Lancashire 201-3 (Croft 94 not, Faulkner 47 not)
Derbyshire 134 (Hughes 39, Parry 4-16)
Lancashire won by 67 runs
After the first twelve overs of the Lancashire innings, when they were only 75-3, we were right in this game, memories of the game at the 3aaa County Ground coming back with the home side scoring at only six an over.
Eight overs later, their innings finished and so had the match as a contest. The last eight overs produced an extraordinary 126 runs, which was only eight runs less than we managed in our full quota. Steven Croft and James Faulkner simply destroyed our attack and our chance of recording home and away wins against the red rose county had well and truly gone.
Wes Durston came away well from the carnage, his four overs costing just 25 runs, making it all the more surprising that he didn't bowl last night. Tillakaratne Dilshan didn't bowl tonight, the use, or non -use of spin continuing to puzzle supporters.
Nathan Rimmington took some serious stick tonight and appears to be struggling to find the length for English wickets. I know he can bowl, having seen him do so in the Big Bash, but he is struggling for line and rhythm after weeks without cricket.
I feel for Graeme Welch, as I do for the decision-makers at the club. No one can fault the quality of the people we have brought in as overseas players. Each has a reputation for excellence that has been well-earned in high-level games around the globe, yet with the exception of Martin Guptill, none has delivered on the pitch. It must be immensely frustrating and for all the positive aspect of their influence in the dressing room, the acid test for any player will always be in performances and statistics. By that benchmark, and by the fact that good reputations don't come cheap, we are owed some performances, sometime soon.
More on that subject from me in the week, but Derbyshire's reply was somewhat pedestrian and predictable after the early loss of Wes Durston. Only Chesney Hughes suggested a fight and the logic of the batting order eluded me. Billy Godleman is a good player, but T20 isn't his forte, so why was he at four? Why was Scott Elstone, who did well last night, at seven and Shiv Thakor, who looked a fine, quick-scoring player at the start of the summer, down at eight?
I am a little baffled, to be honest, but the Falcons were well and truly struck by Lightning tonight. It seems to be one step forward and two steps back at the moment.
Hopefully Chelmsford on Sunday sees us move forward again.
We embarrass ourselves time after time. I'm at a loss with it and unfortunately I won't be parting with any cash to see it first hand.
ReplyDeleteNon competitive yet again, which is becoming quite the norm in this competition. Our eleven does look really weak in this format with nobody able to hit the ball around, and at a quick scoring rate to boot. Agreed with you about our overseas signings Peakfan, in that they've given very little on the pitch Guptill excluded, and to think the excitement they created on here when they signed.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we should be looking at younger hungrier overseas players in the future, as I think Alma and Dilshan's attitude was we've already done it all, we'll treat this spell at Derbyshire as a bit of a holiday. I think we can write the one day competitions off this summer, and just concentrate on promotion in the league. So so poor again tonight!.
I'm thinking the same as you Tim, and won't be attending the t20 game at Chesterfield. Total waste of money.
ReplyDeleteI'll happily go to the 'proper' cricket where we seem to have the ability to play the game in an appropriate way. I'm not willing to be part of this long term and failed experiment that is Derbyshire T20 cricket. These franchises may have to come in just to put us out of our misery!
ReplyDeleteEvery year we seem able to defy the laws of nature and become less and less effective in this form of the game. Something has to be done to address this decline and the blame lies as much with management as it does with the players. We have consistently run around like headless chickens,displaying little or no tactical nouse,haphazard team selection and to all intents and purposes,no semblance of a plan to improve our standing.
ReplyDeleteI don,t know what it is with overseas stars but as soon as soon as they arrive in Derby they quickly merge in to become indistinquishable from those around them. Guptill being the only exception. The mess we find ourselves in is wholly unsatisfactory and I think it,s time for senior figures at the club to ask some awkward questions and find out just what is going on. It,s all well and good for Welch to take the plaudits when things go right,but there is never a word of criticism or admission of guilt when things go wrong.Usually there is no word at all.I can accept defeat and take it on the chin but the manner and scale of some of these defeats is beyond anything remotely acceptable.
Last night it was a savage blast from Croft that put us to the sword, but it could quite easily have been Brown, Faulkner or Buttler (if not on England duty). The night before it happened to be Willey, but could have been Levi, Cobb or Afiridi playing an innings of that nature. The point is that other teams have three or four players capable of that aggression and even if most fall cheaply, one will come off and score the runs that take the game away from us. The fact we probably have just Durston capable of that style of knock is a big concern for me as players from other clubs seem to be coached to go into a one-day mode and approach their shots differently. The big hitters aren't all physical beasts - they have a firm base and get shoulders, elbows and wrists working in harmony to hit the ball very hard and consequently pepper the boundary or the top tier of the stands. Of further concern is that the 50 over game, if England's recent performances are anything to go by, is now becoming an extension of T20 and we will find it increasingly difficult to compete in that competition too.
ReplyDeleteAs a final point, I thought that Albie Morkel earned his corn when playing for us.
Craig
I agree Craig on Morkel, though we strangely kept him back in the order until we were struggling. Good player and another from the category I refer to in today's piece.
ReplyDelete