Book Review: Sticky Dogs and Stardust: When The Legends Played The Leagues - Second Innings by Scott Oliver

Many years ago, when I first came to Scotland, I played for a few years in the then Scottish Counties cricket competition.

I played alongside a couple of professional cricketers. One of them had been a peripheral player at county level but was an excellent coach and improved my game considerably. The other was an Australian of some reputation, a wonderful player who seemed to score heavily every week, but had no idea how to explain to others what they needed to do to improve. Both were very good professionals, but experiences of other sides were varied, with their recruits lacking in one way or another, on or off the pitch.

Scott Oliver has followed his original book of the same title with another of similar quality. It is a rollicking read, choc-full of wonderful stories, players who left a lasting impression with their feats on the pitch and their 'talents' off it. Opening with Jesse Ryder, you get a very early idea of how the book is going to go and it is  hugely entertaining from cover to cover. 

As was the case with the first book, I was left in awe at the depth of research undertaken by the author, the number of people he has spoken to and the tales that he has unearthed. While it cannot be denied that any volume one will always contain the best subjects, this 'second innings' loses little in comparison. How could it, with the likes of Rohan Kanhai, Steve Smith, Chris Cairns, Abdul Qadir, Dennis Lillee and Joel Garner within its pages? 

I have no idea how blokes who worked in offices and factories all week prepared to face Michael Holding and Andy Roberts, or figured out the variations of Muttiah Muralidaran (as spelled here). But the stories of how they did so make this a book that should be in the bag of everyone heading to cricket matches this summer.

There will be lunch intervals and of course periods of rain. This book and its predecessor will be your best friends at that point. 

Every cricket fan needs these on their bookshelf. It is as simple as that. 

Sticky Dogs and Stardust: When The Legends Played The Leagues - Second Innings is written by Scott Oliver  and published by Fairfield Books

Derbyshire v SACA day 3

Derbyshire 406-5 and 226-5 (Andersson 67 retired, Dal 47 retired)

SACA 350 and 106-1 (Perera 56 not)

Drawn

Today's final warm-up game for the 2025 season ended in a predictable draw. However, the game was very useful - like the previous fixture - for getting people into form.

Before looking at what we learned, I think a round of applause is due for Derbyshire. Some counties declined to have a stream for their preseason. friendlies, which seemed a little lacking in forethought. You could see as the games progressed that the quality of the edits and replays improved and it was a good warmup for the excellent team behind the stream, as well as the players.

On the pitch, it was a good game of cricket and SACA are laudably showcasing some good players. Savin Perera, the opening bat, made another fifty against us, to follow the one last season and looks a very organised player. I do think it's a shame that talented young men are discarded at 20/21 when they maybe just need a little time. Like Dhariwal yesterday, I am sure Perera could do a job for someone and at 26 probably knows his game well, better than when he was on the Middlesex staff.

You could probably name nine of the side to play Gloucestershire on Friday, as I don't think the team for this game will be far away. The batting order looked in good fettle and they look likely to bat down to nine in the order with this lineup: 

Lloyd, Jewell, Came, Madsen, Guest, Reece, Dal, Andersson, Chappell...

Nye Donald is the only one who has looked to struggle pre season and today was dismissed for an unfortunate duck, playing on and dislodging a bail as he tried to knock the ball clear. He will come again, but needs to get some runs on the board to dislodge what looks a solid lineup.

Those last two places? I would assume Jack Morley will play, which means that the final place will be between Pat Brown and Nick Potts. It is too early for Ben Aitchison and Blair Tickner and I assume Harry Moore will have school. I couldn't call it, as the two available bowlers had fairly similar figures today.

Whoever gets the nod, we will go into the game with seven bowling options, including two spin bowlers and a left arm seamer. Good variety, so the trick now is to get the right men on at the right end at the right time. That's one for Wayne Madsen to handle!

Finally tonight, just an observation about the recording of scores in preseason games. In Derbyshire's first innings we were 406-5, despite only two men being dismissed. The previous day, Warwickshire used seven batters yet were 414-0 against Northamptonshire. I assume it is whether they retire 'out' or 'not out' and it doesn't really matter, at the end of the day. 

If it was me, I would retire not out, thank you very much...

I will be back soon. Let me know your teams for the first game when you can!

Derbyshire v SACA day 2

There have been two very good days of cricket at the County Ground, Derbyshire ending the second day 101 runs ahead with ten wickets in hand.

There was a good workout for all of the bowlers and the wickets were shared around accordingly. SACA got within range of the Derbyshire innings thanks to a very fine century by Kamran Dhariwal. 

His innings of 143 was full of excellent strokes and highlighted his talent. Formerly on the staff at Hampshire, if he continues in that vein further opportunities will surely come his way. There is no doubt that he can play, after an innings of that nature. 

Andersson and Dal opened the second innings and got Derbyshire away to a breezy start. The game is set for what could be an exciting finish tomorrow, but regardless of that, the county has had five good days of pre-season match practice so far and that is more than they had last year. 

I look forward to tomorrow and the conclusion of what has been a very good game of cricket.

Derbyshire v SACA day 1

Derbyshire 406-5 (Jewell 101 retired, Came 76 retired, Madsen 66 retired, Lloyd 61, Guest 55 not out)

SACA 42-1

Derbyshire lead by 364 runs 

Apologies for the late arrival of today's blog, but Mother's Day is Mother's Day and it has been nice to have the family around for most of it. 

Having said that, it was Father's Day earlier and I got to see most of today's play at the County Ground.

Very enjoyable it was too. A first sighting of Caleb Jewell was rewarding, the Tasmanian making a splendid century before retiring, unbeaten. There were some delightful shots through the covers and, like most of his kind, he is very strong off the pads. On the basis of today, he will be good to watch this year. 

So too will David Lloyd, who batted very fluently until adjudged lbw. Wayne Madsen and Harry Came also did well,  the latter looking in very good nick at this stage of the summer, the former pretty much as he has been throughout his career.

Although the scorebook read 406-5, only Lloyd and Reece were dismissed by opponents who featured four players (Basra, Johal, Khan and Perera) who appeared in Derbyshire's second team last summer. They stuck to their task well but the home side scored fluently throughout the day on a very good pitch. 

They replied with 42-1 by the close and there should be more good, hard work in store, with a favourable forecast, over the next two days. 

It made for enjoyable watching and a refreshing change from last year, when we hardly got outside before the season began. 

More from me tomorrow.

Season preview on North Derbyshire Radio

I was on North Derbyshire Radio again last night, speaking with Matt Rhodes about our chances in the 2025 season and for the opening game against Gloucestershire. 

You can hear the interview here

I am on at 34.30, but it is well worth a listen to the full show!

In other news, Blair Tickner took 3-18 in thirteen overs last night, for Central Stags against Auckland Aces.

Assuming there is no reaction to his spell after injury, we should be all systems go for him travelling to God's Own County.

Happy days! 

Yet another profit announced

Eleven profits in twelve years represents an astonishing piece of work by Derbyshires off field team.

Turning in a profit of £11K last year, which was challenging and which also saw more money than ever before ploughed into the cricket side, is a quite remarkable feat. 

Everyone involved deserves the highest praise for their efforts and as supporters, we can admire the fact that the club is as well run as any in the country. 

Yes, we would like to see that translated into results on the pitch, but perhaps that is coming as a consequence of the additional investment. 

Over the winter there has been significant investment in the players’ changing rooms, LED lighting has been installed in the Ryley Wealth Elite Performance Centre, ground-wide Wi-Fi has been improved and a new 900-seater stand has been erected adjacent to the Media Centre.

Well done, to each and every one of you.

Derbyshire v Oxford UCCE

Derbyshire 341-4 and 227-4

Oxford UCCE 123 and 148 (Patel 35, Lloyd 5-13)

Derbyshire won by 297 runs

Derbyshire duly wrapped up a convincing win over Oxford UCCE this afternoon, ending a pre-season friendly that could scarcely have gone better.

They will face much stiffer opposition as the summer progresses, of course, but they handled their opponents with professionalism and it was good to see how well things went in all aspects of the game. 

David Lloyd was the destroyer-in-chief, taking five wickets for just thirteen runs with his offspin. He could be a useful asset to the county this summer, allowing the batting to be lengthened, If required, but to no detriment of the balance of the side. 

Nye Donald had some time behind the stumps, while Brooke Guest ran around the outfield with his regular smile never far away. Eight bowlers were used and have got useful overs under their belts in this match.

The mood appeared to be good and it will be interesting to see what changes are made to the eleven for the three-day match against SACA, which starts on Sunday. Then it will be full steam ahead to the opening County Championship game of the summer, against Gloucestershire at Derby on Friday of next week.

Interesting news broke on that game yesterday, with both of their overseas players,  Cameron Bancroft and Cameron Green, missing from the visiting ranks until their second fixture. 

At least Caleb Jewell has arrived safely in Derby for his summer with the county. He will undoubtedly play in the final warm-up match, but the eyes of the Derbyshire coaching staff will be on New Zealand tomorrow evening, when Central Stags play their final match of the season against Auckland Aces. 

Hopefully Blair Tickner will be fit to take his place in their eleven. If he isn't, it may require Mickey Arthur to go back to the drawing board with a plan B.

More from me soon.

Derbyshire v Oxford UCCE day 2

Derbyshire 341-4 and 219-4 (Madsen 53 retired, Reece 39 retired, Khan 3-22)

Oxford UCCE 123 all out (Faleel 41, 

It was another good day and another good workout for Derbyshire today. 

The bowlers did their stuff, dismissing Oxford before lunch with all six bowlers used taking at least one wicket. Then afterwards there was more time in the middle, with Wayne Madsen moving serenely to a half century before he retired 

There was an earlier than planned dismissal for Nye Donald and he will hope for additional time in the middle in the next game against SACA.

If one assumes that this is the batting lineup for the first game, one of them will need to drop out to accommodate Caleb Jewell.

That will be the first big decision of the summer for Mickey. Arthur. 

While the result of this game is largely irrelevant, Derbyshire will hope for another good bowling performance tomorrow and a morale-boosting win.

445 runs ahead, it is fair to say they shouldn't be in danger of losing...

Derbyshire v Oxford UCCE day one

Derbyshire 341-4 (Came 103 retired, Guest 50 retired, Warner 3-61)

Oxford UCCE 33-1 (Potts 1-7)

Derbyshire lead by 308 runs 

There is no need for an elaborate match report on today's first play of the season, but Mickey Arthur will be very pleased with opportunities taken by his batters today. 

Star man was Harry Came, who compiled a delightful century. He looked secure in defence and had a fine and full range of strokes, especially strong on the drive and the glide to third man. There was good support in a half century from Brooke Guest, whose driving and cutting was as ever secure. Both men retired at tea, unbeaten.

Everyone else got in and contributed. It wasn't perhaps the strongest of attacks, but Jack Warner (not that one, or even THAT one!) ran in hard and deserved his return of three wickets. He plays his cricket at Barnt Green near Birmingham and looked a decent player. 

At the end of the Derbyshire innings it was nice to see Anuj Dal and Martin Andersson doing what we hope will become a regular occurrence this summer, with a fine partnership to stretch the final declaration score to 341-4.

There was time for a wicket before the close, Nick Potts taking it. He looked to be running in more freely than was the case last year and worked up a decent pace. I hope he can get his career back on track this year after a couple of summers ruined by injury. At 22 he has time on his side and maybe his new hair cut sees him channeling his inner Zak Chappell.

All in all, it was what was required from a first practice day of a long summer. 

Hopefully tomorrow brings more of the same. 

Book Review: Deadly - Derek Underwood, The Life of an English International Cricketer by Mark Peel

A combination of one of the more reliable cricket writers and a cricketer who rarely let anyone down was always likely to produce a worthy tome.

So it follows that Mark Peel's biography of Derek Underwood is an outstanding read.

There was nothing flashy about the former Kent and England man. He went about his work with a familiar, trudging gait and was close to being a captain's dream. On any pitch offering help - and there were plenty in the 1960s, as tired old outgrounds were starting to slip below an acceptable standard - he was, as his nickname suggested, 'Deadly'. When conditions were less in his favour, his innate accuracy enabled him to slow down the scoring rate, giving little away to the greats of the game, many of who were playing county cricket at the time.

In that attitude he should have been a Derbyshire player and it was interesting to read that, when his involvement in World Series Cricket saw him initially sacked by Kent, he was approached by then Derbyshire captain, Eddie Barlow about a move to the County Ground.

It never happened, of course and Underwood remained a man of Kent until the end of his playing career. 

What a career it was. Almost 2,500 wickets at a shade over 20, with 297 at 25 in international cricket. The astonishing thing is that he was not always an automatic pick for his country. He wasn't strictly speaking a spin bowler and there were no real similarities between him and Norman Gifford, a fine but lesser bowler who was sometimes preferred. 

Critics said he bowled too quickly and was afraid to give the ball air, which was valid on a perfect pitch. Yet it also meant he was hard to get away and he could be relied upon to keep one end quiet, at least. 

His 7-50 against Australia on a rain-affected pitch at The Oval in 1968 earned England a draw in the series and set him off on an international career that saw him respected around the world. 

He appears to have been an admirable man too and those consulted in the excellent research for this book all bear testimony to a life well-lived. His friendly persona made him a popular host on cricket tours in later years and his passing last year was mourned throughout the game. 

This is an outstanding read, the latest in a long line from the publisher. My only grouse is that a career so spectacular was worthy of a statistical breakdown at the end. That apart, it is a book well worth the time and follows in a rich sequence of excellent volumes from the author. 

Recommended. 

Deadly: Derek Underwood, the Life of an English International Cricketer is written by Mark Peel and published by Pitch Publishing

Red ball county preview

It would be very easy, when putting pen to paper for this season preview, to cast my mind back to September and the end of a fairly mediocre season. 

There was little of excitement to write about and I had pretty much written off any possibility of the same in 2025. 

It may turn out to be equally anti-climactic, but it doesn't need to be that way. 

Every season throws up a surprise package in sport, a team that plays beyond the sum of its parts, gets off to a flyer and makes everyone else sit up and take notice. 

There is no reason why it should not be Derbyshire. If you look down the team, there are players of talent, potential and experience. There are also those who are playing for a new contract, which is always a consideration. Most have points to prove, which could go either way, of course.

There are question marks. Some of these are over fitness, mental toughness and technique. The ability is there, as it has to be at this level. The key will be in Mickey Arthur getting the players to produce their collective best form on a consistent basis. 

We are not a team of superstars. There are few within it who can win a match on their own. But just as in 2012, when the team pulled together to produce something special, maybe the same spirit can be galvanised once more. Even in 1936, when we won the County Championship, we were far from a good batting side. Yet runs came down the order and someone always ensured the side had enough for a keen attack to work with.

Wayne Madsen is back as red ball skipper. Maybe reluctantly, as he has surely had the opportunity to return as captain before now, but he is by a distance the best option available. He lifted the second division trophy in 2012 and while it would be optimistic in the extreme to expect him to do the same this year, we only need a good start, decent luck with the weather and injuries and to hold our catches to make a decent fist of things. The Derby pitches will be key and if the planned use of hybrid tracks comes to fruition, we have the bowlers to make good use of them.

Blair Tickner returns after a spell last year that didn't go as planned, but was one in which his ability and attitude was clear. He has something to prove - not least his fitness after a shoulder problem - but an opening partnership with Zak Chappell will be dangerous. Zak was outstanding last summer and is so important with bat and ball. So too Ben Aitchison, who should return in early season to offer another excellent red ball option. We must hope his injury troubles are behind him and he can now go on to a long and successful county career.

After a good tour of Australia with England Lions, Pat Brown will want to make an impact in all forms of the game, while Harry Moore will hope to build on a fine first summer once he finishes school in June. With Nick Potts working his way back from injury and keen to get what looked a serious talent back on track, we should have the ability to take wickets - IF they all stay injury-free.

Jack Morley will likely be the lead spinner and is another young player with potential. Alex Thomson will possibly play a more peripheral role, but will aim to do well when opportunity presents itself. Mitch Wagstaff will hope to force his way into the reckoning too, though whether as a batter who bowls a bit, or a genuine all-rounder is currently up for proving

Martin Andersson joins a group of all rounders that also includes David Lloyd, Luis Reece and Anuj Dal, so competition for places will be strong. Sometimes last year I felt we almost had too many options and didn't always use them to best effect. All of them need to pitch in with bat and ball to support a batting line up, which while talented, was never reliable last year. That two of them have opened the batting in the past could be useful, although whether that is to stabilise and innings at 30-3 or face the second new ball at 270-3 will depend on the effectiveness of the 2025 batting model.

Madsen will again lead the batting - how often have I written that over the years? At some point Father Time will catch up, but there seemed little sign of that last year and there may yet be life in the supremely talented old dog beyond this summer. 

Caleb Jewell arrives from Tasmania after a troubled winter in which his form at least seemed to be returning at its end. At his best he can really bolster the batting and engender confidence, as Shan Masood did three years ago. Good judges in Australia rate him, but the side needs him to hit the ground running.

I would like to see Harry Came as his partner, but I hope Harry remains assertive. Too often last season he appeared to be bogged down with responsibility and his natural fluency disappeared. Towards the end of the season the strokes returned and so too the runs.

Brooke Guest could well continue at three, but so too could Luis Reece or David Lloyd. There is much to commend a left/right partnership in the top order, so it may be fluid, depending on the first wicket to fall. Meanwhile, Aneurin Donald will want to show that he can play match-winning innings in the long form. We all know he can hit a ball a long way, but he is at a stage in his career where he should realise you don't need to do it to every ball in four-day cricket. If he can marry his wonderful timing and power to greater game awareness, we would have a special player on our hands. 

He will also continue to be back up wicket keeper to Brooke Guest, although that seems as onerous a task as it once did for those on the staff in case Bob Taylor was injured. Guest's level of fitness and high standards are a huge asset to the club and he will prove a trusty advisor to Wayne Madsen.

Confidence will be high at this stage, as it will be around the eighteen first-class counties. I am making no bold assertions, as I don't think it is helpful, but IF we can produce our best form consistently, we should win our share of games. 

If we don't, it will be another of those seasons, I'm afraid. 

But like all of you, I wish them only the best.

Thoughts as the season approaches

A week today, weather permitting, Derbyshire will step onto the County Ground for the first time in 2025. 

It will be a friendly game against Oxford UCCE, but an opportunity to see our side in the flesh once more.

There was mixed news from overseas this week. Caleb Jewell returned to the Tasmania side and made 45 and 100*  in their final fixture against New South Wales. It was a decent attack too, but most interesting was the fact that he batted at four, rather than his usual opening role. Whether that is an option for Derbyshire I don't know, but it is certainly food for thought. 

However, Blair Tickner has had a shoulder niggle that has kept him out of the Central Districts side in recent matches. He should return for their final game and if all goes well he will arrive to take his place in Derbyshire's second fixture of the summer.

Starting the season with an overseas bowler who has a shoulder injury is not ideal and with Harry Moore still at school and Ben Aitchison not quite ready, we may start our opening game missing three seamers. 

I am sure that if the worst happened,  Mickey Arthur has someone in line to step in for red ball cricket, but he will hope to go with his original choice. There will be plenty of match fit Australian and New Zealand bowlers who could come in at short notice on a short-term visa if needed, of course.

Moving on, I was again talking to Matt Rhodes of North Derbyshire radio last week and you can hear our chat about all things Derbyshire here

It includes my thoughts on Allah Ghazanfar, our new mystery spinner, as well as the selection of Harry Moore for Hundred.

I always smile when I hear the term 'mystery spinner'. Ghazanfar is an outstanding bowler, but I recall when a chap turned up to our preseason club nets claiming to be one.

After watching a lengthy selection of full tosses and long hops, our club wicketkeeper sidled up to me.

'Mystery spinner, eh? I reckon the only mystery is whether he goes for fours or sixes...' 

'But can you read him?' I asked, conscious that if he got it right he might be a potent weapon

'It doesn't matter', he said. 'No bugger's going to be missing anything that he is tossing up'.

Which is what happened when he played a few games. Length and line would have been useful for any spin to be effective..

Finally today, thank you to those who have made donations towards the running of the blog, either on a one-off or regular basis. You can do so easily by clicking on the 'donate' button in the top left hand corner if viewing on a computer. Alternatively, you can do so through PayPal, If you prefer. 

I am always happy to chat to anyone who would like to promote their business and sponsor the blog. Please email me at peakfan36@yahoo.co.uk if this might be of interest to you.

Our last week without county cricket, folks.

Exciting, isn't it?

Moore and Madsen picked for Hundred - and Blast thoughts

The news that Wayne Madsen and Harry Moore have been picked for this year's version of The Hundred was no surprise on the one hand, more so on the other.

With Pat Brown and Nye Donald already selected, Derbyshire will be without four of their first choice players for the One-Day Cup, which has led to considerable wailing and gnashing of teeth on social media. 

Yet supporters will need to accept - as I have - that the game has changed and the 50-over competition, whether we like it or not, is a development one. It is a chance for peripheral players to stake a claim, for young ones to make a name and for players possibly to change county and impress potential new suitors (assuming his own county has the resources to let him leave..)

Our best chance of success this year is in the T20, especially after the announcement of Allah Ghazanfar as overseas player for that competition. The announcement of Harry Moore in the Birmingham squad is a bold one and probably suggests he will play in the Vitality Blast this year. Is it asking a lot of a young man who hasn't yet played a T20 match to be participating in the ultimate of slap and giggle cricket? Perhaps, but Moore is a precocious talent and while Derbyshire will field two players over forty in the Blast (Madsen and Patel) it looks likely they could also field two eighteen-year olds in Moore and Ghazanfar. 

So what is your first choice Blast side, assuming fitness and form? I would likely go with:

Jewell

Donald

Madsen

Andersson

Whiteley/Lloyd

Guest

Patel

Chappell

Moore

Ghazanfar

Brown

You could go with Donald as wicket-keeper, but especially for a mystery spinner you need your best man behind the stumps. Andersson opened with success for Middlesex last year and there will be a decision between Whiteley (who really needs to play this format if he is going to) and Lloyd. 

Ross gives you another left-hander but perhaps his might be a floating role, to keep the bowlers changing their lines if Jewell went early. 

Conversely, Lloyd is a quick scorer and a bowling option, but the addition of Ghazanfar gives Derbyshire a VERY strong bowling unit for all surfaces.

Brown, Chappell, Moore, Ghazanfar and Patel. I am loathe to heap expectation on to the shoulders of two players still in their teens, but that might be our strongest-ever T20 attack.

Consider me excited. It could go wrong, of course and injuries can derail any side, but that looks a pretty decent side to me 

Thoughts? What would be your first choice eleven? 

Derbyshire swoop for Afghan ace Ghazanfar

Today's announcement of the signing of 18-year old Afghan 'mystery spinner' Allah Ghazanfar for the Vitality Blast has probably taken the cricket world by surprise. Yet that in no way reflects on the ability of a young man who is very highly thought of in the game, after a stellar start to his career.

Certainly the Mumbai Indians thought highly enough of him to pay 4.8 crore (around £450K) for his services for this year's IPL, before a back injury ruled him out of the competition, as it did the Champions Trophy. Based on his performances in 2024, it is likely that his appearance in those tournaments would have heightened awareness, but put him well outside of Derbyshire's budget. It is equally fair to say that this signing probably wouldn't have happened without the international contacts of Mickey Arthur. The Derbyshire Head of Cricket is good friends with Mahela Jayawardena, the head coach of Mumbai and former Sri Lankan captain.

Of course there is a risk in signing an overseas player of such tender years, just as there was when we signed the largely unknown Zaman Khan, also for the Vitality Blast, a couple of years back. There is also risk in signing a player who has missed several months of cricket with a back injury. But Derbyshire will have done due diligence on that one and will have been assured of his fitness for a stint in the Vitality Blast.

So what sort of player are we getting? 

If you Google his name he comes up as an offspin bowler, but that isn't close to the full story. Few have been able to consistently pick Ghazanfar's variations in his short time on the first class cricket scene. There is the carrom ball, top spin and back spin in his armoury, making him a challenge to take on with confidence. His fast action preserves the mystery and to merely play him as an off spin bowler is fraught with risk.

 He emerged from the 2024 Under-19 T20 World Cup, where he took eight wickets at an economy rate of just 3.35 runs per over. That he was initially preferred by Mumbai for this year's IPL, over the talented Mujeeb Ur Rahman of Bangladesh, speaks volumes for his talent and huge potential.

In senior cricket he has just 30 wickets in 19 T20 matches, but has only gone for six runs an over. Whether some wiley old professionals might work him out is a moot point,  but the merits of signing a player that many will not have heard of is that few will have faced his potent blend of spin both ways. At 6'2 he will also get bounce and is very much the sort of aggressive spinner that Samit Patel alluded to our needing, a few weeks ago. I look forward to watching his bowling partnership with the Derbyshire white ball captain.

A highest score of 1 in his five T20 knocks suggests he hasn't been signed to lengthen the batting, but if he can keep control or wreak havoc in the middle overs of matches he will have done his job. A YouTube video of his 31 against South Africa in a fifty-over game suggests he can handle a bat and hit a long ball, but supporters will hope we don't often require his services. 

Others may disagree, but I applaud this signing. It is left-field  and innovative, something that I cannot criticise. A lack of experience may come into the equation at some point, but age isn't an issue if you have the talent. Hampshire signed the precocious Lhuan-dre Pretorius, only a year older, a few weeks ago, confident that the young South African tyro can translate his clear talent to English pitches. And who is to say that Harry Moore might not play a role in the tournament this year? Youth should be no barrier and if you are good enough, you are old enough. Sachin Tendulkar let no one down when he was overseas player for Yorkshire at the age of 19.

I will be fascinated to see if Ghazanfar, the first Afghan overseas player to represent Derbyshire, can do similarly.

Based on what I have seen, I wouldn't bet against it. Have a look at this footage below, which clearly shows what the talented young man has to offer.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Kjwp3Zexzgg?si=LfXUr_l_iKtnW9dm

Welcome to Derbyshire, Allah!

First radio stint of the summer

I was on North Derbyshire radio last night, talking to Matt Rhodes about the new contract for Mickey Arthur, David Lloyd stepping down from the captaincy and Wayne Madsen taking it on.

We also discussed the coming season and the recent passing of former Derbyshire player Peter Eyre.

You can listen to it here. I am on just before the fifteen minute mark

Hope you enjoy it! 

Madsen returns to red ball captaincy

The change that makes the most sense from a Derbyshire perspective has been quickly announced, as I fully expected.

Wayne Madsen has once again been appointed red ball captain, a post he held for four summers until 2015. He was the last Derbyshire skipper to hold aloft a trophy, when we won division two in that memorable summer of 2012.

Since then, a number of Derbyshire skippers have sought his counsel and he has been involved in most on field decisions. At 41 he is in his twilight years as a player, yet there were no signs last year of any dimming of the light. He is still the first name on most team sheets and this can only be a positive move for Derbyshire. 

I also think it gives David Lloyd an opportunity to show our supporters what he can do. I understand his preference is to bat in the middle order and he should now have that chance, with the arrival of Caleb Jewell, who will partner either Harry Came or Luis Reece.

I will not make any bold predictions, nor expect Wayne to channel his inner Eddie Barlow and galvanise his side as the latter once did so well. He is a different beast, but will command respect and will undoubtedly have the backing of everyone in and  around the club. He exudes calmness and knows the game inside out.

This is definitely the right appointment for Derbyshire. It might just be for a year, with the captaincy carrot dangled in front of someone elsewhere for 2026, or it might just extend the career of one of the few men for whom 'legend' is an an entirely appropriate epithet.

Congratulations skipper!

Postscript: with Wayne 41 and Samit Patel 40, I doubt any county has ever had both format skippers over the age of 40...unless anyone can say different?

Lloyd steps down as club captain

It has come as no surprise that there will be a change in the club captaincy at Derbyshire for the coming season. 

David Lloyd, who has stepped down from the role, looked to be struggling at the end of last summer, when the challenges of establishing himself at a new club, some distance from his home and with injuries to contend with, became too much. 

His struggles with his mental health have been well documented. He is a good cricketer, better than last season showed him to be. There were glimpses of form, with some delightful stroke play at times, but they came in cameos and he was unable to deliver the weight of runs that supporters - and he - would have liked. 

Injuries to his knee and hand also limited what he could do with the ball. A player who has made his name as a solid county all rounder was thus restricted to one string of his talented bow. An excellent slip fielder, he often had to field elsewhere to protect his hand, so it is fair to say we didn't see him at his best. 

He was able to turn back time and bowl the off spin of his younger days, but I'm sure he would have preferred the opportunity to show a new set of supporters his best game, without such challenges.

You never know what is going on away from cricket, either. Getting your young family established in a new area is not easy and all things considered, it was no real surprise that David struggled. Especially when asked to take the helm of a team that, let's face it, has hardly been successful.

That is a tough gig. Rikki Clarke was a terrific county cricketer for many years, but he found it challenging at Derbyshire after leaving Surrey, before moving to Warwickshire and enjoying an excellent career, back in the ranks. You could go through a number of players who both joined and left our county and struggled in pastures new. Sometimes you get the right environment, sometimes you don't, it is that simple. 

I hope that David is able to enjoy being a respected advisor to the new captain and I wouldn't expect that announcement to be too long. 

For me, there is only one real option, as I wrote last week. 

If Wayne Madsen could be persuaded to take on the role that he held with distinction between 2012 and 2015, he is by far the best candidate. 

It would be a good news story and one that would send us into the season with greater confidence.

Other than that? Brooke Guest, but my concern would be a colossal workload for a key member of the side.

Thoughts?

Mickey Arthur - the reason why

It didn't take too long to find out that my opinion of a new contract for Mickey Arthur was at odds with many other supporters...

Plenty of comments on here and around social media confirmed that people were surprised and angry. I fully understand that and, as someone who felt at the end of last season that this year would be the last for Mickey Arthur, I would like to explain why my position has shifted. 

It is patently clear that results have not gone as we had hoped. Mickey's approach is by nature to be bullish and upbeat and he has not always helped himself with some of his comments. 

Calling the players 'entertainment machines' and suggesting we were going to play 'sexy cricket' was a clear case of setting yourself up for a fall. So too the building up of some players. Alex Thomson, for example, was referred to as having England potential when he joined, but has become an increasingly peripheral figure. 

He has also made mistakes. Some contracts were extended, but shouldn't have been, some decisions beggared belief (bowling at Hove last year, batting at Chesterfield) and man management was, anecdotally, not especially good. Bawling out a dressing room at a volume that was audible to supporters outside seemed to be playing to the gallery.

From years as a senior manager in different environments, I know pretty well that you cannot adopt a one-size fits all approach to this, as it doesn't work. It might do at elite level, but below that you need to appreciate that people respond to and need different approaches. They make mistakes, but not usually on purpose.

I would like to think that the Derbyshire Board has seen evidence that lessons have been learned. If you are receptive to doing so, you always learn and I clearly recall John Wright saying that his approach to being in charge at Kent was considerably different to when he did the same for New Zealand and India. That makes complete sense. Elite principles are one thing, but so too an appreciation that not everyone is of the requisite standard.

His experience in the world game is second to none, but relatively speaking, at this level it was limited and some time ago. After three seasons, he will appreciate that his initial comments were not helpful and his suggestion that by year three he would have 'his' side was not wise. It didn't take into account that the county doesn't have the budget to make it 'his' side in that time scale, for one thing. It is no longer international cricket, where you choose who is available. You need to have the money and they need to want to come.

A gamble on signing Samit Patel and Ross Whiteley didn't come off last year, neither of them producing their best form. Again, to have 'his' side he needed the right players and one look at the out of contract list last year showed few players who would have improved us. 

Yet we supporters are not privy to discussions at board level. My thoughts over the winter have been that Mickey will have irons in the fire for 2026, players that he wants to bring to Derbyshire and who would improve the overall standard. He has the contacts, he has the name and people will want to come and play for international coach Mickey Arthur. Not just domestic players, but those in other countries who will be aware of his record in the global game. I wouldn't be surprised if contact had not already been made with agents, expressing interest.

He got George Scrimshaw into the England set up, so too Pat Brown, likewise Harry Moore. That hasn't happened for a long time and it was important for Derbyshire to be seen to be relevant once more. When the right players become available and see that Derbyshire can be a route to international cricket, that is progress. You don't hear people questioning the relevance of the county now, commonplace a few years ago.

Yes, he needs to get the best out of what he has in 2025 and my gut feeling is that we will see improvement. Yet we should not forget that our existing  squad is largely made up of those who lacked opportunity elsewhere and in some cases there was a reason for that. We don't have the budget  and we can't throw £150K at player A and ask him to come here. Because if you do, the standout players on your staff want parity, when they realise what is happening and that they are doing more than the expensive new import...

Quietly, below the surface and unnoticed to many, Arthur established a coaching structure, with the very able assistance of Daryn Smit, that will see the county hopefully produce its own talent in future years.

Mitch Wagstaff, Nick Potts, Harry Moore and Yusaf bin Naeem are the first wave of what will hopefully be many players from our own system. I understand that as many as six players may be involved in this year's under-15 Bunbury Festival, which would be an astonishing achievement. 

Bringing in the right overseas players, recruiting quality from elsewhere and fielding the best of our own is the way I would like to see Derbyshire develop. Young and hungry players, keen for the opportunity to develop their games from overseas, not those who are looking for final paydays and to go through the motions.

In saying that the right decision was made, I am not suggesting I am any happier with the last couple of seasons than anyone else. But I can see where progress is being made and I cannot see how changing at this point in the development process would be productive. Going from rock bottom to the top was always unlikely in three years, as it is in any sport. Even Eddie Barlow found it much harder as a coach than a player, when he couldn't directly influence events on the pitch.

The decision has been made and as supporters we must now get behind the team, the coaches and the club. It should not and will not prevent constructive comment and criticism when matches are lost - as they will be. Nor should it prevent constant scrutiny, which will be the case at board level. 

But I am willing to extend my acceptance of the length of the development plan to five years. As well as players gaining national recognition for the first time in a long while, others are playing abroad with success and coaching staff are gaining experience and doing very well in the English winter (take a bow, Ben Smith)

Such a widening of the net takes the county name into different circles and allows us to see people who could do a job in the future.

If you don't agree that's fine. It is all about opinions and as long as they are expressed in a thoughtful and considered manner I will always be happy to air yours on here. Unlike those of the eejit who periodically sent comments urging me to die, until I blocked his IP address, sending them straight to the trash where they belonged..

But in closing and as I do every year, please remember that when you post it will be read by family, friends, players, board members and coaching staff. The blog is a good sounding board for many people and an opportunity to make your views known. 

I will always be happy to post comments that disagree with mine, just as long as they are considered and are not personal. I love the involvement of everyone and it remains a pleasure to engage with you all. 

A new season will soon be upon us. 

Let the show commence..

Arthur signs contract extension

At least for me, today's announcement of a one-year contract extension for Mickey Arthur comes as no surprise.

Anyone who watched the excellent series of videos by Tom Poynton on the club site will know that the Head of Cricket is highly regarded, irrespective of results so far not going as we may have wanted.

His first year at the club was a success, managing to get more from the players than had previously been the case. The last two have been disappointing, but there are signs throughout the club that the 'process' is starting to bear fruit. 

The short-termism highlighted in the signings of Samit Patel and Ross Whiteley may or may not bring dividends this summer. But the recruitment of Aneurin Donald and Martin Andersson suggests a longer-term game. At this stage, I would expect Donald to be the white ball captain in 2026 and that additional responsibility could be the making of him.

The progression of Harry Moore and Yusuf Bin Naeem to the senior squad may only be the start. The county under-fifteen squad is highly regarded and I understand that a number of Derbyshire players look like playing at the Bunbury Festival this year, which showcases the country's top under-15 talent.

Of course, Daryn Smit and the Pathway deserve great credit for this, but so too does Arthur, for putting in place the requisite structure. I have been quick to criticise when results haven't gone as they should and mistakes have been made - and there have been a few - but the development of the club,  within budget and without incurring substantial debt, goes on and I respect that. I suspect that the end of this season will see further change in the playing ranks and that will of course be dictated by results and performance in 2025. 

The bottom line is that Derbyshire cannot compete on purely financial terms for players. It is all very well for supporters to look at other counties and suggest we should be signing player X and Y, but the club has made the decision to be financially prudent. In that regard, they are a model to their peers, debt free and living firmly within their means, building from the roots upwards. 

The 'Derbyshire way' has to be identifying young overseas players of talent around the globe, giving them the opportunity to play in this country and build their reputation, while at the same time not breaking the bank in so far as the outlay is concerned. I have heard the sums asked for some players and been astonished, but franchise cricket has been a game-changer for many. Like it or not, we cannot match a salary offered by a franchise host, so we need to identify the talent more quickly. Realistically, the best chance of doing that is with someone who has contacts throughout the world game.

Supporting such players with home-grown and keenly sourced talent from elsewhere will ensure that there is a Derbyshire County Cricket Club in the future. The road to financial ruin, regardless of the 'riches' coming from the recent investment in The Hundred, is still a very easy to follow, one perhaps likely to see one or two casualties in the next twenty years.

Stability is important in all walks of life and, as supporters, we need to get behind the players, the coaching staff and the club in the hope that Mickey Arthur can build a Derbyshire that is greater than the sum of its constituent parts.

It promises to be an interesting summer and we now know that the man tasked with making it successful will be there to see the job through, until at least the end of 2026. He will have the opportunity to continue to shape the squad next winter and to further progress what he has often called 'the project'

It will make fascinating viewing.

Peter Eyre 1939-2025

I was so sorry tonight to hear the news of the passing of Peter Eyre, another of my childhood favourites. Coming so soon after the death of his good friend Brian Jackson, it has been a sad time for the High Peak and for Derbyshire cricket.

Peter was perhaps the very definition of a journeyman professional. He didn't always reach the heights and there were times when he was not an automatic choice in the Derbyshire eleven. Yet when opportunity came, he seldom let them down.

He played for the county between 1959 and 1972 and took 418 wickets in that time. His bustling fast medium pace always commanded respect, never more so than when he destroyed Sussex in the 1969 Gillette Cup semi-final. Harold Rhodes and Alan Ward softened them up, Fred Rumsey was parsimony personified but it was Peter who delivered the knock-out blows, returning figures of 6-18 on an afternoon when he was nigh unplayable. 

1969 was a good year and Chesterfield a good ground for him, because he also returned his best first-class figures of 8-65 against Somerset there that summer, as well as recording his only first-class century, against Leicestershire on the same ground. A fine one too, against an attack containing three international bowlers, Graham McKenzie, Barry Knight and Ray Illingworth.

He burst onto the scene as a young bowler of talent, who was sadly caught up in the throwing controversy that falsely blighted the career of his team mate and good friend Harold Rhodes. He was filmed after one of the 1961 Australians felt there was something 'different' about his action, but that was all it was - different. But as he told me when I interviewed him for my second book, 'I always felt under scrutiny afterwards, whether from officials or umpires. I was never called, but it was always on my mind'.

In 1967 he emerged from a few years of struggle to take 64 wickets at less than 20 runs each, taking the new ball for a good part of the season. Yet that halcyon summer of '69 marked the start of a decline, after a cartilage injury sustained playing football in the following winter. He then contracted debilitating glandular fever, which took him a long time from which to recover.

When he finished playing professional cricket he captained Hathersage Cricket Club for several seasons and also played for Knypersley, where he spent some successful summers as a professional. 

A builder to trade, he was well known in and around the High Peak. Some will remember him from the shire horses that he kept, doing weddings with them and giving rides in a cart at Carsington Water and at Chatsworth for a number of years.

He was kind enough to come along to both of my book launches, having been very patient with my many questions when I interviewed him for the second one. He had a wry sense of humour and recalled with a chuckle when he experimented with a wig for a short time. He suffered from alopecia as a young man, which made him stand out, at a time when hairstyles were getting longer. 

The experiment was abandoned when he realised the method of securing his wig was not effective and the slip fielders were watching it bounce up and down when he ran in, rather than focusing on the ball and the edge of the bat.

It was a story indicative of the man and he had a ready smile and collection of funny tales. When I thanked him for coming along to my book launch at Chesterfield Library, he shook my hand and gave me that trademark grin 

'I allus liked Chesterfield anyway' came his reply, with the afterthought 'and the book is a good 'un too.'

Peter Eyre was a good 'un alright, one of the very best.

Rest in Peace and thank you for everything, Peter.