Steve James - what's the point?

The Sunday Telegraph cricket writer Steve James seems to have it in for Derbyshire.

Once again, in his latest piece he is moaning about the number of foreigners on show in our win against Northamptonshire on Friday. You can see it at

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/stevejames/100008003/northamptonshire-v-derbyshire-what-was-the-point/

Mr James really seems to miss the point in what can be described in little better than a rant, which really has little place in a supposed up market newspaper.

"The fans of these counties will say that I am continually taking shots at them. Well, yes I am. I will keep doing so until they recognise their responsibility to English cricket. They’re signing their own death warrants." So he ends his piece, little realising that few actually give a hoot about what he thinks. For one thing, he misses the point.

If Derbyshire hadn't bolstered their ranks with players who are qualified for England, despite what he says (apart from three) they would continue to be fodder for the bigger counties and even more vulnerable. Let's get rid of the weakest and make for a better county set up, especially if one of them is Derbyshire, as we don't need them. As things stand, we're not one of the weakest by a long chalk. What frustrates people is that Middlesex and Surrey, bastions of the game, are.

In the Times today another writer says that we're losing the ability to produce new ball bowlers as few English players get to take it for their counties. I was fine with the piece until it said that Surrey had Meaker and Dernbach, South African raised but keen to play for England.

Whoah Nelly! We can't have it all ways from our cricket press. The same piece suggests Middlesex are doing the right thing by Finn and letting him open the bowling, somewhat missing the point that he is a good bowler and also that Middlesex are bottom of Division Two. Now they may have made some decision at Lords to play young players and see what happens, which is fair enough. Be honest though, would all counties and their fans be so understanding? Derbyshire could feasibly play this side in the Championship next season, but how many games would you expect them to win and how long would it be until John Morris' post was under threat and people got on his back?

Borrington
Slater
Hughes
Redfern
Smith
Wagg
Goddard
Needham
Whiteley
Sheikh
Footitt

Steve James should chat with John Morris about his plans for Derbyshire and how in the long term he wants to play as many home and locally reared lads as possible. It is far easier for these boys to come through in a strong, winning environment, while some of them, inevitably, may not make it. I'm sure that if Derbyshire had a Woakes or Finn coming through they would get a crack at the first team. Mark Footitt has, after precious few opportunities at Nottinghamshire.

I have absolutely no problem with what John Morris is doing at Derby and feel more positive about our medium to long term future than I ever have. We may not win every match, but we're playing purposeful cricket and are worth watching as a result. Doing the right thing for English cricket is laudable, but if losing most matches is a consequence, there'll be even fewer watching.

Anyway, there are plenty of other targets out there Mr James, as a glance around county staffs would tell you. In the interests of fairness, why not ask similar questions of them? Until such a time as all foreign-reared players are banned from the county game, I'd sooner see a strong Derbyshire, augmented by the skills of players born overseas, than a weak one.