No play yesterday, which given my lack of time last night was no bad thing.
It doesn't look like there will be a full day's play today either, so Derbyshire's batsmen have every incentive to battle and get a draw from the game. You could argue that our efforts so far don't deserve one (honourable exceptions for Messrs Hughes and Reece) but given the farcical ending at Trent Bridge, when we were robbed of a win, perhaps a draw might even things out a little.
More from me later.
Wednesday, 9 August 2017
Tuesday, 8 August 2017
Guest post - Keep the Faith, by Rob Enderby
What do
people want?
Have a look at the Test match grounds, full to the brim at £75 per day and £5 for a pint and you start to realise why supporters (the clue really is in the title ) should be more restrained and accepting of our difficulties.
Have a look at the Test match grounds, full to the brim at £75 per day and £5 for a pint and you start to realise why supporters (the clue really is in the title ) should be more restrained and accepting of our difficulties.
We are within touching
distance of progressing in the Twenty20 against some huge teams. We absolutely smashed Leicestershire out of the park, in a game that I attended
and thoroughly enjoyed - perhaps too much, as at £3.70 a pint I had 4 or 5
too many. Yet we question why we have rested Smit and Tahir, in a game we should on paper
have no chance of winning in the championship. In my opinion we should
have rested a few more - Madsen, Wilson and Viljoen - and given youth a
chance, in a competition where we are not going to finish
above 7th.
I said earlier in the season that we shouldn't really be able to compete against Nottinghamshire. They hoover
up all the talent, Footitt being another prime example. Let other counties do all the work in developing a bowler of promise who has lacked opportunity, then take him back
once that process
is finished. What hope do we have?
Our best bowlers have been
injured for most of the season, one of our best players
has found himself in difficulties off the pitch and others have found
that they are perhaps short of the required standard.
Hosein gets a gig, is out
first ball and all of a sudden is rubbish, in the eyes of some at the ground the other day. Why is that?
I firmly believe that in my
lifetime counties will go to the wall. There
will be six or seven Test match ground teams and that's it. And we will have
contributed to our own
downfall by hopeless negativity.
We currently have a handful of
players who I would imagine would get a game at most second division clubs.
Godleman, Madsen, Wilson, Smit, a fit Davis and an equally fit Viljoen,
perhaps Hughes and the young spinner Qadri. The challenge is to
supplement these with two or three others and we will compete, perhaps across the board.
Until then, buckle up and enjoy the
ride. Stop thinking that we know better than paid professionals, or that
there's a conspiracy theory around every corner when the club doesn't
tell us what Tahir had for breakfast.
Take the defeats, but my
word celebrate like we've won the World Cup when we win and above all
else support, support, support.
Rob in Essex
Monday, 7 August 2017
Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire day 2
Derbyshire 220 and 45-1
Nottinghamshire 508-9 (Hales 218, Read 75)
Derbyshire trail by 243 runs
After commenting before the game on how the season's fixtures between these two sides had been close affairs, this one has gone completely the way of the visitors. So much so, in fact, that if it were a boxing match the referee would have stepped in and stopped it already.
The visitors dominance was the result of a brilliant innings by Alex Hales, who really shouldn't have been here at all. For me, Hales is a really class act, and while he opens to great effect for England in the one-day game, he would be a huge asset for them in the middle order. I would take him every time over Dawid Malan and Tom Westley, both good players but not, in my humble opinion, in the same league as Hales. He can give it away on occasion, as any player with his aggressive mindset will do, but when it is his day, he is quite magnificent. Stick him at five in the England order, between Root and Stokes, then sit back to enjoy it.
He slaughtered us today, along with Bruce Read, in his final innings against us. Another great player in Nottinghamshire colours, who often produced his best against Derbyshire and was under-used by the England selectors.
As for Derbyshire...well, it wasn't good, was it? Notwithstanding the class of Hales, the bowlers all took stick and and, to quote the skipper, didn't find the top of off stump often enough. You might say they didn't find the top of any of them at times, judging by the fifty extras that we conceded.
I have to say that really annoys me, as a supporter. 24 no balls, 10 wides, 11 byes - it tells of indiscipline and that, at this level, is poor. They have to be better than that and well as Hales batted, he's going to face more demanding attacks than that.
Defeat lies ahead, the challenge for the players being to battle and take the game into the final day.
On the evidence of today, that looks unlikely.
Nottinghamshire 508-9 (Hales 218, Read 75)
Derbyshire trail by 243 runs
After commenting before the game on how the season's fixtures between these two sides had been close affairs, this one has gone completely the way of the visitors. So much so, in fact, that if it were a boxing match the referee would have stepped in and stopped it already.
The visitors dominance was the result of a brilliant innings by Alex Hales, who really shouldn't have been here at all. For me, Hales is a really class act, and while he opens to great effect for England in the one-day game, he would be a huge asset for them in the middle order. I would take him every time over Dawid Malan and Tom Westley, both good players but not, in my humble opinion, in the same league as Hales. He can give it away on occasion, as any player with his aggressive mindset will do, but when it is his day, he is quite magnificent. Stick him at five in the England order, between Root and Stokes, then sit back to enjoy it.
He slaughtered us today, along with Bruce Read, in his final innings against us. Another great player in Nottinghamshire colours, who often produced his best against Derbyshire and was under-used by the England selectors.
As for Derbyshire...well, it wasn't good, was it? Notwithstanding the class of Hales, the bowlers all took stick and and, to quote the skipper, didn't find the top of off stump often enough. You might say they didn't find the top of any of them at times, judging by the fifty extras that we conceded.
I have to say that really annoys me, as a supporter. 24 no balls, 10 wides, 11 byes - it tells of indiscipline and that, at this level, is poor. They have to be better than that and well as Hales batted, he's going to face more demanding attacks than that.
Defeat lies ahead, the challenge for the players being to battle and take the game into the final day.
On the evidence of today, that looks unlikely.
Sunday, 6 August 2017
Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire day 1
Derbyshire 220 (Reece 45, Hughes 55 not Hutton 5-52)
Nottinghamshire 93-2 (Mullaney 35 not)
Derbyshire lead by 127
It was always likely that Derbyshire would be batting first today, the visitors quickly exercising their right to bowl. It was equally likely that we might struggle, against a keen attack that contained our erstwhile favourite, Mark Footitt, as well as recent England man, Jake Ball.
As it turned out, it was a more unsung hero, Brett Hutton, who did the damage, taking five wickets as our batsmen laboured all day. Luis Reece did well for a while and Alex Hughes once again showed the battling instincts for which he is becoming known. Ben Cotton knocked it around too, in a last wicket stand that added 48, but I was left with the feeling that 220 was OK, but little more than that.
Tomorrow's first session is one where the visitors will either get away or be pegged back and we need a huge effort. Hardus Viljoen took his first championship wicket for us, but early inroads tomorrow are vital from an all seam attack.
Most of the comments and messages that I fielded today on Twitter and elsewhere revolved around Harvey Hosein playing, but not keeping wicket. The assumption that you would make, from that, is that Harvey is seen as the third best keeper in the club and is in the side for his batting exploits in recent weeks for the second team.
I think that a fair summation of things. Given that Gary Wilson was brought in to mentor the lad, he was obviously seen as a better wicket-keeper, but in turn was succeeded by Daryn Smit, who is seen as better still. As my old Dad said this afternoon, when we discussed it, how would you see him as the finished article at 20?
Harvey's return to the fold was short and sweet, nicking one through first ball to Chris Read from the bowling of Hutton. He is a better player than that and will hope to show his true worth in the second innings.
Plenty of work to do then, over the next three days.
Nottinghamshire 93-2 (Mullaney 35 not)
Derbyshire lead by 127
It was always likely that Derbyshire would be batting first today, the visitors quickly exercising their right to bowl. It was equally likely that we might struggle, against a keen attack that contained our erstwhile favourite, Mark Footitt, as well as recent England man, Jake Ball.
As it turned out, it was a more unsung hero, Brett Hutton, who did the damage, taking five wickets as our batsmen laboured all day. Luis Reece did well for a while and Alex Hughes once again showed the battling instincts for which he is becoming known. Ben Cotton knocked it around too, in a last wicket stand that added 48, but I was left with the feeling that 220 was OK, but little more than that.
Tomorrow's first session is one where the visitors will either get away or be pegged back and we need a huge effort. Hardus Viljoen took his first championship wicket for us, but early inroads tomorrow are vital from an all seam attack.
Most of the comments and messages that I fielded today on Twitter and elsewhere revolved around Harvey Hosein playing, but not keeping wicket. The assumption that you would make, from that, is that Harvey is seen as the third best keeper in the club and is in the side for his batting exploits in recent weeks for the second team.
I think that a fair summation of things. Given that Gary Wilson was brought in to mentor the lad, he was obviously seen as a better wicket-keeper, but in turn was succeeded by Daryn Smit, who is seen as better still. As my old Dad said this afternoon, when we discussed it, how would you see him as the finished article at 20?
Harvey's return to the fold was short and sweet, nicking one through first ball to Chris Read from the bowling of Hutton. He is a better player than that and will hope to show his true worth in the second innings.
Plenty of work to do then, over the next three days.
Saturday, 5 August 2017
Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire championship preview
If you add in the close finish at Trent Bridge in the season's first four-day fixture between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire (which we would have won, bar for the weather, lest you forget), there's been very close finishes in every match between the two sides this summer.
There shouldn't be, of course, because there is considerable fiscal difference between the two clubs. Yet this year, in particular, the constituent parts have added up better for Derbyshire, especially in the one-day competitions.
Tomorrow's game is, however, tinged with irony. Earlier in the season, we struggled because our strike bowler, Hardus Viljoen, was injured, leaving a sizeable burden on the shoulders of Jeevan Mendis. Now, as Viljoen makes his championship bow at the start of August, we find ourselves without a fit or available spinner in the club.
Imran Tahir has a minor injury, and is being rested ahead of the remaining T20 matches, while Matt Critchley is still recovering from the blow on the helmet against Leicestershire and Hamidullah Qadri is with England Under-19s.
So it seems we go with seam. There is a balancing act with Viljoen, of course, needing him to get some overs in his legs, yet not wanting any recurrence of the injury that has so blighted his season. The risk is that it is aggravated to the detriment of our T20 fortunes, but the fitness staff, the selection team and Viljoen himself must feel he is ready to go. Perhaps not for a huge workload, but enough to build the rhythm for the challenges ahead.
Matt Henry would probably have enjoyed a longer bowl too, but the possibility of him replacing Tahir in the overseas role was scuppered by another minor injury. Daryn Smit is also rested, giving an opportunity to Harvey Hosein behind the stumps. Hopefully the lad acquits himself well after his wait for a place, as he lines up in this twelve:
Billy Godleman
Luis Reece
Ben Slater
Wayne Madsen
Alex Hughes
Gary Wilson
Harvey Hosein
Tom Taylor
Tom Milnes
Tony Palladino
Hardus Viljoen
Ben Cotton
Taylor and Milnes would appear to be battling for the final place and with that side we can only hope it's not going to be dry and dusty...
In another example of irony, Mark Footitt looks set to make his Nottinghamshire debut against his former employers, while Ish Sodhi is set for a first championship match. Their likely squad for the game, according to the Nottingham Post, is:
Libby, Mullaney, Patel, Hales, Wessels, Root, Moores, Read, Hutton, Wood, Sodhi, Ball, Footitt, Gurney.
Logic suggests this a mis-match, but we know that Derbyshire can bat well on their good days. Whether the attack has the variety to bowl out a very strong side is debatable, but local pride is again at stake and supporters will want to see the feel-good factor continue.
We'll find out soon enough.
There shouldn't be, of course, because there is considerable fiscal difference between the two clubs. Yet this year, in particular, the constituent parts have added up better for Derbyshire, especially in the one-day competitions.
Tomorrow's game is, however, tinged with irony. Earlier in the season, we struggled because our strike bowler, Hardus Viljoen, was injured, leaving a sizeable burden on the shoulders of Jeevan Mendis. Now, as Viljoen makes his championship bow at the start of August, we find ourselves without a fit or available spinner in the club.
Imran Tahir has a minor injury, and is being rested ahead of the remaining T20 matches, while Matt Critchley is still recovering from the blow on the helmet against Leicestershire and Hamidullah Qadri is with England Under-19s.
So it seems we go with seam. There is a balancing act with Viljoen, of course, needing him to get some overs in his legs, yet not wanting any recurrence of the injury that has so blighted his season. The risk is that it is aggravated to the detriment of our T20 fortunes, but the fitness staff, the selection team and Viljoen himself must feel he is ready to go. Perhaps not for a huge workload, but enough to build the rhythm for the challenges ahead.
Matt Henry would probably have enjoyed a longer bowl too, but the possibility of him replacing Tahir in the overseas role was scuppered by another minor injury. Daryn Smit is also rested, giving an opportunity to Harvey Hosein behind the stumps. Hopefully the lad acquits himself well after his wait for a place, as he lines up in this twelve:
Billy Godleman
Luis Reece
Ben Slater
Wayne Madsen
Alex Hughes
Gary Wilson
Harvey Hosein
Tom Taylor
Tom Milnes
Tony Palladino
Hardus Viljoen
Ben Cotton
Taylor and Milnes would appear to be battling for the final place and with that side we can only hope it's not going to be dry and dusty...
In another example of irony, Mark Footitt looks set to make his Nottinghamshire debut against his former employers, while Ish Sodhi is set for a first championship match. Their likely squad for the game, according to the Nottingham Post, is:
Libby, Mullaney, Patel, Hales, Wessels, Root, Moores, Read, Hutton, Wood, Sodhi, Ball, Footitt, Gurney.
Logic suggests this a mis-match, but we know that Derbyshire can bat well on their good days. Whether the attack has the variety to bowl out a very strong side is debatable, but local pride is again at stake and supporters will want to see the feel-good factor continue.
We'll find out soon enough.
Friday, 4 August 2017
Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire T20
Nottinghamshire 189-4 (Moores 57, Madsen 1-39)
Derbyshire 181-7 (Reece 53, Madsen 31)
Nottinghamshire won by eight runs
Before this game, most of us thought that we needed to win two of the last four games to qualify for the knockout stage of the competition.
Tonight, after a battling display, it is two from three, in all likelihood.
The chase never seemed quite 'there' tonight and although the side battled hard to the end, the visitors ended up doing a narrow double over us, winning by eight runs. The sixes from the last two balls of the Nottinghamshire innings were the match defining moments and sealed the margin of victory.
I'm quite tight for time tonight and am up for work at six tomorrow, so I am happy to leave thoughts on tonight's performance to the many of you that I am sure were there. I will give my thoughts tomorrow night or Sunday, when I have a little more opportunity to do so.
Interestingly (make that happily...) both Yorkshire and Warwickshire lost tonight, to Durham and Worcestershire respectively, so we remain top of a very competitive group with three games to play.
Two of them are at home, too.
Our destiny remains very much in our own hands and we still have the second best net run rate in the group.
Derbyshire 181-7 (Reece 53, Madsen 31)
Nottinghamshire won by eight runs
Before this game, most of us thought that we needed to win two of the last four games to qualify for the knockout stage of the competition.
Tonight, after a battling display, it is two from three, in all likelihood.
The chase never seemed quite 'there' tonight and although the side battled hard to the end, the visitors ended up doing a narrow double over us, winning by eight runs. The sixes from the last two balls of the Nottinghamshire innings were the match defining moments and sealed the margin of victory.
I'm quite tight for time tonight and am up for work at six tomorrow, so I am happy to leave thoughts on tonight's performance to the many of you that I am sure were there. I will give my thoughts tomorrow night or Sunday, when I have a little more opportunity to do so.
Interestingly (make that happily...) both Yorkshire and Warwickshire lost tonight, to Durham and Worcestershire respectively, so we remain top of a very competitive group with three games to play.
Two of them are at home, too.
Our destiny remains very much in our own hands and we still have the second best net run rate in the group.
Thursday, 3 August 2017
Yorkshire v Derbyshire T20
Yorkshire 180-5 (Sarfraz 42, Viljoen 2-46)
Derbyshire 184-5 (19.4 overs, Godleman 67, Madsen 47, Wilson 33 not)
Derbyshire won by 5 wickets
Wow. Wow, wow, wow!
Beating Yorkshire at Chesterfield was something special. Doing it at Headingley, therefore completing a T20 double over them, was simply astonishing.
This wasn't a weakened Yorkshire either. OK, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow were with England, but the rest of their big guns, bar Liam Plunkett, were there, including players who star in England's T20 side. Many would have expected us to come home with noses bloodied; instead, we head back down the M1 with the points and every right to be immensely proud.
Midway through the Yorkshire innings, 'Anon' sent a message to say that 'Henry and Viljoen are bowling their usual rubbish'. No name, not published and I disagreed. I thought we stuck to things well in the field, conceding only seven extras, compared to Yorkshire's seventeen. At the end of the night, such profligacy cost them. And for the record, aside from three successive wides in the penultimate over, Henry bowled well and Viljoen took key wickets.
Once again, Wayne Madsen starred with bat and ball, thoroughly justifying his earlier PCA Player of the Month Award. Imran Tahir also bowled a crucially tight spell and Yorkshire never got away in the middle section of the innings. Honourable mention too for Alex Hughes, who reeled off three economical overs that prefaced a telling final contribution later.
At halfway I dared to think 'maybe'. We needed a good start and while Tom Wood didn't set the world alight, 24 were on the board when he was out after three overs. Luis Reece didn't last long, but as soon as Wayne Madsen came in he was into his stride once more. Billy Godleman already was and the transformation of Billy into a very good T20 batsman this year has been simply extraordinary.
They put on 77 in eight overs, before Billy was out, with 62 needed off 6 overs, which brought in Gary Wilson.
The skipper hasn't had much opportunity in this competition, but three times now he has come in and played the role of finisher to perfection, exactly as we hoped for when he was signed last winter. He and Wayne knocked it around and, with ten an over off the next three, seemed to be steering us home.
Wayne's dismissal, closely followed by that of Matt Henry, wasn't in the script though and left the equation at 18 from nine balls, but two fours from Wilson left ten from the last. How many times have we lost three wickets in such an over and fallen five short?
Not this time. Alex Hughes smacked his first ball for six , then took a two and a single, leaving the skipper to pull the fourth ball of the over for the winning four. He finished 33 not out from 16 balls, a terrific innings. A captain's innings.
Top of the league. Anything from tonight and tomorrow, against Nottinghamshire, was regarded by most as a bonus. Yet we came, we saw, we conquered. Doubtless the often boorish local support went home unhappy tonight, but for Derbyshire fans, we'll float through the rest of the night and tomorrow.
No chicken-counting yet.
But this really could be the year we qualify, you know.
Two more wins should do it, I reckon, but let's keep the good times rolling.
Fantastic lads. Now for Nottinghamshire...
Derbyshire 184-5 (19.4 overs, Godleman 67, Madsen 47, Wilson 33 not)
Derbyshire won by 5 wickets
Wow. Wow, wow, wow!
Beating Yorkshire at Chesterfield was something special. Doing it at Headingley, therefore completing a T20 double over them, was simply astonishing.
This wasn't a weakened Yorkshire either. OK, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow were with England, but the rest of their big guns, bar Liam Plunkett, were there, including players who star in England's T20 side. Many would have expected us to come home with noses bloodied; instead, we head back down the M1 with the points and every right to be immensely proud.
Midway through the Yorkshire innings, 'Anon' sent a message to say that 'Henry and Viljoen are bowling their usual rubbish'. No name, not published and I disagreed. I thought we stuck to things well in the field, conceding only seven extras, compared to Yorkshire's seventeen. At the end of the night, such profligacy cost them. And for the record, aside from three successive wides in the penultimate over, Henry bowled well and Viljoen took key wickets.
Once again, Wayne Madsen starred with bat and ball, thoroughly justifying his earlier PCA Player of the Month Award. Imran Tahir also bowled a crucially tight spell and Yorkshire never got away in the middle section of the innings. Honourable mention too for Alex Hughes, who reeled off three economical overs that prefaced a telling final contribution later.
At halfway I dared to think 'maybe'. We needed a good start and while Tom Wood didn't set the world alight, 24 were on the board when he was out after three overs. Luis Reece didn't last long, but as soon as Wayne Madsen came in he was into his stride once more. Billy Godleman already was and the transformation of Billy into a very good T20 batsman this year has been simply extraordinary.
They put on 77 in eight overs, before Billy was out, with 62 needed off 6 overs, which brought in Gary Wilson.
The skipper hasn't had much opportunity in this competition, but three times now he has come in and played the role of finisher to perfection, exactly as we hoped for when he was signed last winter. He and Wayne knocked it around and, with ten an over off the next three, seemed to be steering us home.
Wayne's dismissal, closely followed by that of Matt Henry, wasn't in the script though and left the equation at 18 from nine balls, but two fours from Wilson left ten from the last. How many times have we lost three wickets in such an over and fallen five short?
Not this time. Alex Hughes smacked his first ball for six , then took a two and a single, leaving the skipper to pull the fourth ball of the over for the winning four. He finished 33 not out from 16 balls, a terrific innings. A captain's innings.
Top of the league. Anything from tonight and tomorrow, against Nottinghamshire, was regarded by most as a bonus. Yet we came, we saw, we conquered. Doubtless the often boorish local support went home unhappy tonight, but for Derbyshire fans, we'll float through the rest of the night and tomorrow.
No chicken-counting yet.
But this really could be the year we qualify, you know.
Two more wins should do it, I reckon, but let's keep the good times rolling.
Fantastic lads. Now for Nottinghamshire...
Wednesday, 2 August 2017
Yorkshire v Derbyshire T20 Preview
You could argue that tomorrow is the toughest game of the summer, as Derbyshire head to the lion's den of Headingley for a T20 showdown.
It is a game that in many previous summers we had little chance of winning, but surprised a few people. Greg Smith and Loots Bosman did well there and we must hope that the class of 2017 look back on their trip with a degree of pride in a job well done.
It will be tough. There's no news on the Yorkshire side, but it will be strong, albeit without Messrs Root and Bairstow. Tim Bresnan and Liam Plunkett will feature in the attack, alongside Adil Rashid, which offers a delicious leg spin shoot out with Imran Tahir.
Peter Handscomb has been replaced as overseas player by Pakistan's Sarfaraz Ahmed and with Shaun Marsh in the side too, the home eleven is packed with experienced cricketers.
And yet we beat them at Chesterfield.
They will be itching for revenge and the winner will likely move to the top of the table as a prize. Backed by a good few thousand home fans who, as always, will be generous with praise and gracious in winning or losing (!) it will be a hostile environment and only the strong survive.
Yet we have shown this summer that we have players of character, experienced themselves and with the ability to defend a total and chase one down with equal aptitude and elan. It could all go horribly wrong tomorrow, of course, but 48 hours against Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire is a tough gig and one of those, at the very least, may go pear-shaped.
We'll see. We are batting pretty well and bowled brilliantly last time out, so need to keep that going. A win of the toss would be no bad thing either.
Tom Wood looks set to replace Matt Critchley and it is in his and our favour that Yorkshire won't really know him. Otherwise, I expect an unchanged side and a battle royal.
If we hold our catches and bowl as we largely did at Chesterfield, they should know that they have been in a game.
Any more than that and we won't complain...
It is a game that in many previous summers we had little chance of winning, but surprised a few people. Greg Smith and Loots Bosman did well there and we must hope that the class of 2017 look back on their trip with a degree of pride in a job well done.
It will be tough. There's no news on the Yorkshire side, but it will be strong, albeit without Messrs Root and Bairstow. Tim Bresnan and Liam Plunkett will feature in the attack, alongside Adil Rashid, which offers a delicious leg spin shoot out with Imran Tahir.
Peter Handscomb has been replaced as overseas player by Pakistan's Sarfaraz Ahmed and with Shaun Marsh in the side too, the home eleven is packed with experienced cricketers.
And yet we beat them at Chesterfield.
They will be itching for revenge and the winner will likely move to the top of the table as a prize. Backed by a good few thousand home fans who, as always, will be generous with praise and gracious in winning or losing (!) it will be a hostile environment and only the strong survive.
Yet we have shown this summer that we have players of character, experienced themselves and with the ability to defend a total and chase one down with equal aptitude and elan. It could all go horribly wrong tomorrow, of course, but 48 hours against Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire is a tough gig and one of those, at the very least, may go pear-shaped.
We'll see. We are batting pretty well and bowled brilliantly last time out, so need to keep that going. A win of the toss would be no bad thing either.
Tom Wood looks set to replace Matt Critchley and it is in his and our favour that Yorkshire won't really know him. Otherwise, I expect an unchanged side and a battle royal.
If we hold our catches and bowl as we largely did at Chesterfield, they should know that they have been in a game.
Any more than that and we won't complain...
Tuesday, 1 August 2017
Comment creates research
An interesting comment from John, below the Leicestershire match report, provoked a little research today. In turn, it suggests to me that there will be an enforced change in the Derbyshire side for the games against Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire later this week.
The ECB Return to Play guidelines are quite clear in that after a player has taken a blow to the head:
Regardless of the extent or nature of the concussion there is a need for immediate cognitive and physical rest.
Understanding of concussion is evolving but neurophysiology suggests that the brain does not begin to recover for some days after the initial insult and that there is an increased risk for some time after the initial injury.
It goes on to explain that a return to activity should be gradual and monitored by an appropriate professional, but:
Graded steps of gradual increase in activity must be accompanied by a 24-hour window to check for further symptoms or signs.
To achieve the last two levels as identified in the below table, the player needs a 24-hour window for each level and this therefore means no further return to a full training situation for six days.
On that basis, Matt Critchley, who had to leave the field after a blow to the head on Sunday, will play no cricket this week, at the very least.
It is a shame for the lad, who was doing well in his role at the top of the order, but his well-being is of far greater importance than two games of cricket. I am sure he will be back before too long and will doubtless play a key role in the final phase of T20 matches.
As is always the case in life, one man's misfortune is another's opportunity and the likely beneficiary is Tom Wood. I suggested on several occasions that this competition might be his forte and unless Imran Tahir goes Kolpak and Martin Guptill flies in to replace him in an overseas role before Thursday (hey, a man can dream!), Tom Wood is likely to find opportunity knocking.
I feel sorry for Tom, as well as Charlie Macdonell this year. In most other seasons they would have had first team opportunity before this, having scored a fair share of runs at second team level. They can do no more than that, yet it is otherwise hard to see where a chance will come for either. Ben Slater is another whose chances have been limited since early season, but the batting line-up in this competition is solid and established.
All they can do is keep plugging away and take the chance if and when it is presented. Matt Critchley did that, as did Luis Reece when he was battling for a place. So too has Alex Hughes and more recently Ben Cotton. When the chance came, they were ready, prepared to battle and produced the goods.
No one can ask more.
The ECB Return to Play guidelines are quite clear in that after a player has taken a blow to the head:
Regardless of the extent or nature of the concussion there is a need for immediate cognitive and physical rest.
Understanding of concussion is evolving but neurophysiology suggests that the brain does not begin to recover for some days after the initial insult and that there is an increased risk for some time after the initial injury.
It goes on to explain that a return to activity should be gradual and monitored by an appropriate professional, but:
Graded steps of gradual increase in activity must be accompanied by a 24-hour window to check for further symptoms or signs.
To achieve the last two levels as identified in the below table, the player needs a 24-hour window for each level and this therefore means no further return to a full training situation for six days.
On that basis, Matt Critchley, who had to leave the field after a blow to the head on Sunday, will play no cricket this week, at the very least.
It is a shame for the lad, who was doing well in his role at the top of the order, but his well-being is of far greater importance than two games of cricket. I am sure he will be back before too long and will doubtless play a key role in the final phase of T20 matches.
As is always the case in life, one man's misfortune is another's opportunity and the likely beneficiary is Tom Wood. I suggested on several occasions that this competition might be his forte and unless Imran Tahir goes Kolpak and Martin Guptill flies in to replace him in an overseas role before Thursday (hey, a man can dream!), Tom Wood is likely to find opportunity knocking.
I feel sorry for Tom, as well as Charlie Macdonell this year. In most other seasons they would have had first team opportunity before this, having scored a fair share of runs at second team level. They can do no more than that, yet it is otherwise hard to see where a chance will come for either. Ben Slater is another whose chances have been limited since early season, but the batting line-up in this competition is solid and established.
All they can do is keep plugging away and take the chance if and when it is presented. Matt Critchley did that, as did Luis Reece when he was battling for a place. So too has Alex Hughes and more recently Ben Cotton. When the chance came, they were ready, prepared to battle and produced the goods.
No one can ask more.
Monday, 31 July 2017
Madsen deserves PCA Cricketer of the Month
There are those in life who get greater recognition than their talent deserves.Then there are those who get considerably less.
To almost quote Gary Wilson recently, 'I knew Wayne, but I didn't know how good he was'. For Gary you could perhaps substitute the vast majority of the media. They know Wayne Madsen from the scorecard and the newspapers, but they don't know how good he is, because they don't see enough of him. How he makes his runs. The sense of anticipation when he walks out to bat among the Derbyshire faithful.
Because Wayne Madsen is the business.
Were he less talented, we would probably forgive him, because he is such a nice bloke. Always with a word and a smile for supporters and media alike, always with time, no matter what else he has going on in his life. And that's usually a lot, with a young baby and a testimonial year in full spate.
Yet Wayne is supremely talented. If you were to be asked which his best shots are, you would probably need to quantify the answer with 'left or right-handed'? In his natural way there is the trademark on drive, the ramp, the cover drive. When he reverse hits, the entire leg-side is open to him. He is one of the few who plays the reverse shots gracefully, as if born to it. I guess hockey does that to a man.
He has a career average of 40 in four-day and List A cricket, 29 in T20. The latter wasn't always his thing, but he has improved so much that there's not a part of the 360 degrees of a cricket ground that he cannot score runs. That ramp shot took care of the area over the keepers head, with everywhere else fair game for him.
This year, in the T20 he has been superb. We've never seen batting like it, as the runs have flowed from his bat. 37, 42, 52, 58 not, 86 not, 16, 15 and 49 not. Impressive enough for anyone in the four-day game, yet then you consider his bowling.
He still hasn't gone for ten an over in the competition and his eight wickets and accurate spin have tied down pretty much every side we have met. He will know, like the rest of us who know the game, that one day he will get collared, but the way he is batting, he'll probably knock the runs off anyway..
David Willey, Joe Denly and Alex Hales, all up for the award, have earned international recognition in their careers and could do again. Wayne? At 33 I think he is at his peak, but the kick-back on players who learned their game overseas and his age perhaps mean that an England call may not come. Despite that, there are plenty of recent vintage who are technically less gifted and, if the call came, I doubt he would let anyone down. Especially against spin, where he remains one of the best players in the country.
Last week I asserted that I wouldn't swap Wayne for any other batsman in the country and I stand by that. I doubt there would be many dissenting voices in the peak county that has become his home and where he is most appreciated.
For me, he deserves to be voted Player of the Month in his testimonial year.
If you agree, click here and register your vote for one of the most popular men in the game.
And one of our own.
Sunday, 30 July 2017
Derbyshire v Leicestershire T20
Leicestershire 104-9 (Ackermann 24, Henry 3-18, Tahir 2-20)
Derbyshire 107-3 (Madsen 49 not, Hughes 36 not)
Derbyshire won by seven wickets
Well, that was a hammering.
They are words I have written a time or two, but rarely, in T20 cricket, when we were on the right side of the result.
It is nigh impossible to fault a bowling display where no one went for more than 23 in their four overs. Matt Henry's first ball of the game went for four, but he came back to bowl wonderfully and take 3-18 in his four. Similarly, Imran Tahir's first over went for nine, but his last three went for only eleven. It was most impressive, even if it was a good toss to win, after yesterday's rain.
Hardus Viljoen was tight and got the key early wicket of Luke Ronchi. So was Wayne Madsen, as was Ben Cotton. Adding Ben to the side has given us the 'other' four overs we were lacking in earlier matches, while Wayne's bowling in this competition has been sensational. As a long-time advocate of him bowling more, I am delighted to see his success as a very steady, surprise element of the Derbyshire attack.
There was one leg bye conceded in 20 overs, the only extra. I like to see that and the fielding level, from messages I received, was high. Once again that standard was set by Daryn Smit, who has had an excellent competition behind the timbers and picked up another to add to his growing collection of stumpings.
At half way it was hard to see how we could lose, but those of us who have followed Derbyshire for a while (I think my half century of watching allows me membership of that club..) have seen us lose improbably over the years.
At 21-3, with Matt Critchley also off after a blow on the helmet, we were rocking. Yet I could think of no more calming scenario for the minds of home supporters than Wayne Madsen and Alex Hughes at the crease, with Daryn Smit due next if required.
Wayne is simply one of the all-time greats, a player you will tell your grand-children you saw bat for Derbyshire, while Alex, as I have said before, is a man for a crisis.
They saw that we quickly got above parity in Duckworth-Lewis, then professionally and sensibly took the bowling apart, easing us to victory with over six overs in hand. That margin has had a positive impact on our net run rate and may have even greater effect by the end of the group stage.
We have all seen Derbyshire capitulate pitifully in this competition over the years. The professionalism of this win was a joy to follow and it is patently obvious that the fairy dust that John Wright and Dominic Cork are sprinkling on our T20 cricket is the real deal. However this ends, this has been the season we started to play proper T20 cricket, with a game plan, as well as back ups if required. Let's not forget Kim Barnett either, who had the contacts and the nous to bring the two of them in
Last week, on Sky, Paul Allott came out with the extraordinary comment that Yorkshire are 'dominating' the northern group. Not so much tonight, after Nottinghamshire chased down a target of 224 to beat them at Trent Bridge. Meanwhile, rejuvenated Warwickshire beat Lancashire and, with Northamptonshire not playing, we eased up to second place in the group.
Second.
Yorkshire v Derbyshire at Headingley on Thursday night should be a bit special...
Derbyshire 107-3 (Madsen 49 not, Hughes 36 not)
Derbyshire won by seven wickets
Well, that was a hammering.
They are words I have written a time or two, but rarely, in T20 cricket, when we were on the right side of the result.
It is nigh impossible to fault a bowling display where no one went for more than 23 in their four overs. Matt Henry's first ball of the game went for four, but he came back to bowl wonderfully and take 3-18 in his four. Similarly, Imran Tahir's first over went for nine, but his last three went for only eleven. It was most impressive, even if it was a good toss to win, after yesterday's rain.
Hardus Viljoen was tight and got the key early wicket of Luke Ronchi. So was Wayne Madsen, as was Ben Cotton. Adding Ben to the side has given us the 'other' four overs we were lacking in earlier matches, while Wayne's bowling in this competition has been sensational. As a long-time advocate of him bowling more, I am delighted to see his success as a very steady, surprise element of the Derbyshire attack.
There was one leg bye conceded in 20 overs, the only extra. I like to see that and the fielding level, from messages I received, was high. Once again that standard was set by Daryn Smit, who has had an excellent competition behind the timbers and picked up another to add to his growing collection of stumpings.
At half way it was hard to see how we could lose, but those of us who have followed Derbyshire for a while (I think my half century of watching allows me membership of that club..) have seen us lose improbably over the years.
At 21-3, with Matt Critchley also off after a blow on the helmet, we were rocking. Yet I could think of no more calming scenario for the minds of home supporters than Wayne Madsen and Alex Hughes at the crease, with Daryn Smit due next if required.
Wayne is simply one of the all-time greats, a player you will tell your grand-children you saw bat for Derbyshire, while Alex, as I have said before, is a man for a crisis.
They saw that we quickly got above parity in Duckworth-Lewis, then professionally and sensibly took the bowling apart, easing us to victory with over six overs in hand. That margin has had a positive impact on our net run rate and may have even greater effect by the end of the group stage.
We have all seen Derbyshire capitulate pitifully in this competition over the years. The professionalism of this win was a joy to follow and it is patently obvious that the fairy dust that John Wright and Dominic Cork are sprinkling on our T20 cricket is the real deal. However this ends, this has been the season we started to play proper T20 cricket, with a game plan, as well as back ups if required. Let's not forget Kim Barnett either, who had the contacts and the nous to bring the two of them in
Last week, on Sky, Paul Allott came out with the extraordinary comment that Yorkshire are 'dominating' the northern group. Not so much tonight, after Nottinghamshire chased down a target of 224 to beat them at Trent Bridge. Meanwhile, rejuvenated Warwickshire beat Lancashire and, with Northamptonshire not playing, we eased up to second place in the group.
Second.
Yorkshire v Derbyshire at Headingley on Thursday night should be a bit special...
Saturday, 29 July 2017
Interesting Lancashire stats
Thanks to my good friend Trevor, for bringing to my attention some very interesting statistics from the recent home game against Lancashire.
You can find them on their club site here
The Manhattan shows a Derbyshire innings of encouragingly consistent acceleration, while the individual wagon wheels for Luis Reece and Daryn Smit give a good indication of how they scored their runs. In the case of Luis, pretty much all around the wicket, while Daryn got the majority of his more square of the wicket.
I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I did.
You can find them on their club site here
The Manhattan shows a Derbyshire innings of encouragingly consistent acceleration, while the individual wagon wheels for Luis Reece and Daryn Smit give a good indication of how they scored their runs. In the case of Luis, pretty much all around the wicket, while Daryn got the majority of his more square of the wicket.
I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I did.
Derbyshire v Leicestershire T20 preview
The good old British weather may yet have the final word in the T20 Blast this year.
Last night it looked like Leicestershire had stolen a march on the rest of us, when they somehow got a game in at Grace Road but lost to a Durham side that started on minus four points and hadn't previously improved on that.
It just goes to show that anyone can beat anyone in this group. With six games to go, Derbyshire control their own destiny and a look at the table gives a degree of reassurance. We sit fourth, behind Yorkshire, Northamptonshire and Lancashire, all of who we have beaten.
There will be fine margins in those remaining six games, which include Leicestershire (home and away) Yorkshire (away) Nottinghamshire (home) Durham (home) and Worcestershire (home). Four out of six games at our home INTERNATIONAL ground. I have a feeling that net run rate will make or break things at the end and slip ups of any kind will be costly.
It is the stage of the season where dropped catches, loose overs and poor shot selection penalise teams more than ever. Leicestershire dropped a couple last night, an affliction that I hope carries through to tomorrow's game at the 3aaa County Ground.
Three successive home defeats have seen them drop from a lofty position at the top of the table to the lower reaches, so they will be dangerous opponents tomorrow. Nonetheless, if we bowl in the right areas and our senior men continue to produce the key performances, we can win this one and cement a place in the top four.
I don't see a changed side from the Lancashire win and it is a sign of our progress this summer that I was disappointed at last night's rain. There have been summers where a point from an abandoned match has been the summit of our ambitions. Not to mention one or two where getting them all rained off was probably the preference of supporters...
We go into these last six games in good spirits and I think key to progress will be our tuning back in after a two-week break for 'proper' cricket. We have three games after that break and will hopefully not lose any key personnel in that period to injury. I think it more likely that I will be proclaimed the 'Derbyshire Usain Bolt' than we will see Hardus Viljoen in the four-day game this year and I just hope that he uses the close season to get fit, rather than going back home to play cricket, only to return injured once more.
We haven't had value for money from the big South African, irrespective of which of the salary figures banded about you believe. He owes us big performances in the T20 and if he and Matt Henry fire, our prospects will be considerably enhanced.
Leicestershire? They have some good players and a first choice side that includes four South Africans, two Aussies and a Kiwi. Clint McKay was missing last night, a huge loss as he has been their 'go to' bowler, but a top four of Ronchi, Delport, Cosgrove and Ackerman is dangerous. Their problem has been that only the latter has so far scored a half century in the competition, while they are not the sharpest fielding side either. Former Derbyshire player Callum Parkinson has bowled well for them and they will be underestimated at our peril.
If we get a game tomorrow, it looks like being a contrived one. Heavy showers are forecast and it depends on how long they last and how often they come. I am sure Neil Godrich and his team are hard at work today, trying to get it fit for a game of some sort, but my gut feeling is a game of perhaps two overs per bowler.
Oh..and Derbyshire to win it.
Because we have to.
Last night it looked like Leicestershire had stolen a march on the rest of us, when they somehow got a game in at Grace Road but lost to a Durham side that started on minus four points and hadn't previously improved on that.
It just goes to show that anyone can beat anyone in this group. With six games to go, Derbyshire control their own destiny and a look at the table gives a degree of reassurance. We sit fourth, behind Yorkshire, Northamptonshire and Lancashire, all of who we have beaten.
There will be fine margins in those remaining six games, which include Leicestershire (home and away) Yorkshire (away) Nottinghamshire (home) Durham (home) and Worcestershire (home). Four out of six games at our home INTERNATIONAL ground. I have a feeling that net run rate will make or break things at the end and slip ups of any kind will be costly.
It is the stage of the season where dropped catches, loose overs and poor shot selection penalise teams more than ever. Leicestershire dropped a couple last night, an affliction that I hope carries through to tomorrow's game at the 3aaa County Ground.
Three successive home defeats have seen them drop from a lofty position at the top of the table to the lower reaches, so they will be dangerous opponents tomorrow. Nonetheless, if we bowl in the right areas and our senior men continue to produce the key performances, we can win this one and cement a place in the top four.
I don't see a changed side from the Lancashire win and it is a sign of our progress this summer that I was disappointed at last night's rain. There have been summers where a point from an abandoned match has been the summit of our ambitions. Not to mention one or two where getting them all rained off was probably the preference of supporters...
We go into these last six games in good spirits and I think key to progress will be our tuning back in after a two-week break for 'proper' cricket. We have three games after that break and will hopefully not lose any key personnel in that period to injury. I think it more likely that I will be proclaimed the 'Derbyshire Usain Bolt' than we will see Hardus Viljoen in the four-day game this year and I just hope that he uses the close season to get fit, rather than going back home to play cricket, only to return injured once more.
We haven't had value for money from the big South African, irrespective of which of the salary figures banded about you believe. He owes us big performances in the T20 and if he and Matt Henry fire, our prospects will be considerably enhanced.
Leicestershire? They have some good players and a first choice side that includes four South Africans, two Aussies and a Kiwi. Clint McKay was missing last night, a huge loss as he has been their 'go to' bowler, but a top four of Ronchi, Delport, Cosgrove and Ackerman is dangerous. Their problem has been that only the latter has so far scored a half century in the competition, while they are not the sharpest fielding side either. Former Derbyshire player Callum Parkinson has bowled well for them and they will be underestimated at our peril.
If we get a game tomorrow, it looks like being a contrived one. Heavy showers are forecast and it depends on how long they last and how often they come. I am sure Neil Godrich and his team are hard at work today, trying to get it fit for a game of some sort, but my gut feeling is a game of perhaps two overs per bowler.
Oh..and Derbyshire to win it.
Because we have to.
Thursday, 27 July 2017
Derbyshire v Northamptonshire T20 preview
We've won games batting first and we've won them batting second. We've won when we have won the toss and we've won when we lost it. We have beaten the group leaders and the reigning champions. We've even beaten Lanky-Lanky-Lanky-Lancashire.
Can Derbyshire now beat Northamptonshire for a second time in the competition?
If they can, then the signs for the rest of the competition will be very positive. To answer Mark's question from earlier, I think eight wins will see us to the knock-out, especially if we keep our run rate in a decent position. It is a shame that we only play Durham once, because they are a very average side this year, but there are definitely four wins possible in our remaining seven games.
Yes, we can still improve on areas of our game. We can improve on the fielding, we can bowl tighter lines and lengths; we can make even better use of every ball when we bat. Yet it is undeniable that the side has produced some high quality cricket this summer in the competition, better than the tournament has seen for a long time, possibly ever.
The top four are all good for runs, while Gary Wilson and Alex Hughes are excellent for later impetus. I agree with notoveryet that Daryn Smit may become our best bet for seven, giving him time to rescue and nurse an innings when required, or simply give it sensible slap, as he did on Monday, when time is running out.
His knock was a mini-masterpiece of T20 finishing. Use EVERY ball, run hard and turn ones into twos, punish the bad balls and don't let the bowlers settle. It was an innings borne of experience and was of immense value. Along with his exemplary wicket-keeping, it makes him a key component of the side.
A word too about Gary Wilson. He hasn't, perhaps, made the runs he might have wanted in the competition, but with the top four firing, he has really only had to come in to ease us over the line or push things along. His captaincy, however has been impressive, what has especially impressed me being his use of the bowlers.
I don't like captaincy by rote, or by the coaching book. Time was when bowlers had two overs spells and then off and there were times when you could pretty much call the bowling change yourself, before it happened. Two overs are now the exception, rather than the rule and there is no pattern to the sequence, nor to the bowlers. Reece has bowled, but not always. So has Critchley. Madsen has opened, but not always. Tahir has bowled in the Powerplay, and when it has finished. It keeps the crowd guessing and the opposition too. I suspect that he will enjoy the extra bowling specialist that Ben Cotton gives him, the latter adding to a trio of late order seam bowling 'biffers' if needed. There will be times when someone who can clear the ropes at the death will decide the match...
I expect an unchanged side tomorrow, weather permitting, against a Northamptonshire side that is strengthened by a return to form and fitness of Richard Levi. Their top five is talented and dangerous, their seam attack potent, even if the spin option is negligible. Josh Cobb was missing tonight, as they eased past Worcestershire, but such is his record against us that he would fancy a bat from a bath chair, giving them additional batting power and a spin option.
The weather forecast suggests a truncated game and whoever wins the toss will doubtless fancy batting second. Unless, of course, we outflank them and produce a slower, spinners wicket.
I hope that the weather allows a game and that we can show the form that a large crowd enjoyed on Monday.
Most of them went home with a smile on their faces, after a cracking game and a home win.
More of the same tomorrow would do just dandy.
Can Derbyshire now beat Northamptonshire for a second time in the competition?
If they can, then the signs for the rest of the competition will be very positive. To answer Mark's question from earlier, I think eight wins will see us to the knock-out, especially if we keep our run rate in a decent position. It is a shame that we only play Durham once, because they are a very average side this year, but there are definitely four wins possible in our remaining seven games.
Yes, we can still improve on areas of our game. We can improve on the fielding, we can bowl tighter lines and lengths; we can make even better use of every ball when we bat. Yet it is undeniable that the side has produced some high quality cricket this summer in the competition, better than the tournament has seen for a long time, possibly ever.
The top four are all good for runs, while Gary Wilson and Alex Hughes are excellent for later impetus. I agree with notoveryet that Daryn Smit may become our best bet for seven, giving him time to rescue and nurse an innings when required, or simply give it sensible slap, as he did on Monday, when time is running out.
His knock was a mini-masterpiece of T20 finishing. Use EVERY ball, run hard and turn ones into twos, punish the bad balls and don't let the bowlers settle. It was an innings borne of experience and was of immense value. Along with his exemplary wicket-keeping, it makes him a key component of the side.
A word too about Gary Wilson. He hasn't, perhaps, made the runs he might have wanted in the competition, but with the top four firing, he has really only had to come in to ease us over the line or push things along. His captaincy, however has been impressive, what has especially impressed me being his use of the bowlers.
I don't like captaincy by rote, or by the coaching book. Time was when bowlers had two overs spells and then off and there were times when you could pretty much call the bowling change yourself, before it happened. Two overs are now the exception, rather than the rule and there is no pattern to the sequence, nor to the bowlers. Reece has bowled, but not always. So has Critchley. Madsen has opened, but not always. Tahir has bowled in the Powerplay, and when it has finished. It keeps the crowd guessing and the opposition too. I suspect that he will enjoy the extra bowling specialist that Ben Cotton gives him, the latter adding to a trio of late order seam bowling 'biffers' if needed. There will be times when someone who can clear the ropes at the death will decide the match...
I expect an unchanged side tomorrow, weather permitting, against a Northamptonshire side that is strengthened by a return to form and fitness of Richard Levi. Their top five is talented and dangerous, their seam attack potent, even if the spin option is negligible. Josh Cobb was missing tonight, as they eased past Worcestershire, but such is his record against us that he would fancy a bat from a bath chair, giving them additional batting power and a spin option.
The weather forecast suggests a truncated game and whoever wins the toss will doubtless fancy batting second. Unless, of course, we outflank them and produce a slower, spinners wicket.
I hope that the weather allows a game and that we can show the form that a large crowd enjoyed on Monday.
Most of them went home with a smile on their faces, after a cracking game and a home win.
More of the same tomorrow would do just dandy.
Tuesday, 25 July 2017
Derbyshire v Lancashire T20
Derbyshire 211-5 (Reece 97 not, Smit 42 not)
Lancashire 176-9 (Livingstone 44, Brown 41, Henry 3-37, Critchley 2-16)
Derbyshire won by 35 runs
On an evening that marked the halfway point of the T20 competition, Derbyshire won a game of marvelous entertainment by some distance in the end, although there were times when the result seemed less certain.
When Liam Livingstone took 26 from the first over of Matt Henry, I could imagine a few people reaching for their phones to make blog comments, on a player who has not yet impressed in Derbyshire colours. However, to his great credit he came back and his next three overs produced just eleven runs and three wickets. It was a test of his character and one that he passed with flying colours.
That Lancashire didn't mount the successful chase that looked likely at the halfway point was down to two other unlikely heroes. Matt Critchley has bowled little this year, but his dismissal of Karl Brown and Joss Buttler swung the game our way. The former was going well and we got the latter before he got into his stride, always important.
After that, the decline came fast and the runs dried up, as the recalled Ben Cotton bowled a great spell of four overs, costing just 28 runs. Big Ben is, for me, a solid performer in this format of the game and returned to the form that he showed over the past couple of seasons, crucially giving us an extra, dependable bowler. I suspect that he will now be in to stay, because quite simply he deserves to be in the side after such an effort.
It was encouraging to see Hardus Viljoen return to form too, after my criticism of both he and Henry at the weekend. You need your star men to take the lead and they both put in a good stint tonight. Meanwhile, although Imran Tahir went for a few boundaries, he too pulled it back and I am sure that a healthy crowd enjoyed his wicket and typical celebration.
Earlier, Derbyshire got off to a flyer and stayed at a steady rate, largely thanks to Luis Reece, who will have enjoyed his innings against his old team. He deserved a century, but although he kept getting on to the strike, he couldn't quite reach the landmark. Nonetheless, that was a terrific effort from the left hander.
At 134-5 in the fourteenth over, we could quite easily have subsided to 175 or thereabouts, much as we did at Edgbaston. To add 77 in those closing overs was a terrific effort and full credit is also due to Daryn Smit for his crucial role.
Belying a suggestion that he scores too slowly for the format, Smit's unbeaten 42 from just 20 deliveries took the pressure from Reece and heaped it on to the visitors, as we passed 200 with an over to spare. It also, for me, made more sense for him to come in with overs to bat, than the more aggressive but less dependable Henry. Twice now he has played crucial, late hands for us in this competition; each time that innings was the difference at the end of the game.
It was stirring stuff and must have been special for a large crowd on a balmy summer's evening. The club's coffers must have swelled nicely, just like our prospects in the competition.
Now for Friday night.
Let's go again, boys...
Now, I look forward to your comments!
Lancashire 176-9 (Livingstone 44, Brown 41, Henry 3-37, Critchley 2-16)
Derbyshire won by 35 runs
On an evening that marked the halfway point of the T20 competition, Derbyshire won a game of marvelous entertainment by some distance in the end, although there were times when the result seemed less certain.
When Liam Livingstone took 26 from the first over of Matt Henry, I could imagine a few people reaching for their phones to make blog comments, on a player who has not yet impressed in Derbyshire colours. However, to his great credit he came back and his next three overs produced just eleven runs and three wickets. It was a test of his character and one that he passed with flying colours.
That Lancashire didn't mount the successful chase that looked likely at the halfway point was down to two other unlikely heroes. Matt Critchley has bowled little this year, but his dismissal of Karl Brown and Joss Buttler swung the game our way. The former was going well and we got the latter before he got into his stride, always important.
After that, the decline came fast and the runs dried up, as the recalled Ben Cotton bowled a great spell of four overs, costing just 28 runs. Big Ben is, for me, a solid performer in this format of the game and returned to the form that he showed over the past couple of seasons, crucially giving us an extra, dependable bowler. I suspect that he will now be in to stay, because quite simply he deserves to be in the side after such an effort.
It was encouraging to see Hardus Viljoen return to form too, after my criticism of both he and Henry at the weekend. You need your star men to take the lead and they both put in a good stint tonight. Meanwhile, although Imran Tahir went for a few boundaries, he too pulled it back and I am sure that a healthy crowd enjoyed his wicket and typical celebration.
Earlier, Derbyshire got off to a flyer and stayed at a steady rate, largely thanks to Luis Reece, who will have enjoyed his innings against his old team. He deserved a century, but although he kept getting on to the strike, he couldn't quite reach the landmark. Nonetheless, that was a terrific effort from the left hander.
At 134-5 in the fourteenth over, we could quite easily have subsided to 175 or thereabouts, much as we did at Edgbaston. To add 77 in those closing overs was a terrific effort and full credit is also due to Daryn Smit for his crucial role.
Belying a suggestion that he scores too slowly for the format, Smit's unbeaten 42 from just 20 deliveries took the pressure from Reece and heaped it on to the visitors, as we passed 200 with an over to spare. It also, for me, made more sense for him to come in with overs to bat, than the more aggressive but less dependable Henry. Twice now he has played crucial, late hands for us in this competition; each time that innings was the difference at the end of the game.
It was stirring stuff and must have been special for a large crowd on a balmy summer's evening. The club's coffers must have swelled nicely, just like our prospects in the competition.
Now for Friday night.
Let's go again, boys...
Now, I look forward to your comments!
Monday, 24 July 2017
Derbyshire v Lancashire T20 preview
There is an opportunity for Derbyshire to lay down a marker tomorrow, in a game against Lancashire that marks the half way point of the T20 group stage.
Defeat wouldn't spell the end of our ambitions, in a group that is wide open and where seven or eight wins might take a team through. But it would suggest our recent decline could be terminal to those ambitions.
We need a statement in front of a likely good crowd and a repeat of last year's excellent win over the visitors. It was a game in which Jimmy Neesham, who for me should have been re-engaged for this year, produced a fine bowling performance, before one of the last Wes and Ches shows, with a fine knock from Hamish Rutherford, took us home.
We are a stronger side this year, but the bowling has been sketchy and thus far, for me, only Imran Tahir can be said to have genuinely improved it. Hardus Viljoen bowled well in the first two games, but since then, perhaps with injury, has struggled, while Matt Henry has bowled some good balls but been horribly punished. I know the bowlers will have talked and worked on the lines and lengths they need to be bowling with Dominic Cork, but it would appear they have been missing them. Badly.
I don't see them being dropped though, as one pundit wrote elsewhere the other night. They are players of proven ability and we can only hope that their mojo returns and a home crowd gets the best from them. I may be in a minority of one, but don't see better options languishing in the second team at this stage.
I do think we need to bring in an extra bowler and Ben Cotton could be that man. In previous summers he has managed to hit the wide yorker lengths pretty well and that will be important against a side that carries some punishing batsmen down the order.
I'm not going to predict this one, because I am unsure which Derbyshire side will turn up. As I wrote last night, we cannot keep leaving the batting almost 200 to chase and expect them to come up trumps.
Lancashire have had stronger sides in the past, but are doing well because they play as a team and have several players who can score the quick, requisite thirties. They also have Junaid Khan, a good death bowler who stifled us at Old Trafford and the presence of Joss Butler in the middle order is always a threat.
For Derbyshire to win, someone - batsman or bowler - needs to produce something magical for us.
Who will step up to the plate?
Defeat wouldn't spell the end of our ambitions, in a group that is wide open and where seven or eight wins might take a team through. But it would suggest our recent decline could be terminal to those ambitions.
We need a statement in front of a likely good crowd and a repeat of last year's excellent win over the visitors. It was a game in which Jimmy Neesham, who for me should have been re-engaged for this year, produced a fine bowling performance, before one of the last Wes and Ches shows, with a fine knock from Hamish Rutherford, took us home.
We are a stronger side this year, but the bowling has been sketchy and thus far, for me, only Imran Tahir can be said to have genuinely improved it. Hardus Viljoen bowled well in the first two games, but since then, perhaps with injury, has struggled, while Matt Henry has bowled some good balls but been horribly punished. I know the bowlers will have talked and worked on the lines and lengths they need to be bowling with Dominic Cork, but it would appear they have been missing them. Badly.
I don't see them being dropped though, as one pundit wrote elsewhere the other night. They are players of proven ability and we can only hope that their mojo returns and a home crowd gets the best from them. I may be in a minority of one, but don't see better options languishing in the second team at this stage.
I do think we need to bring in an extra bowler and Ben Cotton could be that man. In previous summers he has managed to hit the wide yorker lengths pretty well and that will be important against a side that carries some punishing batsmen down the order.
I'm not going to predict this one, because I am unsure which Derbyshire side will turn up. As I wrote last night, we cannot keep leaving the batting almost 200 to chase and expect them to come up trumps.
Lancashire have had stronger sides in the past, but are doing well because they play as a team and have several players who can score the quick, requisite thirties. They also have Junaid Khan, a good death bowler who stifled us at Old Trafford and the presence of Joss Butler in the middle order is always a threat.
For Derbyshire to win, someone - batsman or bowler - needs to produce something magical for us.
Who will step up to the plate?
Sunday, 23 July 2017
Birmingham Bears v Derbyshire T20
Birmingham Bears 197-4 (De Grandhomme 65 not, Pollock 66)
Derbyshire 177-9 (Reece 33, Elliott 4-37)
Bears won by 20 runs
After seventeen overs of the home side's innings today, a betting man might have fancied a few bob on Derbyshire coming out on top in this game.
At 137-3, with Ian Bell dismissed, the thinking would have been a total of around 170, comfortably within the compass of a side that has been batting well.
Then the wheels came off, faster than a pit stop at a grand prix.
SIXTY runs conceded in the last three overs.Six, zero.
The target had gone from challenging, but possible, to unlikely in eighteen balls. A friend texted me to say that, according to the radio, we would fancy anything under 200. Sadly, not for me.
When the momentum swings against you, it is very difficult to stop it and swing it back. The home side will have been buzzing after the late assault by Colin De Grandhomme and Will Porterfield, something we appear to have been powerless to stop.
I am less concerned about Wayne Madsen conceding runs, though the question of bowling him at that stage, as a non-regular bowler, is a valid one. Both batsmen have reputations as hitters, though I guess he has been our best bowler and just had one of those overs. What is disappointing, however, is that we continue to hemorrhage runs from our overseas quicks, from who one would really expect better.
It is not fair to judge players at this stage, but is safe to say that both need to up their game if this is to be anything other than the latest in a long list of promising, but ultimately disappointing campaigns. We have gone from 3-1 to 3-3 in the blink of an eye and although the batting worked hard to the end, we cannot expect them to be chasing 200 every time and no one really got going today.
With the role of overseas professional and Kolpak come rewards, but also considerable expectation. If Ben Cotton and Tom Taylor had gone for those runs we would write it off to inexperience, but players who are well rewarded and experienced should be doing better. Just as De Grandhomme did, as Grant Elliott did and, indeed, as Imran Tahir did, after taking some stick in his opening over.
At the end of a disappointing weekend, we sit third in the table on run rate, one of four teams on six points with the reigning champions and Leicestershire, a side we have still to play twice, above us.
There is a lot to play for and we can get back on track.
But by crikey, those closing overs need to be a heck of lot better, even if I acknowledge a terrific effort by the two home batsmen.
Don't let us down now lads, after all the hard work you have put in so far.
Derbyshire 177-9 (Reece 33, Elliott 4-37)
Bears won by 20 runs
After seventeen overs of the home side's innings today, a betting man might have fancied a few bob on Derbyshire coming out on top in this game.
At 137-3, with Ian Bell dismissed, the thinking would have been a total of around 170, comfortably within the compass of a side that has been batting well.
Then the wheels came off, faster than a pit stop at a grand prix.
SIXTY runs conceded in the last three overs.Six, zero.
The target had gone from challenging, but possible, to unlikely in eighteen balls. A friend texted me to say that, according to the radio, we would fancy anything under 200. Sadly, not for me.
When the momentum swings against you, it is very difficult to stop it and swing it back. The home side will have been buzzing after the late assault by Colin De Grandhomme and Will Porterfield, something we appear to have been powerless to stop.
I am less concerned about Wayne Madsen conceding runs, though the question of bowling him at that stage, as a non-regular bowler, is a valid one. Both batsmen have reputations as hitters, though I guess he has been our best bowler and just had one of those overs. What is disappointing, however, is that we continue to hemorrhage runs from our overseas quicks, from who one would really expect better.
It is not fair to judge players at this stage, but is safe to say that both need to up their game if this is to be anything other than the latest in a long list of promising, but ultimately disappointing campaigns. We have gone from 3-1 to 3-3 in the blink of an eye and although the batting worked hard to the end, we cannot expect them to be chasing 200 every time and no one really got going today.
With the role of overseas professional and Kolpak come rewards, but also considerable expectation. If Ben Cotton and Tom Taylor had gone for those runs we would write it off to inexperience, but players who are well rewarded and experienced should be doing better. Just as De Grandhomme did, as Grant Elliott did and, indeed, as Imran Tahir did, after taking some stick in his opening over.
At the end of a disappointing weekend, we sit third in the table on run rate, one of four teams on six points with the reigning champions and Leicestershire, a side we have still to play twice, above us.
There is a lot to play for and we can get back on track.
But by crikey, those closing overs need to be a heck of lot better, even if I acknowledge a terrific effort by the two home batsmen.
Don't let us down now lads, after all the hard work you have put in so far.
Saturday, 22 July 2017
Birmingham Bears v Derbyshire preview
You see, that's the thing with T20.
It only needs a batsman to come out flying on either side and it can make a mockery of predictions and form. Like Riki Wessels last night, after the hardest work appeared to have been done.
Tomorrow's opponents Warwickshire (for it is they, in an animal guise...) have some good players but are having a wretched summer. They seem destined for the drop in the four-day game and have committed the cardinal sporting sin of letting a good team grow old together. A look at the side that played Yorkshire last night shows a collection of players who are unlikely to be whippets in the field, but can still produce the goods with bat and ball.
As good as Yorkshire and Northamptonshire, who we beat? No. Probably on a par with Worcestershire, who we also beat, but carrying a threat beyond the playing field in possibly being underestimated, as the likes of Ian Bell, Tim Ambrose, Grant Elliott and Jeevan Patel have been good players for a long time. They may not have the constant flame of their pomp, but from time to time they can turn it on and still win games.
Such a game could easily be tomorrow, and our increasingly impressive side must guard against complacency or they will get badly burned.
I don't see any changes in the Derbyshire side, unless late injury dictates otherwise and the only question, as mentioned earlier, is if there is a need for an additional bowling or batting specialist in the side. The way our batting is going I don't think so and, if your top seven don't get you runs, why should you expect a bloke at eight to do so? It's a shame that Ben Cotton hasn't the form of a couple of years back, when he looked a very good limited overs bowler, as he would have strolled into the side otherwise .
Taking the pace off seems to be the way we go, so I think it will be a straight call between Callum Brodrick or Hamidullah Qadri, with the former likely to get the nod. Given he hasn't yet batted or bowled, it can hardly be claimed that he has let us down, can it? Slow and turning would be nice, though, for a wicket...
Our hosts look likely to field the side that lost to Yorkshire, which will thus line up:
Hain, Bell, Porterfield, Ambrose, Elliott, Thomason, de Grandhomme, Barker, Patel, Rankin, Hannon-Dalby.
With three Kiwis in that side, John Wright should have an idea what to expect, as should Matt Henry on the pitch.
A Derbyshire win? If we hope to progress in the competition, it has to be. Good players as they are, you would have to say we need to beat them, Durham and Leicestershire to go through. I can understand losing to Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire. To lose to the others, we are deluding ourselves with expectation of progress.
We'll see how it goes tomorrow.
Good luck lads.
It only needs a batsman to come out flying on either side and it can make a mockery of predictions and form. Like Riki Wessels last night, after the hardest work appeared to have been done.
Tomorrow's opponents Warwickshire (for it is they, in an animal guise...) have some good players but are having a wretched summer. They seem destined for the drop in the four-day game and have committed the cardinal sporting sin of letting a good team grow old together. A look at the side that played Yorkshire last night shows a collection of players who are unlikely to be whippets in the field, but can still produce the goods with bat and ball.
As good as Yorkshire and Northamptonshire, who we beat? No. Probably on a par with Worcestershire, who we also beat, but carrying a threat beyond the playing field in possibly being underestimated, as the likes of Ian Bell, Tim Ambrose, Grant Elliott and Jeevan Patel have been good players for a long time. They may not have the constant flame of their pomp, but from time to time they can turn it on and still win games.
Such a game could easily be tomorrow, and our increasingly impressive side must guard against complacency or they will get badly burned.
I don't see any changes in the Derbyshire side, unless late injury dictates otherwise and the only question, as mentioned earlier, is if there is a need for an additional bowling or batting specialist in the side. The way our batting is going I don't think so and, if your top seven don't get you runs, why should you expect a bloke at eight to do so? It's a shame that Ben Cotton hasn't the form of a couple of years back, when he looked a very good limited overs bowler, as he would have strolled into the side otherwise .
Taking the pace off seems to be the way we go, so I think it will be a straight call between Callum Brodrick or Hamidullah Qadri, with the former likely to get the nod. Given he hasn't yet batted or bowled, it can hardly be claimed that he has let us down, can it? Slow and turning would be nice, though, for a wicket...
Our hosts look likely to field the side that lost to Yorkshire, which will thus line up:
Hain, Bell, Porterfield, Ambrose, Elliott, Thomason, de Grandhomme, Barker, Patel, Rankin, Hannon-Dalby.
With three Kiwis in that side, John Wright should have an idea what to expect, as should Matt Henry on the pitch.
A Derbyshire win? If we hope to progress in the competition, it has to be. Good players as they are, you would have to say we need to beat them, Durham and Leicestershire to go through. I can understand losing to Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire. To lose to the others, we are deluding ourselves with expectation of progress.
We'll see how it goes tomorrow.
Good luck lads.
A season-defining week ahead
The next week is one that will define whether the 2017 season will go down in history as where Derbyshire started their climb to a side of quality, or sparkled briefly, only to fizzle out once more.
It is undeniable that we have played a better quality of cricket than before in this T20.
So far.
The key is now to extend that through a week of largely home matches, against teams who we should have a chance of beating. Warwickshire away are beatable, after a wretched summer, while Lancashire could, with a little more batting nous, have been beaten at Old Trafford. If we can do better on Tuesday, it sets the return against Northamptonshire up nicely on Friday, before table-topping Leicestershire visit on Sunday.
In previous years I would have thought 'one win, three losses' among that set, but it is a sign of the change of mindset that all could be viewed as wins. They possibly won't be, but we are a better-equipped and more experienced side this year, if we maintain focus.
Yes, as a contributor said yesterday, we are missing Shiv Thakor, but I would be surprised if we see him, so must continue as we are. We are crying out for a Charl Langeveldt, but the batting in this format has evolved even since his time. With batsmen using the full depth and width of the crease and carrying bats that will mishit sixes, short boundaries make the task of the bowler an onerous one.
Any bowler, especially those who often bowl in the Powerplays, who hits the ten an over mark for runs conceded is probably achieving par. As we saw the other night with Matt Henry, his last three balls changed impressive figures to average, as they went for 16 runs. None were bad balls, but the batsman chanced his arm and strength and away the ball went, along with his figures. It was the same for Imran last night, they perhaps didn't always read him, but rode the luck and reaped the rewards.
If the eleven that played last night remain fit, I don't see changes this week. Who would you leave out, with all the batsmen scoring runs and three internationals in the bowling ranks? Callum Brodrick's place is the most vulnerable, but do you pick a batsman who might not bat, a bowler you may not need or your best fielder?
With Madsen, Henry, Viljoen and Tahir to bowl 16 overs, I think the other four will continue to be split between Reece, Hughes and Critchley, unless Ben Cotton rediscovers his best bowling form or Tom Wood hits furiously this weekend at club level. Maybe Charlie Macdonell, who bats well and offers another spin option. Perhaps Hamidullah Qadri, whose height may make him more difficult to get 'under'. If they are unlikely to be used, then pick the best fielder, whoever he is.
Will it be enough to make it a golden week? I know no more than you, but I reckon that the side goes into every game now with a fifty per cent chance of success, sometimes more.
It is a long time since we have been able to say that and the efforts of John Wright and the captaincy of Gary Wilson have been impressive. We have plans, something we haven't had for a year or two, but not rigid ones. Reece didn't bowl last night (and will doubtless be pleased!)while the opposition don't 'line up' our bowlers in longer spells. We are lessening the impact of dot balls on our totals and largely batting with greater urgency, batsmen encouraged to express themselves.
It will make for a worthy week of watching and I hope that the locals turn up in the numbers that the efforts of everyone deserve.
If I get to next Sunday evening and remain in a state of anticipation, it will be a job well done.
It is undeniable that we have played a better quality of cricket than before in this T20.
So far.
The key is now to extend that through a week of largely home matches, against teams who we should have a chance of beating. Warwickshire away are beatable, after a wretched summer, while Lancashire could, with a little more batting nous, have been beaten at Old Trafford. If we can do better on Tuesday, it sets the return against Northamptonshire up nicely on Friday, before table-topping Leicestershire visit on Sunday.
In previous years I would have thought 'one win, three losses' among that set, but it is a sign of the change of mindset that all could be viewed as wins. They possibly won't be, but we are a better-equipped and more experienced side this year, if we maintain focus.
Yes, as a contributor said yesterday, we are missing Shiv Thakor, but I would be surprised if we see him, so must continue as we are. We are crying out for a Charl Langeveldt, but the batting in this format has evolved even since his time. With batsmen using the full depth and width of the crease and carrying bats that will mishit sixes, short boundaries make the task of the bowler an onerous one.
Any bowler, especially those who often bowl in the Powerplays, who hits the ten an over mark for runs conceded is probably achieving par. As we saw the other night with Matt Henry, his last three balls changed impressive figures to average, as they went for 16 runs. None were bad balls, but the batsman chanced his arm and strength and away the ball went, along with his figures. It was the same for Imran last night, they perhaps didn't always read him, but rode the luck and reaped the rewards.
If the eleven that played last night remain fit, I don't see changes this week. Who would you leave out, with all the batsmen scoring runs and three internationals in the bowling ranks? Callum Brodrick's place is the most vulnerable, but do you pick a batsman who might not bat, a bowler you may not need or your best fielder?
With Madsen, Henry, Viljoen and Tahir to bowl 16 overs, I think the other four will continue to be split between Reece, Hughes and Critchley, unless Ben Cotton rediscovers his best bowling form or Tom Wood hits furiously this weekend at club level. Maybe Charlie Macdonell, who bats well and offers another spin option. Perhaps Hamidullah Qadri, whose height may make him more difficult to get 'under'. If they are unlikely to be used, then pick the best fielder, whoever he is.
Will it be enough to make it a golden week? I know no more than you, but I reckon that the side goes into every game now with a fifty per cent chance of success, sometimes more.
It is a long time since we have been able to say that and the efforts of John Wright and the captaincy of Gary Wilson have been impressive. We have plans, something we haven't had for a year or two, but not rigid ones. Reece didn't bowl last night (and will doubtless be pleased!)while the opposition don't 'line up' our bowlers in longer spells. We are lessening the impact of dot balls on our totals and largely batting with greater urgency, batsmen encouraged to express themselves.
It will make for a worthy week of watching and I hope that the locals turn up in the numbers that the efforts of everyone deserve.
If I get to next Sunday evening and remain in a state of anticipation, it will be a job well done.
Friday, 21 July 2017
Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire T20
Nottinghamshire 227-3 (Wessels 110, Taylor 67 not, Madsen 2-32)
Derbyshire 222-5 (Madsen 86 not, Godleman 43 not)
Nottinghamshire won by 5 runs
You can forget the city-based competition, because there will be nothing remotely close to the excitement on a night when two East Midlands rivals slugged it out under the Trent Bridge floodlights.
Yes, in the end the home side prevailed, narrowly, when we couldn't get a six off the game's final ball to tie it. Be honest, how many of you had any idea we would get within a hair's breadth of a total of that magnitude?
There may well be criticisms of the bowlers tonight, but sometimes you need to credit batsmen who play a blinder, albeit with the aid of a boundary that was a tad on the short side. Riki Wessels is a perennial thorn in our side, and even when Wayne Madsen took the wickets of Hales and Patel, the danger of Wessels and Brendan Taylor was obvious. They hit us around the park, as we later did to their bowlers.
Madsen was the best by a distance, as he was later the best batsman. He is having a quite astonishing tournament and is in the form of his life, after a sketchy four-day season so far. The rest went for ten an over-plus, but if you combine big bats and short boundaries, something has to give. I had messages about poor fielding and Wessels was dropped, but this happens in any form of cricket. The side that fields the best often just shades it, but we came so close.
Critchley and Godleman again went off like a train, Reece ticked over steadily and then came Madsen. An unbeaten 86 from just 44 balls as we stayed in the game to the very end, with support from Gary Wilson and then Alex Hughes.
In the end it was...just...too much. But on a night when over fourteen thousand filled Trent Bridge, county cricket was the winner. Why do we need to introduce a 'better' competition, which will have all the competitive edge of Ethel and Mary knitting sweaters at the WRI? I am still firmly of the opinion - and hope - that it dies on its backside.
It was a magnificent game to follow, in my case on Twitter and Cricinfo, and a huge credit to both sides.
Where does it leave us? Still, I think, in a very strong position. If we can chase and not be fazed by a total of that size, other counties will be worried about what we might do. If the fielding and bowling can hold their own, the batting appears to be going from strength to strength.
In any other season, if you had told me the opposition had made 220, I would have backed us to fall a hundred short.
This year? We are a team of constant surprises.
Perhaps the best is yet to come.
Postscript - shameful piece on the BBC cricket site about Callum Brodrick's dropped catch at Worcester the other night. It was labelled 'an easy catch', which anyone who has ever played the game knows they never are.
When the eyes of everyone are on you and the ball is coming down from a great height, it is never easy. Some may make it seem so, but factor in a big crowd, a lad making his county debut and the television cameras and the complexity increases.
Whoever was responsible should be ashamed, as should whichever hack editor thought it a good idea.
They got their come-uppance on Twitter today, that's for sure.
And rightly so.
Derbyshire 222-5 (Madsen 86 not, Godleman 43 not)
Nottinghamshire won by 5 runs
You can forget the city-based competition, because there will be nothing remotely close to the excitement on a night when two East Midlands rivals slugged it out under the Trent Bridge floodlights.
Yes, in the end the home side prevailed, narrowly, when we couldn't get a six off the game's final ball to tie it. Be honest, how many of you had any idea we would get within a hair's breadth of a total of that magnitude?
There may well be criticisms of the bowlers tonight, but sometimes you need to credit batsmen who play a blinder, albeit with the aid of a boundary that was a tad on the short side. Riki Wessels is a perennial thorn in our side, and even when Wayne Madsen took the wickets of Hales and Patel, the danger of Wessels and Brendan Taylor was obvious. They hit us around the park, as we later did to their bowlers.
Madsen was the best by a distance, as he was later the best batsman. He is having a quite astonishing tournament and is in the form of his life, after a sketchy four-day season so far. The rest went for ten an over-plus, but if you combine big bats and short boundaries, something has to give. I had messages about poor fielding and Wessels was dropped, but this happens in any form of cricket. The side that fields the best often just shades it, but we came so close.
Critchley and Godleman again went off like a train, Reece ticked over steadily and then came Madsen. An unbeaten 86 from just 44 balls as we stayed in the game to the very end, with support from Gary Wilson and then Alex Hughes.
In the end it was...just...too much. But on a night when over fourteen thousand filled Trent Bridge, county cricket was the winner. Why do we need to introduce a 'better' competition, which will have all the competitive edge of Ethel and Mary knitting sweaters at the WRI? I am still firmly of the opinion - and hope - that it dies on its backside.
It was a magnificent game to follow, in my case on Twitter and Cricinfo, and a huge credit to both sides.
Where does it leave us? Still, I think, in a very strong position. If we can chase and not be fazed by a total of that size, other counties will be worried about what we might do. If the fielding and bowling can hold their own, the batting appears to be going from strength to strength.
In any other season, if you had told me the opposition had made 220, I would have backed us to fall a hundred short.
This year? We are a team of constant surprises.
Perhaps the best is yet to come.
Postscript - shameful piece on the BBC cricket site about Callum Brodrick's dropped catch at Worcester the other night. It was labelled 'an easy catch', which anyone who has ever played the game knows they never are.
When the eyes of everyone are on you and the ball is coming down from a great height, it is never easy. Some may make it seem so, but factor in a big crowd, a lad making his county debut and the television cameras and the complexity increases.
Whoever was responsible should be ashamed, as should whichever hack editor thought it a good idea.
They got their come-uppance on Twitter today, that's for sure.
And rightly so.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)