Essex v Derbyshire

I'd to take my socks off this afternoon.

I ran out of fingers in working out the Derbyshire players who stood up to be counted against a strong Essex side and basically hammered them. It confirmed my belief that this is a talented group of players who just need to find a level of consistency to be a useful side. Indeed, it was hard to think that this was the team that suffered the debacle of Horsham. As I have said previously, on a given day we have players good enough to beat anyone, as we showed in the T20. Hopefully greater experience will make them stronger and then able to produce this sort of form more often.

There were strong performances all round, but it was perhaps the fact that we won handsomely without a contribution from Chris Rogers that was most encouraging. Chesney showed more of the form that has made him this year's success story, while Greg Smith again led by example when Rogers was out early and helped in a solid second wicket stand. Wes Durston then played another fine hand and importantly batted through to the end of the innings. He was well supported by Wayne Madsen initially and I'm still of the opinion that the latter would make even more runs in the middle order than he does as opener.

Then came Wagg and the all rounder showed what we will miss with a swashbuckling 36 from just 15 balls. A respectable score of 200 suddenly became a very good 250-plus, although even that was within the range of a strong batting side.

It didn't happen though. Mark Footitt has made a habit this season of dismissing good batsmen and the door was open when he bowled Ravi Bopara. When the ubiquitous Wagg ran out Matt Walker the game was on, with Ryan ten Doeschate at the crease against a team he has made hay against in recent seasons.

But not today. Perhaps THE most telling contribution was that of Jake Needham, who in tandem with Robin Peterson worked through the rest of the order, both men ending up with three wickets. Most importantly, Jake removed ten Doeschate and top scorer Grant Flower in an outstanding spell. When I saw Jake recently on Sky he seemed to have rediscovered the loop that made him look a bowler of talent and his wickets today, following six in the week for the Second Eleven, will have given him confidence.

We won in the end by 85 runs, but most importantly we restored pride and confidence. Some will say that the game wasn't important, but they all are. Any winning habit, at any stage of the season, is a good one to cultivate. The new skipper can reflect on a job well done, while the players can return to Derby with a spring in their step and their heads held high.

If they can follow that up on Tuesday in front of the Sky cameras, there's a few players who will start to believe in themselves. And if Jake Needham can build on this performance, we may not need to look too far for a first choice spinner in 2011.

Special mention too for Steve Adshead, with two catches and a stumping, besides allowing no byes. After being one of the few successes at Horsham, Adshead is making a very good fist of his extended trial and must be in John Morris' thoughts for next year and beyond.

Nice one lads, professional and promising. We can't ask for more than that.