Monday musings

Five games played, two wins, one draw, two defeats. There's an element of symmetry to that sequence but it fails to convey the fact that Derbyshire have so far played some excellent cricket in their T20 campaign.

As Mark Eklid points out in today's Telegraph, had the players got back on yesterday, Durham would have had an easy run chase under Duckworth-Lewis regulations. I loved his comment on the forenamed gents getting their "MBE for services to confusion." Perhaps they should get it on condition they revise the calculation for this form of the game, which is nonsense as it stands and only favours the side batting second.

Derbyshire again batted superbly and, whisper it quietly, seem to have the hang of batting in these games. Admittedly the new recruits have helped considerably, with Loots Bosman giving us the firepower we never expected at the top of the innings. I've been impressed by his attitude and batting so far, which has exceeded my expectations having seen him in the Caribbean. If he can carry on in that vein, Derbyshire can still make the quarter finals, despite being in what I would see as the stronger group. Each round of matches brings a surprise and only Nottinghamshire at this stage could be said to look a likely side for the top four.

Indeed, they were the only side to beat us convincingly, yet even there our batsmen - specifically Wes Durston - did well and set a challenging target. We needed Langeveldt to open that night and give us the control that we lacked, as Nottinghamshire's tactic is to blitz the first six overs and pace it thereafter. Meanwhile the Warwickshire game could have gone either way and saw us far from disgraced in a last over finish.

Wes Durston has been a revelation and those who suggested a move for him in the close season (including me) have been vindicated. He plays his shots in front of the wicket and is a player approaching his prime. While well aware that finances are tight, I hope we sign him up for the remainder of this season and then the next two, assuming his current coaching commitments can be put on hold. John Morris, to his credit, at least moved more quickly than the rest when Durston reinforced his credentials and we need to ensure that he's a Derbyshire man for the short and medium-term future.

Morris also shrewdly saw something in Durston that no one else has seen and promoted him to open the innings, something he had never done before. He has been totally vindicated by the form of the all rounder, who has made a big contribution to our T20 form.

That Derbyshire T20 side, with Langeveldt's arrival, now looks well-balanced. Plenty of attractive stroke players, three seamers, three spinners and a medium pace wobbler. The only way it could be strengthened further would be if Graham Wagg returned to fitness, but whether someone recovering from an achilles tendon injury wants to be throwing himself about in the field for twenty overs is debatable.

With eleven matches to go in the competition, we are in the mix. The Nottinghamshire game on Thursday will be tough, but after that I would see all the teams we play as being beatable if we play as we have been doing. Don't get me wrong - I don't think Nottinghamshire are unbeatable, but they are, for me, the best side in the country on present form and have a very strong batting line up. Yet early inroads into that side may bring dividends and if Greg Smith could win the toss I'd be inclined to let them bat and see how they do at setting a total. Who knows, they may just overreach themselves having chased successfully thus far. We've not yet had to chase and haven't traditionally made much of a fist of it, yet this is a much different Derbyshire T20 side to seasons past.

The Bosman-Peterson-Langeveldt axis gives us a good solid core to the side, while the all round skills of Durston, Smith and Park ensure balance. John Sadler and Chesney Hughes have done what was required when they batted, while Tim Groenewald and Steffan Jones have by and large done well with the new ball. While we have not yet seen Lee Goddard with the bat (and I hope it stays that way) he has been steady behind the stumps.

We may not qualify at the end of it all, but anyone who cannot see an improvement in this squad needs an optical appointment. As fans of a smaller club, one that some might refer to as perennial underdogs, we look at constant improvement as a benchmark, both in the quality of players and of performances.

So far as the T20 is concerned, this is light years ahead of previous efforts. Well done lads, just keep it going for the next eleven games.