Monday musings

Today marks the last of Derbyshire’s one day fixtures at home this season and there have been some improved displays.


Few would argue that the first class programme needs looking at for next year, however. While the Championship is fine the way that it is, there has to be a compromise between the respective merits of T20 and Pro 40. The former worked pretty well for Derbyshire, with our involvement in the next stage possible down to the very last match. In contrast, the Pro 40 has seen us playing only for pride since the half way stage and that has been the case for several sides.

The major difficulty is that the clubs need the revenue that T20 brings but the players are being overworked. With only two teams progressing from each group there have been growing murmurs of discontent across the shires. I love the format, having grown up with the John Player League, but the game has changed and spectator preferences with it.

Perhaps the answer is for the Pro 40 to become a group-based competition with the eighteen first-class counties, Scotland, Ireland and Holland forming three groups of seven. That would give each side six games, with the top two in each group and the two best third placed sides playing off in quarter-finals. It would be good to include the Unicorns, but I’m not sure how sustainable or competitive a side can be when those concerned are playing for free. While fully aware that the competition gave Wes Durston a platform back to first class cricket, I would be surprised if their involvement continued in even the medium term.

Ideally I would love to see a straight knock out competition along the lines of the Gillette Cup and Nat West Trophy. Such a tournament would give the better Minor Counties a big game, but I’m less sure how feasible that might be. Changes in health and safety legislation mean that fixtures at ‘quaint’ venues may no longer be feasible and would fall foul of requisite risk assessments.

Many of my generation and older will have seen the county play at a range of outgrounds. I saw Derbyshire at Heanor, Burton and Ilkeston, but I don’t expect to see them back there in my lifetime. The County Ground is light years away from what it once was, while watching at Chesterfield is still a great thrill and still brings good gates.

They’ll do us nicely, thanks.