Derbyshire 149-8 (Godleman 33, Durston 32)
Worcestershire 150-6 (Hughes 2-21)
Worcestershire won by 4 wickets
Derbyshire made a decent fist of their last T20 game against Worcestershire tonight, but ultimately fell short as a decent (and perhaps over-achieving) Worcestershire side that bats a long way down and has a world-class spinner in its midst.
Indeed, they have a good overseas combo, with New Zealander Colin Munro giving good value over the past couple of years as a middle order batsman capable of introducing the 'oomph' as and when required.
We battled down the order and five players got going, though no one went on to the score that defines and wins a game. Another twenty runs would have made for a good finish, especially when Alex Hughes bowled yet another fine spell in this competition, neatly replicating the earlier figures of the considerably more experienced Saeed Ajmal.
Nor did Greg Cork nor Shiv Thakor let us down, or their more experienced team mates. We just didn't have enough runs to play with, not for the first time this year.
For what it is worth, I don't think there's much wrong with our bowlers for another year. With Ben Cotton to come back into the attack, and the addition of a couple of batsmen, one of who can contribute a few overs, we will improve still further. Another winter should aid the development and enhance the skills of each of them and we have shown that when we perform to maximum potential we can win games.
Tonight wasn't one of them, but we will have learned a lot from this year.
Friday, 17 July 2015
Thursday, 16 July 2015
Derbyshire v Worcestershire T20
Just a short blog from me tonight as I prepare for the long journey home tomorrow.
It has been a week of interviews and my thanks go to everyone who gave up their time so willingly to me. Yesterday I spent several hours at the 3aaa County Ground and was taken by the tranquility of the place on a non-match day, but also by the amount of work going on. None of this work is seen, perhaps little of it genuinely appreciated, but the strimming of grass, cleaning of seats and weeding of walkways is important to ensure the match day experience is a positive one.
Tomorrow night sees our last T20 game against Worcestershire, who could qualify with a win, while we could avoid bottom spot if we claim the points - or the weather allows it. Ben Cotton returns to the squad after a lengthy absence and, as I wrote the other day, he has been missed. It is the only change to the squad that beat Yorkshire, and rightly so.
Our visitors are missing Moeen Ali, who is on England duty of course, but Ross Whiteley returns to the ground where he made his name after hitting eleven sixes against Yorkshire the other night.
A good finish would be a momentum builder ahead of the fifty over cup and we have enough talent to do so. If we can reproduce the intensity once more, we could just finish on a high.
I hope so, but family duty calls and I won't see it. I will be following from afar though, and naturally wish the lads well.
I'll be back tomorrow, with thoughts from north of the border.
It has been a week of interviews and my thanks go to everyone who gave up their time so willingly to me. Yesterday I spent several hours at the 3aaa County Ground and was taken by the tranquility of the place on a non-match day, but also by the amount of work going on. None of this work is seen, perhaps little of it genuinely appreciated, but the strimming of grass, cleaning of seats and weeding of walkways is important to ensure the match day experience is a positive one.
Tomorrow night sees our last T20 game against Worcestershire, who could qualify with a win, while we could avoid bottom spot if we claim the points - or the weather allows it. Ben Cotton returns to the squad after a lengthy absence and, as I wrote the other day, he has been missed. It is the only change to the squad that beat Yorkshire, and rightly so.
Our visitors are missing Moeen Ali, who is on England duty of course, but Ross Whiteley returns to the ground where he made his name after hitting eleven sixes against Yorkshire the other night.
A good finish would be a momentum builder ahead of the fifty over cup and we have enough talent to do so. If we can reproduce the intensity once more, we could just finish on a high.
I hope so, but family duty calls and I won't see it. I will be following from afar though, and naturally wish the lads well.
I'll be back tomorrow, with thoughts from north of the border.
Wednesday, 15 July 2015
Reg Carter
That those bowlers were Mick Allen, once talked of in England terms, and Bob Berry, who played for his country, suggests that he had talent. The problem was that Derbyshire wickets rarely justified the selection of two spinners and Edwin, the younger by two months, was a better batsman and fielder.
Carter's other problem was that the club couldn't decide if he was a better option as a left-arm spinner or as a seamer, with the result that he fell somewhat between the two stools. The club hadn't the money to run a second team with an extensive fixture list and where Carter ultimately struggled was in a lack of exposure to cricket at a higher level.
Edwin had made his Derbyshire debut in 1951, at the age of 17, but in 1953 there was a genuine tussle for the role of senior spinner, if such a term is apposite for two players of just nineteen years. Edwin held the position for most of the summer, but the seaming wickets meant he seldom had opportunity as Cliff Gladwin and Les Jackson carried all before them.
Late in the summer, Carter was given an opportunity and did well, taking twelve wickets at just sixteen each in only 88 overs. This included the fine return of 7-46 against Somerset at Chesterfield, when he bowled the side to victory.
It is indicative of the demanded standards however, that his then captain, Guy Willatt, suggested he could be a good bowler if he bowled more accurately, this despite conceding less than three runs an over.
Thereafter the battle became more one-sided, as Edwin Smith 'kicked on ' and became the county's lead spinner for nearly twenty summers, while Carter, frustrated at a lack of opportunity, left the staff and drifted out of the game. He played his last match for the club in 1955.
The two men were good friends and worked together in the nets, trying out new grips and working on their skills. They shared a last wicket stand of 65 against the Pakistan tourists in 1954, helping Derbyshire avoid the follow on, although Carter had no real talent with the bat.
In a career of just seventeen matches, Carter took thirty wickets at 25 runs each. He could be proud of that and let no one down.
Rest in Peace, Reg.
Photograph shows Reg inspecting the grip of Edwin Smith in a rare photograph taken from the latter's collection.
Tuesday, 14 July 2015
Goodbye T20, Hello One-Day Cup
And so, on Friday, we bid 'adieu' to another season's T20 campaign.
It was not as successful as we would have wished, but there were reasons for that. There was an expectation that one of our big-name overseas would score big, which is why we brought them in, of course. It didn't happen and in eight combined innings, Hashim Amla and Tillakaratne Dilshan made just 216 runs, with one fifty each.
Not disasters, by a long stretch, but for what we must have paid for their services, the club will rightly have expected more. With international status comes a pressure to perform and neither did so to the extent of their reputation. While watching them walk out to bat together against Lancashire will live long in the memory, the reality is that Hamish Rutherford, a New Zealander of high talent but lesser reputation has made eight runs less in two innings fewer.
The loss of Wayne Madsen for four games and Alex Hughes for five was also a blow, as was losing Ben Cotton after only four games, in which he went for under seven an over, despite bowling at the top and tail of the innings. On such things do fortunes turn, but Shiv Thakor bowled very well and the bowling was, overall, much better disciplined than in previous years. The game plan was obvious in the way they went about their task and largely it was accomplished well.
Nathan Rimmington came in as a 'death' bowler and sometimes showed his expertise, but too many of our 'local' players were ahead of him in the averages for it to have been deemed a success. An early finger injury didn't help him and perhaps he was playing catch up thereafter. It was a shame for a player who has been nothing but whole-hearted in his approach.
Things went awry at Old Trafford, but at Northampton we were taken apart by David Willey and at Birmingham by one of the format's greatest players. You can have all the plans you like, but when a player like Brendan McCullum gets the bit between his teeth, you really need at least two fielders ten rows back in the stand...
The batting was the issue, a perennial problem that I hope will be resolved this winter. We improved in our use of the Powerplay, beyond argument, often averaging ten an over. That was nosebleed territory compared to previous years and captain Wes Durston and Rutherford deserve credit for the daring way in which they launched our innings, the new captain leading by example with bat, as well as ball.
The loss of Madsen, the calm head in the middle order, was crucial, while Alex Hughes' ability to adapt his game to the game plan was also missed when he broke a thumb. The rest seemed too often to adopt a 'three swipes and hope' mentality to run chases that were far from demanding and the team cried out for an experienced 'finisher' in the middle order.
The nous to do this efficiently comes with experience and I am sure that winter recruitment will look to address this issue. There are very shrewd, intelligent people in charge of our cricket and those who suggest the contrary do them a grave disservice. Expect changes over the winter and accept that the club is not going to accept mediocrity.
Going into the last game, we could have had seven wins, have ended up with four but have improved on the one of last year. Importantly, a largely young squad has suggested, albeit too sporadically for some tastes, that they are mastering the techniques of the game, together with the mental and physical demands that it brings.
The many chats I have had with current and former players confirmed that they all, without exception, only felt they really knew their games as they approached their mid-to-late twenties. Some have had seasons of sporadic form by that stage, others haven't been lucky enough to get that far.
There are a few who hit their stride early, but they are exceptions, rather than the rule. With the right players recruited to play alongside them, we can and will build on the small steps of progress this summer, by an exciting collection of young players.
Those wins against Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire will get me through the winter for now...
It was not as successful as we would have wished, but there were reasons for that. There was an expectation that one of our big-name overseas would score big, which is why we brought them in, of course. It didn't happen and in eight combined innings, Hashim Amla and Tillakaratne Dilshan made just 216 runs, with one fifty each.
Not disasters, by a long stretch, but for what we must have paid for their services, the club will rightly have expected more. With international status comes a pressure to perform and neither did so to the extent of their reputation. While watching them walk out to bat together against Lancashire will live long in the memory, the reality is that Hamish Rutherford, a New Zealander of high talent but lesser reputation has made eight runs less in two innings fewer.
The loss of Wayne Madsen for four games and Alex Hughes for five was also a blow, as was losing Ben Cotton after only four games, in which he went for under seven an over, despite bowling at the top and tail of the innings. On such things do fortunes turn, but Shiv Thakor bowled very well and the bowling was, overall, much better disciplined than in previous years. The game plan was obvious in the way they went about their task and largely it was accomplished well.
Nathan Rimmington came in as a 'death' bowler and sometimes showed his expertise, but too many of our 'local' players were ahead of him in the averages for it to have been deemed a success. An early finger injury didn't help him and perhaps he was playing catch up thereafter. It was a shame for a player who has been nothing but whole-hearted in his approach.
Things went awry at Old Trafford, but at Northampton we were taken apart by David Willey and at Birmingham by one of the format's greatest players. You can have all the plans you like, but when a player like Brendan McCullum gets the bit between his teeth, you really need at least two fielders ten rows back in the stand...
The batting was the issue, a perennial problem that I hope will be resolved this winter. We improved in our use of the Powerplay, beyond argument, often averaging ten an over. That was nosebleed territory compared to previous years and captain Wes Durston and Rutherford deserve credit for the daring way in which they launched our innings, the new captain leading by example with bat, as well as ball.
The loss of Madsen, the calm head in the middle order, was crucial, while Alex Hughes' ability to adapt his game to the game plan was also missed when he broke a thumb. The rest seemed too often to adopt a 'three swipes and hope' mentality to run chases that were far from demanding and the team cried out for an experienced 'finisher' in the middle order.
The nous to do this efficiently comes with experience and I am sure that winter recruitment will look to address this issue. There are very shrewd, intelligent people in charge of our cricket and those who suggest the contrary do them a grave disservice. Expect changes over the winter and accept that the club is not going to accept mediocrity.
Going into the last game, we could have had seven wins, have ended up with four but have improved on the one of last year. Importantly, a largely young squad has suggested, albeit too sporadically for some tastes, that they are mastering the techniques of the game, together with the mental and physical demands that it brings.
The many chats I have had with current and former players confirmed that they all, without exception, only felt they really knew their games as they approached their mid-to-late twenties. Some have had seasons of sporadic form by that stage, others haven't been lucky enough to get that far.
There are a few who hit their stride early, but they are exceptions, rather than the rule. With the right players recruited to play alongside them, we can and will build on the small steps of progress this summer, by an exciting collection of young players.
Those wins against Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire will get me through the winter for now...
Sunday, 12 July 2015
Derbyshire v Yorkshire T20
Yorkshire 146-9 (Maxwell 45, Durston 3-14, Thakor 3-34)
Derbyshire 150-6 (Madsen 41, Rutherford 40)
Derbyshire won by 4 wickets
In theory, there should have been no way for a young Derbyshire side to beat our Yorkshire rivals today, even allowing for the foot injury that ruled out Aaron Finch before the start.
They still fielded five internationals and our recent record against them was a long way from auspicious. However, in less time than it took me to drive down from Scotland (which was longer than it should have been after the A66 was closed) we beat them with something to spare in front of a capacity crowd. All this on a lovely summer's day at the loveliest of outgrounds...
I stopped for a while en route and felt both nostalgic and envious of those thronged around the boundary in David Griffin's excellent Twitter photograph. Many of my happiest cricket memories are on that ground and for such a win to come there was quite special.
For the record, that is Lancashire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire beaten this year, big counties with massive budgets and big playing staffs. No, I didn't predict a win (as someone reminded me earlier...) because logically it should have been a mismatch. Don't forget, round about this time last year I watched us play the same side at Scarborough and be roundly thumped in the fifty-over competition. Sitting listening to patronising, smug supporters was not easy, even though they had every right (if anyone ever does) to be smug.
The perennial moaners will say that Yorkshire had men missing (true) and that it doesn't make up for losing some of those other tight finishes. Well, if that is all you have to say after such a win, save yourself time and don't bother. At least be big enough to acknowledge a fantastic performance in which everyone played a part.
Those who say we have not progressed this year are now confirmed as completely wrong. We have won four games, could have won more. Our bowling, except for a couple of occasions (I don't include Birmingham, as that was just a world-class player in prime form) has been with good discipline and command of the basic skills.
Our use of the Powerplay has been much better too, especially since the arrival of Hamish Rutherford (#signhimupPop). We still panic a little when there's no need, as evidenced by two needless run outs today, but we are contributing down the order and at least bat deep.
The fielding has also held up well and it should not be overlooked that in a very good bowling effort today we had lads of 20, 21 and 23. Full marks to Cap'n Wes for a sterling bowling effort that rightly earned him the Man of the Match award, but the efforts of his young charges, alongside Nathan Rimmington, should not be overlooked.
The Yorkshire total was well within our compass but we needed a good start while the field was in and ten an over came from the first seven. Rutherford again displayed his talents and after he was dismissed, Madsen came in and knocked it around, which was all we needed. Seeing the skipper back in form is great news, although the late panic required common sense from Alex Hughes to avoid any embarrassment. For me, the games missed this year by Wayne and Alex were crucial. Both offer much to the side and they were missed, without doubt.
Still bottom of the group, I accept that. Yet this team has shown that if bolstered by the right reinforcements in the winter, they are capable of beating anyone. Before the season began, I wrote that we would need to be fully focused and committed for every session , have our share of luck and play somewhere near our best on a regular basis to do well this year.
We've not managed those criteria often enough, but when they get it right, as they did against Nottinghamshire and again today, this side can play some very good cricket.
A good night to be a Derbyshire fan, my friends.
Well done lads - you did us proud today!
Derbyshire 150-6 (Madsen 41, Rutherford 40)
Derbyshire won by 4 wickets
In theory, there should have been no way for a young Derbyshire side to beat our Yorkshire rivals today, even allowing for the foot injury that ruled out Aaron Finch before the start.
They still fielded five internationals and our recent record against them was a long way from auspicious. However, in less time than it took me to drive down from Scotland (which was longer than it should have been after the A66 was closed) we beat them with something to spare in front of a capacity crowd. All this on a lovely summer's day at the loveliest of outgrounds...
I stopped for a while en route and felt both nostalgic and envious of those thronged around the boundary in David Griffin's excellent Twitter photograph. Many of my happiest cricket memories are on that ground and for such a win to come there was quite special.
For the record, that is Lancashire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire beaten this year, big counties with massive budgets and big playing staffs. No, I didn't predict a win (as someone reminded me earlier...) because logically it should have been a mismatch. Don't forget, round about this time last year I watched us play the same side at Scarborough and be roundly thumped in the fifty-over competition. Sitting listening to patronising, smug supporters was not easy, even though they had every right (if anyone ever does) to be smug.
The perennial moaners will say that Yorkshire had men missing (true) and that it doesn't make up for losing some of those other tight finishes. Well, if that is all you have to say after such a win, save yourself time and don't bother. At least be big enough to acknowledge a fantastic performance in which everyone played a part.
Those who say we have not progressed this year are now confirmed as completely wrong. We have won four games, could have won more. Our bowling, except for a couple of occasions (I don't include Birmingham, as that was just a world-class player in prime form) has been with good discipline and command of the basic skills.
Our use of the Powerplay has been much better too, especially since the arrival of Hamish Rutherford (#signhimupPop). We still panic a little when there's no need, as evidenced by two needless run outs today, but we are contributing down the order and at least bat deep.
The fielding has also held up well and it should not be overlooked that in a very good bowling effort today we had lads of 20, 21 and 23. Full marks to Cap'n Wes for a sterling bowling effort that rightly earned him the Man of the Match award, but the efforts of his young charges, alongside Nathan Rimmington, should not be overlooked.
The Yorkshire total was well within our compass but we needed a good start while the field was in and ten an over came from the first seven. Rutherford again displayed his talents and after he was dismissed, Madsen came in and knocked it around, which was all we needed. Seeing the skipper back in form is great news, although the late panic required common sense from Alex Hughes to avoid any embarrassment. For me, the games missed this year by Wayne and Alex were crucial. Both offer much to the side and they were missed, without doubt.
Still bottom of the group, I accept that. Yet this team has shown that if bolstered by the right reinforcements in the winter, they are capable of beating anyone. Before the season began, I wrote that we would need to be fully focused and committed for every session , have our share of luck and play somewhere near our best on a regular basis to do well this year.
We've not managed those criteria often enough, but when they get it right, as they did against Nottinghamshire and again today, this side can play some very good cricket.
A good night to be a Derbyshire fan, my friends.
Well done lads - you did us proud today!
Saturday, 11 July 2015
Edwin Smith tickets now on sale
Chesterfield Public Library is hosting the launch, which will take place on the evening of Tuesday, August 25 at 7.30pm.
I will be interviewing Edwin on the stage of the library lecture theatre and we will then take questions from the audience before signing copies of the book, which will be available on the night.
Priced £14, Edwin Smith: a Life in Derbyshire Cricket is published by the Association of Cricket Historians and Statisticians and features Edwin's recollections of a career where he was the lead spin bowler in the Derbyshire side at the age of 18 and remained so for twenty summers.
It would be great to see as many people there as possible, to acknowledge Edwin as the living Derbyshire legend that he is. 1217 first-class wickets in the county colours confirms that.
Please call the library on 01629 533400 for tickets, priced £3 and £2 (concession).
Derbyshire v Yorkshire T20
Great news for Derbyshire today, as the T20 game against Yorkshire became a sell-out.
The match between the two counties at this loveliest of venues was always likely to be so, but it is nonetheless good news for the county. This match, together with the home T20 against Nottinghamshire, are the two big 'earners' for the club and the even better news is that the game looks set to be blessed with good weather.
It may well be the limit of the good news, because this Yorkshire side is the best in the country by a mile. Even with their best players on England duty, those getting the call to the colours just keep winning games. If the bowlers have a bad day, the batsmen get the required runs; if the batsmen fail, the attack just pulls out all the stops to secure the win.
For the fan who likes to see good cricket, rather than being fixated on a win, the game offers much. Australia may have been hammered in the Test match, but Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell, as well as the in-form Jonny Bairstow, should find the small ground and fast outfield to their liking. Any error in line and length is likely to go a long way against such players, so expectation of a win, on my part, are tempered by realism.
While their main seam bowlers, Jack Brookes and Ryan Sidebottom, are largely rested from this competition, the visitors welcome back Liam Plunkett and will field a powerful side that will probably feature Adil Rashid. Rich Pyrah has been missing from their side of late, but may well return against us, given he normally channels the spirit of George Hirst and Wilfred Rhodes whenever he does so.
Graeme Welch has rightly named an unchanged squad for this one. Ben Cotton's side strain has been a shame for a talented bowler, because he was doing well in this competition, but there have been encouraging performances from some of our players.
I'll not pretend we have got everything right, because no team does that, not even Yorkshire. Yet the T20 has seen an improvement this year. We've won two more matches than last year and, with a little more savvy and composure would probably have won three more. By definition that is an improvement and similar progress next year would be welcome.
It is also necessary. Regular readers will know that T20 is a long way from my preferred format, but I cannot deny that it is a huge potential earner for us and we have never yet got close to tapping into its financial potential. I have no doubt that those behind the scenes are already looking at next year and what we can do to become more competitive.
A trip to God's own county awaits tomorrow, sadly with no cricket to see during my stay, but plenty of cricket chat and opportunity to see friends old and new. When I get there I expect to write up a Yorkshire win, but we are some way behind them in the overall quality and depth of playing staff, as is every other club in the country.
A battling display such as that at Trent Bridge will do me. I agree to some extent with a contributor earlier that a loss is a loss, but it is much easier to accept when the team has given its all and made a much stronger one battle to the end.
We did that to Nottinghamshire on Friday night, when the biggest crowd in their T20 history almost saw their megabucks side humbled.
If we can come close to doing the same tomorrow, I can take that.
The match between the two counties at this loveliest of venues was always likely to be so, but it is nonetheless good news for the county. This match, together with the home T20 against Nottinghamshire, are the two big 'earners' for the club and the even better news is that the game looks set to be blessed with good weather.
It may well be the limit of the good news, because this Yorkshire side is the best in the country by a mile. Even with their best players on England duty, those getting the call to the colours just keep winning games. If the bowlers have a bad day, the batsmen get the required runs; if the batsmen fail, the attack just pulls out all the stops to secure the win.
For the fan who likes to see good cricket, rather than being fixated on a win, the game offers much. Australia may have been hammered in the Test match, but Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell, as well as the in-form Jonny Bairstow, should find the small ground and fast outfield to their liking. Any error in line and length is likely to go a long way against such players, so expectation of a win, on my part, are tempered by realism.
While their main seam bowlers, Jack Brookes and Ryan Sidebottom, are largely rested from this competition, the visitors welcome back Liam Plunkett and will field a powerful side that will probably feature Adil Rashid. Rich Pyrah has been missing from their side of late, but may well return against us, given he normally channels the spirit of George Hirst and Wilfred Rhodes whenever he does so.
Graeme Welch has rightly named an unchanged squad for this one. Ben Cotton's side strain has been a shame for a talented bowler, because he was doing well in this competition, but there have been encouraging performances from some of our players.
I'll not pretend we have got everything right, because no team does that, not even Yorkshire. Yet the T20 has seen an improvement this year. We've won two more matches than last year and, with a little more savvy and composure would probably have won three more. By definition that is an improvement and similar progress next year would be welcome.
It is also necessary. Regular readers will know that T20 is a long way from my preferred format, but I cannot deny that it is a huge potential earner for us and we have never yet got close to tapping into its financial potential. I have no doubt that those behind the scenes are already looking at next year and what we can do to become more competitive.
A trip to God's own county awaits tomorrow, sadly with no cricket to see during my stay, but plenty of cricket chat and opportunity to see friends old and new. When I get there I expect to write up a Yorkshire win, but we are some way behind them in the overall quality and depth of playing staff, as is every other club in the country.
A battling display such as that at Trent Bridge will do me. I agree to some extent with a contributor earlier that a loss is a loss, but it is much easier to accept when the team has given its all and made a much stronger one battle to the end.
We did that to Nottinghamshire on Friday night, when the biggest crowd in their T20 history almost saw their megabucks side humbled.
If we can come close to doing the same tomorrow, I can take that.
Friday, 10 July 2015
Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire T20
Nottinghamshire 172-6 (Hales 54, Patel 52, Thakor 3-25)
Derbyshire 170-4 (Rutherford 62, Madsen 51 not)
Nottinghamshire won by two runs
Another close defeat for Derbyshire tonight, but against the self-billed team of all the talents, having beaten them at Derby, we ran them very close again tonight.
I can take defeat when we play well and run sides close - there can only be one winner and it cannot always be us. By all accounts, tonight we bowled and fielded well, held our catches and then batted with common sense before just coming up short as the home side held their nerve at the death.
Shiv Thakor once again bowled a good spell and has impressed with the ball in this competition, while the rest of the attack played their part. Fresh from a good performance in the second team, Greg Cork let no one down in front of a large crowd and the target was always within reach if we got a start.
Once more, Hamish Rutherford did well and looks a genuine talent, switching from the anchor role at Chesterfield to the aggressor here. Had he stayed another over or so, we would have walked it, as he and Wayne Madsen were taking us home.
Fair play to Samit Patel and Steven Mullaney, whose tight spells proved the deciding factor in a game that must have been thoroughly enjoyed by the large crowd. Yet praise must go to a Derbyshire side who gave a good account of themselves.
No complaints tonight from me. We left Trent Bridge with our heads held high.
Now for Yorkshire on Sunday, where I hope we can do the same to end the Chesterfield festival.
Postscript - apologies for the lack of a preview last night...life is quite hectic right now...
Derbyshire 170-4 (Rutherford 62, Madsen 51 not)
Nottinghamshire won by two runs
Another close defeat for Derbyshire tonight, but against the self-billed team of all the talents, having beaten them at Derby, we ran them very close again tonight.
I can take defeat when we play well and run sides close - there can only be one winner and it cannot always be us. By all accounts, tonight we bowled and fielded well, held our catches and then batted with common sense before just coming up short as the home side held their nerve at the death.
Shiv Thakor once again bowled a good spell and has impressed with the ball in this competition, while the rest of the attack played their part. Fresh from a good performance in the second team, Greg Cork let no one down in front of a large crowd and the target was always within reach if we got a start.
Once more, Hamish Rutherford did well and looks a genuine talent, switching from the anchor role at Chesterfield to the aggressor here. Had he stayed another over or so, we would have walked it, as he and Wayne Madsen were taking us home.
Fair play to Samit Patel and Steven Mullaney, whose tight spells proved the deciding factor in a game that must have been thoroughly enjoyed by the large crowd. Yet praise must go to a Derbyshire side who gave a good account of themselves.
No complaints tonight from me. We left Trent Bridge with our heads held high.
Now for Yorkshire on Sunday, where I hope we can do the same to end the Chesterfield festival.
Postscript - apologies for the lack of a preview last night...life is quite hectic right now...
Thursday, 9 July 2015
Derbyshire v Glamorgan day 4
Glamorgan 410-9 declared
Derbyshire 252 and 281-3 (Rutherford 108, Madsen 79 not)
Match drawn
In the end, showing greater resilience than has been evident of late Derbyshire saved this game with relative ease. The quick loss of Billy Godleman and Chesney Hughes exposed the possibility of a loss, but Hamish Rutherford and Wayne Madsen got together to bat until after the tea interval to secure an honourable draw.
For both, they were welcome runs. The broken finger has disrupted the flow of the skipper's season and several weeks out takes some time from which to recover. He passed six thousand championship runs en route to his score and his return to form is both welcome and expected. Madsen is, quite simply, a batsman of the highest class. Even below par he is averaging just under forty, something that most batsmen would settle for in their prime.
As for Rutherford, it was proof that he can play the disciplined innings that was once the preserve of Chris Rogers or, to use a man from his own country, John Wright. He has got starts in almost all of his innings and his greater exposure to English tracks will only help him in this and aid his continued development.
After I watched him against Surrey, I suggested he would be a fine signing for next summer. Nothing I have seen since has changed my mind, as he has proven he can play the roles of anchor and dasher quite nicely. Averaging just north of fifty at this stage, he has let no one down and reinforced my view that New Zealanders rarely fail to be good value in the overseas stakes.
I hope we can build on this and gain confidence from it. As I wrote last night, there is individual talent in this side, but we need collective confidence that will come from a big score or two.
I hope it is the catalyst for improved form and confidence.
Derbyshire 252 and 281-3 (Rutherford 108, Madsen 79 not)
Match drawn
In the end, showing greater resilience than has been evident of late Derbyshire saved this game with relative ease. The quick loss of Billy Godleman and Chesney Hughes exposed the possibility of a loss, but Hamish Rutherford and Wayne Madsen got together to bat until after the tea interval to secure an honourable draw.
For both, they were welcome runs. The broken finger has disrupted the flow of the skipper's season and several weeks out takes some time from which to recover. He passed six thousand championship runs en route to his score and his return to form is both welcome and expected. Madsen is, quite simply, a batsman of the highest class. Even below par he is averaging just under forty, something that most batsmen would settle for in their prime.
As for Rutherford, it was proof that he can play the disciplined innings that was once the preserve of Chris Rogers or, to use a man from his own country, John Wright. He has got starts in almost all of his innings and his greater exposure to English tracks will only help him in this and aid his continued development.
After I watched him against Surrey, I suggested he would be a fine signing for next summer. Nothing I have seen since has changed my mind, as he has proven he can play the roles of anchor and dasher quite nicely. Averaging just north of fifty at this stage, he has let no one down and reinforced my view that New Zealanders rarely fail to be good value in the overseas stakes.
I hope we can build on this and gain confidence from it. As I wrote last night, there is individual talent in this side, but we need collective confidence that will come from a big score or two.
I hope it is the catalyst for improved form and confidence.
Wednesday, 8 July 2015
Derbyshire v Glamorgan day 3
Glamorgan 410
Derbyshire 252(Godleman 53, Thakor 41) and 37-0
Derbyshire trail by 121 runs
With a good day's weather forecast ahead, Glamorgan will fancy adding to their fine run of consecutive wins with another over us tomorrow. Once again the fragilities in our batting have shown and we will need to bat somewhat against recent form to get anything from this game.
I look at these two teams and don't see, man for man, the Welsh side as being appreciably better than us. Where they currently score is in confidence, which has, by all accounts, and on the evidence of recent displays, evaporated from our side. A swashbuckling innings from Tom Taylor got us close to avoiding the follow on, but we seem to lurch from disaster to disaster with the bat.
If there is a partnership it is fine, but it is often followed by two or three quick wickets that often undoes the hard work of the pair concerned. Individually we have some good players, but after early season success they are collectively struggling for the scores that are match-defining.
I am short of time tonight after another very long day, but will be back tomorrow with more detailed, considered thoughts. I hope that I am reporting on a spirited fightback on the final day, but I wouldn't put next month's pay cheque on it.
Oh, and for the record, I think England can win back the Ashes this summer. If we had a top quality spinner I would be even more confident, but we're not going to give the Aussies the lightning tracks they crave for Johnson and Starc.
I also think they have a few too many players at the end of their careers and if our opening bowlers are at their best, we could nick the series.
My main interest will, rightly or wrongly, continue to be Derbyshire.
If we could get back to winning ways I'd gladly lose the Test match.
Derbyshire 252(Godleman 53, Thakor 41) and 37-0
Derbyshire trail by 121 runs
With a good day's weather forecast ahead, Glamorgan will fancy adding to their fine run of consecutive wins with another over us tomorrow. Once again the fragilities in our batting have shown and we will need to bat somewhat against recent form to get anything from this game.
I look at these two teams and don't see, man for man, the Welsh side as being appreciably better than us. Where they currently score is in confidence, which has, by all accounts, and on the evidence of recent displays, evaporated from our side. A swashbuckling innings from Tom Taylor got us close to avoiding the follow on, but we seem to lurch from disaster to disaster with the bat.
If there is a partnership it is fine, but it is often followed by two or three quick wickets that often undoes the hard work of the pair concerned. Individually we have some good players, but after early season success they are collectively struggling for the scores that are match-defining.
I am short of time tonight after another very long day, but will be back tomorrow with more detailed, considered thoughts. I hope that I am reporting on a spirited fightback on the final day, but I wouldn't put next month's pay cheque on it.
Oh, and for the record, I think England can win back the Ashes this summer. If we had a top quality spinner I would be even more confident, but we're not going to give the Aussies the lightning tracks they crave for Johnson and Starc.
I also think they have a few too many players at the end of their careers and if our opening bowlers are at their best, we could nick the series.
My main interest will, rightly or wrongly, continue to be Derbyshire.
If we could get back to winning ways I'd gladly lose the Test match.
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
Derbyshire v Glamorgan day 2
Glamorgan 410-9
Derbyshire 122-2 (Godleman 49 not)
Glamorgan lead by 288 runs
With two days to go and a dodgy weather forecast for tomorrow at least, it is hard to see where a positive result can come in this game.
The one reality would appear to be that the visitors can be the only winners, after batting on deep into the second day and taking maximum batting points. The Derbyshire bowling was too profligate for my taste, even allowing for it being a small ground. Five an over, together with conceding 40 extras is too many, especially for someone brought up on the Derbyshire tradition. Back in the day, three an over was costly, but times - and specifically bats and the attitude to batting - have changed.
Glamorgan batted well down the order, without anyone making the big score that was promised. Graham Wagg returned to the scene of past glories with a breezy knock and Derbyshire could easily have folded in reply.
Yet Hamish Rutherford and Billy Godleman gave us the start we needed, until the Kiwi was carelessly run out. With Chesney going quickly, we were rocking, until Wayne Madsen and his vice-captain saw the team, not without alarms, through to the close.
It is such a shame that the best festival on the cricket calendar (biased, moi?) has been tarnished by rain, but that is one thing that cannot be controlled. The thinking money is on a draw here, but we need to bat well to avoid an undignified scramble and struggle on the last afternoon.
More from me tomorrow.
Derbyshire 122-2 (Godleman 49 not)
Glamorgan lead by 288 runs
With two days to go and a dodgy weather forecast for tomorrow at least, it is hard to see where a positive result can come in this game.
The one reality would appear to be that the visitors can be the only winners, after batting on deep into the second day and taking maximum batting points. The Derbyshire bowling was too profligate for my taste, even allowing for it being a small ground. Five an over, together with conceding 40 extras is too many, especially for someone brought up on the Derbyshire tradition. Back in the day, three an over was costly, but times - and specifically bats and the attitude to batting - have changed.
Glamorgan batted well down the order, without anyone making the big score that was promised. Graham Wagg returned to the scene of past glories with a breezy knock and Derbyshire could easily have folded in reply.
Yet Hamish Rutherford and Billy Godleman gave us the start we needed, until the Kiwi was carelessly run out. With Chesney going quickly, we were rocking, until Wayne Madsen and his vice-captain saw the team, not without alarms, through to the close.
It is such a shame that the best festival on the cricket calendar (biased, moi?) has been tarnished by rain, but that is one thing that cannot be controlled. The thinking money is on a draw here, but we need to bat well to avoid an undignified scramble and struggle on the last afternoon.
More from me tomorrow.
Monday, 6 July 2015
Derbyshire v Glamorgan day 1
Glamorgan 167-3 (Ingram 73 not) v Derbyshire
Early success for Derbyshire today was frustrated by the weather, before the visiting batsmen, led by Colin Ingram, saw their side to a decent and promising 167-3.
The rain doesn't appear to have slowed the outfield and the score zipped along at more than five an over. Mark Footitt was unfortunately costly with runs and no balls with James Whitaker in attendance and sixteen over steps by the Derbyshire bowlers in just 32 overs bowled was not what we needed.
Still, that is all the patient support got, as rain and bad light won the day and rather subdued the Festival vibe.
We will need to up our game tomorrow, that's for sure, as Ingram could take the game away from us before lunch.
Postscript - slightly surprised at reading the club Twitter feed, to see that the Lake End now appears to have been downgraded to the Pond End.
It is hardly a rival to Windermere, but I do hope, for history's sake, that normal service is resumed tomorrow...after all that rain, we may yet see the River End.
Early success for Derbyshire today was frustrated by the weather, before the visiting batsmen, led by Colin Ingram, saw their side to a decent and promising 167-3.
The rain doesn't appear to have slowed the outfield and the score zipped along at more than five an over. Mark Footitt was unfortunately costly with runs and no balls with James Whitaker in attendance and sixteen over steps by the Derbyshire bowlers in just 32 overs bowled was not what we needed.
Still, that is all the patient support got, as rain and bad light won the day and rather subdued the Festival vibe.
We will need to up our game tomorrow, that's for sure, as Ingram could take the game away from us before lunch.
Postscript - slightly surprised at reading the club Twitter feed, to see that the Lake End now appears to have been downgraded to the Pond End.
It is hardly a rival to Windermere, but I do hope, for history's sake, that normal service is resumed tomorrow...after all that rain, we may yet see the River End.
Sunday, 5 July 2015
Derbyshire v Glamorgan preview
Shiv Thakor and Alex Hughes are rightly rewarded for their recent big scores in the second team with a recall to the first eleven at Chesterfield tomorrow.
Ben Slater misses out on a game on his home ground, while Scott Elstone also drops out of the side. Tom Poynton is also omitted, which sees a recall for Harvey Hosein. There is little to choose between the two wicket-keepers, but assuming the same standard behind the stumps, the deciding factor, as it is with every such role, will be the batting side of the incumbent's game. Tom hasn't made the runs that would have wanted, so Harvey gets another opportunity - it is the way that it has to be and the competition will eventually see a clear winner.
We play a Glamorgan side that are perhaps surprise packages in the promotion race, aided by a clutch of players of South African origin. Jacques Rudolph has done a fine job as captain, something always likely from an intelligent cricketer, but the eleven has responded well to him and four straight championship wins tells its own story. Colin Ingram, who played at Spondon a few years back, has also played some telling knocks and they are a tight unit, perhaps stronger than the sum of the constituent parts. Graham Wagg is back from injury and will look forward to a return to a ground where he often did well.
Their squad: Rudolph, Bragg, Wright, Ingram, Wallace, Meschede, Wagg, Lloyd, Salter, Smith, Cosker, Hogan and Donald.
The Derbyshire squad:
Billy Godleman
Hamish Rutherford
Chesney Hughes
Wayne Madsen (captain)
Alex Hughes
Wes Durston
Shiv Thakor
Wayne White
Harvey Hosein
Tony Palladino
Tom Taylor
Mark Footitt
A battle for the final place between Thakor and Taylor for me, but a winnable game. I always feel more confident of a good display in the four-day game and think this is one we can use as a catalyst to push for a top four placing.
Thoughts?
Postscript - I read with interest today that Roelof van der Merwe has given up on South African cricket and is now planning his career in county cricket, using a Dutch passport. A good enough all-rounder to have scored a first-class double century, a canny spin bowler and a good fielder, at 30 I would think there will be a lot of interest...he certainly had an impressive spell at Somerset a year or two back.
Ben Slater misses out on a game on his home ground, while Scott Elstone also drops out of the side. Tom Poynton is also omitted, which sees a recall for Harvey Hosein. There is little to choose between the two wicket-keepers, but assuming the same standard behind the stumps, the deciding factor, as it is with every such role, will be the batting side of the incumbent's game. Tom hasn't made the runs that would have wanted, so Harvey gets another opportunity - it is the way that it has to be and the competition will eventually see a clear winner.
We play a Glamorgan side that are perhaps surprise packages in the promotion race, aided by a clutch of players of South African origin. Jacques Rudolph has done a fine job as captain, something always likely from an intelligent cricketer, but the eleven has responded well to him and four straight championship wins tells its own story. Colin Ingram, who played at Spondon a few years back, has also played some telling knocks and they are a tight unit, perhaps stronger than the sum of the constituent parts. Graham Wagg is back from injury and will look forward to a return to a ground where he often did well.
Their squad: Rudolph, Bragg, Wright, Ingram, Wallace, Meschede, Wagg, Lloyd, Salter, Smith, Cosker, Hogan and Donald.
The Derbyshire squad:
Billy Godleman
Hamish Rutherford
Chesney Hughes
Wayne Madsen (captain)
Alex Hughes
Wes Durston
Shiv Thakor
Wayne White
Harvey Hosein
Tony Palladino
Tom Taylor
Mark Footitt
A battle for the final place between Thakor and Taylor for me, but a winnable game. I always feel more confident of a good display in the four-day game and think this is one we can use as a catalyst to push for a top four placing.
Thoughts?
Postscript - I read with interest today that Roelof van der Merwe has given up on South African cricket and is now planning his career in county cricket, using a Dutch passport. A good enough all-rounder to have scored a first-class double century, a canny spin bowler and a good fielder, at 30 I would think there will be a lot of interest...he certainly had an impressive spell at Somerset a year or two back.
Derbyshire v Northamptonshire T20
Northamptonshire 155-6 (Levi 42, Cobb 48, Hughes 2-23, White 2-25)
Derbyshire 140-5 in 18 chasing 144 to win (Durston 60)
Northamptonshire won by 3 runs on D/L
To be fair to Graeme Welch at the end of this one, he called it as it was. As we did the Durham game at Derby, we blew a game that was there for the taking. At 103-4 in 13 overs, we needed 41 from five overs, which most sides would deem a breeze in this format.
I won't take anything away from Northamptonshire, who bowled with common sense and skill in those last few overs, but we should have done better than that. With clean strikers like Thakor, Hughes, Knight and White unused, it seemed like such a waste. We either seem to panic in these situations and slog at everything, or fail to realise the gradual runs/balls equation is slipping away from us.
Azharullah is a canny, experienced bowler and we should have gone for it in the penultimate over, at the very least. We didn't - and a three-win season, that could quite easily have been a much-improved five-win one, looks like staying that way.
Alex Hughes and Wayne White again bowled well and both have made positive contributions to the side in this competition. Wes Durston has too and again led from the front with a captain's innings. Hamish Rutherford has made good starts in the matches he played, but will need to learn to go on from there and play the match-defining innings.
Disappointing then, sad to relate.
And much work to do to become genuine contenders in the format.
Derbyshire 140-5 in 18 chasing 144 to win (Durston 60)
Northamptonshire won by 3 runs on D/L
To be fair to Graeme Welch at the end of this one, he called it as it was. As we did the Durham game at Derby, we blew a game that was there for the taking. At 103-4 in 13 overs, we needed 41 from five overs, which most sides would deem a breeze in this format.
I won't take anything away from Northamptonshire, who bowled with common sense and skill in those last few overs, but we should have done better than that. With clean strikers like Thakor, Hughes, Knight and White unused, it seemed like such a waste. We either seem to panic in these situations and slog at everything, or fail to realise the gradual runs/balls equation is slipping away from us.
Azharullah is a canny, experienced bowler and we should have gone for it in the penultimate over, at the very least. We didn't - and a three-win season, that could quite easily have been a much-improved five-win one, looks like staying that way.
Alex Hughes and Wayne White again bowled well and both have made positive contributions to the side in this competition. Wes Durston has too and again led from the front with a captain's innings. Hamish Rutherford has made good starts in the matches he played, but will need to learn to go on from there and play the match-defining innings.
Disappointing then, sad to relate.
And much work to do to become genuine contenders in the format.
Hindsight
Ok Peakfan, I know you rarely disagree with decisions made by the club
but give me one good reason why we should not have batted against the
Bears. Forget about McCullum, he's not the issue, what is the issue is
why change something that worked well in the previous match for no
apparent reason?
I'm sorry, but I agree with many of your comments but this is agreeing with what happened at the toss for the sake of it. Don't forget, whatever reasons may have been at the forefront of Durston's mind, they did not work. Why agree with something that was so obviously wrong?
I got the above comment from Marc, late last night and decided that it needed a response in greater detail than the comments box would allow.
First of all, I don't disagree unduly often because they are professional people who largely make the right decisions through that professionalism. Both on and off field affairs are run by men of exceptional talent, who work with the limited resources that they have in order to make us a competitive side. I think, with the benefit of that wonderful tool available to us all called hindsight, that we got most of the overseas decision wrong this year (or half of it) but there were few dissenting voices at the time. Why would there be, given the reputation of those involved?
Yet even there, if the awareness of names like Amla and Dilshan coming to our club convinced the agent of, say, Mitchell Marsh, that a stint in Derby was of career benefit for half of next summer, there may be unseen merit that is not being considered right now.
So, coming back to Marc's point, why change what worked in the last game? Well, you base decisions in life on that day and time, not on history. I enjoyed Mrs P's delightful poached salmon yesterday, but it will be nice to enjoy something different today. I had a good trip to work on Friday, but am going a different route on Monday because of roadworks, a factor, or unknown quantity thrown into the mix.
Can any supporter, from his armchair or even the boundary edge, judge conditions better than a professional, experienced captain who is looking at the wicket, knows the conditions, the opposition and the feelings of his own team? I won't flatter myself that I do, so anyone who makes an assertion to the contrary is kidding themselves on.
Yes, we beat Nottinghamshire the previous week by batting first after winning the toss, but we beat Lancashire doing the opposite and should have beaten Durham by the same tactic. We beat Leicestershire after they won the toss and put us in, so you can't read too much into previous games.
I think our bowling is our stronger suit and as such it made sense to try and limit a team perhaps striving for too many runs and falling down in doing so. While improved, our batting is patchy and not entirely trustworthy, so for me, the decision was the correct one. Had we opted to bat first on the first day of a four-day game under cloudy skies with a green wicket, I would say the opposite, but it is rarely so clearcut.
A former Derbyshire coach once told me that supporters don't know half of what goes on in the dressing room and nor should they. Your star batsman may have a bad headache and you bowl to give him a chance to recover. Your best bowler has a painful wisdom tooth and could do with time to recover, or seek treatment. Your star all-rounder has had a row with his wife and is in a bit of a state. All these things (and none relate to the current side, for the record) can have an impact on a captain's decision.
Finally, Mark says 'Ignore McCullum, he's not the issue'. Really? We are up against one of the top three T20 batsmen in the world and we don't consider the best way to combat him? Do you think football teams facing Lionel Messi ignore him in pre-match chat, or cricket teams due to bowl at Chris Gayle or AB de Villiers ignore their presence? Did captains playing Worcestershire last summer ignore the fact that the opposition had Saeed Ajmal in the side and say 'You know what, we'll put them in and opt to bat last against a bloke who will turn it sideways'? Of course not.
If we had nicked McCullum early, we had a decent chance of winning on Friday, but Birmingham are a good side and may well have beaten us anyway. They have not won eight out of ten by accident, after all.
Maybe, had we opted to bat, we would have scored 200 again, got McCullum early in their reply and won the game. Maybe, our fragile batting would have imploded and we would have been bowled out for 130, leaving them to win in a canter.
We opted to bat at Northampton and didn't bat to potential, then lost the game. We did the same at Worcester and made a mess of our innings, leaving them winning with seven overs to spare. For whatever reason, Wes Durston opted to bowl, it might have worked, it didn't. End of story. There were no guarantees either way. Cricket is no exact science and things don't always go to plan.
Today he may opt to bat and we win, or opt to bowl and do so. He's a hero then, good old Wes. If we lose, it is a different matter, because we are all Mike Brearley, with the benefit of hindsight
But the skipper was still better placed than any of us armchair or deckchair enthusiasts to make that call...sorry Marc.
I'm sorry, but I agree with many of your comments but this is agreeing with what happened at the toss for the sake of it. Don't forget, whatever reasons may have been at the forefront of Durston's mind, they did not work. Why agree with something that was so obviously wrong?
I got the above comment from Marc, late last night and decided that it needed a response in greater detail than the comments box would allow.
First of all, I don't disagree unduly often because they are professional people who largely make the right decisions through that professionalism. Both on and off field affairs are run by men of exceptional talent, who work with the limited resources that they have in order to make us a competitive side. I think, with the benefit of that wonderful tool available to us all called hindsight, that we got most of the overseas decision wrong this year (or half of it) but there were few dissenting voices at the time. Why would there be, given the reputation of those involved?
Yet even there, if the awareness of names like Amla and Dilshan coming to our club convinced the agent of, say, Mitchell Marsh, that a stint in Derby was of career benefit for half of next summer, there may be unseen merit that is not being considered right now.
So, coming back to Marc's point, why change what worked in the last game? Well, you base decisions in life on that day and time, not on history. I enjoyed Mrs P's delightful poached salmon yesterday, but it will be nice to enjoy something different today. I had a good trip to work on Friday, but am going a different route on Monday because of roadworks, a factor, or unknown quantity thrown into the mix.
Can any supporter, from his armchair or even the boundary edge, judge conditions better than a professional, experienced captain who is looking at the wicket, knows the conditions, the opposition and the feelings of his own team? I won't flatter myself that I do, so anyone who makes an assertion to the contrary is kidding themselves on.
Yes, we beat Nottinghamshire the previous week by batting first after winning the toss, but we beat Lancashire doing the opposite and should have beaten Durham by the same tactic. We beat Leicestershire after they won the toss and put us in, so you can't read too much into previous games.
I think our bowling is our stronger suit and as such it made sense to try and limit a team perhaps striving for too many runs and falling down in doing so. While improved, our batting is patchy and not entirely trustworthy, so for me, the decision was the correct one. Had we opted to bat first on the first day of a four-day game under cloudy skies with a green wicket, I would say the opposite, but it is rarely so clearcut.
A former Derbyshire coach once told me that supporters don't know half of what goes on in the dressing room and nor should they. Your star batsman may have a bad headache and you bowl to give him a chance to recover. Your best bowler has a painful wisdom tooth and could do with time to recover, or seek treatment. Your star all-rounder has had a row with his wife and is in a bit of a state. All these things (and none relate to the current side, for the record) can have an impact on a captain's decision.
Finally, Mark says 'Ignore McCullum, he's not the issue'. Really? We are up against one of the top three T20 batsmen in the world and we don't consider the best way to combat him? Do you think football teams facing Lionel Messi ignore him in pre-match chat, or cricket teams due to bowl at Chris Gayle or AB de Villiers ignore their presence? Did captains playing Worcestershire last summer ignore the fact that the opposition had Saeed Ajmal in the side and say 'You know what, we'll put them in and opt to bat last against a bloke who will turn it sideways'? Of course not.
If we had nicked McCullum early, we had a decent chance of winning on Friday, but Birmingham are a good side and may well have beaten us anyway. They have not won eight out of ten by accident, after all.
Maybe, had we opted to bat, we would have scored 200 again, got McCullum early in their reply and won the game. Maybe, our fragile batting would have imploded and we would have been bowled out for 130, leaving them to win in a canter.
We opted to bat at Northampton and didn't bat to potential, then lost the game. We did the same at Worcester and made a mess of our innings, leaving them winning with seven overs to spare. For whatever reason, Wes Durston opted to bowl, it might have worked, it didn't. End of story. There were no guarantees either way. Cricket is no exact science and things don't always go to plan.
Today he may opt to bat and we win, or opt to bowl and do so. He's a hero then, good old Wes. If we lose, it is a different matter, because we are all Mike Brearley, with the benefit of hindsight
But the skipper was still better placed than any of us armchair or deckchair enthusiasts to make that call...sorry Marc.
Saturday, 4 July 2015
Derbyshire v Northamptonshire T20
First up tonight, I would like to send a get well message to Bob Taylor, the greatest of all Derbyshire wicket-keepers, as he awaits heart bypass surgery following a heart attack.
Bob was a hero of all of us in our youth and he remains one of the nicest men in the game. Anyone who has met him will tell you the same and I am sure that you will join me in wishing him well in the coming days and weeks.
Moving on, Derbyshire have a chance to get back to winning ways tomorrow, albeit against a side that beat us easily in the corresponding fixture a few weeks back. It is an unchanged side, although Graeme Welch has announced opportunity for younger players in the remaining games.
I don't agree with those who felt we should have batted last night. It is always easy to be wise after the event and McCullum could have gone early, just as Alex Hales did the week before. If you don't get players of his quality early, the chances are that he will punish you. Leicestershire got him today, but that is cricket. Great players can be dismissed, but when it is their day they will take you apart. We, I assume, thought he might over-reach in the Powerplay, but he didn't and, like a Duracell battery, he kept going on and on.
The visitors side has yet to be announced, but the man who won them that game, David Willey, is out for four weeks with an ankle injury and Shahid Afridi's stint has ended. The local newspaper is suggesting the same team that lost narrowly to Nottinghamshire last week, so one assumes:
Levi
Cobb
Duckett
Crook
Keinveldt
Rossington
Wakeley
Keogh
Stone
White
Azarullah.
With short boundaries, a fast outfield and aggressive batsmen on both sides, this should be a high-scoring match, more likely than not decided by the crucial first six overs. We have done better in this period than in previous summers, but, as we know, T20 wins are about stringing together a consistent 40 overs.
We can win this tomorrow, but will need to do exactly that to do so.
Bob was a hero of all of us in our youth and he remains one of the nicest men in the game. Anyone who has met him will tell you the same and I am sure that you will join me in wishing him well in the coming days and weeks.
Moving on, Derbyshire have a chance to get back to winning ways tomorrow, albeit against a side that beat us easily in the corresponding fixture a few weeks back. It is an unchanged side, although Graeme Welch has announced opportunity for younger players in the remaining games.
I don't agree with those who felt we should have batted last night. It is always easy to be wise after the event and McCullum could have gone early, just as Alex Hales did the week before. If you don't get players of his quality early, the chances are that he will punish you. Leicestershire got him today, but that is cricket. Great players can be dismissed, but when it is their day they will take you apart. We, I assume, thought he might over-reach in the Powerplay, but he didn't and, like a Duracell battery, he kept going on and on.
The visitors side has yet to be announced, but the man who won them that game, David Willey, is out for four weeks with an ankle injury and Shahid Afridi's stint has ended. The local newspaper is suggesting the same team that lost narrowly to Nottinghamshire last week, so one assumes:
Levi
Cobb
Duckett
Crook
Keinveldt
Rossington
Wakeley
Keogh
Stone
White
Azarullah.
With short boundaries, a fast outfield and aggressive batsmen on both sides, this should be a high-scoring match, more likely than not decided by the crucial first six overs. We have done better in this period than in previous summers, but, as we know, T20 wins are about stringing together a consistent 40 overs.
We can win this tomorrow, but will need to do exactly that to do so.
Friday, 3 July 2015
Birmingham v Derbyshire T20
Birmingham 242-2 (McCullum 158 not)
Derbyshire 182 (Durston 43, Rutherford 39)
Birmingham won by 60 runs
Years ago, when I was just a nipper, my old Dad used to take me to the Baseball Ground. He always taught me to appreciate sport as featuring two teams and to appreciate when the other team, or someone in it, did something special.
I remember an especially fine goal by Peter Knowles of Wolverhampton Wanderers, the result of a sweeping move and a clinical finish, which my Dad applauded warmly, while others nearby were disputing his parentage and shouting at Derby for no other reason than being powerless to stop brilliance.
A man in front of us in the old Osmaston Stand took exception to Dad's applause and told him he shouldn't be doing it. Big mistake. He got 'the look' and a very slow but to the point comment that suggested the bloke should get on with watching one team while he watched both. Might not have been that polite, come to think of it, but it was mighty effective...
It was such tonight at Birmingham. No complaints from me, when you are beaten by a giant of the modern game in Brendan McCullum. He's done that times many to international attacks around the globe and to the very best bowlers. When he gets the bit between his teeth, is in form and finds a wicket to his taste, there's no bowling to him. How do you set a field to someone who hits it over the boundary with such regularity? How do you reply to 158 runs from just 64 balls faced?
Truth be told, despite the bowlers, without exception, taking some stick, we battled well. Hamish Rutherford and Wes Durston batted with equal panache, but didn't last so long. We were only ten runs behind at the end of the Powerplay, but the admirable Jeetan Patel bowled his four overs for just eighteen runs, astonishing in the circumstances. I have seen Derbyshire sides in recent years would have collapsed like a pack of cards, but we battled down the order and ran up a total that, on another day, might have won the game.
Like I say though, one has to accept brilliance in sport, whatever the hue of the shirt. If you can't, you really shouldn't follow competitive sport.
Well played Brendan McCullum. A captain and man for who I have the utmost respect, for leading as popular a touring side as has toured this island in many a year.
As well as being a fantastic cricketer who pretty much beat us on his own tonight.
Derbyshire 182 (Durston 43, Rutherford 39)
Birmingham won by 60 runs
Years ago, when I was just a nipper, my old Dad used to take me to the Baseball Ground. He always taught me to appreciate sport as featuring two teams and to appreciate when the other team, or someone in it, did something special.
I remember an especially fine goal by Peter Knowles of Wolverhampton Wanderers, the result of a sweeping move and a clinical finish, which my Dad applauded warmly, while others nearby were disputing his parentage and shouting at Derby for no other reason than being powerless to stop brilliance.
A man in front of us in the old Osmaston Stand took exception to Dad's applause and told him he shouldn't be doing it. Big mistake. He got 'the look' and a very slow but to the point comment that suggested the bloke should get on with watching one team while he watched both. Might not have been that polite, come to think of it, but it was mighty effective...
It was such tonight at Birmingham. No complaints from me, when you are beaten by a giant of the modern game in Brendan McCullum. He's done that times many to international attacks around the globe and to the very best bowlers. When he gets the bit between his teeth, is in form and finds a wicket to his taste, there's no bowling to him. How do you set a field to someone who hits it over the boundary with such regularity? How do you reply to 158 runs from just 64 balls faced?
Truth be told, despite the bowlers, without exception, taking some stick, we battled well. Hamish Rutherford and Wes Durston batted with equal panache, but didn't last so long. We were only ten runs behind at the end of the Powerplay, but the admirable Jeetan Patel bowled his four overs for just eighteen runs, astonishing in the circumstances. I have seen Derbyshire sides in recent years would have collapsed like a pack of cards, but we battled down the order and ran up a total that, on another day, might have won the game.
Like I say though, one has to accept brilliance in sport, whatever the hue of the shirt. If you can't, you really shouldn't follow competitive sport.
Well played Brendan McCullum. A captain and man for who I have the utmost respect, for leading as popular a touring side as has toured this island in many a year.
As well as being a fantastic cricketer who pretty much beat us on his own tonight.
Fantasy League update and a player to watch...
Take a bow David Aust, who is not only winning the Peakfan trophy Fantasy League in a canter (1800 points clear) but is also ranked 45 in the competition overall.
Matthew Entwistle is in second place, with Dean Doherty's two sides in third and fourth place.
My side has finally started to find some form and I have made my last transfers of the season in a push for a top ten placing. This is, of course, when those in my eleven incur major injury..
I am, of course, far too nice a bloke to mention who is currently in bottom place...
On a different tack - a player to watch would appear to be Jurie Snyman, currently plying his trade with great success for Denby in the Premier League. At 20, the young South African has broken batting records through his school days and is making a name for himself with punishing displays back home for Easterns.
The talented Mr Snyman had a school average of over 80, with a highest score of...wait for it.. 395 in a fifty-over game. With four double centuries and no less than 38 centuries in school colours, the opposition must have looked at the fixture against his school with fear in their hearts, together with a vivid imagination as to a feigned injury in their heads.
He showed his talents against Derbyshire for the Kevin Dean XI on Wednesday, registering a fine half century. The left-hander also bowls off spin and looks to be a cricketer to watch.
All he needs to be REALLY special is a granny from Heanor...
Matthew Entwistle is in second place, with Dean Doherty's two sides in third and fourth place.
My side has finally started to find some form and I have made my last transfers of the season in a push for a top ten placing. This is, of course, when those in my eleven incur major injury..
I am, of course, far too nice a bloke to mention who is currently in bottom place...
On a different tack - a player to watch would appear to be Jurie Snyman, currently plying his trade with great success for Denby in the Premier League. At 20, the young South African has broken batting records through his school days and is making a name for himself with punishing displays back home for Easterns.
The talented Mr Snyman had a school average of over 80, with a highest score of...wait for it.. 395 in a fifty-over game. With four double centuries and no less than 38 centuries in school colours, the opposition must have looked at the fixture against his school with fear in their hearts, together with a vivid imagination as to a feigned injury in their heads.
He showed his talents against Derbyshire for the Kevin Dean XI on Wednesday, registering a fine half century. The left-hander also bowls off spin and looks to be a cricketer to watch.
All he needs to be REALLY special is a granny from Heanor...
Birmingham v Derbyshire T20
Birmingham...seriously, Birmingham? Were I a Warwickshire fan outside of the city, I wouldn't be best pleased about the name, that's for sure, but such is the gimmickry of T20 that a name change is deemed important...(sighs loudly...)
Anyway, tonight's game, against a side that has won six from eight in the competition, will be a tough test for Derbyshire, after last week's heroics against our near and dear neighbours.
We have beaten Warwickshire before (enough of this monicker malarky) and to do so again would be quite something. Reinforced by Kiwi powerhouse Brendan McCullum, a man who led one of the most popular touring sides in recent memory, they will be a tough test. If the New Zealand skipper gets going, he can put any total out of sight and ambitions to win this game must first revolve around minimising his impact on it.
Derbyshire have named a similar squad to last week, Ben Slater coming in for Will Davis who has a minor injury. The opener returned to form with a sparkling innings for the seconds this week, but I don't see to much tinkering with a winning formula. The side, at peak form, bats long and has plenty of bowling options.
Our squad:
Wes Durston (capt)
Hamish Rutherford
Chesney Hughes
Ben Slater
Shiv Thakor
Wayne Madsen
Alex Hughes
Scott Elstone
Tom Poynton
Tom Knight
Wayne White
Nathan Rimmington
The opposition, led by Varun Chopra, has announced the following squad:
Varun Chopra (Captain)
Tim Ambrose (Wicket Keeper)
Rikki Clarke
Laurie Evans
Recordo Gordon
Oliver Hannon-Dalby
Ateeq Javid
Tom Lewis
Brendon McCullum
Jeetan Patel
William Porterfield
Josh Poysden
Boyd Rankin
They have batsmen in form, after this week's game against Sussex, while in Jeetan Patel they have the man I regard as the best value overseas player in the county game.
I would love to predict a win here, but we need to be at our very best to do so. Anything less than that will see a defeat, so the onus is on the boys to replicate the form, commitment and quality of last week.
We will see if they can later tonight.
Anyway, tonight's game, against a side that has won six from eight in the competition, will be a tough test for Derbyshire, after last week's heroics against our near and dear neighbours.
We have beaten Warwickshire before (enough of this monicker malarky) and to do so again would be quite something. Reinforced by Kiwi powerhouse Brendan McCullum, a man who led one of the most popular touring sides in recent memory, they will be a tough test. If the New Zealand skipper gets going, he can put any total out of sight and ambitions to win this game must first revolve around minimising his impact on it.
Derbyshire have named a similar squad to last week, Ben Slater coming in for Will Davis who has a minor injury. The opener returned to form with a sparkling innings for the seconds this week, but I don't see to much tinkering with a winning formula. The side, at peak form, bats long and has plenty of bowling options.
Our squad:
Wes Durston (capt)
Hamish Rutherford
Chesney Hughes
Ben Slater
Shiv Thakor
Wayne Madsen
Alex Hughes
Scott Elstone
Tom Poynton
Tom Knight
Wayne White
Nathan Rimmington
The opposition, led by Varun Chopra, has announced the following squad:
Varun Chopra (Captain)
Tim Ambrose (Wicket Keeper)
Rikki Clarke
Laurie Evans
Recordo Gordon
Oliver Hannon-Dalby
Ateeq Javid
Tom Lewis
Brendon McCullum
Jeetan Patel
William Porterfield
Josh Poysden
Boyd Rankin
They have batsmen in form, after this week's game against Sussex, while in Jeetan Patel they have the man I regard as the best value overseas player in the county game.
I would love to predict a win here, but we need to be at our very best to do so. Anything less than that will see a defeat, so the onus is on the boys to replicate the form, commitment and quality of last week.
We will see if they can later tonight.
Wednesday, 1 July 2015
Midweek musings
Sorry about the lack of blogging this week, but three successive days of 9am to 8pm have eaten into my available time and there's been no real news anyway.
A Derbyshire XI beat a Kevin Dean XI tonight at Chesterfield tonight, 169-6 beating 132. It would have been a good run out and an opportunity to get used to both the wicket and the outfield before the week's major matches.
The outfield should be like polished glass if it stays dry and the scoring rates will be high, I would have thought. Mark Footitt has been released from England duty and so is available, on what is normally a quick wicket that he should enjoy.
Northamptonshire on Sunday should be a high-scoring game and there are two sides of aggressive batsmen who will enjoy short boundaries and getting full value for a well-timed shot.
I just hope Derbyshire continue the form they showed against Nottinghamshire. A good performance is always to be enjoyed, but carries much more weight when it is replicated.
When we do that, we will really start going places.
More from me nearer the weekend. Enjoy the sun, while it lasts.
It's raining in Glasgow tonight...
A Derbyshire XI beat a Kevin Dean XI tonight at Chesterfield tonight, 169-6 beating 132. It would have been a good run out and an opportunity to get used to both the wicket and the outfield before the week's major matches.
The outfield should be like polished glass if it stays dry and the scoring rates will be high, I would have thought. Mark Footitt has been released from England duty and so is available, on what is normally a quick wicket that he should enjoy.
Northamptonshire on Sunday should be a high-scoring game and there are two sides of aggressive batsmen who will enjoy short boundaries and getting full value for a well-timed shot.
I just hope Derbyshire continue the form they showed against Nottinghamshire. A good performance is always to be enjoyed, but carries much more weight when it is replicated.
When we do that, we will really start going places.
More from me nearer the weekend. Enjoy the sun, while it lasts.
It's raining in Glasgow tonight...
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