Game ends in predictable draw

While affording the players valuable match practice over the past three days, the friendly against Durham MCCU petered out into a draw today, something that was always likely after the second day was largely wiped out by rain.

It will be remembered by the batsmen as being a good opportunity to find form, which most took, while the bowlers had a curate's egg kind of day today. Tony Palladino did what he always does, ran up, bowled tight and took wickets, while Shiv Thakor again showed himself to be a man with a golden arm.

The others were less convincing. Ben Cotton has proven himself as a bowler who can keep things tight in all forms of the game, but now needs to show he can take wickets. Having said that, the coach will doubtless be more pleased with his performance than that of Tom Milnes and Tom Taylor, both of who bowled too many loose balls for their and the team's good.

Unless the promised loan bowler makes an appearance between times, my guess is that Cotton has played himself into the seam attack for Bristol, alongside Palladino and Andy Carter. If you are not taking wickets in any side, it is important that you build pressure on the batsmen from which the other bowlers will profit. It was something that Gladwin and Jackson did so well, on the rare days they didn't take wickets, which enabled the change seamers to come into their own as batsmen tried to get runs on the board.

More from me later in the week, but for now a quick word on James Taylor, who has sadly had to retire from the game with a serious heart condition. Taylor always looked like a man most likely to succeed from his early days at Leicestershire and little changed. He was a busy, compact, skilled batsman whose RLODC century against us a Trent Bridge a couple of summers ago effectively put us out of the competition.

I am sure that he will make a success of his second career, inside or outside the game and, for all the comments passed on him, it is worth remembering that his career has ended but his life has been saved. In the many columns of text I have read there has been scant recognition for the medical people and the prompt and excellent attention that picked up the problem quickly.

Tragic as it is for the play, his family, friends and club, it would have been far worse had he suffered a similar fate to Fabrice Muamba and passed out on the pitch, which might otherwise have happened.

Like anyone and everyone I wish a highly talented player well for the future and first the major surgery he faces later this week. With the assistance of friends and family he will rebuild his life and career.

We should all be very thankful for that.