Changes..

Most of you will have noticed that the blog has a new look today.

Sadly, the current conditions have meant that erstwhile blog sponsorship has terminated and I would like to say a huge thank you to Office Care for their support over a number of years. That support enabled the blog to flourish and ensured that I was getting something for the time put into writing it.

I have also lost a couple of linked advertisers and thanks go to them, especially to former Derbyshire cricketer Chris Taylor, whose sports business has been a great supporter in recent seasons.

Which all means that I am looking for a new sponsor or sponsors, either for the blog overall, or to be linked from it to a site of your choice. Please message me if you would like to discuss - I fully understand that these are difficult times, but I am more than happy to discuss options.

The alternative, which I will hold off from for a few weeks, is to reintroduce Google ads - being selective over content but bringing in a few pennies (literally) when the blog is read. It is far from a preferred option, as I feel it is a little intrusive, but I will see how things go.

I still don't see myself covering much current Derbyshire cricket over the course of the current summer, but will be keeping the content going, starting with the next in the series on Derbyshire legends - In My Mind's Eye.

Any ideas for articles or talking points, please drop me a message through the blog, or email me at peakfan36@yahoo.co.uk

In My Mind's Eye Number 2: William Mycroft 1841-1894

Despite not making his first-class debut until the age of 32, William Mycroft was the first of the outstanding line of Derbyshire seam bowlers. Indeed, he was probably, according to contemporary accounts, one of the fastest, as many a batsman was defeated in the defensive stroke by his fast left-arm deliveries.

Perhaps he was a nineteenth century Mark Footitt, and the extraordinary thing is how many wickets he took when perhaps the years of his real pace were behind him. He was a classic late developer, however and reports suggest that he 'didn't really amount to much' until his late-20s. The great Kumar Shri Ranjitsinjhi described him as having 'a high action and getting a lot of spin on the ball, as well as swerve, all at pace'. All this, while looking like an earlier incarnation of Australian fast bowler, Merv Hughes.

He was born at Brimington, near Chesterfield, the son of a miner who became a publican, jobs which William did in turn himself. His county debut came in 1873, when he took six wickets in his first match that summer, then took twenty in the only four matches of 1874. His ability was noted and his reputation quickly grew, so much so that in 1875 he topped the national bowling averages with 75 wickets at just over seven runs each. With eleven five-wicket hauls he became a feared bowler, enhanced by the remarkable match figures of 14-38 for the North against the South.

He wasn't a big man, standing only 5'9'' but he was sturdily built and strong. There was a suggestion that his yorker was thrown, but he was never called and it continued to be a potent weapon in his armoury. He was as dangerous a bowler as any in England in the 1870s, when he took a hundred wickets in a season twice. In 1877 he took 157 wickets in just 22 matches for Derbyshire and the MCC, while the following year he became the first man to take a hundred wickets in a season for Derbyshire alone.

A measure of his importance to the side, which was far from a strong one, came at Southampton in 1876, when he took seventeen wickets in the match for 103 runs, also holding a catch, of the nineteen wickets that fell - yet his side still lost by one wicket. He took 9-25 in the first innings, seven of them bowled, then 8-78 in the second, leaking runs as he tired but almost winning the game single-handedly, after his side had been bowled out by a lob bowler. He even held the catch at slip that deprived him of all ten, confirming him as a team player, regardless of his individual talent.

Injuries started to affect him in the 1880s, and he played his last game for the club in 1885, at the age of 44. He later became an umpire for a short time.

It was a relatively short but meteoric career, in the course of which he took 534 wickets for Derbyshire at less than twelve runs each, with 863 in all matches, for a similar average. Notwithstanding the variable pitches of the day, he must have been a remarkable bowler. If one considers WG Grace as the star batsman of the generation, their battles ended with honours even, indicative of his ability.

That talent was diametrically opposed to his limitations as a right-handed batsman. He was one of a select band of players to end a lengthy career with more wickets than runs, just 791 runs at an average of five in 138 matches - a reputation as an 'erratic' runner between the wickets, didn't help. Yet consider this - 87 five-wicket hauls in those 138 matches, 28 times taking ten or more. They are figures that compare favourably with any in the game's long history.

William Mycroft died of influenza at his home in Freehold Street, Derby, on 19 June, 1894. Rheumatic illnesses had plagued his final years and money was in short supply, though a Derbyshire supporter named John Cartwright, who scored for the county when he was able, organised a subscription which saw one hundred pounds handed over to the old hero. His obituary notice, in the Nottingham Evening Post of all places, made it quite clear - 'if he was not the best fast bowler in England, he could certainly lay claim to no superior'.

Two curiosities about him to finish. The writer, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, himself a decent cricketer who played at first-class level, was rumoured to have chosen the name of Sherlock Holmes' brother, Mycroft, after watching the Derbyshire bowler  against the MCC in 1885. The story gains some credence with the first Sherlock Holmes story being published two years later, especially when the opposition that day included the Nottinghamshire players, Mordecai Sherwin and Frank Shacklock.

Finally, William's son, Thomas was later the father-in-law of the Derbyshire opening batsman and subsequent coach, Denis Smith. The great bowler was long gone by that time, but I think he would have approved.

Not a bad family lineage, is it?

(Image sourced by David Griffin from the Derbyshire CCC Archive)

Pining...

It was watching our dog, Wallace, yesterday that I realised how I must be for the cricket season.

He was lying by the door, every noise he heard worthy of investigation, each one perhaps heralding the return of his 'Mum' from the supermarket.

I am missing the cricket badly. It is something I haven't experienced before and although I try to stay optimistic, I am resigned to there being no county cricket this summer. If they pull it off, well done, but I can't see it.

The press piece released by the club this week on Michael Cohen, and how he has been living with bowling coach Steve Kirby since getting here brought it home to me. There was much to like in the prospect of Sean Abbott joining Ravi Rampaul et al but the prospect of Michael Cohen, a left-arm quick bowling 90mph held considerable interest. So too did seeing how Sam Conners had kicked on over the winter, with the attack, even before considering our raft of talented all-rounders, looking so much more incisive than the previous year.

Alas, we may have to wait another 11 or 12 months to find out and there is nothing we can do about it.

To fill in the time I have been writing my 'In My Mind's Eye' series, enjoying a week off work and getting my garden pristine.

The new series starts today and I acknowledge the help of David Griffin and the DCCC Cricket Archive in sourcing quality photographs.

I decided on ten players whose lives were worth the telling, focusing particularly on those who were less well known despite their major contribution. All are pre-Second World War and I discovered material about each that I haven't seen before. It was my reason for writing, perhaps leaving something for posterity, but keen to recognise that the only important players in the club's past are not just those who played in the past thirty years.

Polls and modern discussions naturally focus on what we know best. If, at the end of the series, you know a little bit more about some of our bygone legends and appreciate what they did for the club, then the writing will have been worthwhile.

Some of what I have discovered really blew me away.

Stay fit, stay well, stay interested! And please do comment, because I genuinely love hearing from you.

In My Mind's Eye - a new series

These are challenging times for a blogger, especially one whose interest lies specifically in the cricket history of the county of his birth. With no cricket to write of, and having covered post-war Derbyshire cricket with my second book (and ten years of blogging) I have given due consideration to something to keep the momentum going.

That will finally see the light in this new series, that I have called In My Mind's Eye.

In it, I will be looking at cricketers who played before the last war - quite apposite, on VE Day - and in some cases before the Great War. It will feature players that I have read about in contemporary accounts, and will utilise the notes that I have taken over a half century of years, painstakingly produced like some of my half centuries were in weekend cricket.

Part of it comes from my frustration that these players are, to my mind, criminally overlooked when it comes to modern polls. Of course, there is no one around to state their case and cynics will say that they couldn't have been in the same league as modern players. You see that whenever a piece of archive film is shown on social media. Only a fortnight ago, the great Ranjitsinjhi was belittled for his 'lack of technique' in a video that showed him in the nets. It rather missed the point that he was wearing no pads, was clearly hamming it up for the cameras and was the biggest single influence on the game's growing popularity before the first war, alongside WG Grace. 25,000 runs at over 50 an innings suggests he could play, these often made on wickets that could often be deemed 'sporting', especially when the rain fell and rendered them 'sticky'. 

There are no players of that calibre in Derbyshire's early history, but the list of players that I will be featuring were standouts on a local scale. In some cases this was for their talent alone, in others it was for their personality and contribution to the development of the county side.

It is appropriate to do it this year, marking the 150th anniversary of the club. It is also important to recognise that in any sport you can only be the best of your era. Jesse Owens won four gold medals in the Berlin Olympics of 1936, but would struggle to escape the heats with the times he set today. Does it diminish his importance as an athlete, or his greatness? No, not at all, at least for me.

The players of the early period may have looked rag, tag and bobtail outfits, with sashes, cummerbunds, braces, cravats and flat caps in team photographs. Their apparel may have been off-white, but then cleaning them will have been a challenge, in an era way before washing machines.

They played on grounds where facilities were basic, or non-existent. Sometimes there were only a couple of toilets for players and supporters alike, while there were at times no washing facilities and everyday clothes were hung from a nail, hammered into the wall. A sink, with cold water, was on occasion a luxury, enabling a quick freshen up at the end of the day.

It was still eleven against eleven and the cream still rose to the top. There was a lot of excellent cricket played by some tremendous players, some of them wearing Derbyshire colours.

They are players I would have loved to see, have tried to picture over the years and would like to see recognised for posterity.

I hope that you enjoy it.

Brian Bolus: an obituary

Those who saw Brian Bolus speak at cricket dinners and societies normally heard a man of dry, self-deprecating humour. 

'For those who saw me bat, let me apologise' he would say, before delivering a talk that displayed a sense of humour as expansive as his batting frequently wasn't. A man of contrasts then, engaging company off the pitch, a gritty, stereotypically northern batsman on it. Brian was like the northern batsmen recounted by Neville Cardus, with 'no fowers before lunch and precious few afterwards'.

His death was announced today and it was rather like the man himself, quiet and undemonstrative. Growing up in Yorkshire, he graduated to the fine side of the late 1950s and early 1960s and was a solid, dependable member of it, before being replaced by a younger model, the man who defined that moniker, Geoffrey Boycott. He made the England side and played for it seven times, averaging 41 and never being dismissed in single figures in his twelve innings-career, a record that still stands. His highest score was 88 and in hitting his first ball in Test cricket back over the head of the bowler, Wes Hall, he made perhaps one of the most uncharacteristic of introductions to the international game.

He moved south and became a fixture in the Nottinghamshire side in 1963, where he remained for a decade. He racked up his thousand runs for the season in ten summers, the benchmark by which the county stalwart was judged and provided the reliable grit in that period, the side's batting and cricket latterly dominated by Garfield Sobers. In much the same way that I hoped for Chris Wilkins to get in early at Derbyshire, supporters in Nottingham saw those who came before Sobers as merely a warm up act, but the runs he scored, more than the way that he made them, ensured he was a respected and valuable part of the team.

In 1973 he moved to Derbyshire as captain, in a period when our recruitment was generally of ageing players from elsewhere. It was an onerous task, as it was one of the weaker sides I have seen in county colours and at 39 Brian was understandably past his best. Too many good senior players had left at the same time and the batting was flimsy, at best, the bowling perhaps even weaker. It accounted for him being unwilling or unable to take a risk, as batsman or captain, knowing full well that two quick wickets often heralded an unseemly and hasty demise for the innings. The result was runs made less against the clock than the calendar.

Again though, he registered a thousand first-class runs in two seasons, even if one-day cricket wasn't really his game. With the resources at his command, his approach was often to try and avoid defeat, something that couldn't work in a limited over match, of course. It made for grim watching in that period, but it took someone special, with the ability, charisma and sheer personality of Eddie Barlow, to rescue the county from the doldrums in 1976.

I will remember him as a batsman strong off his pads and not without strokes, but his unwillingness to use them or take a risk, while understandable, made for Derbyshire watching that was only for the diehard and purist. He will best be remembered, perhaps, as the man who sent Alan Ward off the field for refusing to bowl, against Yorkshire at Chesterfield in 1973.It wasn't the best day for either man, but we all make mistakes.

He later served as an England selector and chair of the management advisory committee, before becoming Nottinghamshire president for two years.

His death, at the age of 86, will be mourned by cricket supporters of a certain vintage in three counties. Few will remember him for his effusive stroke play, or for inspirational captaincy.

But he was a man who always gave one hundred percent and over 25,000 runs in the first-class game confirms that he could play. Besides anything else he was a lovely bloke and few had a bad word to say about him.

Most of us would take that as an epitaph.

Rest in peace, Brian.

The goal posts move again

So, no cricket until the start of July now, according to the ECB press release this morning, closely followed by one from the counties themselves.

Nine rounds of County Championship cricket will have been lost, but there is still a commitment to get both red and white ball matches in, if at all possible. The Vitality Blast will be pushed as late as they can, to allow the best chance of the biggest county earner taking place, while a further discussion will take place next Wednesday on the new competition.

On the one hand there are grounds for optimism, perhaps some cricket to enjoy in two months, but the reality is that it will be unlike anything we have enjoyed before. I suspect that even the level of attendance we see at the average four-day game may be too great for safety, while the packed crowd of a T20 night is likely to have zero chance of taking place.

Streaming will be the way to go, but will commentaries and press boxes be possible? The games are likely to have less atmosphere than the quarter-final last year played at The Riverside, when Old Trafford was needed by England and Lancashire played Durham in a cavernous, empty stadium.

It will be not as we know it, but will be cricket all the same. Assuming it happens.

My own gut feeling, and it can only be that, as I am not trained in medical matters, is that July will in turn become September and we MAY see some sporting participation return at that point. I just have concerns that already some are struggling to observe the requisites of social distancing and if that continues, the curve that we all need to see flattened will take longer.

All rather ironic in relation to the weather, which is remarkable for the time of year. I sat in our garden yesterday and watched an array of birds swoop in and out of baths, a cold drink at my side and craved sitting in the stand at Derby, watching the action unfold. Or wandering around the boundary, chatting to friends old and new, joining in the applause for another boundary, another wicket. Better still sitting in a comfortable chair at Chesterfield, enjoying a cooling breeze on a hot day, remembering days and deeds over fifty years, as our heroes glide across the grass.

Oh, my Godleman and my Madsen, long ago...

A strange summer

Normally at this time of the Spring, the blog is cranking into gear and I am writing and publishing posts on a daily basis.

This year, sad to relate, it would appear we are still several months away from county cricket and it is all so sad. Of course, there are bigger things going on in the world, but when my nightly chats with Dad always switch to the greatest of games and he, at 92, pines for news on the club it is hard for him, for me, for all of us.

Yesterday's news was the cancellation of the contracts for this summer of Sean Abbott and Ben McDermott. It was always a matter of time, when other counties were starting to do the same and indicative of  a growing feeling that there will be little if any cricket this summer.

It is tough, losing the best part of a summer in a career that is already finite and relatively short. Especially so if you have more years behind you than ahead, perhaps even more if you have earned a summer contract to show what you can do. Toughest of all, perhaps, for those in the final year of deals and hoping to show that they are worthy of a contract extension.

Counties will face a dilemma on this, of course. Will a player who was good in 2019 still have it in 2021, or will the eye have gone for batsmen, the nip for bowlers? There will be several around the circuit who will have been robbed of one last hurrah before slipping into retirement and a new career.

For club cricket it will be challenging too. Some players will get used to doing other things at the weekend, even if it is cosy domesticity and sprucing up their garden. Yet plenty of others will be chafing at the bit to get the whites washed and ironed, the new bat knocked in, the new thigh pad tried out, the new gloves given an airing.

At least Derbyshire have done the right thing in deferring the deal for their Aussies to next year, subject to agreement from their Cricket Board. It may not work out quite so well as it would have this summer, when numerous Australians were planned to be over here with a summer free of international cricket. Next year may see tours eat in to availability.

Always assuming, of course, we are able to return to normality by then. When one reads experts suggesting that a return to packed grounds and stadiums would be 'impossible and dangerous' before a vaccine has been found and made widely available, normality seems some distance away.

It is good to see counties and players trying to maintain engagement on social media though. Between players answering supporter questions, offering tips from their gardens and playing each other at a cricket video game, there is plenty to enjoy, even if it really isn't the same.

I'm not really a gamer, but am finding Stick Cricket Live a lot of fun, after the suggestion of a work colleague.

I'm just pining, like the rest of you, for the return of the real thing.

John Wright is new club president

The news that John Wright is the new club president is welcome, a ray of light in what threatens to be a summer of largely cricketing darkness.

If one were to sit down and come up with the names of the truly great batsmen that have played for Derbyshire, the chances are that John would make the top four, alongside Dean Jones, Peter Kirsten and Mohammad Azharuddin.

Even in such company, were you were to choose one player who, irrespective of the state of the wicket and who was bowling would get his head down and graft, he might well be my first pick.

For all that he had a fine array of shots and, like all good left-handers, was immensely strong off his legs and especially through mid-on, the thing that I most remember John Wright for was his 'leave'. He was the best judge of the ball to let go I have seen in county colours and an unerring ability on a humid morning, when the ball was swinging around, to play only what he had to. The 'oohs' and 'aahs' of a myriad county seamers must have been music to his ears and if it bothered him at all he never showed it. Instead, he just leaned on his bat, chewed his gum and smiled.

That was another thing about John Wright. He smiled a lot and seemed to appreciate that being paid for playing cricket, while undoubtedly not easy, was something that a lot of us cherished. He was one of the more genial players on the circuit and was well-liked by cricket fans around the country. Certainly in Derbyshire, where the support for him never wavered, long after he finished playing and even before his return as T20 coach.

He might have ended up at Kent, where he turned up for trials, but their surfeit of overseas stars saw him try his chances at Derbyshire, where 150 in a second team game convinced the county that they had found a good 'un.

He was that all right. From 1977 to 1988, Wright was a model of consistency, his second-wicket partnership in some of that time with Peter Kirsten giving the county the greatest solidity they have ever had in batting. To a Derbyshire fan of my vintage, thinking back to the two of them batting at Lords in 1981 will bring a wistful smile to the face. When they were in full flow, which was often, there appeared little that the opposition could do to stop them. Indeed, a sign of their ability was how the opposition last-day targets got higher and higher. For supporters who recalled all to easily our inability to score 200 in the last innings, seeing us chase down 250, 300, even 350 was a joy.

1982 was the peak. In that golden summer, Wright scored 1830 championship runs at 56, with seven centuries and five fifties. Kirsten scored 1941 runs at just under 65, eight centuries and six fifties. I would listen for the cricket scores on the radio and in my mind's eye we always seemed to be a hundred and plenty for one, with both going like trains. I saw them score plenty in person too and for two Derbyshire players to be within touching distance of 4,000 runs between them, even now, seems extraordinary.

They were good friends and shared a flat together for some time. I remember a former girlfriend of mine telling me around that time that she'd been out for a drink with some friends in Chesterfield and chatted up by a 'New Zealander who played cricket for Derbyshire'. I was jealous, but more that I hadn't had the chance to chat to him myself, which probably shows I wasn't all that serious about her...

In 1984 Wright averaged over 60 and scored 1200 runs in just 21 innings, but by that stage he was job-sharing the overseas role with Michael Holding. In a delightfully self-deprecating way, he told of how the opposition were always pleased to see his name on the team sheet in that period, as it meant that they wouldn't face trial by Holding. One got the impression that a lot of the enjoyment had gone by this time, something confirmed in his excellent autobiography, but he continued to give value for money and bad trots were few and far between.

He was a thinker about his game and team mates recall his gluing his top batting glove to the bat handle so it was in the right position all the time. They also attest to the origin of his nickname 'Shake', due to his messy kit bag, which he used to shake onto the dressing room floor in an attempt to find the cleanest gear. He was immensely popular in the dressing room and in 1976, when Eddie Barlow arranged a team bus for away games, Wright kept the players entertained with his singing and guitar skills. He was also willing to help with advice for younger players and few were surprised when he became a respected coach.

His dry wit continued in his successful tenure as coach of the Indian national team in the era of Dravid, Ganguly, Sehwag and Tendulkar. 'The most important job is to make sure you get all the practice balls back'  he said, accepting that players of such talent needed little coaching.

I will always remember his innings against the West Indies at Chesterfield in 1980 as perhaps the bravest I have seen by a Derbyshire player. It was a typical green-top and Roberts, Garner and Marshall were fast and nasty, most of the batsmen taking blows to the hands and body.

Wright took more than most, but made an extraordinary 96 from a total of 229. I am sure that the visitors wouldn't have grudged him that extra four runs in an innings of remarkable skill and courage. He went on to become the first New Zealander to pass 4,000 Test runs and remained a player that the opposition knew that they would need to dig out.

His return to the club as T20 coach brought a change in our approach to the format, one that has been developed since. It came after a memorable Skype interview I had with him for my second book, which took some time to find an appropriate hour between here and New Zealand, but was worth the wait.

His fond memories of his county stint and the friendships he made were touching, while his laughter as he recalled stories from the circuit made it an interview I really didn't want to end.If you haven't read it, do pick up a copy from a good book shop, because John, as well as a thoroughly pleasant man, was comedy gold.

He deserves warm congratulations on his new role. Let's just hope that the pandemic relents, we all come out the other side intact and we can meet up again in the very near future.

Congratulations, Mr President. 

There will be no complaints on your deserved award.

Will we, won't we?

I have no idea if there will be any cricket this summer, any more than the rest of you.

Our best chance is if the silly idiots who insist on meeting up and carrying on as normal toe the party line and do what they are asked. The horrific Covid 19 is sweeping the globe and any risk, for any sport, is simply not acceptable.

I hope that we all come through the other side relatively unscathed and apart from a dog walk per day I haven't left the house and garden for over two weeks. Whether that is enough, time will tell.

This week has seen various reports in the media. One said that there would be no cricket this summer, another that the ECB has four fixture options on the go, depending on what time is available when the all-clear is sounded.

For what it is worth, I think the biggest mistake they could make would be to try and launch the new competition this summer. Yes, the lack of cricket  might enhance the appeal, somewhat akin to the Victory Tests at the end of the last war, yet it would do much less for the supporters than the Vitality Blast, and considerably less for the coffers of the various clubs.

I have seen suggestions that they will play the new competition and the Blast, given time, but see that as a non-starter. For one thing, it would annoy the traditionalists who have supported the game for many years. I know that the four-day game is the least lucrative, but it prepares players for the greatest format of all, Test cricket, and is still the version for the aesthete and connoisseur. I love the cut and thrust of the format, plus it also gives me the best value in travelling a long way to see cricket.

It would also mean that the many players who are not selected for T20 will play no cricket this summer. One would assume that the Professional Cricketers Association have already made their thoughts clear on that one, with some players picking up two salaries for the summer and others perhaps only a reduced one.

Better might be scrapping four-day cricket for one season only and playing two three-day games in a week, with a day in between. If the counties were split into two, or even three groups, you wouldn't need too many weeks to have sections and perhaps then a final. It would be tiring for players, but you would be talking a season of perhaps only two months, when they haven't played in over a year in most cases. It would likely have to be played without overseas players, as I would be surprised if international travel resumed so quickly, but would give something to the loyal fans who have been there for years.

I suspect the Vitality Blast would set new attendance records, were it to go ahead. I share the bullish attitude of Dave Houghton, in that we have a real side coming together with genuine prospects of success. Mind you, the Aussie overseas would have given us an edge this year, so that might temper things slightly.

Of course, it could all be academic and we may have to wait another twelve months for county cricket.

Patience is key.

The wait continues...

So no cricket until the end of May, which surely guarantees that April and May are two of the best months of weather we have seen in years...

I hope that I am wrong, but I can see our wait for the greatest of games going on for longer than that. Perhaps we will get some cricket in between July and September, but what that delay does for the game at all levels is a moot point.

I know my old club side started to struggle when an ageing drainage system that we could not afford to replace cost them a lot of matches, even when the sun shone brightly. Players started to find other things to occupy their time and when we managed to get back onto the field, availability was increasingly a struggle.

It may take some time, but I hope that people support their local and county clubs, during and after this crisis. I have no idea what form the county game will take for the remainder of this summer, but I hope that there is some four-day cricket, even friendlies, because otherwise the game doesn't work for me. Six hours each way for a Vitality Blast game doesn't work, twelve hours of travelling for three hours of cricket. I am not alone in that, so just hope that whatever cricket is manufactured for a potential start date doesn't ignore the traditionalists, of which there are many.

As I said the other day, I will try and produce new material to keep the blog interesting and fresh, even though there will be no live cricket to write about for the next eight weeks at least.

Whether the cricket we have coming up will feature our current overseas players is another question. It will all depend on the dates, the competitive element and the speed at which a semblance of normality can be restored.

England's land may still be green and pleasant, but it is an odd one, right now.

Stay safe everyone. Keep in touch and see you on the other side.

Concern around the counties

According to a report in the Telegraph, around half of the counties could become bankrupt if the Coronavirus outbreak allows no cricket this summer.

That sobering thought is one to make a man choke on his cornflakes, yet should hardly come as a surprise. Cricket, like any other business, depends on cash flow and  without the major injection from the T20, especially, many will struggle. It is not just the crowds at the cricket, it is the potential cancellation of money-spinning events, income from refreshments, memberships...we could go on.

Given that the ECB have ploughed a lot of their reserves into the competition that no one wants, were I a betting man I would have a flutter on any cricket from July onwards, which is being mentioned as a potential start date, comprising that competition and a rearranged T20, with little to no four-day cricket for traditionalists such as me.

Having said that, the counties will still get their ECB money, which will be a lifeline for many. We are also fortunate to have announced that record £400K profit, and there will be additional concern around the country where results have been less impressive.

They could feasibly play into October, of course but at this stage, when the goalposts are changing all the time, we have no idea when we can return to even a semblance of normality. When sport is allowed to return there will be plenty of it competing for attention and we can only hope that the Championship in football doesn't end up scheduled on the same night as a T20 game, with an inevitable loss of income in what is very much a football city.

I am sure that the return of sport and access to amenities that we have perhaps taken for granted for too long  will see bumper crowds. It is why I see this as a silver lining for the ECB, because if the return of sport is their competition on national television, there may even be hardened cynics who will tune in for their 'fix'.

It is a major concern and like many others, fortunate to have been born well away from the disruptions of world wars, something I had hardly considered. A summer without cricket is like twenty-four hours without daylight. Much as I enjoy my football, cricket is and will always be my first love. Yet we must all keep it in perspective, when there are thousands dying now and likely in the weeks to come.

It presents additional challenges, of course. Not least for Derbyshire, who were due to celebrate their 150th anniversary this summer. I would assume that serious consideration is being given to postponing the celebrations to next year, which will not be strictly accurate, but allows time for the many ideas they have come up with to be planned with a greater degree of confidence.

I am sure that there will be plenty of commemorative merchandise in production, perhaps already at the club. There will be those who feel that we should still celebrate it in the truncated summer that we MAY have left.

My own thoughts are that it should be delayed until 2021. They could sell the merchandise, by all means, but ideas that I have seen for a cricket match, gala dinners and events with large crowds expected are going to have a question mark over them for some time to come. Northamptonshire's Alex Wakely has bowed to the inevitable and deferred his testimonial until next year, so to me it makes sense.

As for me, I will continue to write blog pieces when there is news, and hope to at least mark the anniversary with a series of pieces on memorable matches from our history.

I don't expect to see any cricket sometime soon, though.

All we can do is keep fingers crossed.

Your comments on the above are gratefully received, as always.

And then...

No sooner had it begun than the Derbyshire players are set to return home, in light of the corona virus.

It makes sense, and is not at all unexpected. With sporting events around the world being cancelled, and other clubs on overseas tours returning home, it was only a matter of time before we did so.

Pre-season will now continue at the Pattonair County Ground.

As for the season itself, who knows what is going to happen?

Derbyshire ease to pre-season opener win

Derbyshire 174-5 (du Plooy 79* Madsen 44, Dal 22*

Zimbabwe Select XI 126-8 (Chari 42, McKiernan 2-25)

Derbyshire won by 48 runs

What a pleasure it is to be writing about Derbyshire cricket again after the long winter!

How long it lasts, of course, is down to circumstances beyond cricket control, but the fielded eleven did all that could have been expected in their tour opener, played over 20 overs.

There was a touch of deja vu in the performances. After the early loss of Critchley and Reece, the openers, Madsen breezed to 44 from just 28 balls, before Leus du Plooy played in the accustomed manner for an unbeaten 79 from just 51 balls, with 6 sixes and 3 fours. He got fine support from Anuj Dal , who made an unbeaten 22 as the pair added 83 from the last seven overs.

du Plooy hit three successive sixes at one stage and it whets the appetite of supporters quite nicely.

The Zimbabwe XI lost two early wickets to Ravi Rampaul and Mattie McKiernan, before a third wicket stand gave a little hope. They were never up with the rate, however and a flurry of wickets towards the end gave the innings a lopsided look.

Rampaul once again was a standout, with 2-14 in his four overs, while credit goes to McKiernan, who opened and closed the bowling after missing most of last summer. Two leggies in the side was interesting to see, and McKiernan, like Rampaul, bowled sixteen dot balls. Tony Palladino played but didn't bowl, Billy Godleman didn't play and Alex Hughes skippered the side.

The only concern was Sam Conners not finishing his fourth over, but hopefully he did so as a precaution, rather than anything serious.

We'll not read too much into it, but it is always good to get a win, something they accomplished with a lot to spare.

PS Conners was later revealed to have had cramp in his foot, so nothing serious! 

Derbyshire return record profit to end year of great encouragement

After one of the most encouraging on-field summers in many years in 2019, Derbyshire put the icing on the cake today with the announcement of a profit over the year of £402,000.

It is a club record and worthy of huge congratulations to everyone involved in the off-field side of things. They run a tight ship and there is little to spare in the staffing, but it shows what can be done when everyone has a job to do, knows it and does it to a very high standard.

There was a time, in the early days of this blog, when I was critical of the way the club was run, but it is very hard to do so today. It is a friendly set up and the warm welcome from all involved is a pleasure.

It is easy, as a supporter of the cricket side, to become blase about the 'other stuff'. Yet it is in the success of that other stuff that the club can develop and thrive. Together with their income from the new media deal, the success of the annual fireworks show, the festive parties, concerts and meetings contribute to a very healthy picture. As did making Finals Day for the first time, which put a handy £57K into the coffers, while record attendance receipts saw an additional £91K.

It has helped Dave Houghton to strengthen this winter, while there are plans to increase the seating, replace the scoreboard and install new toilets, as well as enhancing the concessions around the ground.

I was only saying to my Dad the other night that I couldn't recall being so enthused with the set up and staff of both my football and cricket teams as I am at present. Phillip Cocu is doing a sterling job at Derby County, while Dave Houghton gives off similar calm vibes, of a man who knows what he is doing and how to take the club forward.

'Underestimated no more' is the tag line used often in social media posts from Derbyshire, and they are right. There will be few teams turn up to play us this summer and expect us to roll over, as the side is packed with professionalism from top to bottom.

If we can display another ten per cent improvement in the playing personnel when we get to the season opener, what a belter 2020 may turn out to be.

A record profit as we begin our 150th anniversary year.

Winning a trophy would make it a very, very special one indeed.

Pre-season tour begins - and the end for Fantasy Cricket

Derbyshire's players fly out to Zimbabwe tomorrow on a three-week tour.

At the invitation of Zimbabwe Cricket, they will play two three-day matches, two 50-over matches and two T20s on the tour, which runs until March 29.

It will be ideal preparation for a summer in which only the foolhardy will discount the talent in the squad. I know that I have been optimistic in seasons past, but there are now real grounds for optimism among supporters, with a strong and relatively young squad that covers most of the playing bases. As long as we have the same level of commitment - and I suspect that is a given, with who we have at the club - we should be challenging this summer.

I am especially interested to see how our attack goes, with more options than previous summers. If two or three of them fire, then the batting should enable us to win games in all formats.

I look forward to following and reporting on the tour matches.

Also eagerly awaited will be the return of the county's excellent streaming service, this year enhanced as they have sorted the issues that previously saw the radio commentary out of synchronisation. I only occasionally listen to cricket commentary on TV or radio, but plenty do and this will improve the experience for them.

One thing that won't be around this summer is the Fantasy Cricket League. The Telegraph announced this week that they won't be doing it, for the first time in a quarter of a century. It is sad, especially when they cite a lack of interest in county cricket as the reason, but there's not much that we can do about it. Apologies to those whose enjoyment of the summer was enhanced by the challenge, but it is very much out of my control.

You will see my thoughts and comments on the club, its cricketers and events as usual and I hope that many of you pitch in with comments as the season progresses.

They are always appreciated!

Palladino highlights bowling depth

One of the many things that I like since Dave Houghton took over as at Derbyshire is how he has steadily, within budgetary constraints, built the squad and covered the obvious weaknesses.

Leus du Plooy arrived last season to make a huge difference to the batting, while Fynn Hudson Prentice came in as an all rounder and looked a real asset with bat and ball. Anuj Dal showed signs of turning from top order bat into talented all-rounder, while Dustin Melton, in limited opportunities, showed obvious pace, to which the addition of greater direction could make a dangerous bowler.

This winter has seen the signing of Sean Abbott, who should be real handful with the new ball, as well as that of South African left-arm quick Michael Cohen. There is now both variety and strength in depth, with the evergreen Tony Palladino and Ravi Rampaul again likely to lead the line, with Luis Reece as further all-round support.

I'm expecting good things from Sam Conners this summer too. He has all of the assets a quick bowler requires and good people around him from who to learn. If he gets it right and is blessed by good luck with his fitness, he could be quite a player.

There's even a good spin option to Matt Critchley, with Matt McKiernan restored to full health after last year's stress fracture, while Aussie Ben McDermott will offer an excellent alternative to Harvey Hosein behind the timbers in one-day matches. I am sure Harvey will score a lot of runs in four-day cricket and offer good ballast to the batting in that format.

Good times lie ahead and I have seldom been so confident of a summer's cricket.

Finally today, in this whistle-stop blog, I read that Tom Wood is again racking up the runs in Australia. A sparkling innings of 120 this weekend made it 200 runs in three innings from his short trip over there for some warm weather nets and training.

I am not yet sure whether he will be a part of the Derbyshire squad until mid-summer, with his contract ostensibly for two months to cover the club during the RLODC. The ECB has new rules that require all second team players to be paid £70 a day, rather than be paid just travel expenses, so the club will have to look closely at the additional costs incurred. Yet logic suggests that we would want someone who is playing regular cricket stepping in for the RLODC.

We will see in due course.

Social media, celebrity and doing the right thing

Back in the day, when I was a young pup sitting in the Osmaston Stand at Derby County's Baseball Ground, or on the boundary at Derby, Chesterfield, Ilkeston, Buxton, Heanor or wherever, you would hear plenty of comments.

I would now be typing this on a sun-kissed beach, had I been given a fiver for every expletive overheard, or every denigration of a player. You pays your money, you have a right to express your feelings, to some extent.

It has always been so, right back to when Bill Bestwick, dropped by Derbyshire for an indiscretion, could be heard loudly castigating his team mates from the boundary edge at Worcester, fuelled by anger, frustration and a few too many beers.

Of course it is tough when someone in your team 'messes up'. Whether it is Richard Keogh stabbing the ball, at full stretch, to an opposition striker in a Wembley play-off, or a Derbyshire player dropping a catch that goes on to lose us the match, it hurts. Yet it is so important to remember two things. They didn't do it on purpose and they are only human.

Because we all make mistakes, in work and in life. He (or she) who maintains otherwise is a liar. I know I have, but mine have only resulted in late changes to plans at work, perhaps the shake of a head from a senior colleague, a quiet word from my manager. Not my public vilification by people who really should know better, or are of little consequence.

For sports and media stars, personalities and those in the public eye, everyone now regards them as fair game. In the skewed eyes of those who are not, they need to be whiter than white, flawless, impeccable in all that they say and do. And of course, devoid of all error.

It is nonsense. Because even if they are paragons of virtue, the ne'er do wells will tell you they are hiding something, as no one is that wholesome. It is a no win situation for most and I applaud those who attempt to interact, just as much as I do those who wouldn't touch social media with a barge pole.

To this day, my Dad will tell you that the old Hollywood stars knew how to behave themselves, while sports stars and celebrities never 'carried on' like they do today. My protestations to the contrary will never change his opinion, despite many documented and oft-retold incidents about their lives. The hedonistic lifestyles of Hollywood stars saw all sorts of shenanigans, carefully covered by the publicity machines and helped immensely because few people had cameras to instantly document their frequent indiscretions, no social media upon which to comment on them.

To be fair, the average sportsman from earlier times had little shenanigans money, which was part of the reason they got up to less. Only in the 1960s did some footballers start to get paid commensurate to their talent, while most cricketers waited for a good while longer than that. There was the odd exception, but only that. An early chat with Edwin Smith informed me that his wife earned more as a weaver in Chesterfield, than he did as a capped and respected county cricketer in the 1950s.

Today, however, every indiscretion is across social media like a virus. Everyone is an expert, with more coaching badges and experience from a computer game than any highly-qualified sports coach could ever obtain. Even if their own sporting prowess is limited to punting hopeful long balls in a Sunday League game, or managing a couple of streaky boundaries now and again in lower league, or social cricket, they know best.

I always show deference to those who have done it at the highest level. Of course I have an opinion, which is why I write this blog, but I wouldn't attempt to tell a county opening batsman how to play a tearaway fast bowler, or what they should do on a fourth day track that is turning sideways.

Yesterday's tragedy surrounding TV star Caroline Flack should be a warning to everyone, in both media and social media, just as Luke Sutton's outstandingly honest recent autobiography should be.

We only see the public persona of a celebrity or sports star. We don't know anything about the inner torments that they go through on a regular basis, nor have we a right to do so, until they feel the time is right. Over the years that I have written this blog, I have been made aware, because I have been trusted, of the challenges facing certain players. Things going on in their lives that would make life a challenge for anyone, whether illnesses to loved ones, health issues, money problems and more. Knowing these things helped me in my writing, though I like to think that I would have maintained the requisite understanding and discretion anyway.

This blog came out of the cesspit that was the old BBC 606 site, when I read many of the comments and felt them unnecessary, thoughtless and crude. My occasional contributions were well received and I started putting them down here. From the start and to this day I have vetted every comment, not because of my inner control freak, but because in putting my thoughts 'out there' I feel there comes a strong sense of responsibility to those I write about.

I hoped that one day players and their families might read what I wrote. I have been humbled to find over the years that they do, flattered that they trust me enough to tell me things, grateful for their kind words and ongoing friendships with both them and family members.

Yes, I will say that X is out of form, or Y played a bad shot. I might say that we delivered an inept display, but I won't tell a top player how to play their game. There is usually less than an inch on the bat between a ball that sails into the crowd and one that is caught on the boundary edge, much less between one taking the edge and missing it.

I once heard an opposition supporter, fuelled on beer, asking a bowler in his team why he hadn't tried to stifle our batsman, who had run amok, with slower balls and 'mixing it up'.

With an icy stare came the reply. 'Because the three slower balls that I bowled he hit out of the ground and he had an answer to everything I tried'. There you have it. Sometimes, your best just isn't good enough, no matter how hard you try.

The hypocrisy in the media and social media today is appalling. Tweets and articles hurriedly deleted, erasing any evidence of their contribution to yesterday's sad event. It wasn't the first, it won't be the last, but we must all remember the important part that we have to play. When your favourites do well they will enjoy your plaudits, but they need your support so much more when they endure the inevitable rocky patch.

As the old Nottinghamshire favourite George Gunn once said to a young team mate, in a rich vein of form, 'Drink at the well, son, there's always a desert approaching'. Sage words, indeed.

As we fast approach another cricket season, I look forward, as I always do, to your comments.

But whether on here or elsewhere, before you press the 'send' button, always read it back and ask yourself one question. If the subject was stood in front of you, would you say what you are about to say?

If the answer to that question is no, then an edit is in order.

Sixty days...

Hard as it was this week to contemplate, when walking around the village with my trusty sidekick Wallace  in the hail, wind, rain and snow, we are getting through the winter now.

The Spring bulbs are poking ever more confidently through the soil, the evenings are getting noticeably lighter and a realisation dawned on me this morning - not just that it is Valentine's Day...

Derbyshire's season starts in two months time. Or sixty days, if you will.

This will be my fifty-second summer supporting the county. The enjoyment that I get from that is undiminished, even though this season sees the opportunity to watch my team in high summer limited to fifty-over cricket, with many big names missing.

Further examination of the fixtures has confirmed that my trips to see us in person will be pretty limited. When games run Thursday to Sunday, as in previous summers, getting down for matches is easy enough and has no impact on my annual leave entitlement. I work compressed hours in the first three days of the week to get the rest off, but a lot of my potential strips are stymied by the timings this year.

Even my annual trip to Durham is unlikely. The four-day game would need three days of annual leave, while the T20 game there, which I would have attended, is on our son's birthday. Call me old-fashioned, but my family holidays get most of my leave, so I must content myself with watching by stream for the most part.

Maybe I need to take premature retirement...

I am sure we are in for a summer of entertainment, however. Last summer was one of the best for a long while. Dave Houghton recruited well, on and off the pitch and the players played a sustained level of excellent cricket for most of the summer.

With good signings this winter, I think that we are in for a good summer this year.

Regardless of whether I am there or not.

An interview with Tony Palladino part 3

What were the factors that combined to make the championship side successful that year?

Well, Martin Guptill and Usman Khawaja scored over a thousand runs between them. We had a good bowling attack – not outrageous, but workmanlike. There was myself, Tim Groenewald, Mark Footitt was just feeling his way back, and Jon Clare. All were experienced enough to know their game and of course we had Wainers (David Wainwright) who spun us to a few wins. We batted a long way down, too. I was often at ten that year and Timmy, a good batsman, was usually eleven, unless Mark played.

We had a great dressing room too. A bit like this year, when there are no egos and superstars but we all worked hard together

Team spirit is often undervalued, isn't it?

Oh yeah, and I have played in dressing rooms where people actively hated each other. You would see players not dive if the bloke they didn't like was bowling, or run them out if they had the chance to do so. It could all get very toxic and it's happened to me two or three times in my career.

You don't play your best cricket in those situations.

Your century against an Australian side must have been a source of pride. Was any coach responsible for your batting improvement?

Not really. I had always had a good eye and it all just seemed to come together. I worked on my batting over the winter, which is never to your detriment.

It was a pretty good pitch, I got a few away early, then I gave the spinner a bit of tap and suddenly I was in the sixties or seventies. The ball wasn't doing much and I just kept going.

Did you get nervous as the landmark got closer?

No. I hit a couple of fours to take me to 99 and then I noticed that mid off was quite deep. Mentally I had worked out that if the right ball came I would nudge it to him and that's how it worked out!

You are closing in on 500 first-class wickets. Is that a target for you, or do you just take the games, and the wickets, as they come?

I'm on 464 at the moment...

I'm impressed by that!

(Laughs) I only know because Griff (David Griffin) told me today! I have two more matches this season (sadly he was injured) and am contracted for next year. I'm not getting younger and have had a niggle in my ankle this year, but I am hoping to get there next season, while I am still doing a good job for the side.

You have never been seen as a regular List A bowler over your career. Has that been a source of frustration for you, as you have always been very economical in first-class cricket?

It all started when I joined Derbyshire. I was doing well in the championship, so John Morris would rest me for the one-days and then Karl Krikken came in and wanted to keep me fresh for the four-day game too. It went on from there really, but as you get older you play less T20 as many see it as a young man's game. I like to think there's still room for me and my 'dibbly-dobblies' in the game!

But on average I have played twelve or thirteen four-day games a summer for Derbyshire, so maybe I couldn't have done that and played all the one-day games.

Professional sports people today have to put up with their every move being dissected in the media and social media. Do many of them read what is written about them, or do they tend to be selective, or avoid it altogether?

People are different. I do and sometimes what I read spurs me on. If I see something that isn't true I comment about it. Of course, if I have had a bad game and someone says something, you take it on the chin, as long as it isn't nasty or overly aggressive. A few others read it too, but some don't like to.

When I was at Essex there was a bloke who gave a lot of stick on their fans forum. I registered and asked him if he wanted to meet for a coffee and sort out the problem, but he said he didn't want to. Some are happy being keyboard warriors and would never dare say anything to your face and they just wouldn't sit down like you and I are today.

To be fair, Tony, I don't recall many people ever having a bad word to say about you in your time in Derbyshire. Maybe an odd comment on not bowling so well on a given day, but never more than that. You have always been very approachable and it has been appreciated.

Thanks Steve. I think it comes more naturally to some people than others, but I was a cricket supporter before I was a first-class player. I remember how it made my day when a player would stop and have a word, so I try to 'give back' if I can. They are the people who give you energy when they applaud and I still get a buzz from the ripple of applause when I go down to the boundary after taking a wicket. At the end of the day, you can't expect respect from people if you don't do the same for them. There's no harm in exchanging pleasantries and signing autographs, posing for a picture or whatever.

It's nice to be nice!

You have got through a long career now - who are the best batsmen that you have bowled at ?

Marcus Trescothick was always difficult for me when I was younger. I think as I gained experience I would have done better against him, as my skill set improved, but back then I used to swing the ball into him, as a left-hander, and he would either clip me off his pads, or sit back in his crease and punch me away.

There are others who always seem to score runs against us, but I tend not to dwell on such things as it can create negative energy. Nick Browne at Essex always seems to score runs against us, but I never think I can't get him out. All it takes is one ball...

Mark Ramprakash early in my career was a very good player, while Mark Cosgrove is another. He's a very good batsman and he doesn't let a bowler bowl too many dot balls as he doesn't like you to settle. He will run it down to third man off the face of the bat and keep it ticking over.

Daryl Mitchell too, at Worcestershire. He never gives his wicket away, so when you get him out you know you have earned it.

When you get into first-class cricket, does it take a while to get used to the different gradients of squares? I noticed Dustin Melton struggling at one end against Australia, but he was better when he switched ends.

It can do. I always prefer to bowl from the Racecourse, or Media Centre end at Derby, but as you get older such things don't really affect you. Canterbury has a big slope at one end, and at Lord's it took me a while to get used to the slope. I used to want to bowl at each ground so the slope helped my outswing, but then found it was going too wide, so I was more effective from the other end.

On that subject, if it was up to me I would have more second team cricket on the county grounds. Neither in batting or bowling do club wickets gets you prepared for the senior level. I played on a second team pitch this year and the ball never bounced higher than the logo on your pad. It was a shocker, but bowlers can get flattering wickets and batsmen look poor on such tracks.

You'd get a better idea of a player's worth with less games on good wickets, than cramming in more on wickets that are really sub-standard.

What do you see yourself doing when your playing career ends? You've been doing your coaching badges, I understand? Level three?

That's right. I would like to go into coaching, but when I finish playing there may not be an opportunity or vacancy for me. But I will keep my fingers crossed that there will be something, ideally at Derbyshire but otherwise at another county or a school/university.

And when you come to the end of your career, how will you look back on it?

I'll be proud. I was very lucky to get another bite at the cherry when it could all have been finished. I came to a good club who have looked after me and I think that I have repaid them over the years.

I have a medal at home that has pride of place and I am grateful for the support of those who came to matches, year in and year out. I am proud that along the way I have given a bit of enjoyment to people and they hopefully know I have always given my best.

It has been a career in entertainment, when you have done and said all. I consider myself very lucky and privileged to have been paid for a long time to play cricket and do a job that I love.

Laurie Johnson - an obituary

I never saw Laurie Johnson play cricket, but I wish I had.

By all accounts, in his prime he was something special, his driving in particular a thing of beauty. Many a cover point had the bruised hands as testament to his timing, though more often than not, on the frequent good days, the ball fizzed past them to the boundary rope.

It was not always so. When he first played for the county he struggled for a few seasons. County wickets bore little resemblance to those in his native Caribbean, yet his class told, as it always will, in the end. 

He first came to notice in the fine Swarkestone side of the late 1940s and early 1950s, one of a number of players from the Caribbean who made them a strong side. 

With conditions in his favour, his front of the wicket style, honed on the hard tracks of home, was in contrast to that of many team mates, who offered a less aesthetic approach to scoring runs.

It was a shame that he came to his prime later in the 1950s and through the early 1960s. He would have been the perfect support for Arnold Hamer in a brittle batting line up, those extra runs perhaps making a difference in some fine summers between 1951 and 1955. With Gladwin and Jackson at the peak of their powers, a second championship win might have ensued with another prolific batsman. 

As Hamer did in the previous decade, Johnson often carried the Derbyshire batting in the early 60's. He was an excellent fielder too, with a good pair of hands and a throw that accounted for the unwary. He even kept wicket on occasion, highlighting his importance to the side.

I had hoped to speak to him for 'In Their Own Words', but a phone call to his home near Birmingham brought a polite refusal.

'I am really grateful for your interest, but I am afraid my memory isn't what it was', he said. We spoke briefly, then said goodbye.

His passing leaves Edwin Smith, Harold Rhodes and Peter Eyre  as the remaining regular members of that fine side of the 1950s, the contributions of the first two acknowledged by the club presidency in the past two years. Hopefully Peter is the next to be offered and accept the role.

Rest in peace, Laurie Johnson. At your best you gave a great deal of pleasure to many people. 

Can anyone aspire to more?