After a week...

I've watched 95% of the IPL this week, thanks to ITV4 and their pretty impressive coverage. Sadly, from next week when I start my new job I'll see very little, but a man has to pay the bills, eh?

There's been some good cricket and there's been some very poor stuff, some of the latter by people from whom you'd expect more. Watching experienced players hitting the ball up into the air two balls after losing their partner, thus leaving two new players at the crease seems odd and not at all professional. Some of the young Indian players have looked rich in potential, with the standout for me, as I wrote last night, Rohit Sharma of the Deccan Chargers. He ran himself out today, but bowled cleverly and fielded as well as ever. Top player.

No one could have failed to be impressed by Matt Hayden's hitting today, especially when he sent for the Mongoose bat. It was the sort of display we hoped to see from Stuart Law last year, but Hayden's power was breathtaking. So too has been some of the fielding, with several terrific catches made. Justin Kemp has also done well, especially with the ball, while his catch today on the boundary edge was magnificent.

The best seam bowler has been Chaminda Vaas, who has bowled beautifully in every game. Today he was too clever for Sangakkara and Yuvraj and is bowling with excellent rhythm and considerable skill.

THE star turn with the bat thus far has been Jacques Kallis, and I now eat humble pie. A few months ago I suggested that this format was not Kallis' forte, but with 198 runs in three innings and nary a sign of dismissal he has proved me wrong. With Tendulkar, he has looked the class act at the crease, the two of them playing orthodox strokes that have left them looking like Yehudi Menuhin at a ceilidh.

I'm sure that all the counties still to fill T20 berths will have looked at these players and wondered if they could tempt them over for the county equivalent. Many won't be bothered, as they can hardly need the money, but I'd be confident that they could all grace the tournament as well as they have this week.

Finally tonight, the Telegraph reports that making the Ashes free to air could see four counties go to the wall. Interestingly, they say that Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire are unlikely to be the victims as they are well run, instead suggesting that "big" counties could be the sufferers. A day after Yorkshire's CEO claimed that their current deficit will take ten good years to wipe out, this is both amusing and worrying in equal measure.

Anyway, enough for tonight. More Derbyshire action from Barbados over the weekend - the season proper is just three weeks away...