Monday Musings

Not long now until the T20 starts and hearty congratulations to England for an excellent campaign that resulted in their bringing home the World Cup.

It really brought home to me how much the bowlers and fielders have caught up in this format, coming up with strategies to combat even the most ferocious of hitters. Varying the pace of the bowling is crucial for all bowlers, with most seamers now having a quicker and slower bouncer to keep batsmen on their toes. Similarly, the blockhole ball or the one pitched well up wide of off stump, thus restricting the area a batsman can hit, is a useful weapon. Bowlers are well aware that four good balls an over isn't enough when the other two can easily go for ten runs.

Similarly, a side needs everyone to contribute in the field, which is intensive work. Sprinting to every ball, sliding stops, throwing on the turn, picking up in a way that you're ready to throw as you stand - gosh, it's a world removed from players I've watched over the years. Some of them were chuffed if they got both hands on it and I've seen a few for whom bending was an achievement and a slide only happened when it was wet…

It is one area where I would expect Derbyshire to excel. We have a batting line up that should score good runs more often not and a bowling side that will have its moments, but with the personnel in the side we should be a match for anyone in the field. That should make a difference, unless the ball is disappearing over their heads for six.

Collingwood's captaincy was also smart and his field setting excellent. It is hardly rocket science, but if the skipper sets a field, in conjunction with his bowlers, and they then bowl to it, the opposition should struggle. Of course, there will always be a player who has his day and hits the ball between them and into the least expected areas from the inner and outer edges, but them's the breaks, as the saying goes.

I just hope we get plenty of them when the tournament kicks off in earnest a couple of weeks from now.

On other topics, it is such a shame to see two Essex players arrested for alleged match fixing irregularities. A few years ago, watching supporters saw someone bowling erratically and wrote it off as one of those things. Now, rightly or wrongly, one starts to wonder if there are any nefarious dealings going on and it is such a shame. It is much the same as in athletics, where previously you would acknowledge without a second thought a new world record or exceptional performance. Now, it is natural to wonder whether it was the result of performance enhancing drugs, such a shame for the many legitimate athletes who are out there.

At the end of the day, the players concerned are innocent until proven guilty and I hope for everyone's sakes that there is no substance to the accusations.

The thing to remember is that most people's professional pride and integrity would make them rise above temptation. Time will tell if anything untoward has gone on in Essex, but the reputation of the game would be the real loser.

"It's just not cricket" never seemed more appropriate.

Finally tonight, nice to see the picture of the new stand at the County Ground, which looks very impressive, with the inset lettering "The Falcons." It struck me that if everyone who sat there crowded into the "LCO" in the middle, they would then have their own personalised seating, reading "The Fans." How good would that be, eh?

Not very. I'll get me coat...