Glamorgan v Derbyshire preview

Derbyshire begin the post-Masood era with a trip to Wales, to play promotion rivals Glamorgan, over the next 4 days.

Promotion would now appear to be beyond us, with Middlesex 19 points ahead and only two games to go. Glamorgan themselves are in third, 7 points ahead of Derbyshire and regardless of promotion we will want to finish the season strongly. Third or fourth place in the league would be a fine sign of progress, but a lessening of intensity at this stage could yet see us finish in the bottom three. That would not be a fair reflection on the summer's work, so we must hope for a good finish, before we head into the winter once more.

Derbyshire have named a 12-man squad, with Mark Watt missing on international duty. Alex Thomson comes in for his first game in a while and will certainly add needed late ballast to the batting, as well as the offspin option.

An interesting addition to the squad is Adam Sylvester, who has played well recently in the second team, having played most of his cricket as a young man in Wales. The young seam bowler also played for our second team last year and logically should make a debut tomorrow, so we know if he can cut it at this level. We won't learn much if he is carrying the drinks.

The Derbyshire squad is as follows:

Godleman, Reece, Guest, Madsen, du Plooy, Came, Dal, Thomson, Aitchison, Conners, Sylvester, Potts.

Brooke Guest is 137 runs away from his thousand for the season, very possible with four innings to go. Meanwhile, Anuj Dal needs 191, while Sam Conners is 8 wickets away from 50 for the summer.

The home side have yet to announce their squad, but they are likely to feature two overseas players, Ajaz Patel of New Zealand and Shubman Gill of India. They were heavily beaten in their last outing against Middlesex and will be keen to make amends.

Their side in that last game was:

Lloyd, Byrom, Gill, Northeast, Carlson, Root, Cooke, Harris, Van Der Gugten, Patel, Hogan.

It will be a tough game for Derbyshire but hopefully one that produces a game of cricket that is as enthralling as the one at Derby earlier in the summer.

The first three days look set for decent weather, with rain showers likely on the final day.

I think we have the talent in our side to win this one, and hope that the final two games give county supporters more reasons for optimism before the winter.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

Next year .

With a few minutes to spare during our trip to Berwick upon Tweed, I decided to take a look at the future tours calendar of the ICC for 2023.

I have no idea where Mickey Arthur will look for next year's overseas replacement for Shan Masood. The reality is that the international calendar is so congested these days that no major cricketing nation has a free English summer next year.

The best bet for Derbyshire and indeed any county, would be to find a player as we did with Suranga Lakmal, who was finishing with international cricket. Such a player offers the greater opportunity of availability, but one can never legislate for injury, as we found this year.

The three countries who have the least international commitments in 2023 between April and September are South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Has anyone in the current South African setup impressed you? Or might Mickey Arthur go back to the countries he has most recently worked with for another diamond such as Masood?

I can see the merit in a like for like replacement, an opening batsman to set the standard. But I can also see major benefits in perhaps bringing in a spin bowling all rounder, adding depth to the batting and an additional weapon when what looks likely to be a strong seam attack doesn't find conditions in its favour.

Of the three spinners who have played for Derbyshire this year, Alex Thomson started well and offered additional batting support at number 8, but has played little cricket in recent weeks. Mattie McKiernan bowled well in the Vitality Blast and has batted solidly all summer, but hasn't looked a spinner likely to take wickets in the longer format.

Meanwhile, Mark Watt did a very good job in limited overs cricket and may be an option for a full-time contract. However, a Derbyshire side with Watt at number eight, with the greatest of respect, has a long tail. I think that Ben Aitchison has the talent to develop as a batsman, while Zak Chappell has the potential to improve in that area too.

For me, there lies the great dilemma for Mickey Arthur this winter. His engine room between 3 and 7 looks pretty good. But is the opening batting a bigger issue than the need for a spinner? Luis Reece suggested in the fifty over competition that he is rediscovering his best batting form, but will still be disappointed with his figures from the summer as a whole.

Meanwhile, Billy Godleman has had a summer to forget, following one little better last year. No one is more grateful and appreciative of what Billy has done at Derbyshire than I am, but the figures don't stack up. Can we afford an alternative opening batsman, is Harry Came an option for that role? We must assume that education will take up much of Mitch Wagstaffe's time for now and Tom Wood seems an unlikely opener, at least in the 4-day game.

I don't think that we will have a lot of money to spend on team improvement this year, but we either need an opening batsman and/or a spin bowling all rounder in that overseas role for me.

Thoughts?

Lawrence Rowe- a major unfulfilled talent

I had a lovely chat this morning with the cricket writer, Ashley Gray. His book on the West Indian 'rebel' tourists who went to South Africa was the cricket book of the year last year and deservedly so.

If you haven't already read it I would urge you to get it onto your Christmas or birthday list when you can. It is simply magnificent, both in the depth of the research and in the individual stories that it tells. I have read hundreds over the years and very few have stayed with me as that one did.

So I was delighted to be able to offer my insight into the captain of that tour, Lawrence Rowe and the time that he spent at Derbyshire in 1974. A full biography of the player is to be Ashley's next book and I have no doubt that it will be comparable in quality. He is an outstanding writer, one of the very best of the genre.

Our chat reminded me of an outstanding talent and the year that he spent in Derbyshire colours. It also brought back to mind the piece below, which I wrote a decade ago.

I am pleased to republish it, slightly amended.

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The news that Derbyshire had signed West Indian run machine Lawrence Rowe in the winter of 1973-74 was met with near disbelief.

Rowe had burst onto the international scene with a succession of innings that suggested a player of genuine brilliance. His early big scores were all made at his home ground, Sabina Park, Jamaica, but a triple century against England at Bridgetown, Barbados that winter whetted our appetite for a summer where runs would surely cascade from his bat. Would he score 1500? Maybe even 2000 runs?

On his debut against Sussex at a freezing County Ground, as far removed from Jamaica as you could be, Rowe stroked a delightful 94 against an attack including his winter adversaries, John Snow and Tony Greig. The innings showed him to be a stylish, elegant batsman with shots all around the wicket. Derby in early season was no place for the faint-hearted. but Rowe, who seemingly was loathe to leave the warmth of the electric fire in the dressing room, impressed everyone watching. This was despite wearing any sweater he could lay his hands on, making him look of far more substantial build than was the case.

I saw him many times that summer, sixteen years old and desperate for a sporting hero. I'd listened to the radio during the previous winter, as commentators waxed lyrical about his strokeplay. Dad and I just grinned at one another, envisaging Rowe leading a Derbyshire resurgence. We saw him play some of the most delightful cameos, thirties and forties of poise, beauty, charm and elegance, then were frustrated as he continually gave it away. Rowe often whistled as he batted - nerves, confidence or just an affectation? If the latter, it needed backing up with runs. If the former, maybe it was a factor in under-achievement.

That May, in a televised game against Gloucestershire played at Bristol, he eased his way to 71 runs, playing every shot in the book in what amounted to a batting masterclass. Deft late-cuts, a square cut like a rapier, a cover drive of genuine elegance, a hook for six when Brian Brain dropped one short. "His defensive technique is the best I've seen on a West Indian" said Dad, who had seen all of their post-war greats. He toyed with David Graveney, before playing around a straight one and departing in a most disappointing manner. It was as if he'd had enough, like watching a world-class tenor fluff the high C at the end of an aria, otherwise sung faultlessly.

Watching Rowe, one was struck by two things - how still he was at the crease and how much time he had to play his shots. The fastest of bowlers appeared to be of little consequence, yet he kept finding ways to get out when he should have been filling his boots. 

He didn't so much hit the ball as caress it to the boundary, but was dismissed time after time when his bat seemed as wide as a door. Have a look at the video below and see what I mean:

We listened to the cricket scores on the radio and it was always the same. "Lawrence Rowe made a stylish 38/45/56/72" - whatever, yet he never bettered that debut score. We saw him against Yorkshire at Chesterfield, again in the John Player League and he opened with Tony Borrington. 

He eased a four past mid-on and then added another with his text book cover drive, the front knee bending, the follow through held for the cameras. He was class, C-L-A-S-S. The Yorkies were about to be put to the sword, then suddenly he was gone. Run out, the bowler knocking Borrington's firmly-struck drive onto the stumps at the non-striker's end as he backed up too far. Rowe walked slowly to the dressing room with his head down, supporters sighed and moaned at another missed opportunity.

Don't get me wrong, he wasn't a failure. He was just short of his thousand runs in three-day cricket and comfortably exceeded it when one added in the other formats. It was just that we expected more, something akin to what Brian Lara produced for Warwickshire later.

So why didn't it work out for Lawrence Rowe? He was unlucky with niggling injuries, though there were suggestions in some quarters of hypochondria. John Wright's autobiography records a team mate telling him of Rowe undergoing a fitness test in the nets, batting on a wicket that was pretty poor. He never missed a ball, looked in a different league to anyone else and then to general incredulity, professed himself unfit to play. He suffered badly from hay fever, specifically an allergy to grass. In a 2007 interview, he said that his eyes were "constantly itching...sometimes I would go in to bat and I could hardly see". It explained a lot.

A knee injury hampered him to some extent, but "eye trouble" kept raising its head from people you spoke to and he was diagnosed with astigmatism in his leading left eye, something that couldn't be satisfactorily treated with glasses. Others suggested that he feared failure and disappointing people, the pressure building up inside him, something he refuted. Maybe he just found the pressure of expectation too much. He wouldn't be the first, or last 

He signed off with 26 against Northamptonshire at Derby, yet another innings that promised much but ended in disappointment. If we had known more about the seriousness of the eye problem we might have been more understanding, but Rowe was to remain a talent largely unfulfilled. A century in World Series Cricket, 175 against a fit and flying Lillee and Thomson, is still regarded as one of the finest innings played in Australia. There was another brilliant century in South Africa on the rebel tour too, but the good days for Lawrence Rowe became more sporadic. His career finished with a Test average of 43 and a first-class one of 38. His talent was enough for both of those figures to have been at least ten runs higher.

For a man who, when he batted, looked at least the equal of Viv Richards it was not enough. It just shows that all the talent in the world still needs a little luck. 

With a decent left eye and more support from Dame Fortune, Lawrence Rowe would have been one of the all-time greats.

Thoughts on the Strauss Report

'A slump from an average of 615,000 viewers per match last summer to just over 500,000 this term will worry the ECB'

Those words, from Nick Hoult of The Telegraph, should be of major concern to the English Cricket Board. Their all singing, all dancing, pretty much all gimmick competition has divided the game and in only its second year looks to be of lessening appeal.

Because,whether they like it or not, the bottom line is that franchises in sport don't work. It is fairly safe to say that your average sports fan, anywhere in the world, is parochial. He or she will have been introduced to a sport by a parent, friend, or relative and loyalty will stay with them throughout their life.

From an early age, eight to be precise, I was introduced to Derby County football club. The following summer came my first game, at Chesterfield, watching Derbyshire. The rest is history. Early on I learned the rivalry with Nottingham and for cricket fans across the country, you can replicate my experience.

The crowd for the final of the new competition was disappointing. The game itself was and for all of its gimmicks, 10 ball over, weird graphics and more intrusive than ever music, I don't see it being a long-term part of the English cricketing landscape. The concern is the damage that it will do in that intervening period.

There is no need to reduce the number of first class counties. Given that 15 of those 18 counties are member owned or driven, the turkeys would be voting for Christmas should such a vote or decision be required to be made. What is required is scheduling of the English cricket summer far in advance of what we have seen in recent years.

What would have made far more sense, when you think about it, would have been a return to something equivalent to the old International Cavaliers of the 1960s. Bring in a pool of the best available overseas players to play matches around the counties. Not necessarily the best international players, given the complexity of the international cricket calendar, but overseas stars from Australia, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand and others to play exhibition matches against county sides. These would have served as good entertainment, allowing supporters to see different players and would have also served as an opportunity for those players to showcase their talents for future overseas roles.

Fit such matches into the occasional vacant Sunday and watch the crowds roll in. For all the cost of bringing people into the country for one, two or a handful of games, it would still have been massively cheaper than the cost of the hundred. If it was doable in the 60s it is today.

The county championship needs to return to two two equal divisions, whether that be of nine sides each or ten, if they can bring in two more from the minor counties. How about increasing access to first class cricket by having either Devon or Cornwall in it, alongside perhaps Cumberland? I know plenty of people in Scotland who would love to attend a county game, but they have to drive to Durham for that privilege. If we want to be really radical, let's have Scotland participating, though I feel their desire to be full members of the ICC would be stronger.

As David Griffin mentioned in a recent Twitter post, the number of days cricket played by some of its biggest stars far exceeds those played by most county players. Many of them have to factor thousands of miles of travel into the equation too and while they are well rewarded, the demands on their bodies are no different.

I would think it much harder to return to the game, as Derbyshire's players will have to do shortly, after a 12-day break, than if you are playing on a regular basis. You get into a rhythm, your body gets used to the demands placed upon it, and as long as those demands are not excessive - and there is an opportunity for downtime - it is as manageable today as it always has been. People used to play for 25 years and while formats change, cricket is still cricket.

I haven't the time in my life to work out the most viable schedule for the summer, but if one notionally takes the days between the start of April and the end of September, there are 183 to play with. SURELY with 27 weekends to play with, you could arrange cricket fixtures that people could attend? If you had even half of the four day games starting on a Friday, that would still leave plenty to maximise attendance at the Vitality Blast.

It makes no sense to devote the school summer holidays to a competition that only those in eight cities can attend, none of them further north than Leeds. In my school years, most of my summer holidays were spent either at Chesterfield, Derby, Ilkeston or Buxton. The results weren't always great, but what an experience, what an exposure to some wonderful cricketers! It created memories that have lasted me a lifetime, a bond between my father and I that will always be there, an interest that is not far shy of cradle to grave.

So when the ECB try to tell me I should tear all that up and support one of eight teams that they have created, I am not interested. I want to see MY team, preferably playing at the height of summer when I am most likely to be able to attend and don't need to do so with sufficient layers of clothing to double as the sightscreen.

It isn't difficult to do this and were I paid to do so I think I could come up with a plan that would enable cricket supporters and players to enjoy the game for years to come.

But why are we downgrading the 50 over competition, one in which we are the world champions, to one of effectively second class status? Why IS there hardly any cricket at weekends? What really is the difference between a competition of 100 balls per side to one of 120 balls per side? Especially when no other country in the world has shown any interest in adopting this format.

The new competition was the creation of 'suits' and marketing professionals. You will note that cricketing experts were not necessarily part of the equation. If I sat and thought about it, the temerity of people thinking that they can reinvent a 150-year-old wheel simply staggers me.

There is no need to reinvent cricket. It simply needs to be better scheduled and better marketed. Those responsible for spending millions of ECB reserves on a whim should be ashamed and never work in the game again.

Posterity will not look kindly on their efforts. Nor give them more than a passing, scathing consideration, in the history of our great game.

Derbyshire v. Durham day 4

Derbyshire 306 and 214-9

Durham 223 and 176-5 (Trevaskis 42, Maddinson 32, Watt 2-37

Match drawn

Derbyshire fought hard on the final day but in the end, as expected, the weather simply took too much time out of it.

I was a little surprised to see us continue our innings in the light of the forecast. I felt that with breaks expected the overnight lead was sufficient. As it turned out, those extra overs probably wouldn't have changed the result, but we erred on the side of caution and pretty much eliminated any slight possibility of defeat in batting on.

The known fragility of the visiting lower order would have made the gamble worthwhile for me, but their top order did enough on the day to ensure plenty of time was taken out of the available play.

There was a brief moment, when the players came back for a short session after the first break for rain, when I thought we might just have a chance. Mark Watt took two quick wickets and with five men out Durham were rocking. But a 2-hour break gave them time to recalibrate and that was as good as it got for Derbyshire.

I was impressed with Liam Trevaskis in this game. I thought he bowled cleverly and played a crucial innings for his side when they could quite easily have folded this afternoon.

I would have liked to see Ben Aitchison given a go from the Racecourse end. A few short weeks ago I watched Ben bowl quite brilliantly against Hampshire from that end and saw him bowl to equal effect a time or two last season.

But it was not to be. Very much a draw with us in the ascendancy, but you don't get extra points for that. More's the pity.

At the end of the day it was nice to see umpire. Nick Cook leading the teams off the pitch on his final appearance at Derby. He gave a couple of contested not outs today, one when everyone seemed convinced that Dickson had edged Dal behind, the other when Trevaskis was given not out, after the ball appeared to ricochet from Madsen to Guest in the final over.

In the end it didn't matter. Cook can reflect on a fine life and career in the greatest of games, both as player and umpire.

Here's wishing him a long and happy retirement.

Derbyshire v Durham day 3

Derbyshire, 306 and 185-7 (Madsen 58, Godleman 43, Reece 39, Raine 3-24, Trevaskis 3-71)

Durham 223 (Conners 4-55)

Derbyshire lead by 268 runs

On a day of several interruptions, Derbyshire lost wickets steadily throughout, yet ended in a position where they could push for a win tomorrow – if the weather allows them to do so.

The remaining Durham wicket was taken quickly this morning by Sam Conners, who finished with four wickets in another excellent display. It meant that the Derbyshire openers were quickly exposed to the vagaries of a first session Derby wicket, but the cause was aided when Chris Rushworth limped off after bowling only three overs.

At the other end. Ben Raine was a handful throughout, as he always is but the Derbyshire openers reached an invaluable half century opening partnership before Luis Reece was dismissed.

Billy Godleman chose a tough wicket and important day to graft his way to a season.highest score. It wasn't pretty - Indeed seldom is with the skipper - but the graft was important and appreciated by the county diehards.

At the other end. Wayne Madsen batted as fluently as anyone in the match but his dismissal triggered a mini collapse in which both Raine and Trevaskis bowled with discipline. The home innings looked likely to fall short of expectations, but valuable late runs from Dal (again) and Aitchison took the lead to 268 by the time bad light drove the players off for the final time.

I would be surprised if we batted on tomorrow, but the biggest challenge would appear to be from the weather. A thunderstorm is expected for round about the day's start time and my guess would be that we will struggle for sufficient time to take ten wickets. We would have to bowl poorly for a Durham win to be a consideration, as there remains both variable bounce, considerable movement and turn for bowlers with the requisite skills.

I think we have those bowlers but with my head overruling my heart, I suspect there will not be enough play tomorrow for Derbyshire to force the win that would make the promotion battle very interesting.

Nonetheless, it should not detract from a very good team effort in this game.

Postscript: Five Derbyshire players have now reached a thousand runs for the season in all competitions - Masood, Madsen, Reece, du Plooy and Guest. That is only the 21st time in our history that has happened and the first time since 2006.

It could yet be six, with Anuj Dal within range.

Thanks to David Griffin for the statistic.

Derbyshire v Durham day 2

Derbyshire 306

Durham 222-9 (Jones 87, Conners 3-54, Aitchison 2-49, Dal 2-18)

Derbyshire lead by 84 runs

While they were not at their best with the ball or in the field, Derbyshire played themselves into the ascendancy in the game against Durham today. The visitors were 222-9 at the close, having subsided badly in the final hour.

They started well enough with Michael Jones willing to play his shots and Derbyshire's. bowlers erring too often in line and length.

A notable exception was Ben Aitchison, who bowled with metronomic accuracy throughout and on another day might easily have picked up a five wicket haul. It is more of a surprise when he bowls a bad ball these days, so impressive has he been since his return from injury.

I lost count of the number of times the ball fell short of or went through the slip cordon today. I wasn't sure if they were too deep, or if the wicket was a little two-paced. A chance or two went down but in the end the bowlers worked well as a pack and despite their relative inexperience did a very good job.

Sam Conners came back well in his final spell after being expensive early on. He also held a smart catch at point and it is very impressive how all of these young bowlers are outstanding in the field. Nick Potts later effected an excellent run out and although prone to bowling the occasional bad ball - inevitable given his age - he looks a player of real potential.

Meanwhile Anuj Dal did what he has done all season, nibbling away on a length and keeping the batsmen on their toes in another lovely display of seam bowling.

84 runs ahead and two days to go. If the weather is kind to us then we have an opportunity here to force an unlikely but very welcome win. The wicket has been perfect and for me the best one at county headquarters this season. Batsmen have been able to score runs and Jones did an excellent job for Durham today, but there has been reward to be had for the bowlers who combined length and line to good effect.

Thankfully the Durham side did not include Ned Eckersley, who has been a perennial thorn in Derbyshire sides for much of his career. Their tail looked long and if Derbyshire can set them 300 plus in the final innings it could prove a challenge.

One interesting side note to the days play was Australian batsman Nick Maddinson falling foul of the umpires in regards to the width of his bat. He had to change it and the case will be referred to the ECB, as Mattie McKiernan's was a few weeks back.

There will likely be a hefty penalty for this, given that Derbyshire lost two points for that earlier offence.

Rain looks likely tomorrow afternoon, but if we can take that last week quickly and score at a reasonable rate then the scene would appear to be set for an excellent final day.

Derbyshire v Durham day 1

Derbyshire 306 all out (du Plooy 82, Came 78, Dal 52, Rushworth 3-60, Raine 3-61)

v Durham

I don't think that Derbyshire will be at all disappointed with their first day's work at Derby today.

To be honest, I feared the worst when we lost the toss and had to face the not inconsiderable talents of Rushworth and Raine on a lively track.

We were soon in trouble with the first three wickets back in the pavilion with unseemly haste. It was the partnership between Guest and du Plooy that restored a little equilibrium, but when Guest departed the advent of Came saw a stand that may yet prove to be match-defining.

Their stand of 143 runs was outstanding, on a wicket where there was variable pace and bounce all day. From the City End several balls kept very low later in the day and Derbyshire will be very pleased to have 300 runs on the board to work with.

Neither batsman made it to three figures, but on a perfect wicket for a game that we really need to win, that was not a surprise. But both were very impressive and while we know the talents of du Plooy, Came has shown in recent weeks that he just might have the makings of a batsman of real talent at this level.

He has become much better in his judgement of the balls to leave, much better in giving the bad ball the treatment, much tighter in defence. I could see him kicking on next season and becoming the latest to respond to the excellent coaching at the club.

There is certainly assistance for the seam bowlers and I think Mark Watt will enjoy bowling on here too. While we don't know how much play will be possible over the next 3 days, Derbyshire have given themselves every opportunity to force a win in their efforts today.

The late resistance from Dal took us to a position of prosperity from the earlier travails and the first session tomorrow promises to be very interesting indeed.

A good days cricket for sure.

Postscript: there were 86 runs for Tom Wood in the second eleven today as they posted 326-7 against Middlesex at Denby.

There were also half centuries for Alex Hughes and Alex Thomson, while an interesting trialist was George Hargrave, who has been so prolific for Shropshire and Oxford University in the past two years.

He made 72 and it is good to see Derbyshire offering an opportunity to an undoubtedly talented young player. It is down to him what he makes of it and of course if he wants a professional cricket career.

But that is an impressive effort and it may be one worth keeping an eye on, after his excellent half century against us in a friendly match a few weeks ago.

Random thoughts..

We are now coming up to the business end of the summer and it is hard to think that only three/four weeks remain of the cricket season.

I am thrilled to find today, after a phone upgrade, that the voice recognition software is far superior to the last phone. That being the case, I have been able to dictate the last two blogs to save my hands, which is a massive step forward. There were one or two names that it still struggled with, but such is life! It even handled my fairly broad accent very well and I am most impressed.

Once again, I am indebted to those of you who have been involved over the summer. Your interaction has always been enjoyed and appreciated in equal measure. So too have been the contributions of those who have made donations towards the running costs of the blog and the time needed in keeping it going.

To reward those generous individuals, the winter months will see a series of draws and with cricket books and perhaps one or two surprises as prizes.

Anyone and everyone who has made a donation, or has sponsored the blog will be eligible to enter. And please feel free to click on the donate button that you will find in the top left hand corner of the blog when you view it on a laptop or computer.

Thank you all for that support and your continued interest over the winter months.

Please do remember that if you would like to write a piece for the blog, based on either your thoughts for the future or your experiences over the years of supporting the county, I am always delighted to hear from you.

Please email peakfan36@yahoo.co.uk to chat things through

Derbyshire v Durham preview

Wayne Madsen, Leus du Plooy and George Scrimshaw return to proper cricket tomorrow after their sojourns to the new competition, as Derbyshire announced a squad of twelve for the game against Durham, starting tomorrow.

Mark Watt is interestingly the choice of the three spinners, which could be interpreted as an audition for next summer. Having said that, Mattie McKiernan is seen as more a one day bowler and I am unsure of Alex Thomson's fitness. In the absence of Shan Masood, Luis Reece looks set to return to opener after an excellent 50 over competition.

The Derbyshire squad is as follows:

Godleman, Reece, Guest, Came, Madsen, Du Plooy, Dal, Watt, Aitchison, Conners, Potts, Scrimshaw.

The final place in the side would appear to be between the last two names, as a five -man seam attack would appear too much.

There is no news at this stage of the Durham squad, this likely delayed by the weekend announcement that James Franklin is leaving his role as head coach at the season end.

Durham have some very good players but seem to have underachieved this summer. A new direction will be of benefit and key to their fortunes moving forward will be how long Chris Rushworth can keep playing. He has been an outstanding servant to the county and has always done especially well against Derbyshire.

David Bedingham is a very fine batsman, but Durham may or may not lose Alex Lees and Mattie Potts to England in the future. Like all the other counties, their fortunes will be heavily linked with their ability to recruit excellent overseas talent.

As for this game, a positive result could be a challenge in the light of a challenging weather forecast. We must hope that sufficient time will be available for a positive result and, of course, that Derbyshire come out on the right side of it.

This has been a more encouraging 4-day season than I think any of us expected. My gut feeling is that we will just fall short of promotion this year, the game in hand that Glamorgan have being crucial.

However, the right results in this round of fixtures sets the game between the Welsh county and Derbyshire up very nicely for a battle royal in due course.

In the light of the weather forecast, I am going for a draw in this one. But as always, I welcome your thoughts when you are able to give them.

From a long time supporter

I always enjoy it when a follower asks if they can write something for the blog. It takes a lot of pressure from me and highlights the intelligence and thought of many who follow Derbyshire cricket.

This one comes from Denis, a friend for a number of years and offers some excellent talking points. Both he and I would love to see your comments on the following

'Like many of your readers, I attended a state school in the 1950s. My school in North Staffordshire was quite small and attended by about 330 pupils per year on average aged 11 to 18. We had first and second elevens that played regularly against other schools in the area. The colts team played less frequently. All the senior schools in the area had cricket teams. As far as I am aware none of the schools, we played against has a cricket team today.  Despite being part of a minor county North Staffordshire produced several England players including Ken Higgs, Bob Taylor, David Steele, Rob Bailey, Kim Barnett and Dominic Cork. This is not a complete list. Many others played county cricket with distinction. 

Questions

1. Would many of the players listed above even have played cricket if they had not played at school?
2. How many of those people who played and enjoyed cricket at school and club level would be passionately interested in cricket today if they had not played cricket at school?
3. Utopia is just a dream. But should we just give up and do nothing to bring back at least some school cricket in state schools where it is no longer played?

I appreciate that no firm answers can be given other than to say the percentages would be quite high. But it makes you realise what we have lost.

State Schools

Many schools where cricket used to be played no longer have space available and no incentive to promote cricket. Yet by doing so it would improve the health of young people. A stated aim, as far as I am aware, of all political parties. After all, cricket is our main national summer sport and has been badly let down over the years. Government need not pour vast amounts of money into school cricket but they could attach conditions to the money they do invest in the sport and pay to schools.

Private Schools

Do an excellent job in providing cricketers for county and international cricket despite educating only about six per cent of children of school age. Yet they provide a high proportion of players to the current England teams

Questions

1. Where would cricket be today without private schools?
2. How much stronger would county and international cricket be if state schools were also producing quality players? 

Facilities

Near where I live in Derbyshire, several all-weather cricket pitches have been installed in parks. I assume the same applies in other parts of the country. Perhaps I have been unlucky but I have rarely seen them used and when they have been it has almost exclusively been by young Asian players who have organised games amongst themselves. After all, it is their national game. We cannot just leave it to Ace, Greenhouse Sports and Freddie Flintoff to revive and provide opportunities in cricket for young people. The ECB has taken several initiatives but little has been done to promote school cricket.

Questions

1. Why cannot inter-school games be organised and all-weather pitches booked for matches for groups of younger boys and girls
2. For senior age groups, grass pitches could be cut in parks and at those cricket clubs anxious to promote youth cricket.

Finance

The ECB’s stated aim is to promote cricket at all levels in this country and they now have vast amounts of additional income coming in annually from Television companies. They have the opportunity to at least make an impact on a regional north/south basis. The ECB could not do this all on its own and would need strong inter-government support to improve the health of children and back our national summer sport. They would need to prove the plan worked.

The Future

Any plan to considerably increase the amount of school cricket would have to be carefully drawn up and debated by those involved - but not endlessly. Regional trials perhaps in the north and south would need to be set up. Many reasons will be put forward not to attempt a scheme like this but when they are set against the perceived benefits they may not be seen as unsurmountable. As always, the success of any project depends a great deal on the persons running it. Get the right people in charge and they may well be able to recruit enthusiastic volunteers to help with the day-to-day running of the project.

Questions

1. Would not the position of those who want to reduce the number of counties and as a consequence diminish the stature of the game be less relevant?
2. If a whole new generation of cricketers was produced would that not increase the number of spectators at matches and revive the sport?
3. Would not county cricket benefit and come under less pressure to be diminished in size and status?'

As always, your thoughts and comments are appreciated! 

Dull, huh?

And so we enter the closing weeks of the summer, having written off sizeable chunks of it with no play to watch.

For all that Derbyshire didn't do especially well in it, I quite enjoyed the Royal London Cup. With their sizeable squad, Lancashire always looked favourites to win it and I think they will. Even though the hearts of many will err to the side of Kent and Darren Stevens.

The evergreen all rounder has been released by Kent, but he was once before and they back-tracked. At 46 he is an age when county cricketers were often doing their thing, but is very much a rarity these days.

Indeed, Bill Bestwick took 147 wickets for Derbyshire in 1921 at the same age, bowling more balls that summer than the next two most used bowlers, Sam Cadman and Arthur Morton, put together.

I suspect Kent may yet backtrack on a contract, but if not he might have one more year at Leicestershire, where he first made his name. He certainly seems to hold no thought of retirement and why should he? A typical April next year with green tracks will still likely see him rack up 25-30 wickets by the end of the month, aside from what he does with his still-punishing batting.

Of course, Stevens is the antithesis of what certain former England players see as the way 'forward' for our game. They see a man of that age blocking the development of young talent. The counter-argument being, of course, that he still wins matches and people like to watch him.  A far greater obstacle to the progression of the young would be reducing their opportunity and having less first-class counties.

In common with many of you, I suspect, I would watch Derbyshire if they were at a lesser level, but they have been first class for decades and should always be so. They represent an English county and unless local authorities become franchises, that should always be the ultimate challenge of a professional cricketer. 

I haven't watched the other competition and never will. I have even seen a couple of references to Derbyshire players doing well, but didn't read on. Churlish as it may seem, I simply don't care. I suspect that by 2028, despite the millions being thrown at it, the format will be dead. 

No other country wants it and they will never attract the very best. When Tabraiz Shamsi leaves (one I did read) his franchise side to play in the CPL instead, it speaks volumes. 

What damage it may do to the game that we love in between times is a moot point, but we must all get behind our counties, speak up on their behalf and resist those who attempt to brainwash that 'new is best'. 

Let's face it, would Brooke Guest, Anuj Dal, Ben Aitchison and Sam Conners be starring in county cricket with fewer counties? They would likely be in ordinary jobs, without the increased opportunity that eighteen counties brings. Would Leus du Plooy even be in England to take a franchise deal on top of a county contract? Or Wayne Madsen, for that matter? George Scrimshaw certainly wouldn't have got another deal after leaving Worcestershire following multiple injuries. 

Derbyshire's season has been very encouraging, but the scheduling of county cricket this summer has been a disgrace. The ECB need to get more of it played around weekends, when people have time to attend. The streams are great and encourage greater involvement, but were I closer to Derby it wouldn't preclude my attendance on all but the coldest or dampest days. 

Plenty will still choose county cricket over any alternative. 

IF it is on when they are free to attend. 

It really is a no-brainer. 

Northamptonshire v Derbyshire RLODC

Northamptonshire 311-7 (McManus 107, Taylor 75,  Zaib 62, Aitchison 2-43)

Derbyshire 312-2 (Reece 106, Godleman 87, Masood 53*, Came 43*)

Derbyshire won by eight wickets 

Well,  Derbyshire's Royal London tournament might not have been the most fun you can have with your clothes on,  but we finished it in style today,  with a resounding win over Northamptonshire by eight wickets.

In the process they scored their highest successful run chase in one day cricket and the result was never really in doubt after Luis Reece and Billy Godleman added 204 for the first wicket.

Both batted splendidly and after difficult seasoons it was good to see them in such fine form.  Reece looks a class act in this nick,  while Billy looks so much better when he goes for his shots,  rather than just occupying the crease.

It was a fine batting track and when they went in quick succession,  Masood and Came eased us to the win with an over to spare.  Masood was just as he has been all summer,  but Came looked very good today.  Anything short or overpitched went a long way and I maintain that if he can get past playing Came-os he will be a good player. Maybe next season he will kick on.  I hope so.

Earlier Aitchison took two key wickets of Vasconcelos and Young,  as otherwise we may have chased 350+. Zaib batted beautifully again,  as he did in the Blast against us,  while Tom Taylor again illustrated what a good player we let get away.  The best knock came from McManus,  who was stylish and later brutal,  before injuring himself early in our reply and having to leave the field.

Aitchison was the pick of the bowlers,  although Watt and Dal did a good job in the middle overs.

But then came Reece and Godleman.  How nice to see them back in form for the closing fixtures in the County Championship. 

On this form we may yet do something special.

Book Review: Laker and Lock - The Odd Couple

Was there ever a greater, longer-lasting or more influential spin pairing than Jim Laker and Tony Lock?

The longevity of their careers and the successes within them suggest not.  Their names are synonymous with the Surrey side that won seven successive titles in the 1950s (though fortuitously in 1954, when only the weather robbed Derbyshire).  Laker the best-known,  primarily for the unlikely to be repeated feat of 19 wickets in a Test against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956. For the rest of his days it irked Tony Lock,  the surprise among cricket fans being that he only took one,  more than that his colleague took nineteen on a spinner's wicket. 

As personalities they were diametrically opposed.  Laker,  the laconic Yorkshireman, not saying too much but making it pertinent and often pithy when he opted to.  Lock the more volatile,  the southerner who bristled with aggression on the field and wore his heart on his sleeve. 

For all the near-five thousand wickets they took together - and Lock,  who played longer,  took nine hundred more than his regular team mate - they were never especially close.  Indeed,  it was only when they slipped into all too short retirement that they got on better. But each was the perfect foil for the other, Laker the off spinner of the subtle variations,  Lock the slow left armer, not averse to reverting to bouncers if a batsman outstayed his welcome.

Laker faced challenges with an arthritic and calloused spinning finger,  which eventually forced his premature retirement.  Lock,  who by general consensus threw his quicker ball in the 1950s, reinvented himself and became arguably an even better bowler after a change of action.  He also took on the captaincy of Western Australia and led them to their first Sheffield Shield,  then Leicestershire,  taking them to their then highest-placed finish in the County Championship,  second place. 

Christopher Sandford is an experienced writer and does a fine job with his subjects,  both of them with stories worth the retelling. Both men struggled with authority and tales abound of their frequent brushes with establishment figures.  Both also died too young,  Laker at 64, Lock a year older when his time came.

Their stories are neatly intertwined and by the end of it I was firmly of the opinion that Tony Lock was undervalued as a cricketer.  Only seven men have taken more first-class wickets in the history of the game and he also held 830 catches,  202 from his own bowling,  124 from that of Laker. While Laker became a respected commentator,  his death widely mourned,  Lock became embroiled in scandal which tarnished his sizeable legacy.

But what players they were,  what giants of the game. 

And what a very good book this is. 

Laker and Lock: The Odd Couple is written by Christopher Sandford and published by Pitch Publishing. 

Northamptonshire v Derbyshire RLODC preview

Mickey Arthur has announced an unchanged squad for the final fixture of a somewhat disappointing Royal London Cup campaign,  against Northamptonshire tomorrow.

The question is whether either Mitch Wagstaff or Archie Harrison come in for the experience.  I couldn't call that one,  but in the interview on the club site today,  the Head of Cricket enthuses about the progress of Nick Potts,  who has been given opportunity and done well. So maybe one of them will get the chance tomorrow. 

With Suranga Lakmal and Zak Chappell in next year,  to join Conners,  Aitchison,  Scrimshaw and Potts,  he refers to our having a 'bouquet'  of quick bowlers to pluck from and use according to conditions.  Add in Reece and Dal and we seem well-equipped in that area.

He also discusses the search for a replacement for Shan Masood,  and whether to go for one player to cover everything or 'bringing in a rock star'  for the Vitality Blast.

I don't get the impression that the winter will be one of massive change,  but Arthur refers to thirteen players coming off contract at the end of 2023, so he can tailor the squad to his needs for 2024.

Which sounds very much like most of the squad will be playing for their county futures next season,  with every incentive to continue their progression, or return to their glory days in some cases.

Going back to tomorrow, our hosts have an exciting batting lineup that posted 370+ against Lancashire in their last match,  yet still lost. It is a dead rubber,  but a win,  ahead of the crucial last three County Championship games where we could still be promoted,  would be good for morale.

Likely home side:

Vasconcelos,  Gay,  Young,  Zaib, McManus,  Miller,  Sales,  Buck, White,  Russell,  Heldreich. 

The season end is fast-approaching, a summer that regardless of this competition has exceeded the expectations of most. 

Only thirteen days of our first-class season remain,  so we must make the most of them. 

Derbyshire v Yorkshire RLODC

Derbyshire 109 (Came 19, McKiernan 17)

Yorkshire 110-9 (Waite 23, Hill 21, Conners 5-28, Aitchison 3-33)

Yorkshire won by one wicket

While the game at Queen's Park was a very good,  gripping one today,  it was ruined to a great extent by a wicket that was at best sub-standard. 

It was a shame.  The tracks for the Middlesex game at Chesterfield and the truncated Yorkshire T20 were excellent, but this was awful for a first-class game.  Balls lifted off a length or shot through at ankle height,  making confident shot-making a lottery, wicket keeping a greater challenge than usual. 

The sight of Mickey Arthur and Ryan Duckett on the square in the interval between innings confirmed what a lot of us knew very early,  when Luis Reece was hit on the grill of his helmet from one that lifted off a good length.  He wasn't to be the last,  but Derbyshire battled hard.  Came lasted longer than most, McKiernan hit the only six of the innings and Aitchison again belied the tale,  told elsewhere,  that he is 'one of three number elevens'. 

I said at the 35-over mark on Twitter that 120 would take some chasing and we sadly fell short of that as Yorkshire bowled well.  Those extra ten runs might well have made all the difference. 

Conners bowled splendidly for his best List A figures,  while Aitchison did too but was very unlucky. Reece dropped one from him at mid wicket that,  in the words of Cliff Gladwin,  'he should have caught in the cheeks of his a**e', before holding the same batsman,  Duke,  off a more difficult chance at the other end. 

 I was surprised to see Potts bowled before Reece or Dal and the youngster leaked a few more than the surface warranted,  despite producing an excellent yorker at the death to make it interesting. It happens with young bowlers,  perhaps the excitement of a helpful wicket making them lose their natural rhythm.  He will learn from the experience. 

Waite chanced his arm and made crucial runs,  while Hill batted very well for the visitors and steered them near to the win, before losing concentration and edging behind. But umpire Shanmugam turned down what looked a clear inside edge when nothing else was near the ball,  early in his innings.  A very good leg before shout was also turned down by the same umpire,  but the bottom line,  poor wicket or not,  is that we again failed to get enough runs.  Sadly,  a sentence I seem to have repeated too often for comfort in recent weeks.

I am unsure what penalty there may be for this wicket,  or if there will be one,  but although it resulted in a very exciting and close game,  first-class cricket should be played on first-class wickets.

This was a long way from that,  I am sad to say. 

Derbyshire v Yorkshire RLODC preview

Mark Watt returns to the Derbyshire squad for tomorrow's game against Yorkshire at Chesterfield.

The Scots left-arm spinner has a good record at the ground and against the opponents,  so while the result is largely academic after the washout against Kent,  closely followed by 'tapegate',  a win would do nicely.

Shan Masood returns,  as does Billy Godleman in this thirteen:

Godleman,  Masood,  Reece,  Came,  Guest,  Dal,  Harrison,  Wagstaff,  McKiernan,  Watt,  Conners,  Aitchison,  Potts

Bottom of the table,  Derbyshire will want to win to better illustrate the progress made this year. Yorkshire can still qualify,  but a loss tomorrow will end their interest in the competition. Their squad is:

Fin Bean, Dom Bess, Ben Coad, Harry Duke (W), Will Fraine, George Hill, Will Luxton, Tom Loten, Mathew Revis, Jack Shutt, Harry Sullivan, Jonny Tattersall, Matthew Waite.

Openers Fraine and Duke have been responsible for a large part of their success so far,  putting on several large opening stands. Early inroads could be beneficial for Derbyshire and I am going for a home win tomorrow.

Always assuming the rain holds off,  of course... 

Thoughts on Masood and the way forward

Once again the worst of Derbyshire support appears to have surfaced on social media after yesterday's announcement of the departure of Shan Masood.

It is wholly unfair to blame the player for going where the money is.  As I have written before,  this is a short career and if anyone out there says they wouldn't move their job if offered considerably more money for doing so, I don't believe you. We are all,  to some extent,  motivated by money,  enabling us to live our lives and look after our families.

It is a consequence of only offering,  or being able to offer,  a one-year deal.  Unless Masood is set to call time on his international career,  there is no guarantee of his availability next year,  nor any that he will average, in a wetter summer with greener wickets,  what he did for us this year.

But of course we pick him until season end.  We are short enough of players as it is and his professionalism will ensure he offers the level of commitment that he has all summer. 

It does leave us needing another overseas batsman,  of course and I agree another experienced domestic batsman would be an asset. Your guess is as good as mine on the former,  but Mickey Arthur would ideally want someone who is available for most of the summer.  The captaincy might be a nice carrot to dangle in front of his choice, assuming that player was suitably experienced.

Where does that leave Billy Godleman? I don't think he should be skipper and I remain surprised that a deal for next year was forthcoming, so early this summer. If he stays on he must focus on his batting,  but the argument for reaching an agreement on cancelling next year is compelling. Good a servant as he has been,  the argument for retention with a season highest of 38 is not strong, this after a below-par 2021. 

We must not forget that the players who have signed deals for 2023 will be on improved contracts, nor that our budget is limited.  Nice as the thought is that we need X new players,  more likely is that we have to be patient.  Perhaps the great overhaul comes at the end of next year,  when many current contracts are up and Arthur can reshape his squad through natural wastage.

I have seen several people suggesting a move for Staffordshire-born Tom Fell,  who has been released by Worcestershire. It holds appeal,  as he is a player of undoubted talent,  but the fact is that his batting average is the same as his age,  29. Is that enough,  even after making allowances for his illnesses?

The next month or so will be crucial to a lot of careers around the circuit.  Some of those players will benefit from a change of scenery,  but I am not expecting wholesale changes at Derbyshire.

An obvious new overseas batsman,  maybe a domestic batsman and another seamer, at most. 

Unless,  of course,  there are potential outgoings we know nothing about at this stage.. 

Masood to leave at season end

The news that Shan Masood will leave Derbyshire at the end of the summer is disappointing,  yet inevitable.

Despite the county making what I understand was a very competitive offer,  we will always struggle to compete when the 'big counties'  -  those with Test grounds and budgets -  come to the table.

It is frustrating,  but we have no option but to accept it and move on.  Masood put himself in the shop window this summer and has served us very well indeed.  He can leave with his head held high and has conducted himself admirably throughout the summer.

For Derbyshire,  the search for a replacement is already underway. Whether they can find an overseas with the same willingness to lead by example and to take the weight from others in the side is a moot point,  but Mickey Arthur may or may not opt for a like for like replacement.

The one uncertainty in our side this summer,  however,  has been the opening batting.  Neither Billy Godleman nor Luis Reece has scored the weight of runs to stake their claim for permanence in the role,  while Harry Came,  despite looking classy at the crease,  has frustratingly found ways of getting out when well set.  Perhaps next year will see him emerge,  as this year has seen Brooke Guest and Anuj Dal seize opportunities with both hands. 

So there will be a change next summer,  as was always possible.  I wish Masood well, wherever he ends up,  but life and Derbyshire will go on. His season with us has been memorable and those who saw him enjoyed the experience.  Sadly,  like Michael Di Venuto before him,  I never saw him make three figures 'in the flesh', but thanks to the excellent streams these days I have throughly enjoyed the remote experience. 

There is no news as I write about his destination,  but were I a betting man my money would be on Yorkshire or Warwickshire. The former because post-racism scandal they will be keen to sign an Asian player to hopefully engage with the local ethnic communities,  the latter because they seem to be signing left,  right and centre,  with money to burn. 

Whoever it is will get a fine player. 

I have no doubts that Derbyshire will do the same in due course. 

Derbyshire v Kent RLODC - washout

No balls were bowled at Derby today, as the overnight rain had proved to be too much for the outfield to absorb, the umpires calling it off at 2.15pm.

It was a damp ending to our Royal London qualification hopes, the only ball bowled today proving to be the ECB curveball that imposed a two-point penalty on the club. This for Mattie McKiernan's bat being deemed too wide in the game against Hampshire, having failed a bat gauge test.

Now, I get that bats have to be a certain size and if the offending blade exceeded it, then fair enough. But an IMMEDIATE two-point penalty? A tad draconian, is it not? If Mattie had gone out with a bat the width of the wickets I could have understood it. If he had denied it all, the same. Rules are rules, but surely penalties have to be commensurate with the scale of the offence? 

Would a warning and a suspended penalty not made more sense? After all, in docking two points you are bracketing the club with Leicestershire and Durham, who received a similar penalty for multiple behavioural/disciplinary offences on the field. It isn't really on the same scale, is it?

To be clear, the player didn't win the game with a swashbuckling century, he scored seventeen runs. The penalty is akin, as one observer put it, 'to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut'.

Once again the ECB are found wanting when it comes to dealing with those who play the game.

It leaves a sour taste. And also sets a precedent, as you can bet your bottom dollar that I and many others will be watching to see if other counties are treated the same for similar breaches in the future. 

Anyway, time for home tomorrow, after a washout and a defeat in my two 'live' games. Such is life, but I will be in my armchair on Sunday for the match against the Yorkies, dead game or not.

In closing, thank you so much to those who came to say hello over the two games. It is always lovely to put a face to blog contributors and I was able to do that in a few cases over the two days.

It really was a pleasure, so thank you all, whether with two legs or four!