Tickner returns to County Ground

I don't think it needed Sherlock Holmes to work out that Blair Tickner was going to be returning to Derbyshire. As soon as it became common knowledge that it was a bowler who was 'returning' to the county, it could really only be him, in my opinion. Which is why I wrote most of this piece some time before the news was announced. September, actually.

There were times last season when he looked a good bowler and he certainly would have had far better figures had our slip cordon (and surprisingly Brooke Guest) not put down a number of chances from his bowling. I am not sure if that was early season-itis, cold hands or unexpected nip, but the New Zealand international did create opportunities. He can't be down at the other end to 'cop' them as well.

Having said that, he ended his spell prematurely with only eight wickets at 61 runs each. With decent close fielding that average could have been down to mid thirties and would likely have improved further on later season pitches. He was lively and what was undeniable was that he enjoyed the experience and gave everything at a time when his wife's illness must have preyed on his mind. He seemed like a good bloke to have in the dressing room and to enjoy his stay. Certainly a smile was never far from his lips and that must have been a challenge, with everything going on in his life.

I would have changed things, but it is important to understand that sometimes the kind of player you want is in short supply or outside your price bracket. The county with one of the two smallest playing budgets in the country can only do so much. He's here for the season, too, which is always a preferred option. If we can pick up a T20 specialist, we can adopt a 'horses for courses' approach to the competition.

So Tickner returns, which I assume means his wife is progressing well. That in itself is excellent news and we can only hope that the Blair Tick Project 2 is a sequel better than the original. 

Fingers crossed and let's hope he is in fine fettle when he returns.

And that we don't collectively have teflon hands, this time around...

That overseas role...

I watched a remarkable innings by Glenn Maxwell this morning in the Big Bash. 

Batting for Melbourne Stars against their rivals the Renegades, his innings of 90 from 47 deliveries took them from 75-7 to an all out 165. His innings included ten sixes and it was quite extraordinary, adding 81 runs with Usama Mir, of which the Pakistan player contributed exactly none..

It enabled them to win the game from a position where it was effectively lost and highlighted exactly what you sign a big name player for.

He has done it before, of course and is a very fine player. He also bowls handy offspin and is an outstanding fielder, but Birmingham supporters will perhaps have a different opinion of him. 

In 2023 he was their overseas player for the whole of the Blast and averaged only 17, with a highest score of 47. This is considerably lower than his career average, having scored around a dozen centuries in the format. Indeed, he has played for five different counties in the Blast and only Lancashire might claim they saw anything approaching his best, three of his six half centuries in the competition coming in their colours in 2019.

You can imagine the excitement of the Bears support when his name was announced for that season, the frustration when it was not to be his year. He wasn't the first or last to disappoint, of course and we have had our share. 

I was no gambling man, but would have put a few. bob on Lawrence Rowe scoring several centuries in his summer at Derbyshire, not going home with his debut 94 being the best that he managed in all competitions. He arrived on the back of a triple century against England and yet it never worked out.

Marcus Stonis did little for Kent in the T20, David Warner making only one fifty in seventeen knocks when he played in the Blast. Despite playing for five different counties and being a regular pick around the globe, Dwayne Bravo did little either, a highest score of 38 in 24 matches backed up with only 22 wickets. You would take any of them if offered (I know Bravo has retired) but the statistics don't always add up to the undoubted expenditure.

Reputation is no guarantee of success, as we found when we had both Tillakaratne Dilshan and Hashim Amla in the same side. In our minds they would lead us to glory - the reality was quite different. Just as it was when Shahid Afridi turned out for us, neither batting or bowling anywhere approximating his best form.

Whether at club or county level, the role of overseas professional is a tough gig. The pressure of becoming part of the team is one thing, leading by example another. Many struggle under the weight of expectation, which splits the wheat from the chaff.

Which is why I wouldn't be too upset at the lack of form shown by Caleb Jewell this winter. Anyone who has played the game will know that there are periods when you feel there is no middle to your bat. Maybe it is down to a slight change of technique, to bad luck, external factors or even a different bat. Players try everything to change their fortune and to keep a run going when things are as you want them. 

John Wright told me that he once glued his gloves to the bat handle when he had found the optimum position for them, neglecting the fact that it made running between the wickets a challenge and giving him 'the turning circle of the Queen Mary.' 

Jewell hasn't scored the runs he so far has in first class cricket by being a bad player. Several good judges have marked him down as one to watch and the feeling remains that a good summer in England **might** be the making of him. He will come out of this run, as good players do, but you never know when, until the ball finds both the middle of the bat and the gaps in the field with equal regularity. 

Michael di Venuto was much more prolific in England than in Australia. So too Mark Cosgrove, who scored heavily around the shires for a number of summers. Since the double-lacquering of Kookaburra balls, batting averages have dropped in Australia, those with defensive frailties being found out a little. You also see it in the Big Bash, where scores are much lower (and games more entertaining as a consequence) than in other parts of the world.

While I have noted the lack of form of Caleb Jewell this winter, it is with no sense of satisfaction, no perverse desire to see him fail. Quite the opposite, I would love to report on runs flowing from his bat like water from a tap. 

It hasn't happened yet, but he will arrive in Derbyshire in time for pre-season nets with a burning desire to get both his career and his international ambitions back on track. Maybe under-promising and over-delivering is the way to go...just as long as you manage the latter, of course.

Neither Sam Konstas, Jake Fraser-McGurk or Nathan McSweeney have yet proved themselves the opening partner Usman Khawaja needs. A fine summer in England could easily see Jewell leapfrog them all.

I am sure all Derbyshire supporters hope that is the case.

Talking point - Arthur's dual role

Apologies for the late publication of my thoughts on the latest news surrounding Mickey Arthur, but my mother-in-law has been in hospital for nine weeks and now needs to go into a care home, with all the work that it entails. 

I can see two sides to the news that Arthur will be Director of Cricket for the Northern Superchargers during that other competition in the 2025 summer.

One is to share the general indignation that the county is entitled to 100% of his available time and input, at a time when things could hardly be said to be going swimmingly. 

I honestly feel that the frustration, annoyance, anger - call it as you will - expressed on social media yesterday would not have been so severe had it not followed on from the 'job share' of our Head of Cricket role with that in charge of Pakistan cricket.

Regardless of the job that we do, all of us have only 100% (I really dislike when people talk about giving it 110%...) to give to our working life. If anyone dilutes their job with another role, whether honorary, advisory or 'hands off', that first role can no longer get 100%. Sure, you can work longer hours, but that ends up doing no one any favours, certainly not yourself. If you say 'I will be working harder' my usual response has been 'why weren't you in the first place?'

So I do understand supporter frustrations. The 2025 season will be a watershed for Derbyshire, with the contracts of a number of players up for renewal at the end of it. A lot of people have reasons to work very hard in the coming months as they will otherwise be surplus to requirements when October comes. 

My gut feeling - although yesterday's press release suggested the contrary - is that Derbyshire will go into the one-day cup led by Ben Smith. Ajmal Shahzad has been involved with Trent Rockets and I expect that will continue, so we will see how that all plays out in the months ahead.

But is it really so bad? Other county coaches have done similar dual roles, Arthur replacing Marcus North, whose Durham role hasn't suffered as a consequence. Mind you, Durham have a far greater budget than Derbyshire and that's where you can turn that argument on its head.

Arthur will be working with Andrew Flintoff, who is Head Coach of England Lions. He will be in a strong position to push the claims of the likes of Pat Brown, Harry Moore and maybe Zak Chappell for a place with the Northern Superchargers. If they do well, they could force their way into the England Lions reckoning, which in turn brings money into the Derbyshire budget. 

It is easy to say 'but then we won't have them for the One-Day Cup'. Equally, it is fair to say that the additional Performance-Related Fee Payments (PRFP) will enable us to better fight for available players, both domestic and overseas.

None of us are especially happy with county performances, but improving them requires better quality players, who cost money. Some of the existing squad have reached their performance ceiling, others have their best days behind them. I suspect 2026 will see a drastic change to the county staff, but bringing in BETTER players requires more money. 

I understand that Derbyshire will look to bring in a T20 specialist for The Blast, but the quality of player will be dependent on the budget available. We would all like to see a big name in the county colours, but realistically, even if they were available, you would need to cross their palm with a quantity of silver that we don't have. 

Maybe a rethink is needed at the end of the coming summer, as bigger name players likely depart. We need to develop our own and reap the financial and reputational benefits that brings with it. Perhaps a young, hungry squad with a couple of gun overseas players is the reset that we need?

The bottom line is that we cannot carry on as we have for the last two summers. So perhaps there is an alternate take on things than indignation and outrage...

In less than three weeks we can say 'cricket starts next month.

So we will find out soon enough.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to each and every one of you! Let's hope that 2025 is memorable for derbyshire supporters, ideally for all of the best reasons..

There isn't much news to report on. Martin Andersson seems to be settling in well at the club, according to a video on the club site, but that's not a surprise as it has always been very welcoming, with good people in and around it.

Caleb Jewell still finds himself outside the first choice eleven for Hobart Hurricanes and the way they are currently playing he seems unlikely to get back in, anytime soon. Mitch Owen is giving them some flying starts, with Matthew Wade at the other end. With West Indian Shai Hope, Ben McDermott and Tim David in the middle order they have plenty of power, while Nikhil Chaudhary reminds me very much of Anuj Dal when he bats. 

It is far from ideal that Jewell will not have been playing much top level cricket before coming to Derbyshire. Nor that he has been in poor form in that he has played. 

There has been some good cricket played in the Big Bash. I haven't seen all of it, but Australia has some fine young talent, alongside some that is evergreen. 

Cooper Connolly of Perth Scorchers remains the best young player I have seen, while Spencer Johnson bowls some serious pace for Brisbane Heat.  Will Sutherland is also an excellent all-rounder, likely pursued by a few counties. Turning the clock back, Lockie Ferguson is still bowling rockets for Sydney Thunder, the toe-crushing yorkers we enjoyed for Derbyshire still very much in evidence.

Moving on, I had the pleasure of a chat with county legend Edwin Smith last week, on his 91st birthday. He is now the oldest former player for Derbyshire, as well as the only living man to take over a thousand wickets in our colours. He has had his health issues in recent months, which hopefully are behind him. 

I don't often comment on international cricket, but I have a few observations on the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, between Australia and India. 

For all of the talent their players possess, India will never be the number one Test nation until their players are allowed to experience cricket on overseas pitches. It's all very well hanging on to the supposed supremacy of the IPL, but flat track bullies don't translate well, when they are playing in different conditions. 

Nor will they prosper again until their side is picked on talent rather than reputation. Virat Kohli has been in woeful form in the past two years, mainly because he is vulnerable outside off stump. Has he got lazy with his footwork, playing on these flat pitches, or have his eyes gone? Either way, he does not justify a place in the side and it is not healthy to have someone in any eleven who is living on past glories. 

Finally, they cannot keep using Jasprit Bumrah as shock and stock bowler. It was no surprise to me when he hobbled off in the final match of the series and now looks likely to miss a fair bit of cricket. He is a generational talent, but your main strike bowler cannot bowl more overs than almost anyone else and he needs support. 

As for the Aussies, their struggle to find a partner for Usman Khawaja (learned his trade in Derbyshire...😉) continues. Sam Konstas is another talented lad, but perhaps needs to tone it down a little until his achievements match his confidence. There is a fine line between confidence and cocky and it is one that is best not crossed too early..

That's all for now. After the turn of the year, the domestic cricket season will be upon us before we know it. 

That has to be a good thing, right? 

Final one for 2024

If you are a believer in portents, then 2025 could be special for Derbyshire.

Next year is a 'squared year', the only one in most of our lifetimes. The next one will not be until 2116, so to see that one you will need to be much younger than me (and probably not reading this blog right now!)

2025 is 45 squared, while 46 squared takes us to the year above..

44 squared? That was 1936, when we won the county championship. Maybe  posterity will see us as the 'squared year county', but lIke most of you I would settle for greater frequency than once in a lifetime...

Strange as it seems, I have lived and supported Derbyshire County Cricket Club through the greatest years, seeing all but one of the trophies in their history. There have been plenty of times that it hasn't seemed that way, but you can't argue with the facts.

Key to our prospects next season will be Caleb Jewell, who I watched yesterday opening the batting for the Hobart Hurricanes (Tasmania to you and me) in the Big Bash.

After a challenging winter so far for him, it didn't make for easy viewing. The pitch was flat, the ground small but Jewell looked like a player low on confidence during his innings of 22 from 20 balls. There was a lot of playing and missing, a couple of them from decidedly agricultural mows, several streaky edges and a couple that he middled going straight to fielders. He adjusted well to one wide ball to guide it through point for four, while another ungainly shot highlighted the size of the ground by sailing into the crowd over point. 

Yet there was no suggestion of permanence and it was almost a relief when he was caught at extra cover from a drive. I felt sorry for the lad, because anyone who has been in poor touch will know how it is. His side went on to post 214 and win, largely thanks to Ben McDermott and Tim David, but without their power, Hobart would have struggled from that sluggish start. 

I would like to think he is better than that, but I have to admit I am tempering my expectations. I would love to be proved wrong and that he comes over here to be a run machine, but I don't expect a modern version of Dean Jones, Marcus North, Michael di Venuto or Simon Katich. 

Truth be told, his career averages in red and white ball cricket are pretty much the same as those of Harry Came, so I think supporters need to be realistic. I hope he comes out of his current famine sometime soon, because we really need the input of a good, solid overseas bat. But I have to say I have some way to go before being convinced that Caleb will provide what we need.

We will see. Maybe he just needs a good batting coach to get him back to basics, but Mickey Arthur, after a string of disappointing signings from foreign climes, really needs two overseas players next year who will enhance the existing offer.

If they don't, what is the point of the expense? You could likely contract someone like Ajay Khunti, who averaged 180 for the second team in 2024, for a fraction of the cost and greater long-term commitment.

Anyway, this is my final post of 2024. I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas and I wish everyone the very best in 2025. 

If a trophy comes about, remember mystic Peakfan called it first...

Seasons greetings!

I thought I would take a quiet moment before the activity of the festive season to wish everyone the very best for Christmas and for 2025. 

I hope that Christmas is filled with everything that you enjoy and that the new year sees you stay fit and well. Equally pertinent, from a cricket perspective, let us hope that concerns that I feel we all share about Derbyshire in 2025 prove to be wrong. 

Caleb Jewell's winter struggles continued on his return to the Hobart Hurricanes side, when he made only seven runs  in their easy win over the Perth Scorchers, Mitch Owen blazing his way to a memorable century with some bucolic strokes.

Hopefully Jewell shows us what he can do in the rest of a pretty lengthy competition and discovers his best form ahead of his arrival on these shores.

If he can discover the class and poise of Nathan McSweeney, dropped from the national side after understandable struggles against Jasprit Bumrah, he will do alright.

McSweeney looked a very good player in anchoring Brisbane to a win today, pacing the run chase to perfection, despite wickets falling around him.

There will be interest in his services, for sure.

Anyway, seasons greetings to you all and thank you so much for your support - financial and otherwise - in 2024.

Bad luck for county alumni in Oz

It wasn't the best of weekends for former Derbyshire players at the start of the Australian Big Bash.

In yesterday's opening game, Hilton Cartwright (class of '22) seemed to hurt his neck in diving to stop a boundary. The game was suspended for ten minutes while he was attended to by medical staff, then taken off the field on a stretcher and in a neck brace. 

The injury has yet to be diagnosed at the time of writing, but it looked sufficiently bad for him to be ruled out for the immediate future. That's a real shame for the Perth Scorchers, as he has been in excellent form this season, averaging over 50 in the Sheffield Shield.

Meanwhile Hayden Kerr (also class of '22) had to retire hurt today, after pulling a hamstring while running between the wickets for the Sydney Sixers against the Melbourne Renegades. That also seems likely to rule him out for a game or two, so neither man has had the best of starts to the competition. 

One player who did impress me was Cooper Connolly, who at just 21 and with only 18 T20 matches behind him has already played for his country. He took 1-18 with his accurate slow left arm and then scored 64 batting at number three, looking a very talented player in the process. 

I always feel there is much to commend a player who offers an all-round game in twenty over cricket. I would expect Connolly to receive a few offers ahead of The Vitality Blast this year, if he stays injury-free himself, of course.

On Thursday morning Caleb Jewell will doubtless line up for Tasmania in their opening fixture, alongside another former Derbyshire player, Ben McDermott (class of '21). Jewell has struggled for runs this summer, his drought extending to recent club matches for North Hobart, in which he was dismissed for nought and five.

As we all know, an out of form player is only a couple of balls in the middle of the bat away from finding his rhythm. 

It would be nice all round if Caleb could manage that on Thursday.

Weekend roundup

The article on Blair Tickner by Will MacPherson in the Telegraph earlier this week reflects great credit on the player and club.

You can see that article here

That Tickner was able to keep going after the diagnosis on his wife, Sarah's health is to his great credit. So too how the players and their wives and partners rallied around them both and their daughter, Florence.

It is clear that Tickner is a man of honour and the article leaves no doubt that he hopes to return to the county in 2025 for unfinished business. 

Only time will tell how realistic that ambition is. His wife will require ongoing treatment and it would be difficult to focus on his work, when he is potentially thousands of miles from home. 

My own gut feeling, should he be able to travel, is that Derbyshire will perhaps limit his involvement to the red ball section of the early summer, allowing him then to travel home at the end of May, before the T20 begins. He might then return at the end of the summer, depending on how the early part of the season goes for the county.

This week's news from Pakistan might be helpful, with both Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir announcing their retirements (again) from international cricket. Both appear to be set to see out the remainder of their careers in franchise and T20 cricket around the world. 

Amir's stint at Derbyshire last year was too short to be hugely influential, though he proved hard to get away. He didn't really appear to 'slip' himself but batters will always be aware that he has that ability if required.

It could well be that Derbyshire's Head of Cricket lines him up for a return, having a good relationship with the player. The same could be said for Wasim, of course, who worked a good partnership with Samit Patel when they were both at Nottinghamshire. 

I think the skill set of the latter would be better suited to Derbyshire, though my concern is that when I have more recently watched him, he hasn't looked especially fit. A knee injury has hampered him and he also appears to be carrying more weight than in his prime. In a Derbyshire squad that is already not the youngest, my personal feeling is that someone younger might be a better bet.

Perhaps the forthcoming Big Bash in Australia will be worth a watch. Having already signed Caleb Jewell from Tasmania, there will be other young talents there who would enhance our T20 prospects with bat and ball, as well as offering something extra in the field. 

Of course, a chance to impress in the English T20 could then offer an opening into The Hundred, which is an inducement that will hold considerable appeal.

All conjecture and supposition at this stage, but the more I think about it the more I feel it is likely that our second overseas role will be split next summer.

Given the challenges highlighted in my last post around overseas recruitment, it seems the most likely solution.

We will see.

Meantime, enjoy your weekend! 

Winter warmer

I think we all need a winter warmer today. 

It has been a horrible weekend, weather-wise and at such times the cricket season seems a long way off. It is currently 107 days until Derbyshire start their summer with a pre-season match at the County Ground and we can only hope that it improves considerably between times. 

I have finally managed to book a trip down there and I will be staying in Derby between June 4 and 7. I will then be able to see two 20-over fixtures and also visit family and friends in the area. It should give me an opportunity to assess our chances in that format, which appears our better chance of success once again. 

Mickey Arthur did get a trophy under his belt this week, winning the Global Super League with a win over Australian state side Victoria in the final. 

Zak Chappell had a good tournament for them, as was always likely from an excellent bowler in the format. Wayne Madsen was less successful, but it is still good to see the county legend getting belated opportunities overseas.

I just hope the competition allowed our Head of Cricket to spot some untapped talent over there. There are still too many questions against the Derbyshire squad for me to go in to 2025 with any degree of confidence. Caleb Jewell continues to play for Victoria second string, while Blair Tickner is absent from the current round of fixtures in New Zealand for 'family reasons.'

While I understand the genial Kiwi remains Mickey Arthur's first pick for next year, the health of his wife will surely dictate availability and there are presumably other options on the table.

A recent article, however, highlighted the challenge in recruiting overseas players.

After the ECB successfully lobbied the Home Office five years ago,  regulations were altered so that eligibility – which was previously linked solely to international caps – instead took into account domestic T20 appearances. Players are eligible for an international sportsperson visa if they have played 20 top-level T20 fixtures in a full-member nation in the last three years, for those without international credentials.

However, with players increasingly specialised and many of the best white-ball players not regularly playing first-class cricket, the challenge to find eligible, quality red-ball overseas players is clear. Zaman Khan, for example, has never played red ball cricket and to recruit players good at T20 represents a gamble in both the skill set and also the level of fitness to bowl 15-20 overs a day.

Players who do not meet the criteria can apply for a 28-day permitted paid engagement visa, but that doesn't enable them to fulfil a complete block of red ball cricket. In Derbyshire's case, such a player might be available for the first four red ball matches but then not for the next three. 

It highlights why a player like Tickner, theoretically interested and available, becomes a target. With the PSL and IPL overlapping the start of the English county season, the available options are increasingly limited.

Oh for the days when you could sign a big name star, safe in the knowledge he was able to play for the full summer. They're gone and will never return. 

Finally today, the recent sad passing of Brian Jackson leaves Edwin Smith as the oldest surviving former Derbyshire player. 

Edwin will be 91 on January 2, which would take him past his highest score batting for the county. Nonetheless, he is the last man to take over a thousand wickets in the county colours and is a quite wonderful man.

Just behind him in the age stakes are Michael Bentley, who played just one match for the county in 1957 and will be 90 in February, all being well, then Keith Mohan, whose 90th falls in June of next year.

Keith, like Edwin, has had a poor spell of health recently but remains a great character with a wicked sense of humour.

I still recall, with a smile, when we were at Derby railway station after the funeral of Walter Goodyear in 2016. We were both awaiting trains home, him to York, me to Glasgow and we had half an hour to kill, which we did with a coffee in the bar.

As the pleasant young waitress approached, Keith asked if we could have two coffees, 'for my older brother and myself...' 

The twinkle in his eyes was evident, the following grin shared with me.

Long may it continue!

Book Review: A Striking Summer: How Cricket United A Divided Nation by Stephen Brenkley

A cricket book that is also a social history? That'll do nicely..

Coming from a mining background, the events of 1926 and the general strike, together with the subsequent treatment of miners,  has been well engraved on my soul. In this book, which is admirably researched and written, Stephen Brenkley has managed to encapsulate the mood of the country while England were trying to wrest The Ashes from Australian hands. 

It is a series that has been well documented but not previously, in my opinion, as well as this. Until the fifth and final Test the matches were played over three days, which in those pre-Bazball times were insufficient to produce a result, even when heavy rain produced 'sticky dogs' to contend with. Crowds queued through the night to see a hard-fought series, culminating in a legendary finale at The Oval.

England's selection was muddled, as always, with the side taking the field experienced to  ridiculous proportions. Jack Hobbs was 43, wicket-keeper Herbert Strudwick 46 and Wilfred Rhodes, recalled for the final (successful) Test 48. Yet they triumphed, largely through the well-documented opening partnership of 172 between Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe in that final match, after heavy overnight rain had left the pitch perilous, some deemed almost impossible, for batting. 

The young Nottinghamshire pace bowler, Harold Larwood, who was to go on to greater things in Australia in 1932-33, made a difference and the visitors were blown away in the fourth innings by his pace at one end and the guile of Rhodes at the other. 

The author paints vivid pictures of the matches in the series and remarkably gives greater background on what the players got up to in the evenings, how they fared between matches and how the country responded to a series that was in stark contrast to what was going on around the shires. There are also enjoyable pen portraits of the major protagonists, which add much to the quality of the book, as do excellent photographs.

The miners were defeated, like the Australians. They eventually returned to work and faced longer hours for less pay, if they had a job to go back to at all. Not all of them did and it was a stark episode in the class division of this country. 

Stephen Brenkley has produced a masterpiece and Fairfield Books are to be commended for three books this Autumn that are worthy of a place on the shelves of any cricket fan. 

This is quite superb.

A Striking Summer: How Cricket United A Divided Nation is written by Stephen Brenkley and published by Fairfield Books

New radio interview tonight

I will be on North Derbyshire Radio's Sports Show, anchored by Matt Rhodes, tonight between 7pm and 8pm.

I will be discussing the passing of county legend Brian Jackson, the new contract for Ben Aitchison, the rise of Harry Moore and the new county fixture lists.

You can hear it here. I am on at 35.50

Aitchison signs new one-year deal

The announcement of a new deal for Ben Aitchison this morning is quite possibly the best bit of business Derbyshire might do this winter. 

I hope that the news is indicative of his fitness for 2025, because for me he is, with Zak Chappell, the best red ball bowler in the club. There is a joy in watching Ben, when the rhythm is there, that comes with watching all bowlers of serious talent. At 25 he is yet to approach his peak, but has already shown that he can dismiss very good batters. While he has only 60 first-class wickets so far in a short career, they have come at good average which, with luck, will continue to come down.

Add to that an ability to strike handy tail end runs - and I suspect that is an area of his game that can improve still further - as well as being a great asset to our catching in the slip cordon and you can see what good news this is. 

The question mark is on his having proved his fitness and being able to sustain that over a long county season. I suspect he will be kept for red ball cricket only, but I will be crossing fingers and toes that he is going to be back to his best. 

Almost certainly the 2025 version will see a slightly remodelled action, almost always a consequence of back surgery. There might also be a change in the length of his run-up, because I felt he wasn't quite as nippy from the shorter one as when he first joined the county.

The question will be whether such changes protect his back AND allow him to retain his command of a cricket ball that made him such an astute signing in the first place.

He isn't the first seam bowler to experience back issues and he won't be the last. Plenty before him have experienced these and come back stronger after rehabilitation. 

Here's hoping that Ben is among them. 

There is no doubt he has what it takes at this level and I wish him all the best.

Brian Jackson

I'm very much saddened by the announcement today of the death of one of Derbyshire's favourite and indeed finest sons in Brian Jackson, at the age of 91.

I enjoyed several conversations with him during the time I was putting together my second book, In Their Own Words, Derbyshire Cricketers in Conversation. From an early stage he was someone I wanted involved, because his career was so fascinating. He didn't play for the county until he was 30, then took 456 wickets in just six seasons, at an average of a shade over 18 runs each.

He was a magnificent bowler and his surname did him no harm, especially in the early days, when the less discerning thought he was 'Les's lad', while the even less discerning thought Les was still going strong...

He found it amusing and during the course of our chats there were plenty of laughs. I won't go over the ground that was covered during them, because you can read it for yourself in the book, but he was as pleasant company as he was awkward to face from 22 yards. I was thrilled when he agreed to come along to the launch of the book and he, together with Peter Eyre, David Milner, John Eyre, Edwin Smith and Wayne Madsen were in attendance to answer the many questions from a delighted audience. 

He was struggling then, on crutches with bad knees. He hadn't decided at that point whether he could handle the surgery, but was persuaded to and gained a second lease of life. He spent considerable time as a volunteer driver for the NHS, ferrying people to hospital appointments and was very good company for all of them.

I never saw him bowl,  but the figures speak for themselves and his partnership with Harold Rhodes in the 1960s was the stuff of nightmares for opposition batters. Especially in 1965, when the two of them headed the national averages, Rhodes taking 119 wickets at eleven, Jackson 120 at twelve. It was heady stuff, reminiscent of the previous decade when his namesake and Cliff Gladwin carried all before them.

The experience he had gained as a professional in the Staffordshire League with Knypersley stood him in good stead, telling me that he knew he could handle the pressure after seeing his name on billboards outside the grounds there. 'Norton (featuring Garfield Sobers) v Knypersley (featuring Brian Jackson)' was a particular favourite.

He will be sorely missed by many in the High Peak, where he made his home, as well as by the many friends and team mates over the years.

Derbyshire has lost one of the very best in Brian. An outstanding cricketer and equally fine man.

Rest in Peace.

Remaining fixtures out

The remaining fixtures were released today and supporters can now plan when they are likely to watch Derbyshire in the coming season. 

Before that, they may be as well to take advantage of the forthcoming Black Friday sale and buy a warm beanie hat or jacket.

Three of our seven home County Championship matches take place in April and that is not often an indicator of good (or warm) weather. So we have just sixteen days of four-day cricket between the start of May and the end of September. One of those is at Chesterfield for the festival week, when we entertain Lancashire this year, but it also coincides with our planned holiday, so my options quickly became quite limited.

I had a quick look at the possibility of going to Old Trafford to see us there, but the first couple of hotels I looked at were quoting £200 for the Saturday night...I might still consider going, but probably staying outside the city and taking the train or tram in.

I will see a bit nearer the time, but the fifty over competition has been mixed up a bit, with Derbyshire playing the winners of the last two seasons, Leicestershire and Glamorgan, in the group stages, as well as Nottinghamshire on a Sunday at the County Ground.

How much I get to see in person is a moot point, but I will undoubtedly be watching in some way or another.

What do you think about the fixtures? 

Book Review: Blood On The Tracks- England in Australia, the 1974/75 Ashes by David Tossell

I clearly remember watching the nightly highlights of the England tour of Australia in 1974-75 with my Dad. It was the first time such highlights had been on television in colour, though it mattered not, when we had a black and white until a couple of years later. Dad always used to joke that he could make it colour, by sticking some Quality Street cellophane over the screen.

I also recall him shouting at the TV as the day's 'excesses' by Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson showed an England batting lineup, missing the best player in the country, Geoff Boycott, hopelessly exposed against high quality pace bowling. 

'It's all very well them getting excited now,' he said, 'but the buggers didn't like it when Harold Larwood put the fear of God into them.' It was a fair comment, just as McDonald and Gregory had been too quick for England before that. A cyclical game, cricket, but these two looked terrifying from a distance of continents. At twenty-two yards I have no idea how you handle it. Fifty years on, the highlights clearly show the challenges from two quick bowlers at the pinnacle of their powers.

Tour books are a staple of cricket literature, but I got to the end thinking that I couldn't recall a better one than this, by David Tossell.

It is so admirably researched, before you even consider the writing, which makes it as fast-paced and compelling as any any thriller. Which is what it is, even if at this distance we all know the ending and indeed 'whodunnit'.

The font size and layout is admirable, the photos excellent and the linear scorecards a real bonus. It looks and feels like a proper book and it certainly delivers. It is methodically arranged from the selection of the party through to the challenges of the tour itself, on and off the pitch. 

The author has been short-listed seven times for the British Sports Book Awards and has written about sport for over four decades. Such  experience is clear in a book that makes for such  compelling reading. 

England were underprepared and unwilling to take any risks with the selection of young - or at least younger - players. There were several who could have gone, almost certainly should have, but instead we saw Fred Titmus go at the age of 42 as one of the spinners, while early injuries on fast, bouncy pitches saw Colin Cowdrey sent for at the same age. While they did as well as anyone, apart from Tony Greig and Alan Knott, it was nonsense, created by an antiquated selection process that had been flawed for decades. 

Their opponents selected younger men with points to prove. Of course, they had no idea if Dennis Lillee would be properly fit, or stay fit after months in plaster with a stress fracture of his back. Equally, they didn't know that Thomson would in one series go from fast and erratic tyro to one of the most frightening sights in the game. Had it been boxing, they would have stopped it after the first Test, when it was clear that England were outgunned and outclassed. Australia had rocket launchers at either end, while England had nothing to compare. There was no contest.

This is my second offering from Fairfield Books in so many weeks and is every bit as good as Stephen Chalke's fine work on Brian Close. 

If you are looking for a Christmas read that you will return to again and again - the hallmark of the very best writing - then you cannot go wrong with either of these titles. 

While the cricket season of 2024 is an increasingly distant memory, David Tossell has delivered a book to keep any enthusiast warm and engrossed over the darkest, coldest months of the year.

I could not recommend this more highly.

Blood On The Tracks: England in Australia, the 1974/75 Ashes is written by David Tossell and published by Fairfield Books

A question of seamers...

In my leisurely moments,  of which there are pleasingly many since I retired, I've been giving some thought to Derbyshire's seam bowling and a perhaps left field approach to resolving outstanding issues. 

We know that in Zak Chappell, Pat Brown and a raft of all rounders we have people who can use the ball well. I have high hopes of Martin Andersson, who I think will prove very useful with bat and ball. But with Sam Conners now gone to Durham, thereafter we hit the questions.

Of course Harry Moore will be in contention, but he doesn't finish school until the end of June, by which time a lot of red ball cricket will likely have been played. 

Can Nick Potts emerge from a couple of difficult summers as a genuine county seamer? Will Ben Aitchison return from back surgery and will he be the bowler he was AND stay fit? 

Such questions are impossible to answer, at this stage, but there is also the question of our second overseas player. I understand it is going to be a seam bowler and that the most likely scenario is a return for Blair Tickner, assuming all is well with his wife. 

But is that the best option? 

With money tight, is there, for example, a case for Luke Fletcher?

I will be honest. I don't really see Luke a Derbyshire player, any more than I saw one in Samit Patel. In both cases there is little doubt that the best days are behind them, but equally I could see a case for a red ball-only contract for Fletcher.

If Ben Aitchison is unable to return, he is an experienced bowler of 36 who has taken nearly 500 first class wickets at a good average, mostly in division one. He knows local pitches and how they behave and would be a good 'go to' for the skipper. 

36 isn't old and one has only to look at the likes of James Harris, Tim Murtagh, Chris Wright, Darren Stevens, Toby Roland-Jones and others of similar age in recent seasons to see their merit. 

The caveat, of course, is that Fletcher was fit and willing to bend his back for the cause, extend his career and MAYBE be a sage counsel for young seamers on the way up. He would be an option if Aitchison was unable to return (but I SO hope his injury issues are behind him) but also a cheaper option than an unproven overseas player.

Let's be honest, you wouldn't have to shell out for air fares with Fletcher, nor accommodation or car, but it would have to be a bloke with something to give and not, with respect, the one we saw on loan in 2016, when he bowled about the same pace as me, pre-retirement. 

I am not saying at this stage it would be a preferred option, but I could certainly see it as one. Given the choice between a 'proven fit' county seamer and an overseas of questionable ability, it should be considered.

Mickey Arthur hasn't gone especially well with his overseas seamers so far. I'm prepared to give Tickner the benefit of the doubt, because had our slips held the chances he created, he would have done better last year. Without off-field issues on his mind, perhaps he could be a success.

But Suranga Lakmal certainly wasn't, nor was Daryn Dupavillon. The former made some sense, as an experienced international bowler, but he had never had a sustained workload at that level and couldn't bowl the required overs on the county circuit. Meanwhile Dupavillon looked very ordinary, perhaps a reflection of first-class cricket in South Africa these days. 

While I always look forward to the cricket season, I have to say I have too many questions needing answers to have any degree of confidence ahead of 2025.

Not  boosted by the news that Caleb Jewell has been dropped to Tasmania Seconds, because of poor form...

It's a talking point - which is hopefully where you come in. 

Thoughts? 

Vitality Blast Fixtures released

So the T20 fixtures are out, which makes the season seem that little bit closer, even if the fallen and falling snow gives a reality check that there is a long winter ahead. 

Like many of you, I have added the fixtures to my calendar, but realistically I don't see myself travelling down south for forty overs of cricket. The only one that could have been a possibility is the game at Durham, but in time-honoured fashion it has coincided with already purchased tickets to see blues legend Bonnie Raitt in Glasgow. I doubt that she will have the game on as a backdrop to the stage, so that looks like being one to catch up with after the event. 

My main interest is in the release of the other fixtures, which I understand could be next week. Hopefully some of those dates work for me and a trip to see the county live, but it is always difficult, especially when red ball cricket is confined to the bookends of the season, to make any plans in confidence that the weather will be kind. 

As I have written before, there are few more depressing places than a damp cricket ground, especially when the alternative is returning to a somewhat soulless hotel room. Actually, a wet cricket ground at the seaside is probably the worst thing of all, rendering even the delights of Scarborough a challenge!

I can only hope for things working out and a better performance to watch than I saw at Chesterfield last summer.

Now THAT was a long journey home..  

Book Review: Les Jackson and Cliff Gladwin - Masters of their Craft by John Shawcroft

As a young man, I came to know the name of John Shawcroft almost as well as the players that I watched in Derbyshire colours.

He was the author of some of my favourite cricket books and will always be the doyen of Derbyshire cricket writing. His book on the 1936 championship winners is a classic and still in my top ten books of all time, while his club histories give chapter and verse on the club from the time that it started. 

It has been a pleasure to get to know him over the years and his latest work is a worthy addition to the collection, pulling together the careers of two of the county's favourite sons. 

Cliff Gladwin and Les Jackson were twin scourges of county batting line ups in the 1950s. During that decade, Derbyshire probably needed only the addition of one more reliable batter to win a second county championship. They were often able to cobble together sufficient runs to give a strong attack something to work with, but were too often there or thereabouts, rather than leaders of the pack, because there were times they fell apart. Surrey were very strong in that decade, but Derbyshire ran them close and in 1954 might have taken the title, but for bad weather in the run in.

Gladwin was probably just short of true international class, a very good and unerringly accurate medium pace bowler at county level, who could cut down his pace and bowl off cutters when conditions suited. He developed a leg cutter that kept batters guessing and Edwin Smith told me that unlike many swing bowlers, he had an ability to swing it late. Sometimes he would swing it in AND cut it away on pitching, which made him a real handful.

He was a fierce competitor and could be brusque on a pitch, especially if a catch was put down or poor fielding cost him runs against his name. He could relate his analysis at the end of an innings without consulting the scorer and was an ideal, feisty leader of the attack.

Jackson should have played more than two Test matches, twelve years apart. In the intervening period, most county batters would have had him in their top three bowlers and it seems only his accent, perceived dour persona or non-textbook action kept him out. The establishment selectors were happier to select lesser bowlers from the 'right' background, usually the south of England.

It was nonsense and plenty of contemporaries have told me how he was a friendly and approachable team mate, a work horse willing and able to bowl from the start of play until lunch and then resume afterwards. He was more philosophical too, responding to missed chances with a shrug of his shoulders and usually 'bad luck, catch next 'un.' To quote Walter Goodyear, the former county groundsman over many years 'He were a grand fella, Les. One of the very best.'

They missed relatively few matches, tribute to their robust physiques and perhaps late careers (Jackson didn't play until he was 27, while Gladwin was 29 when cricket resumed after the war.) Not until the advent of Harold Rhodes was there an obvious successor and he replaced Gladwin when he retired at the end of 1958. By that time Jackson himself was 37, but between 1958 and 1960 he took a remarkable 443 wickets..

John Shawcroft has done his normal reliable job with this biography, which pulls together the  strands of their careers into one volume. He doesn't fall into the trap of suggesting they would be equally effective today, as modern covered pitches, together with different approaches to batting, would have been a greater challenge. But their control of line and length would have ensured they remained a handful.

They were two of the greatest figures in the county's long history and those who saw them were fortunate indeed. 

If you are looking for an addition to your Christmas wish list, you can't go wrong with this one for a Derbyshire supporter. It is another addition to the excellent Lives in Cricket Series by the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians, well illustrated and with a very readable font size, much appreciated by yours truly!

Les Jackson and Cliff Gladwin: Masters of Their Craft is written by John Shawcroft and published by ACS Publications.

Weekend warmer

There hasn't been a great deal to report from a Derbyshire cricket perspective.

The squad returned to training this week, starting the long haul to full fitness ahead of a very important 2025 season. Several members of the squad were speaking to members regarding renewals, which was good to see, but the acid test will be on improved fortunes in 2025. 

One of the players who will be key to that is Caleb Jewell. The Tasmanian has been struggling for form at the start of the Australian summer, with scores of 10, 32, 18, 5, 3, 61, 5 and 4 so far. Of course, form is a transient thing and those scores do not reflect his career averages, but we will need him firing far better if he is to make any difference to our prospects in 2025. 

A player who I believe is likely to be back in our colours next year, Blair Tickner, is faring better, with seventeen wickets in six innings bowled, so far. He took six wickets in the opening first-class match of the New Zealand summer, the rest coming in fifty-over games. I suspect the genial Kiwi will return in 2025 if his wife's health allows it, but we must wait and see. I am not wholly convinced on the overall standard in New Zealand outside the elite squad, but you can only play what is in front of you.

I have watched a bit of international cricket but the surfeit of games renders a lot of it dull, as mismatched sides engage in what is little more than range-hitting on batter-friendly pitches. A lot of the big names are rested from lesser series to avoid burnout. 

I watched what was effectively second teams from India and South Africa play yesterday and the Indians won with ease. Their strength in depth is far greater and this was reflected in an innings of 283-1 in which there were TWENTY-THREE sixes. I don't get an awful lot from matches where the bat dominates and you might as well just have a bowling machine and a guy with a tape measure to work out who hits the biggest six.

I'm sure I sat through seasons of Derbyshire cricket when there were probably fewer sixes (not maximums..) hit, but they were special events and worthy of note. When twenty per cent of deliveries in a game disappear into the distance, I find it oddly dull and repetitive. I switched off before the end of the first innings, somewhat in the manner of Groucho Marx when asked how he found television.

'Very educational,' he said. 'I went into another room and read a book...

I will be back tomorrow with a review of that book.

Meantime, have a great weekend!

Recognition for Derbyshire duo and new book for supporters to enjoy!

It has been fairly quiet week this week on the cricket front. 

The only news of any important was that both Wayne Madsen and Zak Chappell will accompany Mickey Arthur to Guyana for the Global Super League, where the Derbyshire Head of Cricket will coach the Rangpur Riders.

The Global Super League will see teams from all over the world going head-to-head for a fortnight, with Hampshire (England), Victoria (Australia), Lahore Qalandars (Pakistan), Guyana Amazon Warriors (West Indies) and Rangpur Riders (Bangladesh) all taking part.

The competition begins on Tuesday 26 November, with the final to be played on Saturday 7 December.

The only other news from me was receiving John Shawcroft's new book on Cliff Gladwin and Les Jackson , part of the Association of Cricket Statisticians Lives in Cricket Series. I am currently working through it and thoroughly enjoying every page. I hope to do a full review before the end of the coming week, when I will also give details of how to buy a copy. 

In the meantime, here is a clip of Les Jackson bowling for England against Australia in 1961. He was forty at the time, so well past his fastest, but still bowled very respectably.

https://youtu.be/eMXCt3cOUOw?si=alpnOXxV4K4MUC1z

What surprises me is that I had always understood his action to be unconventional and described in some quarters as 'awkward' and 'non-textbook'.

Quite honestly, I don't see anything wrong with it. Slightly round arm perhaps, but he would only need to point to his career averages to defend his method.

I hope that you enjoy it, together with the undemonstrative manner in which wickets are celebrated!