-1-11-5. Derbyshire won in a canter, Chris Wilkins played a trademark innings and all was well with the world.

If you never saw him at his peak, you were unlucky. He was mercurial and there were days when you could clearly see it wasn't quite THERE, but those good days....

I never saw Warren, Bestwick, Copson, the Popes, Gladwin or Brian Jackson. I only saw Les Jackson once, long after he had retired.

But I did see Alan Ward and between 1967 and 1970 he was something special. There were good days afterwards too, but I consider myself fortunate to have seen him at his best. Fast bowling rarely got better than seeing him and Harold Rhodes at opposite ends.

May he rest in peace. Thank you for the memories, Alan.

Monday musings

Despite the defeat in the northeast, I am especially excited at making the trip down to Chesterfield this week. It will be an homage to my old Dad, who sixty years ago next month took me to Queen's Park for the first time, to see Derbyshire play Yorkshire. He started something that it is fair to say has become a passion over the intervening period.

I will arrive on Thursday afternoon and will see the first three days of the game, before travelling home on Monday. Strange but true - you can get a direct train from Edinburgh to Chesterfield. Who knew that? 

Mickey Arthur labelled the defeat at Durham as  'incredibly disappointing'. I suspect that sentiment is shared among the members and supporters. 

For all that the player skills are supposedly getting 'better and better', we have lost eight matches this summer and the evidence continues to point to a worrying lack of mental toughness. How you instill that is down to coaching ability and bringing in the right players. There aren't many Eddie Barlows out there, but the right overseas players can bring swagger, confidence and panache. 

Michael Holding had it, so too Mohammad Azharuddin and Adrian Kuiper. Meanwhile, Dean Jones, Chris Rogers, Michael di Venuto and Simon Katich gave you reassurance that they were up for a battle. When the going got tough, they rolled up their sleeves and got going.

I played with an uber-confident overseas professional (yes, an Aussie!) who carried us through a wonderful summer when he made us all feel ten feet tall. If we were chasing 200, he would look around the dressing room and say 'Guys, I am going to score a hundred, so if you can all pitch in, we will breeze this'. He usually did, he took wickets too and the team ethic was very strong. 

Mickey has had five years now and hasn't found that sort of player in his overseas picks. Shan Masood was quietly authoritative, but if he failed you sensed the warning sirens were going off. I expected more from Mickey and his 'black book', I have to admit.

Zak Chappell, Anuj Dal and Rory Haydon should all be available for the game against Lancashire,

which both teams really need to win to maintain any credibility of a promotion challenge. It gives an obvious selection headache.

For me, his biggest decision is probably the one that he will decline to make. Are his overseas choices for the summer in sufficient form to make the final eleven? 

The challenge in overseas recruitment these days is well known. I understand that there is a possibility of going back to just one overseas player for 2028 and onwards, which is partly driven by these challenges, as well as the desire to give greater opportunity to domestic players. 

While accepting that 'resting' an overseas recruit is unusual, it is not unique. Middlesex had to do it with Pieter Malan, when he struggled for form and indeed averaged only 14 in 2023. There will have been other instances when an 'injury' ruled someone out over the years.

Caleb Jewell currently averages 23 in red ball cricket, less than Ben Aitchison and Nick Potts, less than all of the other batters. He has two fifties in twelve innings and has struggled, after a winter in which he did the same in Australia. He has my sympathy, but at this stage both he and, very surprisingly, Mohammad Abbas have to go down as signings we shouldn't have made.

Abbas, who didn't lack offers when the 2025 season ended, has only eight wickets at 45 runs each. I would love to see him prove me wrong and take ten wickets at Queen's Park, but he now looks like a bowler who contains, rather than the attack leader we needed and hoped for. It is easy to be wise after the event, of course; who wasn't excited when the news broke of his signing? Not many. There have been a few dropped catches, but not enough to excuse figures which see him bottom of the averages among our regular bowlers this summer.

One could easily choose this side at Chesterfield and to some extent, rest easy in the knowledge that it contains the 'form' players of the club:

Came, Reece, Guest, Montgomery, Madsen, Andersson, Dal, Chappell/Potts, Aitchison, Haydon, Morley.

The counter argument would be that the agents of our overseas players may not be happy and it might affect future dealings with them. But shouldn't there be a point where you pick a team solely on merit, rather than because some players fill roles that are wrongly perceived as sacrosanct?

Even when I played strong league and then  Scottish county cricket, selection was keen and considered. You needed a balanced side and you looked at the opposition, the likely pitch and the form of those who were in contention. Even there, selection was not a formality and you were only as good as your most recent form, regardless of what you had done last month, or last season.

Back in my later days when I captained a village club for nine seasons, my selection process was more simple. My best friend always played, so too the guy who every week cut the grass and prepared the pitch. Oh, and the fella whose wife provided the most amazing cakes and sandwiches. It was social, friendly, fun cricket with the result less important than an enjoyable afternoon with friends. For an away game, the chap who had a people carrier for his large family was choice numero uno...

But the ante is well and truly upped at first-class level. Selection HAS to be on merit and if you are not going out there with the best eleven players at your disposal - on FORM, not reputation - you start behind the eight ball.

I have written before that for Derbyshire to compete against sides that are better resourced and in good form, we have to have eleven players battling and producing their best, or an approximation of it. 

In a sentence I didn't expect to have to write, I don't think the current best Derbyshire eleven contains either Caleb Jewell or Mohammad Abbas. That one has to come down on the shoulders of Mickey Arthur, because he recruited them and they are not producing anything like the form that was both needed and expected.

His challenge now is to get them producing it. We know Jewell can bat, he showed us that last year, but he has been in a trough for a long time now and there is no hard evidence of escaping from it. Especially with Jimmy Anderson ready to run in against him, which hasn't ended well so far.

As for Abbas, the epithet of 'outstanding' is appropriate for his form in county cricket over many years. Has time caught up with him, or is he subconsciously saving himself for the Pakistan series in England?

Derbyshire need better from their overseas players. If Mickey Arthur doesn't feel they are in the mental and physical state of mind to produce it, he has to be big enough to rest them.

They deserve that and supporters are entitled to grumble and ask questions, if they continue to be selected but don't do better.

For what it is worth, I don't now expect a red ball promotion challenge unless we beat Lancashire and can bring in someone more effective to lead the attack when Abbas joins Pakistan. If we don't beat Lancashire, it wouldn't be an effective use of money anyway. I suspect Northamptonshire will join Durham in being promoted, where Darren Lehmann is doing a terrific job across formats. Compare and contrast: his overseas picks are leading the charge, with Nathan McSweeney averaging 56 with the bat, Harry Conway having 31 wickets at 24. Envious? Moi? You bet.

Nor do I expect better in the One Day Cup, unless they can bring in someone of stature, reputation and suitability for the format, which may or may not happen.

Controversial, yes. 

But I will always be honest...and of course, I would appreciate your thoughts.

Durham v Derbyshire day 3

Durham 377

Derbyshire 118 and 237 (Came 105*, Potts 42, Potts 8-66)

Durham won by an innings and 22 runs

As everyone expected, Derbyshire lost to Durham today, by an innings and 22 runs. Yet in the process they found some self-respect, which in itself was frustrating. 

Had similar application been shown in the first innings as Harry Came and Nick Potts displayed today, the result might not have been as clear-cut as it eventually was. 

When the time eventually comes for Harry Came to put away his bat for the final time, this will be the innings for which I will remember him. We all know that he has the strokes and sometimes his willingness to play them gets him into trouble. Today, despite thirteen boundaries, he eschewed risk and played almost a lone hand against a keen home attack. A broad, straight bat that could scarce have been more resilient had he had a 'no entry' sign on the front of it. His feet moved well, his concentration never wavered and it was the sort of knock I once enjoyed by the likes of Alan Hill, Ian Hall, Steve Stubbings and a few more. 

Every team STILL, even in this era of Baz ball, needs such a player, one who sells his wicket dearly. The pitch was never easy and the occasional ball still kept horribly low, as Brooke Guest found second ball. But Harry came well forward or went right back, played it late and delivered a truly outstanding innings. Six and a half hours of resistance and he carried his bat. Magnificent.

Nick Potts lent staunch support as the two got through the morning session unscathed. He is proving himself a good cricketer and it just shows what a good coach and people having confidence in you can do. 

After Callum Parkinson got him out with one that turned, the end wasn't long in coming. Andersson resisted for a while, but an uppish cover drive in the direction of the tallest man on the pitch wasn't a recipe for success. Guest got that low one, Aitchison decided that he was going to go down flailing and expectancy of runs from Bashir and Abbas will usually result in disappointment.

So the end came, just before tea. Matthew Potts returned the outstanding figures of 8-66 and bowled really well with the two new balls. Ben Raine is always a challenge but it Derbyshire had handled their first innings better, this could have been a more competitive game of cricket 

Chesterfield next and the visit of the 'other' Roses county on Friday. 

I will be talking about that between times, around getting my bag packed for the journey down there..

Durham v Derbyshire day 2

Durham 377 (Raine 63, Aitchison 5-74)

Derbyshire 118 (Jewell 37, Aldridge 5-19, Raine 3-31, Potts 2-27)

and 99-4 (Came 48*, Potts 4-32)

Derbyshire trail by 160 runs

It was Sergio Leone day at The Banks Homes Riverside today.

Sadly the good came from Durham, while the bad and ugly were the preserve of Derbyshire, in a batting display that too adequately defined 'anaemic'.

Let's be honest, in Ben Raine and Matthew Potts the home side has a top tier attack. The latter has England caps to his name, after all, while the former is as good a day-in, day-out bowler as there is in the county game. Both bowled splendidly for their side, which I expected yesterday. Raine has taken over the mantle of Chris Rushworth, who must have looked at the fixtures each year and pencilled in at least eight wickets against the Derbyshire fixture. 

Kasey Aldridge took 5-19 in under six overs, aided by some poor shots and a sizeable slice of luck in the dismissal of Caleb Jewell. He batted as well as anyone, before being given leg before to one that might have had Harry Pilling in trouble, but not someone of normal height. It was a poor decision by Naeem Ashraf, but it summed up a shocking afternoon session in which Derbyshire lost nine wickets.

Therein lies my complaint, really. I can accept being outplayed by a good side and Durham are so much better than the rest in this division. But to be bowled out in a session is not a good look and Derbyshire showed all the resilience of a balsa wood bat today. 

The rot started last night, when Brooke Guest dropped Ben Raine. That would have been 265-8 and this has been no better than a 300 pitch. Yet Durham went on to 377, which on a pitch where the bounce became more idiosyncratic as the day went on - more than you would want from a second day pitch, to be honest - was a total of Everest proportions. Ben Raine got a nice 63, his confidence was up and the ball was soon coming out of his hand in the time-honoured style.

Ben Aitchison took a second successive five-wicket haul to confirm his talent, but the home side should not have been allowed to get away to that extent.

Derbyshire didn't help themselves when they batted. Montgomery shouldered arms to one that came back a long way and bowled him, Madsen played on and Andersson bottom-edged into his stumps from an attempted pull. It was one of those days. The optimist in me could write that Derbyshire scored at four an over throughout their innings, but when it failed to last thirty overs, that would be straw-clutching beyond my compass. 

When they went in again, there was no real expectation of improvement and nor was there for some time. Harry Came played some pleasing strokes, but neither Reece nor Montgomery lasted long and both had the dubious 'honour' of being dismissed in successive sessions. So too Jewell, whose 'played on' dismissal summed up a miserable summer in which he averages only 23. I really do feel for him, but any county needs so much more from an overseas player. If they cannot find someone better for 2027, perhaps they should put the overseas budget into a good domestic player to bolster the batting? 

Durham might consider the same. In conditions that most bowlers would have fancied, Duanne Olivier's four overs for 35 in the first innings were far from impressive, when all around him were striking gold with nigh-monotonous regularity.

Fair play to Came and Wayne Madsen, who eschewed their normal games to finally restore a sense of sanity and respectability to proceedings. To put it into context, their partnership of 55 in 24 overs was only five overs shorter than the team's first innings. Madsen went in the penultimate over, bowled by a ball that pitched and kept horribly low and tomorrow's cricket looks likely to be a session, at best.

Came ended the day unbeaten on 48 from 118 deliveries. The willingness to battle was laudable and his technique was equally strong.

The Derbyshire batting order still isn't right. I prefer Reece and Came to Jewell opening, but I am not yet convinced in Montgomery at three. He has shown himself a fine player at five in white ball cricket, but his inexperience at three shows. Yet if he were to bat five, that is the logical place for Martin Andersson and it is currently occupied by Wayne Madsen. 

Maybe we need a hypnotist to tell them all they really are batting five and we will be grand.

In closing tonight, I remain unimpressed by the concerted appealing of Durham, which long-since irked me. There is no Scott Borthwick these days, whose hands went up regardless of what happened to the ball, but Potts constantly bellowing from his knees is an unedifying, unnecessary and frankly embarrassing sight. He is a good bowler and doesn't need that nonsense in his game.

Final thoughts? People will target Mickey Arthur after such a day, but he didn't make the erroneous shot selections and you do have to give some credit to a very impressive and disciplined home performance. Ten of their players reached double figures on the same pitch and they batted for 120 overs. 

By the end of the day, Derbyshire had batted 69 overs and had lost fourteen wickets.

'Outclassed' doesn't do it justice. Defeat beckons tomorrow, but I hope that at least some pride can be restored. 

Durham v Derbyshire day 1

Durham 302-7 (Clark 51, Bedingham 49, Robinson 48 Aitchison 4-57)

v Derbyshire 

It was a day of hard graft at The Riverside for Derbyshire today. When the captains tossed the coin at the start of the game I think most people would have hoped that winning it would see the successful side making quick inroads with the ball.

It didn't really work out that way. There was movement but perhaps not to the level that the green pitch suggested might be the case. There have been a few such surfaces like that this year and I suspect that had Durham won the toss they may well have gone the same way as Wayne Madsen. 

Nick Potts was preferred to Rory Haydon, presumably to reinforce his confidence after the T20, but also to offer greater depth to the batting. Rory can consider himself unlucky, but his time will come again and Mickey Arthur is fortunate to have the choices that are available to him. 

Mohammad Abbas was back and his usual metronomic self, but I just wonder if he has lost a little nip in his bowling. He will rarely give much away and he makes the batters work, but his average this summer compares unfavourably with those of previous years. Hopefully he proves me wrong tomorrow and at Chesterfield next week, but eight wickets so far at 45 runs each was not what supporters expected from an attack leader of his reputation.

All of the Durham batters got in and then were dismissed. Derbyshire will be especially pleased to have got Alex Lees and David Bedingham back in the pavilion fairly cheaply, both having good records against them. Yet when rain interrupted play in the final session, Clark and Robinson were well set and Durham looked good for around 400.

Yet the new ball removed both of them, a wicket each for Abbas and Aitchison. The latter owed much to Guest's agility behind the stumps and he had a good day, up until he put down one he would class as routine in the last ten overs. That could yet come back to bite Derbyshire, as Ben Raine, the fortunate batter, is a dangerous lower order hitter, as is Matthew Potts and both were still there at the close.

I would suggest Durham the happier of the two sides at the end of the day. If you are still batting after being asked to you cannot complain too much. Anything over 350 is a decent score on this ground and Ben Raine will hope to continue his excellent record against Derbyshire tomorrow.

Finally tonight, a word for Ben Aitchison. I don't think he has missed a day's cricket this year and throughout he has presented problems for opposition batters. His 32 red ball wickets at 23 represents bowling of the highest standard and he is as good as any on the circuit right now.. 

Add in another sharp catch at slip today - not forgetting that memorable century at Lord's - he will not want this summer to end.

A good day's cricket, then. We will get a better idea of the game's direction by this time tomorrow.

Durham v Derbyshire Championship preview

It's great to see Anuj Dal back in the Derbyshire squad for the game at The Riverside tomorrow. He hasn't played since that nasty injury in April and I am both pleased and surprised to see him back in a match day squad as soon as he is.

Mickey Arthur has announced a squad of fourteen, with Nuj, Nick Potts and Jack Morley alongside the eleven that I suggested yesterday. I don't see any reason to change that side, but the county will be well-placed should an injury substitute be required. The likely eleven again:

Came, Reece, Montgomery, Jewell, Madsen, Andersson, Guest, Aitchison, Haydon, Bashir, Abbas.

As for Durham, Ryan Campbell has named a 14-player squad, which includes two changes to the 14 who played Kent in the last round of red ball fixtures.

Emilio Gay and Ben Stokes drop out due to their England commitments for the three-match Test series against New Zealand. That will no doubt see a quizzical eyebrow or two raised in the north east, when Shoaib Bashir is free to play for Derbyshire.

Duanne Olivier is in line to make his Durham first-class debut, having joined the county for the remainder of the season, replacing Kemar Roach. He will hope to do better than in the second team last week, when Yusuf Bin Naeem dished out some serious stick to the former South African seamer.

Ben Raine sits second in the division's wicket-takers with 33 wickets, one behind Northamptonshire’s Ben Sanderson, while David Bedingham (628) is the leading run scorer in Division Two

Their squad:

Colin Ackermann, Kasey Aldridge, David Bedingham, Graham Clark, Alex Lees, Ben McKinney, James Minto, Duanne Olivier, Callum Parkinson, Matthew Potts, Ben Raine, Will Rhodes, Ollie Robinson, Luke Robinson

They have played some excellent red ball cricket this summer and fully lived up to expectations as favourites for promotion. 

They are twenty points clear of their nearest rivals in the division, but only ten points separate Northamptonshire in second and Derbyshire in fifth. Indeed, only fourteen points separate second and second bottom, in a very tight division.

 The forecast is pretty good for the four days, with only occasional passing showers expected. There is every possibility of a positive result and the home side will start favourites on the back of their league placing.

Much will depend on the toss, but I would like to think that Derbyshire will give a good account of themselves. They have played some good cricket this year and have approached it in a manner that supporters have enjoyed.

If they can do the same over the next four days there will be few complaints.

A good news day!

Derbyshire will be announcing their squad tomorrow, for the visit to The Riverside to play Durham in a four-day red ball game.

The squad will be reinforced by the return from international duty of Mohammad Abbas, while Shoaib Bashir has been cleared to play by the ECB. Having not bowled in the Test match at Lord's, it would have made no sense for the off spinner to go into the second Test having not bowled in a match for almost a month.

The return of Abbas will be extremely welcome, though a potential selection dilemma is avoided, for now, by Zak Chappell being unavailable for this match, though a possibility for the Lancashire game at Chesterfield.

That should mean that Rory Haydon continues the excellent start to his county career. We are a day away from the announcement of the Derbyshire squad, but I would assume it will not be far away from this side that lines up at The Riverside:

Reece, Came, Montgomery, Jewell, Madsen, Andersson, Guest, Aitchison, Haydon, Bashir, Abbas.

Anuj Dal is currently playing in the second team fixture against Sussex at Denby, but his chances of an immediate recall after injury would appear slim, since they have managed only fifteen overs in three days. In that time Derbyshire managed 71-2, with Came and Wagstaff the men out. 

I suspect Mickey Arthur would want Nuj to have some match practice before returning to serious first team consideration. It would also be hard to fit him into a side that, lest we forget, has won its last two red ball matches before the start of The Blast. A look at the side above should confirm that particular challenge...

Moving on, thanks to Dean for sending me a link to a piece by Richard Gibson of The Mail, in which he said that Derbyshire and Leicestershire were both chasing the services of Fynn Hudson-Prentice. While this would presumably be from next season, the article suggested that Sussex might be amenable to letting go early any of Fynn, Danny Lamb, Tom Alsop and Tom Clark, as they have to shave half a million from their cricket budget.

It could just be newspaper talk, of course and there may be others chasing his services. Unless they pass in the revolving doors of promotion/relegation this September, the likelihood is that those two sides will be in division two next year. The chances of Derbyshire going up, at this stage however, appear better than those of Leicestershire staying there after a fairly wretched season so far.

I don't think anyone would be disappointed were Fynn to return, though there's a lot of seam bowling competition around these parts, especially with the Lazarus-like improvement in Nick Potts. I suspect that Derbyshire were set to release him at the end of this summer, but he appears to have found something extra under the tutelage of Chris Wright and has done very well in The Blast. He seems to have been around for years, but is still only 23, so time is very much on his side. 

It also highlights the merits of patience, because there were plenty writing him off after a couple of injury-hit summers. The words of Mickey Arthur in his latest interview on the club site suggest that he has played himself into a new deal, which is terrific. 

in fact seam bowling in Derbyshire appears to be alive and well under Wright, a canny operator over many years himself. Matthew Stewart, at 19, has been awash with wickets in the second team this year, having seemingly made the leap from the Academy set up with ease. I would expect him to be on the staff next year, while behind him are other top prospects.

Oldest among these is Jake Green, 18, who has just been selected for an England Invitational XI that will play against England Young Lions and South Africa Under-19s on June 26 and 27. I have seen him bowl a few times and he is another with plenty of potential, not just with the ball. His younger brother Lucas is also making a name for himself and was involved in The Bunbury Festival last summer. 

He is likely to be again, along with several other Pathway youngsters. This serves to highlight the excellent work being done by Daryn Smit and his staff and it would be great to see the decades-old Derbyshire tradition of seam bowling restored to its former glories.

It's fair to say we won't be whistling down any pits for them these days, but the modern route appears to have all the signs of bearing considerable fruit.

All that and there's also Harry Moore, who can hopefully return in 2027 and pick up his career where he left off. Harry might become a batter who bowls a bit, or could still emerge as a genuine all rounder, given greater luck with injury.

But like I said in the title, a good news day!

Monday musings

The North Group of the Vitality Blast is very odd, this year. 

Derbyshire currently sit fourth, ahead of Durham (who beat them) and Lancashire (who they have yet to play but have lost four from five).

Ahead are Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, both of who were beaten easily, with Yorkshire on top of the pile having done a smash and grab at Headingley, in a game where Derbyshire had done all the hard work.

A few observations from me to stimulate discussion...

First - I don't think Nye Donald as skipper works. He is a lovely bloke, articulate, intelligent and a good 'face' for the media. But skippering as wicket keeper is really tough and there's no evidence that in the field any one player is in charge. Madsen, Whiteley and Montgomery all seem to be doing bits, but you cannot captain by committee. There needs to be ONE hand on the tiller or it dissolves into a rabble. I don't think it helps his keeping either, which looks ragged at times.

Second - and staying with Nye, he has to be told that he isn't just what used to be called a pinch hitter. He can hit a ball a long way and is blessed with both strength and timing, but it appears he considers his job done at the end of the sixth over. His shot yesterday was silly and unnecessary, with thirty on the board in three overs. The top franchise players would accept that and wait for the next ball in their arc, not try to make something from a position where feet, head and hands were all in the wrong place. He was only going to get a single from the shot, so why go through with it? He would have probably got a wide had he left it.

Third - what is really to be gained with risky shots in the last over of the Powerplay? Derbyshire were 54-2 from five, scoring at eleven an over, when chasing nine. 130 to win from fifteen overs, around 8/8.5 an over. Then they were 58-4 after six, all the form players gone, three of them through self-inflicted wounds. It would be nice to see them take a leaf from the top franchise sides and players - score a boundary early, then knock it around. Then when Basra was out they needed 67 from seven and most teams would fancy that these days. One boundary an over and knock it around, without the need for anything excessive.

Yesterday's target was far from excessive, but the methodology of the chase was akin to using a pneumatic drill to crack a walnut. 

They return to red ball cricket this week and a trip to Durham, but the make up of the side needs looked at before the return to the white ball game.

For me, Mohammad Ghazanfar has to come in so there are two overseas bowlers. But he cannot play AS WELL AS Jack Morley, because 7-11 would then be Potts, Aitchison, Ghazanfar, Javed and Morley. 

Martin Andersson and Matthew Montgomery have been in terrific form, but we saw yesterday what happens when they fail. Hard as it is for me to write, there is a decline in the form of Wayne Madsen in this format, with scores of 18, 2, 22, 24, 7 and 27. Meanwhile, Caleb Jewell has 11, 20, 58*, 4, 14 and 25. Batting at three and four, one of them has to be doing better and kicking on from starts. Jewell's 132 runs have also taken 99 balls, not quick enough, while Wayne's 100 runs have taken 76 balls.

Either Matthew Montgomery needs to move up, as one of the form players, or Amrit Basra should get a crack at three. Alternatively, Yusuf Bin Naeem should get his chance, after fine form in the second team. 

My team for the remainder of the tournament would therefore be:

Donald, Andersson, Naeem, Montgomery, Basra, Whiteley, Madsen, Potts, Aitchison, Ghazanfar, Javed.

It is a shame for Jack Morley, who started the tournament really well. But unless you play two spinners at Old Trafford (likely and so give Aitchison a breather) he hasn't bowled his full allocation in recent matches anyway. 

Madsen at seven? He can rebuild if required and could nurse the tail to a score if all else fails. But you need your impact players having the maximum time at the crease. I still think Wayne has another season in him, but the short game is an unforgiving format and his role in it has to change in the best interests of the team.

I know some have called for Harry Came and Mitch Wagstaff to be given a game, but I don't look at that top seven and see how they strengthen it in this format. Both should play the 50-over competition, when the county will be missing both Nye Donald and probably Martin Andersson, surely picked up as a wildcard for the 'other competition' after his Blast displays. 

Maybe that is their competition this year, when the county could field:

Jewell, Came, Montgomery, Madsen, Naeem, Wagstaff, Guest, Chappell, Aitchison, Haydon, Morley. 

As always, I appreciate your comments. 

Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire Vitality Blast game 6

Nottinghamshire 183-6 (Munsey 53, Haynes 50, Moores 39, Akif 2-31)

Derbyshire 173-9 (Madsen 27, Aitchison 25* Ali 3-25, Pennington 3-29)

Nottinghamshire won by ten runs

Last night I wrote:

It is a game that Derbyshire at their best are capable of winning, as they did last week. At their least focussed they are eminently capable of losing it too, so it depends which side turns up.

We all know what happened, in a game that was given away by some dreadful batting. Yet it started in the field, after Nottinghamshire were asked to bat.

The modern game of cricket is all about 'match ups' and I'm unsure as to how Jack Morley came to be bowling in the Power play to George Munsey. I have watched a lot of the Scottish international in recent years and his strength has always been in sweeping and reverse sweeping.  Jack is a good bowler but was certainly not the right choice to bowl at that time today.

Accordingly, the home side got off to a flyer, but they were pulled back by intelligent bowling from Nick Potts and Akif Javed. Both pitched the ball up well, bowled with fire and crucially, bowled to their fields. Matthew Montgomery also did well on his return to Trent Bridge and eventually got Munsey, who was starved of the strike and lost momentum. Fifty off five overs had only reached 126 by the end of the fourteenth, by which time the returning Morley had nicely pouched Haynes, like Munsey departing soon after reaching a fine fifty. Derbyshire would later wish for someone who reached that landmark.

As he did in the first game between these sides, Moores gave late impetus, aided by Javed, who had previously bowled cleverly and well, opting to bowl short at a batter strong on the pull and hook. He is far weaker on the off side and they should know this and direct the attack accordingly.

Potts eventually got him in the final over, one in which he should have had three wickets to cap an excellent spell of bowling. McCann should have been caught first by Javed, then by Madsen, but both chances were missed as the home side finished on 183-6. Thankfully Linde didn't profit from a poor decision by umpire Russell Warren, who didn't spot Aitchison's hand deflecting a Moores drive onto the stumps at the non-striker's end with the batter well out of his ground.

A target of 184 seemed well within the compass of a Derbyshire side that has been batting well in this tournament, but the loss of the prolific Martin Andersson in the first over was not in the script. Nor was the dreadful shot played by Donald in the third, from a ball that would otherwise have been a wide. We all know what a destructive player the Derbyshire captain is, but I just wish that he would realise that if he stays in, we will usually win. He doesn't need to hit absolutely everything, because no one can. He doesn't need to limit his involvement to the Power play and just keep slogging thereafter. 

Jewell looked good for a while but was another who gave it away with an unnecessary shot in the match situation, as did Montgomery, three balls later. It was horrible, mindless cricket with fully fourteen overs to go. Derbyshire ended the Powerplay with four men back in the pavilion and the chances of a win ebbing away.

Whiteley and Madsen steadied the ship for a while, but the departure of Whiteley at the half way mark, gambling on his power to clear the long on ropes and losing, left a mountain to climb. When Basra also perished on the boundary edge, after a few nice shots but at the end of an over that had already realised eleven, we were doing that climb in free solo mode. Then blindfolded, when Madsen also perished on the boundary with sixty needed from six overs. 

Potts struck a few lusty blows, but I sat watching and thinking back to people like Peter Kirsten and Dean Jones, who didn't need to play the big shots to score quickly. Place the ball, time it, run the twos, the fours and sixes will come. This wasn't a big run chase, but it was conducted with the finesse of the Keystone Cops, with the same predictable result.

Aitchison took it closer than seemed likely by showing greater nous than most, but Nottinghamshire ended up winning by ten runs and deservedly so. The Derbyshire side has batted well this year in The Blast, but this smacked of a bunch of mates going down to the golf range and seeing who could hit it furthest. There was no finesse, no obvious thought process, no clear strategy. Just brute force and ignorance, as my old Dad was fond of saying. You won't win many matches with a top score of 27.

They may yet qualify for the knock out stages, but will need to play considerably better than this in order to do so. 

I hope they have the swear box to hand in the dressing room tonight. After such a batting display, Mickey's input would be both profitable and fully deserved.

Book Review: Writers in Whites: how a group of literary cricketers changed English culture by Ollie Randall

This is far from being a conventional cricket read. A sentence I write as a compliment, because as a book it is thoroughly enjoyable. 

It is the untold story of cricket’s role in a slice of London’s literary world, from the 1880s to the 1960s. PG Wodehouse used his cricket-playing to launch his writing career, while JM Barrie modelled the pirates in Peter Pan after his cricket teammates. Indeed, Arthur Conan Doyle named Sherlock Holmes after a cricketer he’d played against and by one count 240 of 300 characters in his Sherlock Holmes stories are named after cricketers. This is echoed in modern writing, where Martin Edwards, one of the finest of modern crime writers and regular contributor to this blog, has frequently used the names of Derbyshire players in his own books.

The literary cricketers weathered scandals and ferocious culture wars, but they also wrote numerous memoirs describing their antics on and around the cricket field, even if their talents in whites varied from 'keen but distinctly average' (JM Barrie) to 'very good' (Doyle).

Along the way, various writers of renown formed and joined teams, including Edmund Blunden, EW Swanton, Neville Cardus and Michael Morpurgo. The book also covers the rise of the cricketer-turned writer, with the likes of Learie Constantine, Douglas Jardine and Richie Benaud.

It is thoroughly engaging from cover to cover and one can only marvel at the depth of research from Ollie Randall, gathering together so many disparate strands for the first time.

One of the joys of my own life in cricket has been the friends I have made along the way. In the case of these writers, the friendships influenced their writings and helped to shape the country's culture.

This is likely to be one of the books of the year, by the time 2026 comes to an end.

Writers in Whites: How a group of literary cricketers changed English culture is written by Ollie Randall and published by Fairfield Books

Derbyshire on an England scorecard!

Thanks to Mark for sending me a photo of the team sheet from the Lord's Test and for granting permission for its use.

So nice to see Derbyshire named as the home of one of the English players. 

Shoaib Bashir hasn't had a great deal of opportunity in this match, so dominant have been the seam bowlers. But I have every confidence that he will do the necessary, if and when opportunity arises.

Many thanks, Mark. I think it is fair to say you have seen an eventful match!

Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire Vitality Blast game 6

Mickey Arthur has named the expected 15-man squad for tomorrow's return T20 fixture against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge (3pm start)

It is unlikely that there will be a change from the side that did well in two matches before going down to Essex. Much as I and several others would like to see Yusuf Bin Naeem come into the side, it could only be at the expense of Caleb Jewell and I don't see Mickey making that call at this stage. 

So I expect Derbyshire to line up as follows: 

Donald, Andersson, Jewell, Madsen, Montgomery, Whiteley, Basra, Potts, Aitchison, Javed, Morley

Came, Wagstaff, Bin Naeem, Haydon also in the squad.

Last night I watched Nottinghamshire limp over the line against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge. It was a low scoring game, where they were only chasing 140 to win, but got them for seven wickets. They also bowled twelve overs of spin with four spinners, which suggests the way that the game may go tomorrow. A left field pick would see Mitch Wagstaff come into the Derbyshire side, but it will be interesting to see the pitch chosen for the game.

There is no news on the home side as I write but I would expect them to go with this team, unchanged from last night: 

Clarke, Munsey, Haynes, McCann, Moores, Howell, McCann, Linde, Patterson-White, Pennington, Stone.

It is a game that Derbyshire at their best are capable of winning, as they did last week. At their least focussed they are eminently capable of losing it too, so it depends which side turns up.

I'm going for a repeat of last week, because I have been impressed on the whole with the way that the county has approached this tournament. 

With an impressively positive net run rate, they are in a good position in the competition, if they leave Trent Bridge with the points tomorrow. Mohammad Ghazanfar will be here soon and that can surely only boost prospects.

The forecast is set fair. It would do the mood no harm at all should Northamptonshire take the points from Durham tonight. 

Here's hoping for successive, positive events. 

What do you think? 

Easy win for first eleven in friendly

There was a good run out and easy win for Derbyshire tonight, in the NCCA Showcase friendly against Bedfordshire at Dunstable.

The home side won the toss and elected to bowl, but Nye Donald and Martin Andersson put on 57 in the first four overs before the skipper was caught for 23.

Andersson top-scored with 74 from just 30 deliveries before retiring, while Caleb Jewell made 40 in a score of 205-7 from 20 overs.

The home side never got going, their final total of 130-9 largely built around 42 from Yusuf Bin Naeem, who guested for them. The wickets were shared around the attack, with Ben Aitchison taking 2-27 and Rory Haydon 2-18. Ross Whiteley took 1-12 in his three overs.

A win by 75 runs then, ahead of Sunday's big game against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

Another wash out at Hartlepool

Another rain ruined draw for the second team against Durham at Hartlepool today.

Harry Came again lost the toss and the home side opted to bat. They had reached 53-2 in the sixth over before the rains came, both wickets falling to Matt Stewart, who has been in fine form this summer. 

The only other point of interest was that the sixth over was bowled by Luis Reece. Hopefully the start of a welcome bowling come back in time for the resumption of red ball cricket

Scorecard and video clips here

Seconds settle for share of points at Hartlepool

Derbyshire's second team had to settle for a share of the points, as rain ran out the winner at Hartlepool today.

Batting first after Durham won the toss, Derbyshire amassed 180-6 in their 20 overs. Yusuf Bin Naeem hit Duane Olivier for 4 sixes on his way to 33 from 18 deliveries, while Harry Came made 25 and Luis Reece 37. 

Brooke Guest marshalled the lower order in making an unbeaten 40, before the innings came to a close. Olivier finished with 1-40 in his three overs...

When Durham went in, they were quickly in trouble and were 11-2 in the third over before rain ended proceedings. Both Matt Stewart and Rory Haydon took a wicket and Derbyshire will have fancied their chances at that stage.

The two teams meet again on the same ground tomorrow, weather permitting.

Scorecard and clips here