A wonderful spell of seam bowling in the finest Derbyshire traditions by Tony Palladino enabled us to shade the first day at Canterbury, despite a century for the precociously talented Daniel Bell-Drummond.I don't suppose Kent will be too upset at topping 250, which keeps them very much in the game, but we need to dispose of the last two wickets quickly tomorrow and then bat for a long time. A dry surface suggests that batting last will be no picnic, but talented a prospect as Adam Riley is, he's no Saeed Ajmal and we really shouldn't be unduly fazed at this stage of his development.
I feared the worst when we lost the toss, but the seamers stuck to their task well and Palladino was quite superb. Mark Footitt said before the game that Tony had been bowling well with little luck, something that happens to all bowlers at one time or another. Today he got his reward at the end of the day, having spent most of a hot one bowling with commendable accuracy. Twenty-three overs for only 54 runs and five wickets is a wonderful effort and he deserves full credit for it.
Tom Taylor did well too, his early spell appearing to have been challenging and skilled. This run in the side will do him no harm at all and we will undoubtedly reap the rewards for it in the summers ahead. Meanwhile David Wainwright had a lengthy spell that kept the pressure on and Derbyshire's attack can be proud of their efforts today.
So too can Wayne Madsen, whose decision to hold fire on the new ball until his seamers could give it a twelve-over blast at the end of the day was shrewd captaincy. Like all skippers, he will make mistakes and like the better ones he will learn from them. We can ask no more than that.
In conclusion, it is nice to report on a good day for the team and I hope I can say the same this time tomorrow.
A good effort today, and we need more of this hard work in the comong days and weeks. The season isn't really dead, in my view. How the players perform from now on, and how well the coach motivates them to achieve success, are hugely important. If the season is allowed to fizzle out, I'm not convinced that the "rebuilding" is likely to be a great success. However, if the batsmen can start to show that they can develop an innings for half a day or preferably longer, in the manner of the likes of Robson, Ballance and Root, then supporters will have plenty of cause for hope. We will learn a lot about the character of the team - and the management - before the end of the season.
ReplyDeleteAgreed there Martin, the batsmen now have to step up to the plate and start to get some big scores. It's no good getting Thirties, Forties etc, we need some Eighties, Nineties and dare I say it some big Hundreds. All of them under pressure to bat well today.
ReplyDeleteFor once we should only be facing a moderate total and have the chance to post a first innings lead. We may need it as by the sound of things,this pitch might not be easy to bat last on.
ReplyDeleteFull marks to Palladino who was well supported by the rest. I think we can be reasonably pleased with the first day,but it will count for little unless we take full advantage with the bat. We shall know more tonight.
Sack this pathetic excuse of a batting coach now. Can it get any lower than today?
ReplyDeleteNot sure about that mate but we have batsmen who should be doing much better and need to take responsibility. This is shocking though...more later
ReplyDeleteAs I write we have subsided to 115 all out. Extras were the highest scorer with 29. Numbers 5, 6, 7 and 8 managed 1 run between them in 41 balls. We went from 53-3 to 56-7. I hope it is not over-dramatizing to say that in a very disappointing season this is the nadir so far. All our batsmen seem hopelessly out of form at the moment. Moore, Madsen and possibly North are the only batters one might legitimately expect to start performing any time soon. The others are, in my view, either too inexperienced or simply not good enough to be relied on in the circumstances we find ourselves in. Neither is there anyone else in the squad that I think could alter this rather gloomy prognosis. Our batting has been a concern for some years now. I have written previously that, Redfern, Whiteley and the overseas players apart, everyone from 2012 is still here and we should therefore retain some optimism. But the seemingly terminal decline in form of some and our inability to find replacements for others forces me to change my view. We are 3 - 4 batters short of being a competitive first class side. Cricket is still not like football in terms of transfers so we cannot simply "buy" in players to solve the problem. A combination of an astute signing or two and the development of one or two youngsters MIGHT rescue the situation for next season but it is a very big MIGHT. It is easy to see our batting flaws continuing to trouble us for a couple of years yet, in which case promotion is likely to be an unrealised dream.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry this comment is so negative; I find it impossible to be anything but. Whether considered reflection, or a more unlikely second innings revival, cause me to re-consider I don't know; but somehow I doubt it.
Spireite Tim
PS As I finish writing we are 8-1 following on.
the batting shambles has been going on for far too long, papered over the cracks by the skipper, tail enders etc.
ReplyDeleteSorry to say, despite cases being made, that Borrington is not the answer short, medium or long term. A limited, grafting player who doesn't seem to be progressing at all.
As for team selection, considering Riley is leading wicket taker in Div 2, surprised we didn't play 2nd spinner or Durston as option. Irrespective of Hughes contribution n previous matches, he's in as 4th seamer/allrounder, if he don't bowl in 100+ overs, whats the point him playing as batsman only?
Is dispiriting to see such lame performances, defeat is hard to take but you can mitigate with some fight and backbone.
As for the future, the plan to build round the young cricketers and experienced players of Div 2 championship side has been blown apart
Redfern/Whitley/Groenwald gone
Clare - injured or not picked
C Hughes badly out of form, for sometime.
Durston as above
The concern is that with the playing side in such disarray, will players such as Palladino, Fottit etc want away ?
From such expectations 2 years ago to back to square 1 or worse !
Disgraceful today. Look forward to responding to your piece later....
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