Thoughts at the halfway stage

Derbyshire's form in recent matches has been highly encouraging and at the halfway stage in the competition this is undoubtedly the best we have done in the T20.

There are a number of reasons for this. The first is the shrewd signings made by John Morris over recent months, all of who highlighted their skills in the game the other night. Robin Peterson has been a diamond in all forms of the game, bowling with control and considerable penetration, fielding tigerishly and batting with great common sense. While not a big hitter, Peterson is a naturally quick scorer and improvises well in the short form of the game.

At the top of the order, Loots Bosman has given us something we have lacked - an explosive batsman who can take advantage of fielding restrictions in the first six overs. While his running between the wickets isn't the best I have seen, Bosman promises entertainment whenever he walks in to bat and any bowler who gives him a little width can expect to be punished. He is also a lithe fielder and has contributed well for a player experiencing our wickets for the first time.

Then of course there's the return of The Master, Charl Langeveldt. There seems a far greater confidence in the bowling line up when Langers is in it. I don't think we'd have won at Northampton without his influence and the TV cameras the other night picked him up having words with bowlers and encouraging them in the way you would hope a senior player would do.

The influence of these three fine players has been vital, but others have stood up to be counted too. Garry Park is having a fine all round tournament, while Wes Durston has come into the side and made a mockery of Somerset's decision to release him last season. Chesney Hughes and John Sadler have made runs from limited opportunities, while the skipper has led the side intelligently and contributed with bat and ball. There are, in short, no passengers in the side and that is crucial in such an intense form of the game.

Garry Park suggests in the Derby Telegraph that Derbyshire can win it. I'll not go that far, but there are teams in the other section that I feel we can beat if we get through this very strong group. One match at a time will do very nicely for me at this stage. One correspondent on IMWT suggests that Friday's game at Edgbaston is crucial, but they all are. If we could get the points against Warwickshire then win the return against Worcestershire on Sunday, I would start to fancy our chances. That would give us the six wins that Greg Smith thought would take us through, with six games to go to improve our position for the quarter-finals.

I still think the tournament is too long now, but one plus has been that we play different teams than in previous seasons, which has helped. There is greater potential for success in games against Worcestershire and Northamptonshire than against Nottinghamshire and Durham. I'd agree with Mark Eklid that the standard of cricket has improved and bowlers have learned to counteract the batsmen, but the decline in attendances suggest that the cricket authorities are in danger of killing the golden goose. No matter how good the product, a surfeit dampens the appetite. I like pizza but don't want to eat it every night and there are just too many matches. While this allows a team's fortunes to ebb and flow, fans have only a finite amount of money to spare.

Part of the problem is that watching cricket on a grey evening like the Warwickshire game at Derby hardly makes it seem like carnival time, while slow wickets where the ball isn't disappearing into and over the crowd with monotonous regularity is anathema to those who only like their cricket akin to baseball. There have been a lot of the latter and the casual fan, attracted by the razzamatazz, isn't likely to enjoy a worthy innings where a batsman nudges, deflects and nurdles his team to a narrow victory. I enjoyed Garry Park's knock the other night as much as any I've seen this season. Though not a natural hitter, Park's working of the ball into gaps, his scoop over short fine leg and his reverse sweeps were a joy to see. Only one six though, tut-tut, as some might say...

One surprise in the competition has been that we have done so well without any real contribution from two very talented all-rounders. Graham Wagg has missed most of the season with an achilles injury and would have been a certainty for the first choice side, while Jon Clare has so far played only one match with the odd appearance as a substitute fielder. Today's Derby Telegraph carried an article on Clare and the serious shoulder injury he suffered when running his bat in during a match. One had only to see Clare last season to realise that he was a long way from the bowler who burst onto the scene in 2008, but the surgery and recuperation seem to be going well. By the sound of it we may see him back bowling at close to full pace this season, a huge boost for the side.

A fit Wagg and Clare will be a huge boost to Derbyshire, both of them all-rounders of genuine talent. Add Park, Smith, Durston and Peterson to the mix and we have real cause for optimism.

It's amazing the difference a few wins makes, eh?