Monday musings

Another week begins and first up, apologies for the lack of blogging over the weekend. Things have been a little busy on the domestic front…

It seems like Charles Collins piece on 606 has, as I suggested last week, fanned a few flames among the ‘Morris Out’ brigade, with over thirty responses so far. Some have been in support of Morris, Collins and the piece, but the more persistent have been the handful who demand change. There have been one or two voices of sanity, but I’d have to say that there’s little logic in some suggestions.

Why would we rest Peterson, an international spinner brought from South Africa at considerable expense and our leading wicket-taker, to give Needham a bowl? I can see merit in the two playing together where conditions allow it, but to leave Peterson out defies logic. Similarly leaving out Park, one of our best players, has little going for it. He was arguably our best T20 player this year and usually contributes with bat or ball, besides being the best fielder in the club. He is in only his second full season, so a dip in form was surely to be expected.

I could understand the push to bring in youngsters if they were in prime form, but neither Borrington nor Redfern have made a lot of runs in the Seconds (though the former has been in good form for Ticknall.) As I wrote last week, Borrington should get a chance to show what he can do next season, assuming Rogers is unable to return, but it would appear unlikely at this stage. Or maybe we could ‘rest’ the skipper too…

I think that some of these ‘suggestions’ are made in the full knowledge that the ensuing results would further weaken Morris’ position. While the youngsters did quite well against Australia, it was their ’cup final’ and I don’t see the bowlers sustaining that over a protracted period at this stage in their development. Members and fans have the right to expect the best possible team to represent the county after parting with their hard earned cash, except in special circumstances.

I just wonder if the people making these comments have any thought for their impact on individuals and team spirit. I’d be fairly confident that it wouldn’t affect Morris, but one would expect some effect on players if they stumbled across some of the stuff. Call me naïve, but I thought we were all supposed to be supporters…

For what it is worth, I hope that Graeme Welch does not return to Derbyshire. In his turn he would be subjected to exactly the same as Morris, something that, like Morris, he neither needs nor deserves. He may gain some breathing space as he was immensely popular at the club, but comebacks rarely work. Look what happened to Roy McFarland and Peter Taylor at Derby County, to John Emburey at Middlesex, to Steve Rhodes at Worcestershire and to Welch, Giles and Brown at Warwickshire.

Our problem is the unrealistic perception of a minority of fans that we are a big club, when we’re not and never have been. Occasionally we have punched above our weight, but the days when you found good players and then retained them until they retired are long gone. Whoever is at the helm of Derbyshire has to accept that our better players will eventually be courted by counties offering salaries that we cannot match. This means that the club continually has to source unfulfilled talent from elsewhere and develop their game. While I fully expect us to compete, unless a knock-out one-day tournament is introduced again I think it will be some time before we see silverware heading our way.

On to other news and rumours from the north-west suggest that Kyle Hogg and Stephen Croft may be leaving Lancashire this Autumn in pursuit of greater opportunities elsewhere. I’d be keen on either of them, as they’re good cricketers. Hogg is a good seam bowler and more than useful batsman, while Croft is an aggressive batsman who could justifiably call himself an all-rounder with nippy seam bowling. A move to pastures new could do the same for him as it did for Ronnie Irani, who in his recent autobiography says that Derbyshire was an option for him when he left Lancashire. Sadly that did not work out, but Croft or Hogg for Wagg, assuming the all rounder does leave, would be a pretty good call in my book.

Thanks to the anonymous contributor who suggested a move for Sussex spinner Will Beer might be worthwhile in the close season. I’m not so sure, with Beer’s record inferior to Jake Needham’s. The word is that he’ll stay in the south anyway, but if Needham is not to be first choice spinner next year it should only be because we have signed an established player from somewhere, not another prospect.

Finally tonight, early warning that there will be no blog next week as I’m heading down to the hallowed county for a few days. I hoped to catch some cricket while we’re down but Dad’s needing a heart procedure that will need more attention than the cricket.

Mind you, if I’ve a spare couple of hours, they might just find me at Queens Park…