Random weekend thoughts

There's a few interesting names being thrown up over on the Falcons Forum by fans looking towards next season.

To be fair they range from the wildly optimistic to the more feasible. Chris Gayle is less likely to sign up for a season around the counties than Viv Richards and who can blame the guy? Mark my words, after his exploits in the IPL last year he will make a million in next Spring's auction, a figure that makes a county offer of, say, 150K for the summer almost derisory.

Likewise Steve Harmison couldn't be lured from Durham and for what its worth I wouldn't bother. He's been a decent bowler, but his best days are behind him and, like fine wine, he doesn't travel well. More interestingly his brother Ben has been released by the northernmost county amid scenes of reasonable acrimony. He is a fair player, but I'm not sure that he is THAT good. He can bat, but two of his three first class centuries have been against minor opposition and he can bowl, but maybe not quite well enough to get another deal.

Harmison will be 26 next summer, that non-too magical age at which cricketers cease to earn appearance payments and the cold reality is that players at that age will need to be producing better stats than Harmison junior has managed. Maybe Harmison might, like Will Gidman, benefit from a change of scenery, but I would think his options may be limited. From a Derbyshire perspective, for example, I don't see him breaking into our side at the expense of Ross Whiteley and I don't see us paying decent money for a player who will be at best a member of the squad.

For me that is the crux of any winter recruitment. A player coming in has to have something we don't have and be good enough to command a regular place. On the Forum last night I mentioned two players who I think would improve our side, could well be available and potentially affordable.

The first is Yorkshire's David Wainwright. A slow left arm bowler of talent, a dogged batsman with two centuries to his name and a good fielder, Wainwright is out of contract and looking at options with Rafiq and Rashid ahead of him in the pecking order. I know we have Tom Knight, but I am unsure about his intentions for next year and if he heads to university we will need a spinner for the early part of the season at least and the two could bowl well in tandem in the T20. I've always rated the lad and think he might be worth an offer.

The other is Chris Taylor at Gloucestershire. At 34 he is perhaps an unusual name to suggest in the light of what I've said above, but he is a very good, solid batsman who gets better by the year. This year he has passed his thousand, averages over 45 and been a rock for the side, yet he could become a victim of Gloucestershire's financial problems.

If Greg Smith leaves Derbyshire and we cannot find a top international player, someone like Taylor would be a solid signing, giving us crucial experience in the middle order - especially if the overseas player turned out to be a bowler. Taylor would earn us no money, but would be a reasonable bet to score a thousand runs in the engine room of the side. As trade offs go, that's not the worst I could think of.

I don't expect it to happen though. I doubt he would lack offers and I think we will go with youth next year, Madsen and Durston the experienced hands around the youngsters like Hughes, Redfern, Whiteley and Borrington. Experience does count though and if Luke Sutton gradually makes way for Tom Poynton we will be pretty short of it in the batting, especially if Wes Durston doesn't replicate this year's form and Wayne Madsen does.

We saw what experience among kids did tonight with Leicestershire, deserved winners of the T20. Nixon, McDonald, Razzaq, Henderson and Hoggard all played their part and the youngsters did a sterling job around them. I'm pleased for them, despite the local rivalry. Somerset spent a shedload of money on big name signings and came second to a club that often struggles to get by financially. The right mix of youth and experience did, however, earn them an unexpected trophy.

It was David v Goliath and David won again. Well done the Foxes!