That was a good day for Derbyshire today, with the smiles starting before a ball had been bowled when Robert Croft was omitted from the visitors side. He must have been badly injured, as I'd have played him if he'd been in a wheelchair at Derby...
Anyway, bowling out the opposition on the first day was good going having lost the toss and Derbyshire would have taken their end of play position at 11am. There was a "turning back the clock" performance from Steffan Jones, showing his bowling charges how it is done, while Robin Peterson again turned in an admirable spell for three more wickets. It was good to see Tom Lungley bowling with control, though the short spells for Graham Wagg suggest to me that he is not fully over his ankle injury and is being nursed to some extent.
Such a problem makes us all the more thankful for that array of all rounders. I was also pleased to note far fewer extras today, with Lee Goddard taking three catches and allowing no byes, something he would be pleased about.
There was good common sense at the end of the day when Tom Lungley went in first with Wayne Madsen to save the skipper for tomorrow. Who knows, Lungley may score 200 like he did in a local match a few years back, but if he sees off a few overs of the new ball tomorrow he will have done an even better job than he has already done in taking us through to stumps.
"Anon" replying to my forecast of a draw last night suggested we had to win this one. Of course we do, but I didn't think that we would get rid of Dalrymple, Cosgrove and Allenby as we did before the end of the first day and thoroughly expected Croft to play. Assuming the weather holds, the absence of Mr Croft gives Derbyshire a great chance of a win, assuming that our batting shows the skills they look to have on paper.
Of course, we still need to bowl them out again, but we will have a better idea of the course of this game tomorrow night. If we're sitting 350-2 I will be quietly confident with Peterson able to have another go at them.
Yep, I reckon Wagg is being nursed back in. Stats suggest discipline amongst the bowlers. Peterson is proving very handy - we did not have a source of wickets from the slow guys last term, so that alone must take us up a notch.
ReplyDeleteThe batters now need to perform in a similar fashion.
I genuinely believe we have the talent to make it up this year, but that alone is not enough. If the guys believe in themselves and remain focused then who knows.
I feel an Elvis song coming on: 'It's now or never.............'
MASTERVILLAIN