Johnson signs at the season crossroads

With Derbyshire's season at the crossroads and a few supporters showing signs of the blues, there was something quite satisfying about Johnson signing a deal with Derbyshire today. There's a musical joke there that I hope you got...

Richard Johnson may lack the guitar skills of his great namesake Robert, but he has an excellent pair of hands on him and will be a great asset to Derbyshire over the next few weeks. It was hardly a surprise that Karl Krikken had a plan B up his sleeve, of course, as it is very difficult for wicket-keepers to go through a season unscathed given the current workload. There are a good number of them out there unattached, so for Johnson to get the call ahead of the likes of Tom New and Steve Adshead suggests that he is very good at what he does.

Tom Poynton's stomach muscle injury will keep him out of at least the Yorkshire game and I'm sure that we all wish him a speedy recovery. The lad has made an excellent fist of his first season as senior keeper and has let no one down. While Chris Durham has kept competently in recent matches, it is asking a lot of a young lad to take the gloves in matches as crucial as we have coming up.

Johnson doesn't have a reputation as a top drawer batsman, but he is competent and will undoubtedly battle. He follows an illustrious line of recruits from Warwickshire to the County Ground, of course and if he acquits himself as well as Messrs Welch, Munton and Wagg in his short stay we will have few complaints.

Derbyshire should return to winning ways against the Unicorns tomorrow and I hope that a few of the batsmen get a decent workout, especially Usman Khawaja, who could do with a few runs under his belt, especially since I've picked him for my Fantasy Cricket side....

Elsewhere, news of players who will be leaving their counties at season-end is starting to trickle out and Leicestershire are not offering new terms to Jacques du Toit and Nadeem Malik, while Worcestershire are allowing the long-serving Vikram Solanki to speak to other clubs.

All are victims of the ECB regulations discussed last night, of course. The records of du Toit and Malik are far from poor, but at 32 and 30 respectively they don't bring in ECB money any more and their returns don't really justify playing them at the expense of a younger player who does. There is genuine pressure on players over 26 to justify their selection and perform regularly and the reality is that those two players simply haven't done that.

On the face of it, Solanki would be a terrific signing for a few counties, Derbyshire included. It is no secret that we need a top opening batsman and Solanki has been one of the best in the county game over the past ten years or so. By the same token, Worcestershire have decided that his average (around 29 this summer) does not represent good value against what they are presumably paying him, which must be substantial. There will be a few counties notionally interested in such a player, but the questions will be simple - is he past his prime and will his demands put him out of reach of all but the big clubs? My early gut feeling is that he could end up at Surrey, where Chris Adams has gone on record with a need to recruit and Solanki could nominally and financially replace Mark Ramprakash, who is likely to finish in September.

However, for Solanki read Usman Afzaal, another fine player who should still be in the county game but who priced himself out of the circuit.

The game has changed my friends. But tonight Derbyshire are 25 points clear of Yorkshire, who have played the same number of matches.

Good huh?

Rain to the rescue?

Ther rain may well have come at the right time for Derbyshire tonight, having made an unconvincing start to the pursuit of 221 against Northamptonshire.

With Chesney Hughes and Wes Durston back in the pavilion and just 19 runs on the board after six overs, there was a long way to go for Derbyshire when the rain called a halt to proceedings and the sides shared the points. Earlier there had been excellent bowling from the much improved Mark Turner, who could just become a potent weapon in the run in.

The best news today came from Southampton, where the game between Yorkshire and Hampshire, unless there is a contrived finish tomorrow, looks set to end in a draw. That will leave Derbyshire in a strong position in the County Championship, ahead of the game against the white rose county next week.

In the light of recent one-day performances I can understand there being a few moans and groans among the faithful. They do, after all, pay their money and are as entitled to an opinion as me or anyone else. Indeed Marc, below last night's post, raises a few concerns around the prospects for next summer and what might happen should we get promoted and play nine home-grown players per match.

The short answer is, of course, that we have no real option. The county game is dependent on ECB income and you get that by playing English-qualified players. All counties have gone down this path and, given that the ECB effectively runs and owns county cricket, it is the only feasible route.

Disagree? How many counties could survive without ECB money each season? You won't have to use too many fingers for that tally, trust me. Yes, we could reinforce the young squad for another summer with two or three senior players, but where will the money come from? Don't forget that we are a long way from being the most affluent county in the country and the limited money we have has to go a long way. Even with an outstanding marketing team behind the scenes, we are unlikely to be raising the money to sign a number of established players.

Marc says that the Academy has not yet produced established county players, but those of few counties have yet to do so and I would still argue that Derbyshire's is going firmly in the right direction. I can't argue with Marc that only Dan Redfern has so far cemented a place in the side, but Ross Whiteley will come again and there is enough talent among the likes of Knight, Hughes, Poynton, Higginbottom, Borrington and Burgoyne to be confident in the future. The next generation looks equally impressive, but we have to be prepared for periods of ups and downs, as that is what you get with youngsters. You also need patience. Redfern is enjoying a fine season at the age of 22, but this is his SIXTH summer in the side.

Derbyshire's Academy has produced several players of potential county standard in the past few summers and will continue to do so as sound structures have been established. There is no magic wand, however, that turns a young player into an experienced one overnight. All of them have to serve lengthy apprenticeships and will enjoy periods of success and failure within that time. There will be times to celebrate their success and times to tolerate their failures, because cricket is the greatest leveller of any sport you care to name.

Keep in mind though that this bunch of players has got us 28 points clear in Division Two. Keep in mind that next summer there could well be a player emulating the progress of Whiteley last summer and Poynton, along with Redfern this. They all develop at their own speed and we need to appreciate and accept that.

Irrespective of what happens in the remainder of the season, the players can be proud of their achievements this year, one in which we have started to change a few perceptions. More will be changed in the summers ahead, mark my words, but it will take time. There are areas we need to improve the side - at least one batsman is needed and a seam-bowling all-rounder would never go amiss, but no one is more aware of areas for improvement than the coaching staff.

There may well be departures too, but not many. For now let us enjoy an improved performance on Sunday ahead of one of our biggest games for years.

We have seven such games coming up in the next few weeks. Get behind our lads, because with that support they might just cross the finishing line in a very strong position.

Surely not?

Good to see most of Derbyshire's batsmen making the most of yesterday's opportunity in making runs from perhaps the not overly demanding Leicestershire Second XI. Since their first team attack is hardly formidable, one suspects it may have been less demanding than what they will face when the action proper resumes next week.

Still, runs is runs, as someone (quite possibly G. Boycott) once said. They're better in the scorebook than in your head...

On to county matters and was anyone else, like me, appalled to see Gloucestershire awarding a cap to Australian opener Ed Cowan on his debut yesterday? Over many years a county cap has been something to be earned and coveted, an aspirational goal if you will. Many very good (and subsequently great) players have taken some time to earn the thing that says, for all to see, that you have made it.

A cap should not be given to someone simply because they have flown from the other side of the world to play for you. I could perhaps understand it if Gloucestershire had signed someone like Ricky Ponting or Jacques Kallis, players who have made a reputation in the game and whose award is made in the light of this and in recognition of their stature within it.

With respect to Ed Cowan, despite his century today he has got nowhere near the requisite credentials to be given his cap with immediate effect. He is a decent player who will always battle hard (I have seen him and played against him up here in Scotland) but such an award is a smack in the mouth for others at the club who also do that yet have not yet been recognised for it.

It is mad and if Derbyshire did something similar I would have no hesitation in decrying it as such. It debases the system and is a pretty shoddy thought process from the people concerned.

Tomorrow Derbyshire take on Northamptonshire in the CB40 in a game of little importance to either side. For me there is a strong argument to reintroduce some form of knock out competition to cricket, as the leagues as they stand offer far too many dull and pointless games. Of course. I would love to see Derbyshire rack up 350-2 tomorrow and win handsomely, just as I want them to beat the Unicorns (my daughter's favourite cricket team - she loves the name) on Sunday.

Yet in the great scheme of things it doesn't matter all that much.

Now Yorkshire, next week - there is a match...

Midweek thoughts

It was reassuring to read in today's Derby Telegraph that Karl Krikken was big enough to admit to Derbyshire's T20 failings. It was pleasing to read also that his thoughts on the campaign were exactly the same as mine, espoused a few days earlier.

Lack of experience, poor batting and insufficient input from the overseas players were the major issues, though they were probably identified by most people. The first two are related, of course and will continue to be issues until players mature or additional experience can be injected into the side from the overseas role or another form.

As you may have read on the club site, the First XI effectively became the Seconds today as they started a game against Leicestershire. It was absolutely the right thing for Karl Krikken to do and will hopefully bring dividends when we resume Championship activity next week. The four-day Derbyshire this summer has been a different beast to the limited overs side and the return of Tony Palladino to the seam attack will give us a fresh and invigorated edge as we approach the critical stage of the season.

There have been a  couple of areas of critical comment in recent weeks while I was away. One was the omission of Palladino from the T20 side, but I am 100% behind Krikk in keeping him fresh for the run-in, when he may have a lot of bowling. It is very easy for seam bowlers to pick up niggles in T20, when they are adjusting their actions to bowl different paces and lengths, as well as diving around the outfield. Rana Naved was signed as a strike bowler anyway and most fans would rank Clare and Groenewald as better batsmen (without decrying the talents of the ever-improving Palladino). No quibbles there from me.

There were also comments around the captaincy and some decisions made by Wayne Madsen, but again, while accepting that mistakes were made, I'd put much down to relative inexperience and the pressure of the competition. Having captained a side for nine seasons in 20-over cricket, it requires a lot more thought and work ball-by-ball than longer games. There was one occasion when we had, I think, too many fielders outside the ring and a no ball ensued, but that, for me, should have been something the vice-captain was keeping an eye on as well. We have a massive learning curve in that cricket and Madsen, a player and man for who I have the utmost respect, will be a stronger and better captain for his experience this summer.

I have had a couple of e mails with suggestions for overseas players for next summer, but with respect to the senders, the players concerned, while undoubtedly being good for the side, will be 99% certain to be playing in the ICC Trophy next June when the T20 takes place.

Put it this way. If AB de Villiers isn't in the South African side he'll be injured, so either way he isn't going to be playing for Derbyshire or anyone else.

Sorry...

Just like that...

 In the light of expected issues with regard to overseas stars in 2012 and having written about Michael Di Venuto below, it got me thinking if there might be similar options out there who counties might consider.

Tom Cooper

One such player could be Netherlands and South Australia batsman Tom Cooper. At 25, the batsman is improving all the time and last year scored a maiden double century for his state. Healthy and increaing averages in all forms of the game might make him a worthwhile gamble, a player with a point to prove. At this stage he is some way from the Australian squad and I just wonder what his response might be if asked to play the county game on his mother's Dutch passport. Andrew Symonds did similarly at Gloucestershire a few years back and it turned out well for him..

A good fielder and useful off-spinner, there are decent possibilities for counties in a shrinking market if they could prevail on a talented young cricketer to "do a Di Venuto", always assuming that they could withstand the financial "hit" in playing a non-qualified player.

Just a thought...