Leicestershire 156 all out (Hughes 3-31)Derbyshire 159-4 (Durston 80)
Derbyshire won by six wickets
Leicestershire may not be the strongest opposition that we have faced this season, but Derbyshire did all that they could be expected to do today and won with a professional performance. They also scored the required runs with sufficient speed, led by Wes Durston, (pictured) to improve their net run rate quite impressively.
There were a few comments before the game on the ages of the attack, with Alex Hughes officially the grand old man of the five, at the ripe old age of 23. An average age of under 21 speaks volumes for the work going on at the club and the development of a group of young seam bowlers who will soon be the envy of the county circuit. When one considers that Tom Taylor and Will Davis are outside this group, as well as Tony Palladino, one cannot fail to be excited at the future.
Hughes, looking more an established county cricketer with every match, led the way, but the early wickets taken by Shiv Thakor, removing Leicestershire's form players in Robson and Cosgrove, were important. Shiv had a point to prove tonight and, along with his fluent unbeaten 27, he made it.
I've been impressed by Matt Critchley's bowling in this competition. He got a bit of stick at Guildford, but will have those days against quality players and the lad seems to have a nice loop to his bowling. Add in his more than useful bowling, fine fielding and age (18) and he has much going for him.
The bowling and fielding efforts left only common sense required for a win, but Cap'n Durston is in prime form at present and launched an assault that saw us win with a convincing 20 overs to spare. Former Derbyshire junior Atif Sheikh took some serious stick from the skipper and it was all very smooth and polished.
Two games to go and with Durham losing to Gloucestershire today, the game at The Riverside in a fortnight takes on added importance. It would be good if Dilshan spent some time in the middle over the next fortnight, but there is plenty to be cheerful about with our current play.
Not to mention the players doing the business.
Pop's pups hound Foxes. If these lads keep working they can do that to a few more in the years ahead.
Professional lads. I like it.
This win sets us up nicely and for once the pressure will be on our opponents when we meet Durham. Gloucestershire helped us out which was a timely boost to our chances and we now have everything to play for. It was a very satisfactory effort on our part,though had we failed to pass such an easy target,the inquest would have been painful. Durston is an important player in this format and it makes a huge difference when he scores runs,as he is at the moment.
ReplyDeleteOn the basis that you can only beat what's in front of you, Derbyshire did as well as they possibly could yesterday short of winning by 10 wickets, which looked quite likely at one stage. Durston's innings was outstanding, and he seemed to be playing in a different match to everyone else on either side. Praise too for Thakor, who played as well I've seen him, avoided the giveaway that's so often happened when he's started to play himself in, and saw us over the potential trip wire that was there when Madsen was out. I'm not sure any of us in the ground were sitting particularly comfortably at that point, partly because of Derbyshire's recent history and partly because of some very good bowling and fielding from Leicestershire at this stage.
ReplyDeleteWe do now have this in our own hands, but to be honest, Leicestershire's batting was awful and we're not likely to get such easy pickings against Durham. You commented last night, Peakfan, that we'll hopefully get away with playing such a young and inexperienced attack, but getting away with it isn't a good enough strategy for a competition we can now achieve something in. If there really is a choice between Palladino playing one day cup rather than championship, he should be playing the first.
I think he could be in for that game Notoveryet, but I don't profess to know more about selection than Welch and nor should any of us. We base our comments on our perception of people in prime form and fitness - the coach bases it on a KNOWLEDGE of that. There's a world of difference and experience is there to be gained.
ReplyDeleteBe honest, few, if any of the young players have let us down this year, but there will always be a game where we lose and people will then be quick to say 'I told you so'.
It is cricket, some you win, some you lose...
You'd expect that none of us know more about selection than the professionals, but I don't think it's reasonable to have blind faith in their decisions. Yes, they have a lot more knowledge than we have about the current state of players, and more experience of how they fit in for particular situations, but that doesn't mean they always get it right and shouldn't be questioned by those of us who care about the team.
ReplyDeleteMy issue here, as with a lot of what else happens at Derbyshire, is that there is too often no explanation, or explanations that simply don't add up. There will be a reason for not using Palladino in the one day cup, and it may well be one that I don't agree with, but at least we'd understand what the thinking is. I think there is a real problem with communications at Derby, with puzzled supporters (and journalists) questions being treated with prickly and sometimes surly defensiveness or complete silence. As with Krikken and Morris before him, this is not something that Graeme Welch is excelling in.
But what a lot don't get, notoveryet, is two things.
ReplyDeleteFirst, you don't WANT your opponents in the next game knowing he has an injury if he has, therefore gaining the knowledge that if he does play it will be in a restricted form.
Second, I can understand their 'defensiveness' when everyone else has an opinion and tells them how to do their job. If someone told me how to do mine they would get short shrift, I assume most people would be the same.
Which is why, when I write critical comment, it is in a style that I would be happy to use to the person. One of my rule of thumbs in writing and one that should be adopted by others in social media.
And for the record, that's not a go at your well-made points, nor most people on here!