I had a really weird dream last night…
They say that everyone does but I rarely remember mine. Yet this one was singularly odd.
I was bowling for my club cricket side against another team and the batsman at the crease was John Morris, who was batting while standing at the far end of a 22-yard long dining table (I kid you not) and hitting it all over the place.
The problem was that I was on the floor at the bowler’s end, trying to pitch the ball onto a length and failing miserably. There was no follow through possible, so I was bowling as if lobbing hand grenades. I eventually (still in my dream) had the idea of putting a chair at my end of the table and one off to the side of it. So I ran in, hopped onto the chair, then onto the table, bowled then jumped down onto the second chair to complete my follow through. It worked a treat and after a couple of nasty falls I got an outside edge and he was on his way back to the pavilion…
Even more bizarrely, in one of the falls I hurt my right ankle and when I woke up this morning the ankle was a bit sore. If anyone can interpret that one I’ll be impressed, not to mention slightly worried…
Anyway, that’s a precursor to today’s piece and an idea to restore parity to the unofficial transfer market in the game. If a big club comes hunting the prime talent of smaller counties, armed with their wads of cash from ECB handouts, why not make them pay the same amount to the club that they’re intending to pay to the player if he is under contract?
So if someone came to Derbyshire in two years time, chasing Dan Redfern and offering him £50K a year over three years when we want to retain him, they would then have to pay the same amount to the club. That would be compensation for the loss, after all the development work that has gone into the player. It would also enable Derbyshire to either afford a decent replacement or put money into the Academy and further developments. It might need to be tweaked, but it would stop a lot of the nonsense that goes on, as well as ensuring a more even distribution of the money in the game.
Today's play? What can I say but desperate. On the basis of this game we can neither bowl a hoop down a hill or bat an eyelid. All the bowlers, with the exception of Steffan Jones, got hammered, with Jon Clare getting a real doing. Then we lost Borrington and Hughes before the close in what has been a poor game for young players thus far. While I'm always saddened by the end of a cricket season, this one cannot end soon enough right now. Even Robin Peterson has lost his mojo and there's a massive job to be done in the winter. On current form we need ten players to go alongside Steffan Jones...
Lastly today, I’m vexed (but not really) that another contributor to 606 has deemed this blog a ‘John Morris criticism-free zone.’ To be fair he did the same with IMWT, and it is absolute nonsense and just came over as a rant. As I’ve said before, I write this as a fan of Derbyshire. I’ve no hidden agendas to get onto the committee and certainly not to get Morris out. Whoever is in charge of team affairs will have my support, though I’ll criticise any aspect of the club, including players and coaching staff, when I think it is deserved and justified. In my opinion, John Morris will be accountable for things next season at the end of his contract, when the committee, quite rightly, will decide how well he’s done. Naturally, I’ll tell you towards the end of next season, based on performances and prospects, if I think he should remain in charge, but there’s one inescapable fact in Derbyshire’s finances right now.
We could pay off John Morris and his staff, but would then probably have to write off several signings over the winter, as we couldn’t afford them. We would also be risking the loss of some good, but currently under-performing players that HE brought to the club. If there was a stunningly qualified guy out there offering a near-guarantee of success, I’d be shouting ‘bring him in’ with the rest of them.
But there isn’t, so if you think that there’s any logic or sense in doing it now I am quite frankly staggered.
This latest game has proved to be a real shocker, particularly when I thought we had hit rock bottom. Clearly their confidence is shot and we are really not seeing the side operate anywhere near it's potential. Roger's absence has merely heightened the situation.
ReplyDeleteIt is going to be very interesting to see what talent is to be had from the discard lists hitting the press shortly and also those who make it known that they are disenchanted with their current clubs. Mind you, we the have a big job enticing the best ones to join us.
I just wonder if Langeveldt is seen as a clear Kolpak option, particularly with SA's relative inactivity next term. He would certainly help lead a young attack.
Somehow or other we have got to find a decent spinner too. I cannot really identify a English talent, who will more or less guarantee reliability. Whether a relatively untried performer such as Munday or, even, Waller would fancy more senior action I really don't know. If we could secure Wainwright I would be very happy, but that is just not going to happen is it?
MASTERVILLAIN
Peakfan,
ReplyDeleteI throughly 100% agree with all that you have said in this piece, and for what it's worth I have resolved not to publicly slag off individual players, the coach or any of his staff, in an unhelpful way. Doing so will not improve the situation one iota.
I admit every one has a right to their opinion, but when I was at Chesterfield recently it just so happened that I was sheltering from the downpour in the Conservatory (The Club Shop for the period of the game), and John Morris also happened to be doing the same. I took the opportunity to ask him if 'the lads' ever read the message boards. He said yes, which in itself was not a complete surprise.
He went on to say that some of them find it quite upsetting. I guess what he meant was that to be continuously criticised is in itself very demoralising. Such a negative effect will very likely be carried over into the particular players performance, and certainly will not help the player(s), or indeed the Club if the criticism is given in such a destructive way, as it seems to be on an increasing number of occasions (some Boards are noticably worse than others).
I just wish those who seem to make criticism an art form would consider how they would feel if the criticism was aimed at them.
However, picking the bones out of the season so-to-speak, despite Buck Rogers brilliant first half of the season I have cast my vote as Player of the Year for the old man of the team. Steffan Jones received my vote, not just for his commitment, but for his all-round performance. I cast this vote at Chesterfield, so reading your comment in today's post about Steff was pleasing.
By the way, thanks for the Blog. It is 'The' place to come to for measured, honest comment on Derbyshire CCC. I usually check this out first before I look anywhere else!
peakfan
ReplyDeleteyou had clare, borrington, redfern as a line up for next season. none of them are ready for 1st team cricket yet, they need to prove themself for the 2nds first. clare got no pace and bowls short, borrington looks like a scared rabbit in headlights everytime he bats, and redfern scores one good knock in 8 innings. why do you think any of those should be in the first team ? you can bring age into it, but other counties are producing good young players, unlike derbyshire overated bunch.
ps borrington didnt come down the m1 like you have said he took a flight from manchester to gatwick.
ps i agree with you about morris he should be given until the end of next season, if we have another season like this surely even you will say its time for morris to go. it would cost alot to buy him and his staff out anyway. john wright is the sort of coach id like to see at derbyshire.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments guys. MV -I'd be surprised if Langers came back as I'm not sure he'd get through the season and looked a good bit slower this time, while the spinners are, as you say, no better than Jake Needham.
ReplyDeleteAlan - thsnks very much for your kind comments and I agree about Steffan. Anon 1 - yes, I got the info on the M1 from a text, so apologies for the error, while Anon 2 - yes, John Wright might be a decent option, but would he come back or does he need to? More to the point, as an international standard coach, could we afford him?
I see sadler has been realesed which is no surprise, also i hear tom lungley is being kept on. hopefully with common sense lungley is on a part play as you play contract. like i said before he should be 50% set salary and 50% payed if available for selection surely thats the right way to deal with tom ?
ReplyDeleteIf Anon is right in terms of Lungley's retention, I really don't think Morris has learnt his lessons.
ReplyDeleteI am not going to labour on why Lungley is poor value, as I have done that too many times before. Suffice to record only this - if JEM wants sufficient financial clout to pick up the better talent available, he has to stop wasting it in the first place. The argument there is no one better out there is a shallow one in my opinion - just scrutinize Tom's record and it says it all.
Would anyone bet on him even taking 30 wickets next term?
MASTERVILLAIN