Gloucestershire 110-1 (Dent 61 not, Thakor 1-23)
After slipping to 266-6 in the first hour this morning, cynics will have expected our batting to subside in time honoured fashion today. That we did not was largely down to an innings of consummate brilliance, concentration and stamina by Wayne Madsen.
Wayne made 150 from seven and three-quarter hours batting, a wonderful early season effort which emphasised how important his new winter contract is to the club. By the time it is finished, I fully expect him to have scored more centuries than almost any other Derbyshire batsman, leaving only the legend that is Kim Barnett ahead and even Denis Smith in his slipstream.
He needed support, of course and that came from Tom Poynton. In his hundredth match for Derbyshire, he passed a thousand first-class runs and showed a welcome return to the batting form we all know that he is capable of. Coming in at number eight, if he can produce a batting average of upwards of twenty to go with his excellent wicket-keeping, we will be a much better side.
444 was a solid total, one that gives you control of most matches, although our opening bowlers could perhaps have done better, according to reports, with the new ball. Both are fine players and I have no concerns over their ability to take wickets for us, but it appears they got the length wrong today, bowling too much short stuff. I am sure that Graeme Welch will have a quiet word about that before tomorrow morning.
First session wickets are more common at Bristol, just as they are at Derby, so a good first hour could yet see us take a stranglehold on the game. By the same token, the wicket is a long way from a death trap and at this stage the thinking money would be on a draw.
There's a lot of cricket to go, though and we are still in the ascendant in this one.
The first two days of this game offer clues as to how our four day season will pan out. Enough runs, if not quickly enough to put pressure on the opposition and then an attack that while game, will struggle to take enough wickets.
ReplyDeleteIf that sounds negative there's no apology from me as that will be an improvement on last season.
A tad premature after one innings batting and bowling I think....
ReplyDeleteWayne Madsen is a fine batsman and an admirable example to all in his demeanour and sense of fair play. Cricinfo, though, has him trailing Kim Barnett in terms of first-class centuries by 20 to 61 so for Wayne to overtake him during the term of his new contract a few records will have to be set!
ReplyDeleteOld Supporter
It doesn't look too premature this morning, unfortunately. It's a lifeless wicket for sure, but the same lifeless wicket it's been for two days when we scored at half the rate Gloucs have. Some of the bowling has been truly shocking for professional cricketers - Carter and Cotton especially - and my winter gloom (briefly lightened by the arrival of Fletcher at the last minute) has returned with full force. Right now, Norwell has been given his first century with a buffet ball from Cotton, there's no sign of a wicket, Chesney Hughes is bowling after our front line spinner was hammered out of the attack by a no 10 batsman, and I,m not betting anything against a second innings collapse to lose this game.
ReplyDeleteGood spot Old Supporter...brain and fingers out of synch! It was meant to say what it now does!
ReplyDeleteI would suggest Tim's point is not as premature as we have just seen the nightwatchman score a century and feature in a 250+ run partnership against these "inspired' signings.
ReplyDeleteI will reserve my judgement until I have seen Carter/Fletcher strike partnership in action myself. Hopefully a dark damp cold Racecourse will bring the best out of them in the first home game.
Looking ahead, hopefully Derbyshire's first innings crawl has taken enough time out the game to negate any second innings mishaps. Here's hoping.
Of course you want bowlers to take wickets all the time but when conditions are weighted against them, sometimes that doesn't happen.
ReplyDeleteWe have all seen Anderson and Broad struggle on some wickets and they aren't bad bowlers! I don't jump to hasty conclusions about anyone and won't here. Whether I change my opinion, of course, will be dictated by events as the season unfolds...