It was nice to see a lot of comments after last night's fine performance, for a change. Too often in the past it has been a rush to get in first with criticism and I like it when people are even-handed in the praise and criticism. Thank you for that.
Was it a perfect performance? Is there such a thing? It was very impressive and fully justified the signings of Calum MacLeod and Lockie Ferguson, that is for sure. Every catch that went up in the air was held, some of them far from easy, though they were made to look so. Derbyshire looked up for it in the field, where fast, keen bowling was backed up well.
I thought our hosts looked dreadful. I know there are plenty of examples in cricket history of players not conforming to the athlete stereotype, but I smiled when the commentator said that Ben Duckett looked like he had lost a bit of weight. In that side I would do and they looked less fit than my erstwhile cricket club. Immobile and leaden-footed in the field, they were no match for a Derbyshire side that fielded very well.
I agree with some of you that we should even now be looking at a full-time contract for MacLeod from 2019. He has a sound technique and plays the ball late, his tremendous form coming from how closely he watches the ball. An excellent hockey player, it is no surprise that he and Wayne are the best two sweepers in the club, but it was the range of shots that caught my eye. He's not a 'six over cow corner' hitter, but a proper batsman, who can late cut and glide with the best of them. His fine catch at slip set the tone for the innings too, when Duckett was quickly despatched by the excellent Ferguson.
And irrespective of results before last night, he has been a stellar pick up by John Wright. I would go as far as to say he is the best one-day bowler we have had since the days of Charl Langeveldt. His nigh-metronomic ability to drop the yorker in on target is testimony to a lot of work and to do so while nudging or passing 90mph needs real talent. With Duanne Olivier for the first half of the summer, we have been well-served by our overseas players this year.
It was good to see Hardus Viljoen bowling better last night too. I have been critical of him in recent weeks, simply because he has bowled badly. When you are well paid, the tolerance of supporters to poor performance is less and expectations higher. He did well last night and with Ferguson and Wahab Riaz he made up an impressive pace trio.
Any watching cricket coach with ideas of applying for the Head of Cricket role must have ended the evening well aware that there is talent to work with at the club. Since I have had the question asked a few times, I will tell you who I would want in the role.
In short, ideally, someone new to the club, but my first choice would be John Wright, because I think his calm and genial manner might bring stability at a time when it is needed. He also has the gravitas and CV nonpareil. My second would be Grant Bradburn, because he has made a reputation of doing well with limited resources around the globe, again an asset for this role, while having a useful insight to the club through this T20 stint.
I have no idea if either will apply, but they would be my first two choices.
After that, someone new to Derbyshire. That would exclude Chris Adams and Dean Jones for starters. Both will have their followers and both are extremely able men. They were terrific cricketers too and have had coaching success, but in each case I am just not sure. I think the blunt style of Jones might get a positive early reaction, but could see his abrasive manner being counter-productive over time, just as it was the first time around. One thing he would do would be to get the maximum from players, but I am not sure about him at this time.
With Adams, he had success at Sussex, when the club had decent money to play with, but did less well at Surrey where they had even greater resources. Could he manage on a shoestring budget? I am not sure. He will have his supporters, but I am trying to distance romance from reality
Going back didn't work for John Morris. It didn't work with Karl Krikken either (2012 notwithstanding), while Graeme Welch struggled with the demands of the job as opposed to being a bowling coach. Kim Barnett wasn't given the control he needed to make it work, nor the time.
All these men, good men, can point to success stories, but ultimately all were dismissed. Maybe our expectations for Derbyshire cricket are set too high, but for me we need fresh eyes looking at the club, from top to bottom and back again. An overseas coach would be fine, or a suitably-qualified professional from the county game.
Your thoughts, as always, are appreciated.
Friday, 20 July 2018
Thursday, 19 July 2018
Northamptonshire V Derbyshire Vitality Blast
Too often over the years we have watched Derbyshire fluff their lines when it came to a live TV performance. It was if overcome by the spirit of Greta Garbo, reluctant in the spotlight in her later years.
Yet tonight they gave a virtuoso performance, a tour de force if you will and ran out easy winners against our hosts, who shared bottom place before this game.
Very thoughtfully they prepared a fast and bouncy track for arguably the quickest attack in the country and suffered as a consequence.
It might all have been academic but for the best batting performance of the competition so far, with the magnificent Calum MacLeod scoring a century of rare quality. While the hapless Sky commentators (who were calling him Cameron at one stage) tried to rationalise it as a poor attack, MacLeod hit so cleanly that its quality didn't matter. Nor was it slogging, with deft glances and clean sweeps amid an array all round the wicket.
The tempo was set by Billy Godleman, wearing one of Lockie Ferguson's tops. He hit the first ball for four and gave the innings a great base, built on by MacLeod and Wayne Madsen. Their century stand took the innings to a total of dominance and a late sparkle from Matt Critchley meant we had a defendable score for once.
In reply our hosts never got going. The hugely impressive Ferguson removed the dangerous Duckett with his first ball and bowled a spell in which his fastest ball was 93.6mph. This was missed by the commentators who were prattling on about The Open at the time but he was the quickest of the fast bowling trio, with Viljoen next. Hardus did well tonight and it was a welcome return to form.
So too did Ravi Rampaul who showed his nous at the death and got more movement than anyone on the night. Yet Alex Hughes deserves mention for four wickets and a canny spell when he varied his pace and length to great effect.
The bowlers were well supported in the field and Anuj Dal was especially impressive. It looked a better team and the fielding was in marked contrast to Northamptonshire, whose unfit looking squad were pedestrian in comparison.
Fair play all round and well done to those concerned. I thought Gary Wilson skippered the team well and switched his bowlers around at the right times.
It was good to watch and makes you wonder why we can't do that more often. They will face sterner tests, but at least are up and running.
In closing, I have to say that the Sky commentary team was perhaps the worst I have heard yet. Mark Butcher seemed to spend all night trying to be smart with Ebony Rainford-Brent and neither seemed to have a clue what was happening. Rob Key was as bad and it confirmed why I usually watch with the sound down.
They have a long way to improve.
Derbyshire showed that they have it in them tonight. And it was a pleasure to watch.
Well done guys.
Accountability, transparency and governance - postscript
To illustrate what I referred to earlier, I'd like to offer you the Yorkshire T20 game at Headingley.
You will recall that this was originally scheduled for July 13, but was switched from that date to Monday 30 July, so that fans would be able to see the England World Cup match that was being played that evening.
Now Gloucestershire decided that the game they had on that date would still be played, but with a 3pm start. It may have inconvenienced a few, but they felt that the game could be played and everyone could be home or in the bar to watch the football afterwards.
We - I would think to Yorkshire's mirth - agreed to switch the date completely. A decision almost certainly made by no one on the cricket side, as Kim Barnett had left by that point. Yet whether that decision was made at Board level, or by the Chief Executive, it means that Derbyshire will play not a weakened Yorkshire, but one that will have David Willey, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett and Kane Williamson available for selection.
Had we had a greater cricket input on the board, the decision would surely have been made to change the time. Inconvenience a few and lose some of the potential gate, but maximise Derbyshire's chances of winning by not playing against their big guns. Dig our heels in and say no. So what if they are not happy?
It annoys and frustrates me to see that kind of thing happening. We talk about percentages being the difference between winning and losing a cricket match.
Well, there's a few per cent swung against us before we start.
You will recall that this was originally scheduled for July 13, but was switched from that date to Monday 30 July, so that fans would be able to see the England World Cup match that was being played that evening.
Now Gloucestershire decided that the game they had on that date would still be played, but with a 3pm start. It may have inconvenienced a few, but they felt that the game could be played and everyone could be home or in the bar to watch the football afterwards.
We - I would think to Yorkshire's mirth - agreed to switch the date completely. A decision almost certainly made by no one on the cricket side, as Kim Barnett had left by that point. Yet whether that decision was made at Board level, or by the Chief Executive, it means that Derbyshire will play not a weakened Yorkshire, but one that will have David Willey, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett and Kane Williamson available for selection.
Had we had a greater cricket input on the board, the decision would surely have been made to change the time. Inconvenience a few and lose some of the potential gate, but maximise Derbyshire's chances of winning by not playing against their big guns. Dig our heels in and say no. So what if they are not happy?
It annoys and frustrates me to see that kind of thing happening. We talk about percentages being the difference between winning and losing a cricket match.
Well, there's a few per cent swung against us before we start.
Accountability, transparency and governance
Three words keep recurring in many of your recent comments, phone calls, and emails about the current issues concerning Derbyshire cricket. Those words are ‘accountability’, ‘transparency’ and ‘governance’.
There is widespread anxiety about the club’s current state. It is fuelled by recent dreadful results and performances, of course, but there seems to be a sense that poor performance on the pitch is closely connected with difficulties off it. We don’t know what is going on behind the scenes, and frankly we don’t need to. It has become abundantly clear that all is not well with Derbyshire cricket, and has not been for years. Since 2012, in fact, when the bright new dawn too quickly became a dark and threatening day.
At least we have a proposed new structure in place and there will soon be a new Head of Cricket who will, we all hope, galvanise our club.
That's fine and dandy, but it’s vital to get this appointment right, and this again raises issues of who is responsible for that appointment, and the process that is followed. That process needs to be transparent and sound, taken by people who are accountable for the outcome. If it isn’t, my concern is that the problems we have been experiencing will soon recur.
There will be some very good people who apply for the role of Head of Cricket, yet frustratingly one of the best-qualified candidates, Kim Barnett, is not in the running.
A look at the job description suggests that we MIGHT have things right this time, the successful applicant having budgetary responsibility, identification of new players and the sports science personnel under his umbrella. That pitch preparation is linked in is also a good idea. There are the requisite skills being demanded and responsibilities being pointed out, but I have a big concern here
Who is doing the interviewing?
When one is recruiting for a senior role, it is a major decision for any organisation. It is of paramount importance that we get this appointment right, because we appear to be on the verge of yet another period of instability. If the panel is to comprise current board members, there is only Colin Tunnicliffe on it with any experience of playing first class cricket. He could quite easily be outvoted on a decision by people with limited experience of the game at that level, who opt for an easy life or a popular choice.
Contrast this with Leicestershire, a club with similarly limited resources that was a laughing stock not long ago. They are still not a major force, but unlike us, they seem to be making real progress. Can it be a coincidence that their Chief Executive was himself a first class cricketer, as well as someone with management expertise? Of course, we need board members with skills other than playing cricket, but if accountability and governance are to mean anything, then the present board HAS to be judged by results on the pitch, just as much as the players and the coach. And ever since we gained promotion in 2012, our results on the pitch have been largely dire.
Whoever interviews for this crucial role, there should be more than a token representation from the cricket side. Could the Professional Cricketers Association, for example, be involved? I think this is at least worth considering, to ensure the 'transparency' I have mentioned before. An alternative would be to involve a working party of former players for the club who have its best interests at heart and who have a good understanding of what it takes to achieve success in first class cricket.
Because otherwise it seems likely that the outcome is already a foregone conclusion, and the job will go to one of two candidates, Mal Loye or Chris Adams.
Mal has done excellent work with the club's academy and a lot of talented young players are starting to emerge. An internal appointment may sometimes be the right one, as long as it is made with sufficient transparency and accountability. If it isn’t, it becomes not only the easy option, but an option that lacks credibility – and that would handicap, and do a disservice to, the man appointed.
Likewise Adams would be the romantic appointment, the local boy done good who comes home to lead us to the promised land, just like he did at Sussex. Intriguingly, he is gaining support on Twitter already. But how would it work in the long run – and how long would he stay with us?
Chris Adams was a terrific cricketer, a combative player who translated that into a competitive edge and used it to become a fine captain, then coach who pulled together a sleepy club at Sussex and made them a force to be reckoned with. But given the concerns that supporters are expressing about accountability and governance at the club, he may well struggle to repeat that fine achievement. He's a proud man, one of integrity and he will want to do things his way. Rightly so, if he is publicly accountable for the club's record and reputation. He is a good man and was a terrific player, but so were Karl Krikken, Graeme Welch and Kim Barnett and look how that ended.
This will be a massive winter for Derbyshire and it needs to be right, from the very top down to the bottom. You don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to work out from various comments in social media of late that things are awry.
I want a Head of Cricket elected by transparent process that commands respect and confidence among the supporters. If this results in the appointment of Mal or Chris, fine. But an 'easy fix' simply won’t work. I want him selected and ultimately to be a part of a board that is fit for CRICKETING purpose and that understands the game is more than just pushing numbers around a spreadsheet.
So I’d like to see a commitment on the part of board members to spend a specified minimum amount of the time watching our team. That way, they can see the performances for themselves, and also connect with supporters in a way that my postbag suggests simply isn’t happening at present.
There are eminently qualified, extremely able people who are steeped in Derbyshire cricket who can contribute a great deal to the club board.
When the time for election comes in February, we need more of them involved.
What do you think?
Wednesday, 18 July 2018
Northamptonshire v Derbyshire preview
Played four, lost four, live on Sky tomorrow evening, against a side in the same position.
What could possibly go wrong?
Well, we can't get any worse than having lost all of our games, so you could look on tomorrow as the start of the good times, if you are of an optimistic bent, or one where the frailties of the current set up are exposed to the nation, if you are less positively inclined.
Tomorrow we come up against a batting line up of such quality that their current plight is surprising. If you put it together with our bowling, there would be the nucleus of a pretty decent team, yet their situation mirrors our own and suggests that appearances can indeed be deceptive.
There is a recall for Billy Godleman to the Derbyshire fifteen tomorrow and I won't even try to call a final eleven. Northampton used to be a spinner's paradise but more often favours seam these days, so the wicket tomorrow will be the driver for the final eleven. As I wrote the other day, we have missed another left-hander at the top of the order, but we have also seemed a bowler light. Read into it as you will, but the final eleven will be from:
Slater, MacLeod, Godleman, Madsen, Hughes, Critchley, Smit, Wilson, Viljoen, Rampaul, Sharif, Dal, Brodrick, Ferguson, McKiernan
The home side's squad is as follows:
Levi, Duckett, Cobb, Wakely, Coetzer, Crook, Procter, Prasanna, Kleinveldt, White, Hutton, Sanderson, Buck, Vasconcelos
Fingers crossed we can get ourselves off the mark, albeit against a side that has punched above its weight in this format in recent years.
As always, I wish the boys luck and hope that they acquit themselves well.
No doubt Sky's commentary team will have plenty to say, one way or another.
What could possibly go wrong?
Well, we can't get any worse than having lost all of our games, so you could look on tomorrow as the start of the good times, if you are of an optimistic bent, or one where the frailties of the current set up are exposed to the nation, if you are less positively inclined.
Tomorrow we come up against a batting line up of such quality that their current plight is surprising. If you put it together with our bowling, there would be the nucleus of a pretty decent team, yet their situation mirrors our own and suggests that appearances can indeed be deceptive.
There is a recall for Billy Godleman to the Derbyshire fifteen tomorrow and I won't even try to call a final eleven. Northampton used to be a spinner's paradise but more often favours seam these days, so the wicket tomorrow will be the driver for the final eleven. As I wrote the other day, we have missed another left-hander at the top of the order, but we have also seemed a bowler light. Read into it as you will, but the final eleven will be from:
Slater, MacLeod, Godleman, Madsen, Hughes, Critchley, Smit, Wilson, Viljoen, Rampaul, Sharif, Dal, Brodrick, Ferguson, McKiernan
The home side's squad is as follows:
Levi, Duckett, Cobb, Wakely, Coetzer, Crook, Procter, Prasanna, Kleinveldt, White, Hutton, Sanderson, Buck, Vasconcelos
Fingers crossed we can get ourselves off the mark, albeit against a side that has punched above its weight in this format in recent years.
As always, I wish the boys luck and hope that they acquit themselves well.
No doubt Sky's commentary team will have plenty to say, one way or another.
Tuesday, 17 July 2018
Better news as Conners makes England under-19 debut
It has been a rough week or two for Derbyshire, but the news that Sam Conners has joined Alfie Gleadall in being selected for England under-19s this summer is encouraging.
I have seen them both in action and both are lads with talent. Gleadall is the fastest, but will need to not push his young body too much in that respect as he grows. It was a problem we had with Will Davis, who has gone from 'boy most likely to' to 'boy who may not make it' in two summers where he has played little cricket.
When I saw Will at Belper recently, his pace had dropped considerably. Quick enough to take wickets at second team level, but without, perhaps, the resilience to make it, mentally and physically. We will see, but professional sport is unforgiving and both Gleadall and Conners appear to have overtaken him at this stage.
Conners isn't as quick as Gleadall, at least from the boundary edge it appears that way, but he is quick enough to be handy and zips it around. Both of them are young enough to learn and develop still further, which is the important thing.
It is also why today's news that Lockie Ferguson will stay to the end of the summer is encouraging. He can help the lads in his time with us and they can tap into the psyche of the fast bowler from New Zealand.
I'll be back tomorrow with a preview of our televised game at Northampton on Thursday.
Both sides are currently winless, so something has to give..
I have seen them both in action and both are lads with talent. Gleadall is the fastest, but will need to not push his young body too much in that respect as he grows. It was a problem we had with Will Davis, who has gone from 'boy most likely to' to 'boy who may not make it' in two summers where he has played little cricket.
When I saw Will at Belper recently, his pace had dropped considerably. Quick enough to take wickets at second team level, but without, perhaps, the resilience to make it, mentally and physically. We will see, but professional sport is unforgiving and both Gleadall and Conners appear to have overtaken him at this stage.
Conners isn't as quick as Gleadall, at least from the boundary edge it appears that way, but he is quick enough to be handy and zips it around. Both of them are young enough to learn and develop still further, which is the important thing.
It is also why today's news that Lockie Ferguson will stay to the end of the summer is encouraging. He can help the lads in his time with us and they can tap into the psyche of the fast bowler from New Zealand.
I'll be back tomorrow with a preview of our televised game at Northampton on Thursday.
Both sides are currently winless, so something has to give..
Sunday, 15 July 2018
Northampton beckons
There is undoubtedly a parallel universe in which Derbyshire's game against Northamptonshire on Thursday night would be a table-topping affair, with the winner getting the spoils of top place in the albeit strong northern section.
Except in the real one, you couldn't be further from the truth.
Northamptonshire have had their struggles, with injuries to key personnel coupled with poor form leaving them, like Derbyshire, without a win in four matches.
Mind you, their problems seem inconsequential compared to ours.
Yesterday was very disheartening for me and, from the mailbag, for many of you too. Yet it was only the latest of a series of such disappointments and right now, more than at any point in my years of writing this blog, I struggle with the club's direction.
Our four-day captain doesn't make the T20 squad. Our highly-paid Kolpak signing isn't in the side either. Our T20 captain is, but really shouldn't be on performances, then astonishes many people by saying that yesterday's loss was down to the respective power plays. To some extent he is right, but far better had he said 'and by the way, I made a pig's ear of the run chase and I am also accountable'.
We leave out a young lad who has been one of the brighter aspects of the T20 so far in Anuj Dal, continue to pick two wicket-keepers and also another Kolpak in Ravi Rampaul whose better days appear sadly to be behind him. This imbalance leaves us either a batsman or a bowler short, whatever the selection. We put a slogger in at three yesterday, which didn't work and never seemed likely to do, as I doubt Riaz has batted that high in his career. We bring in, granted with success, Calum MacLeod but in three matches have had him at three, five and two in the order.
What the heck is going on?
Part of last year's success was in consistency of selection. We had left-right-left-right at the top of the order, we had good balance between bat and ball and we played as a team. We used power plays effectively, we bowled to a plan, we batted to a plan. This year's version appears to have been destroyed before anyone got to see it and things are apparently being winged from day to day. I know I am doing a disservice, but it is how things appear to the many supporters around the country.
Four games in, our hopes of T20 qualification appear as likely as mine of coming first in the Grand National as the winning horse. So we need to see if there are possibilities for the future, as well as having a chance of winning a game or two.
My team for the next few games would be:
Slater
MacLeod
Hughes
Madsen
Dal
Critchley
Smit
McKiernan
Riaz
Sharif
Ferguson
I'm well aware that the omission of Viljoen, Wilson, Rampaul and Godleman sees well over a quarter of a million in salaries on the sidelines. Yet I struggle to fit any of them into a first choice side in this format, on current form. Which tells you all you need to know on why we are struggling. Will the coach be big enough to tell the skipper that he isn't cutting the mustard? Will the captain be big enough to fall on his sword and say he shouldn't be picked? Who is making the calls in this format?
This year Gary Wilson has made 17 (from 14 balls at the death) 28 (28) 6 (6) and 6(11). 57 runs from 59 balls. If he is to play it must be instead of Daryn Smit, a far better keeper, who has made 1 (1) 15 (9) and 28 (24) - 44 runs from 34 balls. I know which way I would go...
Will we win matches with that side? I don't know, but we can't lose more than we are at present. And we might at least get some pointers for the future from a season that has gone from one full of promise to annus horribilis.
How different might it have been with Mitchell Santner and Luis Reece in the side? Quite a lot, because two such all-rounders in any side would enhance it. Recent history may then have been considerably different.
We'll never know, will we?
Except in the real one, you couldn't be further from the truth.
Northamptonshire have had their struggles, with injuries to key personnel coupled with poor form leaving them, like Derbyshire, without a win in four matches.
Mind you, their problems seem inconsequential compared to ours.
Yesterday was very disheartening for me and, from the mailbag, for many of you too. Yet it was only the latest of a series of such disappointments and right now, more than at any point in my years of writing this blog, I struggle with the club's direction.
Our four-day captain doesn't make the T20 squad. Our highly-paid Kolpak signing isn't in the side either. Our T20 captain is, but really shouldn't be on performances, then astonishes many people by saying that yesterday's loss was down to the respective power plays. To some extent he is right, but far better had he said 'and by the way, I made a pig's ear of the run chase and I am also accountable'.
We leave out a young lad who has been one of the brighter aspects of the T20 so far in Anuj Dal, continue to pick two wicket-keepers and also another Kolpak in Ravi Rampaul whose better days appear sadly to be behind him. This imbalance leaves us either a batsman or a bowler short, whatever the selection. We put a slogger in at three yesterday, which didn't work and never seemed likely to do, as I doubt Riaz has batted that high in his career. We bring in, granted with success, Calum MacLeod but in three matches have had him at three, five and two in the order.
What the heck is going on?
Part of last year's success was in consistency of selection. We had left-right-left-right at the top of the order, we had good balance between bat and ball and we played as a team. We used power plays effectively, we bowled to a plan, we batted to a plan. This year's version appears to have been destroyed before anyone got to see it and things are apparently being winged from day to day. I know I am doing a disservice, but it is how things appear to the many supporters around the country.
Four games in, our hopes of T20 qualification appear as likely as mine of coming first in the Grand National as the winning horse. So we need to see if there are possibilities for the future, as well as having a chance of winning a game or two.
My team for the next few games would be:
Slater
MacLeod
Hughes
Madsen
Dal
Critchley
Smit
McKiernan
Riaz
Sharif
Ferguson
I'm well aware that the omission of Viljoen, Wilson, Rampaul and Godleman sees well over a quarter of a million in salaries on the sidelines. Yet I struggle to fit any of them into a first choice side in this format, on current form. Which tells you all you need to know on why we are struggling. Will the coach be big enough to tell the skipper that he isn't cutting the mustard? Will the captain be big enough to fall on his sword and say he shouldn't be picked? Who is making the calls in this format?
This year Gary Wilson has made 17 (from 14 balls at the death) 28 (28) 6 (6) and 6(11). 57 runs from 59 balls. If he is to play it must be instead of Daryn Smit, a far better keeper, who has made 1 (1) 15 (9) and 28 (24) - 44 runs from 34 balls. I know which way I would go...
Will we win matches with that side? I don't know, but we can't lose more than we are at present. And we might at least get some pointers for the future from a season that has gone from one full of promise to annus horribilis.
How different might it have been with Mitchell Santner and Luis Reece in the side? Quite a lot, because two such all-rounders in any side would enhance it. Recent history may then have been considerably different.
We'll never know, will we?
Saturday, 14 July 2018
Lancashire v Derbyshire Vitality Blast
A fourth straight defeat for Derbyshire today at Old Trafford and this one, for me, ranks the worst of the lot in this year's Vitality Blast.
We SHOULD have chased down 158 in twenty overs, after the bowlers had done a good job in pulling Lancashire back from a good start. There was an overall good effort from the bowling unit in limiting the home side, when they looked set for a total nearer 200 at one point. Special praise for Matt McKiernan in a promising debut, while Matt Critchley held a stunning caught and bowled. Riaz and Ferguson again did well, as did Alex Hughes, but we fell embarrassingly short on 145-7.
At one point, with Wayne Madsen and Calum MacLeod going well, I thought we might win our first match of the season. Yet the dismissal of MacLeod brought in Gary Wilson, who batted twelve balls for just six runs.
Some might say that Daryn Smit and Matt Critchley should have got us home, but by the time they came together the run rate had climbed to over ten an over, their spinners choking our advance just as ours had done to them. Yet Wilson came in at 81-3 in ten overs, and when he was out, at the start of the fifteenth, we had added only fifteen runs more. We needed 77 from the last ten overs which came down to 62 from the last six...
I accept he is out of nick, and has been for some time. So why, in that case, is he playing, and why is he batting that high in the order? With Critchley, Hughes and McKiernan in the pavilion, all of who can hit a ball, it made no sense at all.
For me, unless a big decision is made to drop the captain, we won't win many matches in this competition and will be battling Northamptonshire for the wooden spoon. If we cannot chase this sort of total, wins are going to prove very elusive.
Even more disappointing was the omission of Anuj Dal. Unless the lad was injured or unwell, it made no sense to omit a player who has done better than most in two appearances this year.
Genuinely baffled and hugely disappointed tonight.
There's nothing more to say, I'm afraid.
We SHOULD have chased down 158 in twenty overs, after the bowlers had done a good job in pulling Lancashire back from a good start. There was an overall good effort from the bowling unit in limiting the home side, when they looked set for a total nearer 200 at one point. Special praise for Matt McKiernan in a promising debut, while Matt Critchley held a stunning caught and bowled. Riaz and Ferguson again did well, as did Alex Hughes, but we fell embarrassingly short on 145-7.
At one point, with Wayne Madsen and Calum MacLeod going well, I thought we might win our first match of the season. Yet the dismissal of MacLeod brought in Gary Wilson, who batted twelve balls for just six runs.
Some might say that Daryn Smit and Matt Critchley should have got us home, but by the time they came together the run rate had climbed to over ten an over, their spinners choking our advance just as ours had done to them. Yet Wilson came in at 81-3 in ten overs, and when he was out, at the start of the fifteenth, we had added only fifteen runs more. We needed 77 from the last ten overs which came down to 62 from the last six...
I accept he is out of nick, and has been for some time. So why, in that case, is he playing, and why is he batting that high in the order? With Critchley, Hughes and McKiernan in the pavilion, all of who can hit a ball, it made no sense at all.
For me, unless a big decision is made to drop the captain, we won't win many matches in this competition and will be battling Northamptonshire for the wooden spoon. If we cannot chase this sort of total, wins are going to prove very elusive.
Even more disappointing was the omission of Anuj Dal. Unless the lad was injured or unwell, it made no sense to omit a player who has done better than most in two appearances this year.
Genuinely baffled and hugely disappointed tonight.
There's nothing more to say, I'm afraid.
Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire Vitality Blast
With the exception of Lockie Ferguson and Calum MacLeod, there is no Derbyshire player will look back on last night's local derby with Nottinghamshire with any pride.
The bottom line is that this Derbyshire side, in the absence of Luis Reece, looks short of a bowler whichever eleven takes the field, but also looks short of around three batsmen. The excellent streams provided by the county have enabled me to see most of the games so far and at no point has our batting looked like being able to score anywhere near the runs we need to win matches at this level. Similarly the bowling, far from being the potent force we hoped for, looks fairly run of the mill.
Viljoen, a high cost Kolpak signing, is so unimpressive in the nets that he isn't getting picked, Rampaul looks a considerable distance from a bowler who has played this format around the world and Critchley looks shorn of confidence with bat and ball. Alex Hughes bowled well though, as he often does in this format, but in that company he shouldn't be a stand out.
Meanwhile Wahib Riaz is OK, but I wouldn't probably go further than that. He doesn't look like he will run through a side any time soon and, while rhythmic, hasn't yet suggested that the pace is still there. That is in direct contrast to Lockie Ferguson, who came as perhaps the most 'under the radar' overseas signing we have made, but looks a very astute piece of work from John Wright.
Ferguson has a beautifully disguised slower yorker, but a blindingly quick fast one, which in turn accounted for three Nottinghamshire batsmen last night. This could have been a closer game had he been able to bowl more, as he troubled Dan Christian, but the visiting captain and Tom Moores took Nottinghamshire to a total that last year would have been within our compass. This year, it was seriously outwith it.
Ben Slater set off like a train, but as too often happens when he does he got out and skied a catch to square leg. At no point thereafter did we look remotely like chasing down the required total. Alex Hughes came in at three but was run out when oddly running on a curve, rather than straight, Matt Critchley looked a little better but didn't last long, while even Wayne Madsen looked out of touch and made only six from 14 balls.
Gary Wilson doesn't look like scoring runs any time soon and didn't. The captaincy must be the only thing keeping him in this side, as his slowness between the wickets and in the field is far from an asset to it. For me, he looks less likely to score runs than Daryn Smit, a far superior keeper, so should also hand over the captaincy to the South African. Anuj Dal, fresh from scoring 60 from 30 balls for the second team, was oddly kept back to number eight, again looked inventive but was out in a vain attempt at a hopeless pursuit.
MacLeod looked a good player again, but would have been better at three than five. With limited options available, and another game this afternoon at Old Trafford, my side against Lancashire would be as follows:
Slater
Dal
MacLeod
Madsen
Hughes
Critchley
Smit
McKiernan
Riaz
Ferguson
Rampaul
Derbyshire are a better side and a better collection of individuals than they are showing at present, but three defeats from three matches, together with far too much self-inflicted damage, is leaving them well adrift of the rest of this group.
Sadly, it is hard to see it improving any time soon, unless someone produces something very special.
The bottom line is that this Derbyshire side, in the absence of Luis Reece, looks short of a bowler whichever eleven takes the field, but also looks short of around three batsmen. The excellent streams provided by the county have enabled me to see most of the games so far and at no point has our batting looked like being able to score anywhere near the runs we need to win matches at this level. Similarly the bowling, far from being the potent force we hoped for, looks fairly run of the mill.
Viljoen, a high cost Kolpak signing, is so unimpressive in the nets that he isn't getting picked, Rampaul looks a considerable distance from a bowler who has played this format around the world and Critchley looks shorn of confidence with bat and ball. Alex Hughes bowled well though, as he often does in this format, but in that company he shouldn't be a stand out.
Meanwhile Wahib Riaz is OK, but I wouldn't probably go further than that. He doesn't look like he will run through a side any time soon and, while rhythmic, hasn't yet suggested that the pace is still there. That is in direct contrast to Lockie Ferguson, who came as perhaps the most 'under the radar' overseas signing we have made, but looks a very astute piece of work from John Wright.
Ferguson has a beautifully disguised slower yorker, but a blindingly quick fast one, which in turn accounted for three Nottinghamshire batsmen last night. This could have been a closer game had he been able to bowl more, as he troubled Dan Christian, but the visiting captain and Tom Moores took Nottinghamshire to a total that last year would have been within our compass. This year, it was seriously outwith it.
Ben Slater set off like a train, but as too often happens when he does he got out and skied a catch to square leg. At no point thereafter did we look remotely like chasing down the required total. Alex Hughes came in at three but was run out when oddly running on a curve, rather than straight, Matt Critchley looked a little better but didn't last long, while even Wayne Madsen looked out of touch and made only six from 14 balls.
Gary Wilson doesn't look like scoring runs any time soon and didn't. The captaincy must be the only thing keeping him in this side, as his slowness between the wickets and in the field is far from an asset to it. For me, he looks less likely to score runs than Daryn Smit, a far superior keeper, so should also hand over the captaincy to the South African. Anuj Dal, fresh from scoring 60 from 30 balls for the second team, was oddly kept back to number eight, again looked inventive but was out in a vain attempt at a hopeless pursuit.
MacLeod looked a good player again, but would have been better at three than five. With limited options available, and another game this afternoon at Old Trafford, my side against Lancashire would be as follows:
Slater
Dal
MacLeod
Madsen
Hughes
Critchley
Smit
McKiernan
Riaz
Ferguson
Rampaul
Derbyshire are a better side and a better collection of individuals than they are showing at present, but three defeats from three matches, together with far too much self-inflicted damage, is leaving them well adrift of the rest of this group.
Sadly, it is hard to see it improving any time soon, unless someone produces something very special.
Thursday, 12 July 2018
Greetings from Berwick on Tweed
Good morning to all of you, no doubt a little down after England's World Cup exit last night in many cases. We watched the game in the local golf club in Berwick on Tweed, where we are on holiday, which hopefully explains my silence over the past day or two. It has been fairly quiet by recent standards at the cricket, so I have taken the time out to spend with my family.
Still there's cricket action to look forward to tomorrow, as we entertain Nottinghamshire at the 3aaa County Ground. We will need to be a lot more impressive with the bat than we have been to get anything from this game and while I believe we would be better chasing, rather than setting a target, we haven't yet taken anywhere near the requisite number of runs from the Powerplay to get far in this competition.
There is little can be done with the batting either, except maybe tweak the order. Perhaps it is time for Matt Critchley to drop down and let someone else open with Ben Slater, but he remains our best chance of getting off to a flyer. Perhaps the return of Hardus Viljoen would give us the fifth bowler we missed against Worcestershire, but only if he bowls like someone who can see where the stumps actually are. Then there's the wicket-keeping position, which is filled well by Daryn Smit but means that Gary Wilson, the captain, is in the field where he is some way from an asset.
Would John Wright be bold enough to drop his captain? I haven't been impressed by Wilson's batting so far and a bold move would be to give the role to Smit, who made a good fist of it last year when Wilson was on Ireland duty. They could alternatively look at Alex Hughes again, but either way there is plenty to occupy the minds of the coaches between times.
We'll find out soon enough but one man who will not be involved is Chesney Hughes, despite a second big century in successive matches for the second team. I feel for him and for Tom Wood, both playing and doing well for the second team after being released previously by Derbyshire, but it would be a big step for either to be re-engaged. Perhaps Ches is older and wiser now, more in touch with his game than he was and certainly lighter than before. Yet re-signing would be an admission of an earlier error in some eyes, even if both players have improved.
We will see what the winter brings, but the most important thing, for me, is to ensure that all of our current players are on deals that guarantees their staying at Derbyshire to the end of and hopefully beyond their current deals. Whether contracted or not, we all know that players move for greater opportunity or reward and that counties have previously bought out contracts of players they want to sign. It would be careless in the extreme if we were to lose any of the young players who offer promise for the future, as reports suggest is the case with Ben Slater.
On the likes of Ben, Matt Critchley and Luis Reece the club's future depends and we need to do the right thing by all of them to ward off the usual predators.
Still there's cricket action to look forward to tomorrow, as we entertain Nottinghamshire at the 3aaa County Ground. We will need to be a lot more impressive with the bat than we have been to get anything from this game and while I believe we would be better chasing, rather than setting a target, we haven't yet taken anywhere near the requisite number of runs from the Powerplay to get far in this competition.
There is little can be done with the batting either, except maybe tweak the order. Perhaps it is time for Matt Critchley to drop down and let someone else open with Ben Slater, but he remains our best chance of getting off to a flyer. Perhaps the return of Hardus Viljoen would give us the fifth bowler we missed against Worcestershire, but only if he bowls like someone who can see where the stumps actually are. Then there's the wicket-keeping position, which is filled well by Daryn Smit but means that Gary Wilson, the captain, is in the field where he is some way from an asset.
Would John Wright be bold enough to drop his captain? I haven't been impressed by Wilson's batting so far and a bold move would be to give the role to Smit, who made a good fist of it last year when Wilson was on Ireland duty. They could alternatively look at Alex Hughes again, but either way there is plenty to occupy the minds of the coaches between times.
We'll find out soon enough but one man who will not be involved is Chesney Hughes, despite a second big century in successive matches for the second team. I feel for him and for Tom Wood, both playing and doing well for the second team after being released previously by Derbyshire, but it would be a big step for either to be re-engaged. Perhaps Ches is older and wiser now, more in touch with his game than he was and certainly lighter than before. Yet re-signing would be an admission of an earlier error in some eyes, even if both players have improved.
We will see what the winter brings, but the most important thing, for me, is to ensure that all of our current players are on deals that guarantees their staying at Derbyshire to the end of and hopefully beyond their current deals. Whether contracted or not, we all know that players move for greater opportunity or reward and that counties have previously bought out contracts of players they want to sign. It would be careless in the extreme if we were to lose any of the young players who offer promise for the future, as reports suggest is the case with Ben Slater.
On the likes of Ben, Matt Critchley and Luis Reece the club's future depends and we need to do the right thing by all of them to ward off the usual predators.
Sunday, 8 July 2018
Derbyshire v Worcestershire Vitality Blast
Derbyshire 135-9 (Dal 35, Slater 33)
Worcestershire 136-4 (Guptill 65, Rampaul 2-24, Ferguson 2-25)
Worcestershire won by six wickets
I thought Derbyshire did much better today, against the side that top the division, than they did against Lancashire the other night.
We still lost, but to take the game to the penultimate over when we only managed a paltry 135-9 was a pretty good effort.
I thought Ravi Rampaul bowled splendidly and Lockie Ferguson was not far behind him, putting in a few balls of searing pace. Each was rewarded with two wickets and although Wahab Riaz was wicketless, he bowled with fine control. The attack looked a handful, and mention should be made of a good spell by Alex Hughes too. Make no mistake, Worcestershire's top three is as strong as any in the country and you could even extend that to the top six. Good batsmen keep coming.
Matt Critchley and Wayne Madsen were expensive and the former doesn't look himself at present, either with bat or ball. Yet for all the good efforts of those named, Worcestershire never got out of second gear and really didn't need to.
For the second game running our innings was a dysfunctional mess. Critchley holed out after finding the field several times, MacLeod played a shot that would have been deemed genius had it worked but just looked sloppy, while Madsen top edged and was out third ball. So heavily reliant are we on Wayne that the game looked lost at that point.
Ben Slater batted well until he walked past one from D'Oliveira, while Gary Wilson made 28 at a run a ball but never hinted at playing an innings that might give us a chance, nor of scoring quickly enough to do so.
The one bright spot was the debutant, Anuj Dal, who confirmed the good impression he had made on me in the second team with strokes of wristy improvisation that pleased the aesthetes and lovers of improvisation alike. He must have cemented a place in the side with this display and, on his 22nd birthday. looked a player with a decent future.
Most telling today was the omission of Hardus Viljoen, a big call by John Wright, but one against which it is impossible to raise an argument. He was warming up, so was presumably not injured, but I said the other night that I failed to see a role for him in this team and stick by it.
Omitting the highest paid player in the club seemed to bring others together and the one gratifying aspect of the defeat was the team spirit shown, that made a very good opposition work hard for a modest target.
Played two, both at home, lost two. Not the form of a side that is going far in this competition, to be honest, but I am gradually writing off this season as one where too much is happening behind the scenes for my peace of mind.
Every day seems to bring something else that is newsworthy, but sadly not cricket-related, whether it is queues for beers, Twitter spats or an employee being paid less than minimum wage. That's without mentioning the departure of the Head of Cricket. We don't have far to look for trouble right now and it keeps finding us.
It is worrying and needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
Worcestershire 136-4 (Guptill 65, Rampaul 2-24, Ferguson 2-25)
Worcestershire won by six wickets
I thought Derbyshire did much better today, against the side that top the division, than they did against Lancashire the other night.
We still lost, but to take the game to the penultimate over when we only managed a paltry 135-9 was a pretty good effort.
I thought Ravi Rampaul bowled splendidly and Lockie Ferguson was not far behind him, putting in a few balls of searing pace. Each was rewarded with two wickets and although Wahab Riaz was wicketless, he bowled with fine control. The attack looked a handful, and mention should be made of a good spell by Alex Hughes too. Make no mistake, Worcestershire's top three is as strong as any in the country and you could even extend that to the top six. Good batsmen keep coming.
Matt Critchley and Wayne Madsen were expensive and the former doesn't look himself at present, either with bat or ball. Yet for all the good efforts of those named, Worcestershire never got out of second gear and really didn't need to.
For the second game running our innings was a dysfunctional mess. Critchley holed out after finding the field several times, MacLeod played a shot that would have been deemed genius had it worked but just looked sloppy, while Madsen top edged and was out third ball. So heavily reliant are we on Wayne that the game looked lost at that point.
Ben Slater batted well until he walked past one from D'Oliveira, while Gary Wilson made 28 at a run a ball but never hinted at playing an innings that might give us a chance, nor of scoring quickly enough to do so.
The one bright spot was the debutant, Anuj Dal, who confirmed the good impression he had made on me in the second team with strokes of wristy improvisation that pleased the aesthetes and lovers of improvisation alike. He must have cemented a place in the side with this display and, on his 22nd birthday. looked a player with a decent future.
Most telling today was the omission of Hardus Viljoen, a big call by John Wright, but one against which it is impossible to raise an argument. He was warming up, so was presumably not injured, but I said the other night that I failed to see a role for him in this team and stick by it.
Omitting the highest paid player in the club seemed to bring others together and the one gratifying aspect of the defeat was the team spirit shown, that made a very good opposition work hard for a modest target.
Played two, both at home, lost two. Not the form of a side that is going far in this competition, to be honest, but I am gradually writing off this season as one where too much is happening behind the scenes for my peace of mind.
Every day seems to bring something else that is newsworthy, but sadly not cricket-related, whether it is queues for beers, Twitter spats or an employee being paid less than minimum wage. That's without mentioning the departure of the Head of Cricket. We don't have far to look for trouble right now and it keeps finding us.
It is worrying and needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
Saturday, 7 July 2018
Derbyshire v Worcestershire preview
T20 matches come thick and fast at this early stage and we have an early chance to make amends for last night's defeat against Lancashire when we play Worcestershire at the 3aaa County Ground tomorrow afternoon.
There are things we can do to make a better fist of tomorrow's game, aside from hoping that we don't run into a batsman in prime form, as was the case with Liam Livingstone last night. As I wrote then, sometimes you have to credit the opposition for playing well and he played an innings of astonishing talent and power.
Yet the target was never sufficiently challenging to put pressure on Lancashire. Full credit to Wayne Madsen, who is a fine player in this format and produced a full range of shots in batting almost through the innings. Someone has to do that and it is an established way to success in T20, but we reverted to the bad old days by allowing far too many dot balls.
There were twenty-nine in the Derbyshire innings, twenty of them coming in the Powerplay, which is pretty poor. So over half of the balls when the field was in and aggressive shots can clear them brought nothing. Successful sides will generally look to make ten an over from the first six - we took ten overs to reach 60. From there it was always a case of playing catch up.
I was impressed by Calum MacLeod, who worked it around well and lent good support to Wayne Madsen and I wondered how much more effective we would be had we had Luis Reece in there too. Part of last year's success was in having alternate left/right batsmen in down the order, but the early departure of Slater and the absence of Reece and Godleman meant that the visiting attack could get their lines right from the start.
So two things there but the bowling is another area for tweaking.
I hope that all three convince me otherwise, but there was no suggestion of anything special from three senior members of the team - Gary Wilson, Ravi Rampaul and Hardus Viljoen. I don't get the 'wow' factor from Wilson's captaincy and the failure to give Alex Hughes, a proven bowler in the format, an over until the tenth of the innings suggested a degree of inflexibility. It was highlighted last year, when Wayne Madsen opened the bowling against Hampshire, as he had with success all season, rather than give the ball to someone to bowl short against the Pakistan veteran.
Wilson is not especially mobile in the field and has struggled with a knee injury for a while, while his batting was not explosive enough for the situation when he came in to bat. Maybe Hughes or Viljoen should have come ahead of him, but I hope we are not going to have to hide the skipper in the field for whatever reason. He took a very good catch, but needs to play a big role from here.
I thought Lockie Ferguson and Wahab Riaz did OK, considering that the former hasn't played a match for two months and the latter for four. The overs will have done them good and getting that rustiness away will be useful. Rampaul bowled a few decent balls but some that were very poor, while Viljoen doesn't give me the vibe of a man who will take a lot of wickets anytime soon.
I don't think we can play all four in the same side, so the choice may come down to one of the latter two. Viljoen may get the nod for his greater batting ability at the end of an innings, though Rampaul has the far greater record of T20 success.
Whether John Wright decides on changes for tomorrow is a moot point, but he will at least consider bringing in Safyaan Sharif for one of those bowlers and both Anuj Dal and Matt McKiernan would give us different bowling options, while lengthening the batting.
Things to consider, decisions to make. One defeat doesn't make qualification unlikely, but the damage to our net run rate sees us bottom of the group after one match.
It is down to professionalism to get us back to parity tomorrow, against a Worcestershire side that tops the group after two games and has a powerful batting line up.
I'm not being negative, but I am being realistic in saying that we start the game as distant second favourites.
I hope they prove me wrong.
There are things we can do to make a better fist of tomorrow's game, aside from hoping that we don't run into a batsman in prime form, as was the case with Liam Livingstone last night. As I wrote then, sometimes you have to credit the opposition for playing well and he played an innings of astonishing talent and power.
Yet the target was never sufficiently challenging to put pressure on Lancashire. Full credit to Wayne Madsen, who is a fine player in this format and produced a full range of shots in batting almost through the innings. Someone has to do that and it is an established way to success in T20, but we reverted to the bad old days by allowing far too many dot balls.
There were twenty-nine in the Derbyshire innings, twenty of them coming in the Powerplay, which is pretty poor. So over half of the balls when the field was in and aggressive shots can clear them brought nothing. Successful sides will generally look to make ten an over from the first six - we took ten overs to reach 60. From there it was always a case of playing catch up.
I was impressed by Calum MacLeod, who worked it around well and lent good support to Wayne Madsen and I wondered how much more effective we would be had we had Luis Reece in there too. Part of last year's success was in having alternate left/right batsmen in down the order, but the early departure of Slater and the absence of Reece and Godleman meant that the visiting attack could get their lines right from the start.
So two things there but the bowling is another area for tweaking.
I hope that all three convince me otherwise, but there was no suggestion of anything special from three senior members of the team - Gary Wilson, Ravi Rampaul and Hardus Viljoen. I don't get the 'wow' factor from Wilson's captaincy and the failure to give Alex Hughes, a proven bowler in the format, an over until the tenth of the innings suggested a degree of inflexibility. It was highlighted last year, when Wayne Madsen opened the bowling against Hampshire, as he had with success all season, rather than give the ball to someone to bowl short against the Pakistan veteran.
Wilson is not especially mobile in the field and has struggled with a knee injury for a while, while his batting was not explosive enough for the situation when he came in to bat. Maybe Hughes or Viljoen should have come ahead of him, but I hope we are not going to have to hide the skipper in the field for whatever reason. He took a very good catch, but needs to play a big role from here.
I thought Lockie Ferguson and Wahab Riaz did OK, considering that the former hasn't played a match for two months and the latter for four. The overs will have done them good and getting that rustiness away will be useful. Rampaul bowled a few decent balls but some that were very poor, while Viljoen doesn't give me the vibe of a man who will take a lot of wickets anytime soon.
I don't think we can play all four in the same side, so the choice may come down to one of the latter two. Viljoen may get the nod for his greater batting ability at the end of an innings, though Rampaul has the far greater record of T20 success.
Whether John Wright decides on changes for tomorrow is a moot point, but he will at least consider bringing in Safyaan Sharif for one of those bowlers and both Anuj Dal and Matt McKiernan would give us different bowling options, while lengthening the batting.
Things to consider, decisions to make. One defeat doesn't make qualification unlikely, but the damage to our net run rate sees us bottom of the group after one match.
It is down to professionalism to get us back to parity tomorrow, against a Worcestershire side that tops the group after two games and has a powerful batting line up.
I'm not being negative, but I am being realistic in saying that we start the game as distant second favourites.
I hope they prove me wrong.
Friday, 6 July 2018
Derbyshire v Lancashire Vitality Blast
I think it safe to say that if Derbyshire are to get anywhere close to the knockout stages of this competition this year we need to raise our game by about a hundred per cent.
With the honourable exceptions of Wayne Madsen and Calum MacLeod the batting was very average tonight. Slater's wicket was a poor run out, though good fielding, while Critchley played too many air shots for common sense. His early departure was only a matter of time and while MacLeod and Madsen batted well, they were never able to free the shackles of good, sensible, accurate bowling.
Madsen played as he did last year and towards the end unfurled some glorious shots. I felt that with a good start with the ball, we could have made a game of it with his late burst. MacLeod meanwhile played an innings of promise and will prove an asset in this competition.
Yet in reply, Derbyshire's bowlers were very average. Liam Livingstone and Alex Davies treated the attack with near disdain, the former progressing to a century that seemed inevitable from the first ball that he faced. It was perhaps a case of facing a very good batsman on a good day, but the bowlers were poor tonight.
I thought Lockie Ferguson perhaps the best of them, but that's all relative on a night that Derbyshire will want to forget. We weren't beaten tonight, we were slaughtered.
Hardus Viljoen was pretty poor, once again and I am increasingly of the opinion that Derbyshire's high-earner is of little value in this competition. If he bowled straight it went a long way, if it wasn't it made Daryn Smit's life very awkward. Unless he can find a better control of line or length, we would be better going with Safyaan Sharif, though the tail would then be worryingly long.
I hope his professionalism sees him work hard to turn it around, because his recent form has been very poor. Two overs for 37 tells its own story.
So too does the opposition winning with 33 balls to spare.
There is so much work to do.
With the honourable exceptions of Wayne Madsen and Calum MacLeod the batting was very average tonight. Slater's wicket was a poor run out, though good fielding, while Critchley played too many air shots for common sense. His early departure was only a matter of time and while MacLeod and Madsen batted well, they were never able to free the shackles of good, sensible, accurate bowling.
Madsen played as he did last year and towards the end unfurled some glorious shots. I felt that with a good start with the ball, we could have made a game of it with his late burst. MacLeod meanwhile played an innings of promise and will prove an asset in this competition.
Yet in reply, Derbyshire's bowlers were very average. Liam Livingstone and Alex Davies treated the attack with near disdain, the former progressing to a century that seemed inevitable from the first ball that he faced. It was perhaps a case of facing a very good batsman on a good day, but the bowlers were poor tonight.
I thought Lockie Ferguson perhaps the best of them, but that's all relative on a night that Derbyshire will want to forget. We weren't beaten tonight, we were slaughtered.
Hardus Viljoen was pretty poor, once again and I am increasingly of the opinion that Derbyshire's high-earner is of little value in this competition. If he bowled straight it went a long way, if it wasn't it made Daryn Smit's life very awkward. Unless he can find a better control of line or length, we would be better going with Safyaan Sharif, though the tail would then be worryingly long.
I hope his professionalism sees him work hard to turn it around, because his recent form has been very poor. Two overs for 37 tells its own story.
So too does the opposition winning with 33 balls to spare.
There is so much work to do.
Recognition for Sam Conners
It is always nice to see one of your own gaining recognition at a higher level and I am thrilled to report on Derbyshire's Sam Conners being called up for England under-19s.
I had heard good things about the young seamer and was pleased to see that they were all true, when I saw him for myself at Belper last month.
He isn't especially quick, but he has a quicker ball and is capable of hurrying batsmen with it. He nips it around though and will doubtless increase in speed still further as he fills out.
Good news for him and his family.
Well done, Sam - and good luck!
The return of cricket a welcome distraction
It has been a heck of a week and not one that proved the ideal build up for the Vitality Blast T20 competition, which began on Wednesday night at Trent Bridge.
The club chose the eve of its first game against Lancashire at the 3aaa County Ground tonight to unveil its plans for a new Head of Cricket role and the successful applicant will manage the cricket side of the club's operation. Quite rightly, as I wrote was required the other day, he will now have budgetary and contract control and will have the sports science side of the club under his 'umbrella', while still giving the captain a degree of autonomy, which is important. I like the model, while accepting that it needs a strong, experienced and confident captain at its head.
In other words, it is a structure that is largely that as defined by Kim Barnett, yet with a degree of irony that is not lost on many supporters, will not have the county legend in the role.
It is not one that will come without cost, of course. A new head of cricket with the requisite skills (one assumes a level three or four coaching badge would be essential) will not come cheap and the coaching costs beneath the role will not be inconsiderable. The club will need the promised £1.3 million a year from the ECB to make it work, as it would be impossible on current resources without losing a couple of the higher earning players. And let's face it, we're not carrying a large staff at the moment.
Again, though, and harking back to my earlier comments on greater transparency in communications, the press release did not tell the full picture. Call me a pedant, if you will, but in a career that has taken me through local government, civil service and retail press releases by the bucket load, I always strive for accuracy and a lack of ambiguity in the message.
Yesterday's press release quotes chairman Ian Morgan saying that the cricket budget has increased by 40% since 2012, which is true and, on the face of it laudable. Yet it is not quite what it seems.
Among my large collection of club cricket memorabilia and information, I hold a set of club annual reports over the past thirty years or so. They are not often dipped into, because the information therein is hardly of a 'blockbuster read' level.
Yet what they show is that in 2012 the club was spending 66.5% of its total income on the cricket side of the business, £1,521, 068 from a total of £2,287,798
By 2017 the spend had, as the club say, increased to £1,959, 97 but that was only 59.73% of the total spend of £3,280.979.
So in REAL terms we are spending less on the cricket side. Had that 2012 percentage spend been maintained, we would have had £2,181,851 spent on the cricket side, an extra £221,873.
That percentage spend on the cricket side increased to 67.91% and 68.16% in 2013 and 2014, since when it has dropped to 66%, 62.43% and 59.73% in the three years that followed.
Yes, I know the off field operation generates cash for the cricket side, but it has also, on that basis, taken a sizeable chunk from it in real terms. While the club has had some genuine successes, with the Elton John concert and the fireworks display among them, they have run other things less successfully, with the Boyzone concert as a prime example. That is aside from the 'egg in face' impact that losing the Kent game to weather at Chesterfield had as a consequence. We were very lucky to escape that one without sanction.
In my various roles over the years I have put on literally hundreds of events, including festivals, concerts, conferences and much more. I know that they can be a fragile beast, the late appearance of a major event on the same night significantly impacting on your audience and a break even, let alone a profit.Without researching counter attractions, you can be doomed to failure before you start. Look at the impact the England World Cup quarter-final has had on this weekend's cricket for a classic example. Imagine the bride whose big day will be impacted by those following the football...
But going back to my theme of transparency, all that was needed in that press release was the insertion of a sentence to the tune of 'we strive to get back to a point where 2/3 of all of our expenditure as a club is on the cricket side of the business'.
Without that, the transparency that I referred to isn't there. And let's face it, we are a cricket club, so shouldn't that be a realistic goal?
Needs more work, for me. I think that a cricket club SHOULD be spending two thirds of its money on cricket. By all means continue the excellent work that goes on, but carefully study what is losing money.
It may be laudable, but if it ain't lucrative, it should be surplus to requirements.
The club chose the eve of its first game against Lancashire at the 3aaa County Ground tonight to unveil its plans for a new Head of Cricket role and the successful applicant will manage the cricket side of the club's operation. Quite rightly, as I wrote was required the other day, he will now have budgetary and contract control and will have the sports science side of the club under his 'umbrella', while still giving the captain a degree of autonomy, which is important. I like the model, while accepting that it needs a strong, experienced and confident captain at its head.
In other words, it is a structure that is largely that as defined by Kim Barnett, yet with a degree of irony that is not lost on many supporters, will not have the county legend in the role.
It is not one that will come without cost, of course. A new head of cricket with the requisite skills (one assumes a level three or four coaching badge would be essential) will not come cheap and the coaching costs beneath the role will not be inconsiderable. The club will need the promised £1.3 million a year from the ECB to make it work, as it would be impossible on current resources without losing a couple of the higher earning players. And let's face it, we're not carrying a large staff at the moment.
Again, though, and harking back to my earlier comments on greater transparency in communications, the press release did not tell the full picture. Call me a pedant, if you will, but in a career that has taken me through local government, civil service and retail press releases by the bucket load, I always strive for accuracy and a lack of ambiguity in the message.
Yesterday's press release quotes chairman Ian Morgan saying that the cricket budget has increased by 40% since 2012, which is true and, on the face of it laudable. Yet it is not quite what it seems.
Among my large collection of club cricket memorabilia and information, I hold a set of club annual reports over the past thirty years or so. They are not often dipped into, because the information therein is hardly of a 'blockbuster read' level.
Yet what they show is that in 2012 the club was spending 66.5% of its total income on the cricket side of the business, £1,521, 068 from a total of £2,287,798
By 2017 the spend had, as the club say, increased to £1,959, 97 but that was only 59.73% of the total spend of £3,280.979.
So in REAL terms we are spending less on the cricket side. Had that 2012 percentage spend been maintained, we would have had £2,181,851 spent on the cricket side, an extra £221,873.
That percentage spend on the cricket side increased to 67.91% and 68.16% in 2013 and 2014, since when it has dropped to 66%, 62.43% and 59.73% in the three years that followed.
Yes, I know the off field operation generates cash for the cricket side, but it has also, on that basis, taken a sizeable chunk from it in real terms. While the club has had some genuine successes, with the Elton John concert and the fireworks display among them, they have run other things less successfully, with the Boyzone concert as a prime example. That is aside from the 'egg in face' impact that losing the Kent game to weather at Chesterfield had as a consequence. We were very lucky to escape that one without sanction.
In my various roles over the years I have put on literally hundreds of events, including festivals, concerts, conferences and much more. I know that they can be a fragile beast, the late appearance of a major event on the same night significantly impacting on your audience and a break even, let alone a profit.Without researching counter attractions, you can be doomed to failure before you start. Look at the impact the England World Cup quarter-final has had on this weekend's cricket for a classic example. Imagine the bride whose big day will be impacted by those following the football...
But going back to my theme of transparency, all that was needed in that press release was the insertion of a sentence to the tune of 'we strive to get back to a point where 2/3 of all of our expenditure as a club is on the cricket side of the business'.
Without that, the transparency that I referred to isn't there. And let's face it, we are a cricket club, so shouldn't that be a realistic goal?
Needs more work, for me. I think that a cricket club SHOULD be spending two thirds of its money on cricket. By all means continue the excellent work that goes on, but carefully study what is losing money.
It may be laudable, but if it ain't lucrative, it should be surplus to requirements.
Thursday, 5 July 2018
Derbyshire v Lancashire Vitality Blast preview
A few short weeks ago, a limp batting effort when the base had been built for a victory charge was squandered by Derbyshire against Lancashire, a result that set in motion a succession of disappointing results.
RLODC progression was there for the taking and ignored, so tomorrow offers an opportunity for things to be put right. The squads were announced this afternoon and there were several notable things within the Derbyshire ranks.
First up was the omission of Billy Godleman. He is one of the nicest guys you could wish to meet and a fine player, but I have said before that I have never been convinced of his suitability for this format and felt we needed something more at the top of the order.
Then there was the fact that no captain has been announced. Last year it was Gary Wilson who got the gig for the majority of the tournament, with Daryn Smit replacing him when he had Ireland duties. This year either of them could be in the frame, as could Alex Hughes, but I can only assume that the 'big reveal' will come tomorrow. Might even be something left field, with a new man taking the reins.
It all suggests that the squad has rightly been chosen by the coaches - John Wright, Dominic Cork and Grant Bradburn - rather than the senior group, so the extension of that is that they will have decided on the captain for the format, or at the very least for this game.
It is a squad that contains two new additions, announced today, in Anuj Dal and Matt McKiernan. Both have impressed me when I have seen them, Dal being a free-flowing, very wristy batsman who played quite delightfully at Belper recently, as well as registering a cavalier knock or two in T20 second team matches. He can bowl useful medium pace as well, so from a balance perspective has much to offer.
So too McKiernan, who looks a prospect with his leg spin, unfazed when the Glamorgan batsmen tried to get after him and with good turn. I didn't see him bat, but the club's Twitter feed reckoned him a hard-hitter, as they really have to be in this format. They are both mobile in the field, though their inclusion suggests that Brodrick, Davis and Gleadall are unfit, none having played in the recent second team game nor, to my knowledge, for their clubs this past weekend.
The squad in full:
Slater
Critchley
MacLeod
Hughes
Madsen
Wilson
Smit
Dal
McKiernan
Viljoen
Ferguson
Riaz
Sharif
Rampaul
I'd be surprised if the two new lads play here, but there is a decision to be made behind the stumps and if both Gary Wilson and Daryn Smit play then the assumption would be that Sharif also misses out here. Then again, his growing reputation as a death bowler could earn him the nod, especially with Bradburn in there to fight his corner.
Lancashire? Well they have Liam Livingstone back from Lions duty to skipper the side and welcome back Joe Mennie from injury, who is joined by fellow Aussie James Faulkner in the overseas roles. If they get a slow wicket to suit their spinners I will be astonished, especially after Lockie Ferguson seemed thrilled to see pace and bounce this week.
Their squad: Livingstone, Brown, Clark, Croft, Davies, Faulkner, Jennings, Lester, Lilley Mennie, Onions, Parkinson, Parry, Vilas.
So no Joss Buttler to contend with, at least, but a stern test for our boys. With so many new names, so many unknown entities in the squad, I find this a hard one to predict. Last night I watched Nottinghamshire, the reigning champions, get well and truly stuffed by a disciplined Birmingham Bears side, which served to illustrate the strength of this group.
You all know I am an optimist, so I am going for a fast and lively Derbyshire attack having enough in the locker, especially with the motivation of a new coaching team, to get us off to a flyer here.
What do you think?
RLODC progression was there for the taking and ignored, so tomorrow offers an opportunity for things to be put right. The squads were announced this afternoon and there were several notable things within the Derbyshire ranks.
First up was the omission of Billy Godleman. He is one of the nicest guys you could wish to meet and a fine player, but I have said before that I have never been convinced of his suitability for this format and felt we needed something more at the top of the order.
Then there was the fact that no captain has been announced. Last year it was Gary Wilson who got the gig for the majority of the tournament, with Daryn Smit replacing him when he had Ireland duties. This year either of them could be in the frame, as could Alex Hughes, but I can only assume that the 'big reveal' will come tomorrow. Might even be something left field, with a new man taking the reins.
It all suggests that the squad has rightly been chosen by the coaches - John Wright, Dominic Cork and Grant Bradburn - rather than the senior group, so the extension of that is that they will have decided on the captain for the format, or at the very least for this game.
It is a squad that contains two new additions, announced today, in Anuj Dal and Matt McKiernan. Both have impressed me when I have seen them, Dal being a free-flowing, very wristy batsman who played quite delightfully at Belper recently, as well as registering a cavalier knock or two in T20 second team matches. He can bowl useful medium pace as well, so from a balance perspective has much to offer.
So too McKiernan, who looks a prospect with his leg spin, unfazed when the Glamorgan batsmen tried to get after him and with good turn. I didn't see him bat, but the club's Twitter feed reckoned him a hard-hitter, as they really have to be in this format. They are both mobile in the field, though their inclusion suggests that Brodrick, Davis and Gleadall are unfit, none having played in the recent second team game nor, to my knowledge, for their clubs this past weekend.
The squad in full:
Slater
Critchley
MacLeod
Hughes
Madsen
Wilson
Smit
Dal
McKiernan
Viljoen
Ferguson
Riaz
Sharif
Rampaul
I'd be surprised if the two new lads play here, but there is a decision to be made behind the stumps and if both Gary Wilson and Daryn Smit play then the assumption would be that Sharif also misses out here. Then again, his growing reputation as a death bowler could earn him the nod, especially with Bradburn in there to fight his corner.
Lancashire? Well they have Liam Livingstone back from Lions duty to skipper the side and welcome back Joe Mennie from injury, who is joined by fellow Aussie James Faulkner in the overseas roles. If they get a slow wicket to suit their spinners I will be astonished, especially after Lockie Ferguson seemed thrilled to see pace and bounce this week.
Their squad: Livingstone, Brown, Clark, Croft, Davies, Faulkner, Jennings, Lester, Lilley Mennie, Onions, Parkinson, Parry, Vilas.
So no Joss Buttler to contend with, at least, but a stern test for our boys. With so many new names, so many unknown entities in the squad, I find this a hard one to predict. Last night I watched Nottinghamshire, the reigning champions, get well and truly stuffed by a disciplined Birmingham Bears side, which served to illustrate the strength of this group.
You all know I am an optimist, so I am going for a fast and lively Derbyshire attack having enough in the locker, especially with the motivation of a new coaching team, to get us off to a flyer here.
What do you think?
Tuesday, 3 July 2018
Contact note
For those who have my mobile number, I am currently between mobile phones and providers.
All should return to normal tomorrow, when my new provider confirms my old number, but until then I am out of phone contact.
Guess I'll not get that T20 call up this year.
I'll get my hand sorted and back into training over the winter and be there next year.
Scottish imports are all the rage, apparently...
All should return to normal tomorrow, when my new provider confirms my old number, but until then I am out of phone contact.
Guess I'll not get that T20 call up this year.
I'll get my hand sorted and back into training over the winter and be there next year.
Scottish imports are all the rage, apparently...
Opinion piece: marching to a beat only they can hear?
Years ago, in my callow youth, I went along to see my late sister in a musical revue at her school.
She had many virtues, bless her, but musicality and rhythm weren't among them and, when it came to a marching scene there was one of them, her, going quite differently to the rest. Though according to her, they were all wrong and she had it right.
Fast forward forty or so years and I am increasingly seeing the same thing happening at my - make that our - cricket club.
We are seeing way too much turmoil, and I am hearing way too many stories from a range of sources, around and outside the club, for me to believe that all is well. The departure of Kim Barnett, just before the Vitality Blast starts, suggests that this is far from a harmonious parting of a 'done all I can, thanks for your time' variety. Especially when John Wright and Dominic Cork, close friends of Kim’s for many years, are left to steer the good ship Derbyshire through seas that are becoming increasingly choppy.
Were that not enough, we hear that Ben Slater is heading down to Trent Bridge, where doubtless he will be paid more than we have offered him by a considerable distance. I don't blame Ben at all and wish him well, though I echo the sentiments of another contributor yesterday and struggle to see where obvious first team opportunity will come.
He is far from the finished product but he was the best batsman to emerge from our academy in a number of years and it will be galling to see him go to finishing school down the road. The question has to be asked - why was he not secured to a better deal, giving him greater security, before this stage?
Don't blame Kim Barnett for this, because increasingly it came to seem that (despite his best efforts) he was little more than a decorative fig leaf for the cricket side of the club. He was originally given the grand title of Director of Cricket, but with, to my understanding, no control over the budgetary side, and much less influence over it than, logically, such a post should entail. Kim recommended players to sign, as he has a pretty good eye for such things, and a lifetime’s experience in the game.
However, my understanding is that he has had no responsibility for the players’ contract terms. Of course, cricket experts are not necessarily business experts. But the cricket has to come first, and in any case, not everyone who is supposed to possess business expertise is always effective in the business world. If there is a significant disconnect between the cricket side of a club and the business side, then trouble is inevitable. And from what we can see as supporters, there does seem to be such a disconnect, perhaps verging on a breakdown.
Similarly, Barnett had an advisory role with Billy Godleman, but no real 'hands on' work with him or the squad. He was more of a mentor and yes, the idea for allowing the players greater responsibility was his. I have little doubt that he will acknowledge it hasn't worked as intended, but there are a number of factors involved in that, not all of them to be laid at his door. And when you have done and said all, we were in winning positions in matches we lost, which was progress, as well as winning some pretty good ones too.
I started this blog nearly eleven years ago, but never had the amount of mail and messages that I have had in recent weeks. I've even offered my wife a job as a PA, half-joking, whole earnest. Yesterday, when I logged on my phone after a 12-hour shift at work, I had FIFTY-SEVEN emails. The general tone was 'what the hell is going on at Derbyshire'? And it’s a very good question, which supporters need to have answered without delay or prevarication.
These messages were probably split fifty/fifty between Derbyshire fans and those for whom our affairs are of interest in a wider cricketing sense. A handful were from media, too, which is all the more concerning, because you know that all is not well in the kingdom of Denmark when enquiries are coming from a disparate range of sources. I will reply to you all, when time permits, but please bear with me on this. Unless anyone wishes to start a Just Giving account for me to turn professional...
I sense a general appreciation and understanding that something is seriously amiss. At this stage I am less bothered about what happens on the pitch, because off it we seem to be lurching from crisis to disaster and back, most of it self-inflicted, and all of it likely to damage our performance as a cricket club.
Karl Krikken, Graeme Welch, Kim Barnett. These have all been decent men, good coaches and with Derbyshire cricket coursing through their veins. We topped the division less than six years ago. Why have things gone so wrong since then? When I start hearing of another good man going, and stories of players unhappy, it only reinforces a growing feeling (already expressed in some of your comments on this blog) that we need to look at the club's governance structure very, very closely.
This is a CRICKET club. The people who are most important in any cricket club are the cricketers. That isn't overly hard to comprehend, but we seem to be losing sight of that. Perhaps we did so a while ago. My worry is that, if things don’t improve very fast, Ben Slater will not be the only player heading for the life boats.
It is desperately disappointing for all of this to be coming to a head now, when the club is about to embark on a T20 campaign in which they have genuine hopes of doing well. If they do, it can be regarded as a major triumph for them and the coaches.
I would like to see the club committing itself, with immediate effect, to consistent transparency in its communications with supporters. There has been too much going on behind the scenes in recent years and the swirling rumours and the unease of myself and other fans are consequences of this. The statement on Barnett's departure yesterday could not have been more vague. It’s alarming.
Supporters deserve better. As in any business, the Chief Executive, Simon Storey, and the club's Board are, of course, ultimately accountable for the performance of the organisation they lead. They either need to sort the issues, quickly and effectively, or accept they are not able to do so, and recognise the inevitable consequences.
Talk of who comes in after Kim Barnett will occupy many minds in the weeks ahead, but no one of any stature will come in unless allowed to RUN the cricket side. That includes the hiring and the firing, the general structure of the contractual arrangements, if not the detail, and (within agreed parameters, with proper checks and balances) the budget. There are people out there who can and will do that, with assistance if requested, but they have to be allowed to manage our cricketers without interference from anyone who is not steeped in professional cricket and lacks the relevant expertise.
I have always expressed my personal views on this blog in good faith, and always will. I care deeply about the club but have always maintained a total independence from it.
Right now I am feeling a deep and bitter disappointment at yesterday's events, coupled with genuine concern for what the future holds.
What happens over the coming days and weeks will be crucial to that future.
Monday, 2 July 2018
Saddening and disturbing news on Barnett and Slater
Been a long old day for me today and bed beckons in the next twenty minutes, so my detailed thoughts on today's double bombshell will need to wait for tomorrow.
For now, I will say this. Kim Barnett is a Derbyshire man and for him to have jumped ship on the eve of the T20 competition is very, very strange. I know the Derbyshire 'way' in recent years has been for somewhat classless departures mid-match or with not a word said, but this one surprises me. Especially when his good friends John Wright and Dominic Cork are left temporarily holding the fort.
I'll have more to say on that tomorrow night, as I will on the stories suggesting that Ben Slater is set for a move to Nottinghamshire.
Bad day all round.
Make it desperately disappointing.
For now, I will say this. Kim Barnett is a Derbyshire man and for him to have jumped ship on the eve of the T20 competition is very, very strange. I know the Derbyshire 'way' in recent years has been for somewhat classless departures mid-match or with not a word said, but this one surprises me. Especially when his good friends John Wright and Dominic Cork are left temporarily holding the fort.
I'll have more to say on that tomorrow night, as I will on the stories suggesting that Ben Slater is set for a move to Nottinghamshire.
Bad day all round.
Make it desperately disappointing.
Sunday, 1 July 2018
Good comments on T20 piece
There have been some good comments on my previous T20 post and some interesting questions raised, so I thought I would take a sun-kissed few minutes to reply to them.
I agree, based on form there are not many runs after six, but Daryn Smit has proven in last year's T20 and this year's RLODC that he can improvise and score crucial late innings runs. I would argue that if your top six don't get you runs, should there be an expectation of 7-9 doing so? At least, if we get to the late overs with wickets intact, in Viljoen and Riaz we have two big hitters. I wouldn't expect either to come off very often, but if they do they could post crucial late runs. If Smit doesn't play, then yes, Wilson has to keep wicket and it would allow Billy Godleman to play. If he does, it would have to be at the top, because I am not especially taken with his batting against spin.
Are we not short of top-class spin ourselves? Yes, for sure, but then we were once we lost Mitchell Santner and I have never been convinced that there was another quality spinner out there. You can bet your bottom dollar that teams won't prepare fast tracks when we travel, so our own wickets have got to be right for them. I would sooner have a top-class fast bowler than nothing and if anyone can name a top-class spinner we overlooked who would likely have been available, you're a better man than I.
Same goes for top order batsmen. Could we have used one who could bowl? For sure, but who was available, around IPL, CPL and current tours - and who could we afford? Not many and we must all defer to John Wright's knowledge, which is greater than any of us.
I agree with Paul that Madsen, Critchley and Hughes will have a big role to play away from home, but one would expect home pitches would need them less. Never discount the fact that John Wright and Kim Barnett may have a plan for additional spin options, because that is what warm up games are for.
I think Safyaan Sharif will get matches and will do a good job. I would be very concerned if Hardus Viljoen didn't play for reasons other than injury, because a player on top money should be prepared for doing so all the time and quite possibly making sandwiches too. We can never discount injuries and the impact on the squad, the likelihood of all the seamers getting through the tournament unscathed being quite low, I would reckon.
But we will see soon enough.
In closing, thank you for your continued support, which is seeing in excess of fifty thousand monthly views of the blog. Usage continues to grow, which clearly illustrates that irrespective of results, interest in Derbyshire cricket is higher than ever.
I agree, based on form there are not many runs after six, but Daryn Smit has proven in last year's T20 and this year's RLODC that he can improvise and score crucial late innings runs. I would argue that if your top six don't get you runs, should there be an expectation of 7-9 doing so? At least, if we get to the late overs with wickets intact, in Viljoen and Riaz we have two big hitters. I wouldn't expect either to come off very often, but if they do they could post crucial late runs. If Smit doesn't play, then yes, Wilson has to keep wicket and it would allow Billy Godleman to play. If he does, it would have to be at the top, because I am not especially taken with his batting against spin.
Are we not short of top-class spin ourselves? Yes, for sure, but then we were once we lost Mitchell Santner and I have never been convinced that there was another quality spinner out there. You can bet your bottom dollar that teams won't prepare fast tracks when we travel, so our own wickets have got to be right for them. I would sooner have a top-class fast bowler than nothing and if anyone can name a top-class spinner we overlooked who would likely have been available, you're a better man than I.
Same goes for top order batsmen. Could we have used one who could bowl? For sure, but who was available, around IPL, CPL and current tours - and who could we afford? Not many and we must all defer to John Wright's knowledge, which is greater than any of us.
I agree with Paul that Madsen, Critchley and Hughes will have a big role to play away from home, but one would expect home pitches would need them less. Never discount the fact that John Wright and Kim Barnett may have a plan for additional spin options, because that is what warm up games are for.
I think Safyaan Sharif will get matches and will do a good job. I would be very concerned if Hardus Viljoen didn't play for reasons other than injury, because a player on top money should be prepared for doing so all the time and quite possibly making sandwiches too. We can never discount injuries and the impact on the squad, the likelihood of all the seamers getting through the tournament unscathed being quite low, I would reckon.
But we will see soon enough.
In closing, thank you for your continued support, which is seeing in excess of fifty thousand monthly views of the blog. Usage continues to grow, which clearly illustrates that irrespective of results, interest in Derbyshire cricket is higher than ever.
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