Fantastic effort

Irrespective of what happens between now and close of play, there's surely no one will doubt that this was an outstanding effort by Derbyshire today.

Credit to Tom Lungley and Tim Groenewald for keeping things ticking over at one end, but what a fantastic effort from Wavell Hinds today! The West Indian reined in his natural instincts to score an unbeaten 119 in almost five hours of batting on a tricky pitch that offered considerable help to the three Glamorgan spinners.

There were a few doubters over Wavell last season and I'd include myself in that number. He played a few cameos, notably in the 20/20, and took more wickets than we perhaps expected, but he didn't produce anything really special.

This season started in slow fashion and after his first few innings he looked like a man who had forgotten how to bat. In recent weeks, since his century against Leeds/Bradford UCCE, Hinds has looked an increasingly class act and every inch the international batsman that he is.

He can still frustrate, but that's human frailties for you. A few silly dismissals (walking down the track) and a careless shot or two can leave hearts in mouths, but Hinds now seems to be coming to terms with the County game. At his best he has a full range of shots and although his penchant when lofting is the arc between mid wicket and long on, he can destroy sides when his eye is in.

Now he has shown he can grit it out. When the going got tough, Wave got going. Can't ask for more than that.

52-2 in 16 chasing 285 as I close. The thinking money is on a draw, but these two (Powell and Cosgrove) are fine players and Dalrymple is in next...

Northants v Derbyshire FP Trophy

Derbyshire produced a professional display to beat Northamptonshire in a game that ebbed and flowed after we had produced our best batting of the season in posting 286-9.

This impressive score was based on good contributions from our holy trimuvirate with Stuart Law (pictured) leading the way with an imperious 95, Wavell posting another good score with 57 and the newly arrived skipper hitting 42 before holing out on the boundary edge.

When you arrive at a new club with the career average that Law has accumulated in the past 20 years there is little left to prove. His comments on arrival that it was more than just about his runs were valid, but there is no doubt that he will sleep easier tonight having shown the county's fans what an outstanding batsman he is.

Rogers batted remarkably well too for a man who must be pretty jetlagged and I loved Dave Griffin's comments on the radio this afternoon about Buck's arrival in this country. Did he want to go home for a rest? No, he wanted to go to the ground for a hit and some exercise - exactly what you want from your overseas pro and your skipper. When the two Aussies were posting their second wicket stand, my mind was cast back to the last time I felt so good about a Derbyshire line-up, which was in the halcyon days of Wright and Kirsten. When those two were going well you thought a win was a formality and there was a similar air from Rogers and Law today.

Wavell's knock added to his excellent record in this year's FP Trophy and its funny to think we were moaning about him (me included) a week or two back.

After Law and Hinds were dismissed we lost our way a little but the late assault by Graham Wagg which saw him lift three huge sixes (and hurt himself in the process) took us to an eminently defendable total.

Yet when Wessels and O'Brien stormed from the blocks with a stand of 66 in around nine overs we looked in serious trouble. Wagg was only able to bowl three expensive overs and Garry Park was also expensive today. The advent of Tim Groenewald was a key factor, as the middle order was strangled effectively. Derbyshire's bowling options stood them in good stead too, with Dan Redfern doing a good job and removing Mark Nelson after the youngster threatened a late challenge and there was no need for Wavell to turn his arm over as Derbyshire eventually won comfortably.

With Essex soundly beating Lancashire, the group is again wide open and our game on Wednesday is a really big one. The weather forecast doesn't look too clever for this one and it may be that any game is truncated at best. At the halfway stage Lancashire and Essex have 6 points from four games and we have 4. Our destiny is very much in our own hands and with better luck with the toss in the remaining matches (we lost it again today but did OK in the end) we could still sneak into the business places.

Again though, today was a new Derbyshire playing with purpose, confidence and no little skill. It's been a long time since we were able to say that about our one day form and the side are to be roundly applauded for their efforts. Well done guys.

Wavell verdict

By a 2/3 majority, the Derbyshire fans have voted that Wavell Hinds deserves another year - always assuming the powers that be don't change the rules on Kolpaks of course.

Wavell hasn't pulled up any trees with his batting this season, but with an average of just under 30, coupled with handy wickets at 25 he has justifiable claim to be considered an all rounder. To be brutally honest, a recently departed captain would have loved those figures...

Whether one should expect more from an overseas player is a moot point, but there's worse players than Wavell out there, and unless his salary would be the difference between getting and not getting a top player, my inclination would be to keep him. I actually feel we may see more of his batting another year now that he has acclimatised. Having ceased playing for Jamaica, a rest then some slog and run in India will set him up nicely for another year and I'd be happy to see him back.

Why not vote in this week's poll? Who should be the Derbyshire skipper next season? Some interesting choices for you!

Wins means Hinds..

Great news today in the signing of West Indian Wavell Hinds on a Kolpak deal.

This is, of course, a saga that began in the depths of winter and has had more twists and turns than a slalom at the Winter Olympics. Nonetheless, we at last have a satisfactory conclusion and Hinds will play for us from the start of June. Indeed, he would be eligible for the FP Trophy Quarter-Finals should we get there.

John Morris also refers to his strengthening the middle order, which seems to leave Stubbo and Rogers safe at the top of the order, and rightly so. Hinds could go three or four, so both John Sadler and Dom Telo will have some pressure to perform.

His presence should make a difference to the batting and if he performs to his career standard the rest of the season should be well worth watching. Especially if the consequence is that Chris Rogers now stays and plays the 20/20 with Wavell

So perhaps we can say hello and Wavell goodbye to those middle order blues...

I'll get me coat...