Tomorrow's game at Trent Bridge will be eagerly looked forward to by both sets of supporters, with the home side fancying a win after racking up 400-plus in each of their last two home matches in the RLODC.
With five international players in their side, logically they should do it, but our three Kiwis give us a little extra something if they fire and it should be a very good game in front of the Sky TV cameras. I'm always amused by the latter's choice of games, which rightly or wrongly always seems to be, from our perspective, 'Let's do the East Midlands local derby and then we'll do the Lancashire game at Derby, so we can get an extra Lancashire game in'....
John Sadler has named the following 14-man squad for the game:
Billy Godleman
Chesney Hughes
Ben Slater
Hamish Rutherford
Neil Broom
Wayne Madsen
Scott Elstone
Jimmy Neesham
Alex Hughes
Shiv Thakor
Matt Critchley
Tom Poynton
Ben Cotton
Andy Carter
I can't name a final eleven, to be honest. I rate Billy a fine batsman, though don't think this is his format and would rather see Ben Slater in to open. Conversely, you could omit both and play Ben Cotton as an extra bowler, unless Scott Elstone's all round talents are more in keeping with the wicket. Recent events suggest a run-fest, so going in with only five bowlers may be risky, especially when the side bats deep, whichever eleven takes the field.
Nottinghamshire's squad is packed with talent and the arrival of Andre Russell gives them another experienced player at the format. Dan Christian is doing well too, with the only real 'weakness' that the other batsmen have barely had a hit with Michael Lumb and Rikki Wessels in such prime form. A positive result for Derbyshire will need a huge effort, but we should never underestimate team spirit, nor the talent in our own side. Once again, a couple of early wickets can change the complexion of a game and good as Lumb and Wessels are, they're not Kohli and Gayle.
Their squad:
Jake Ball, Dan Christian (c), Luke Fletcher, Harry Gurney, Brett
Hutton, Michael Lumb, Steven Mullaney, Samit Patel, Andre Russell, Greg
Smith, Brendan Taylor, Riki Wessels and Sam Wood.
I look forward to seeing the boys in action and gritting my teeth every time the commentators call us 'Derby' and slip an extra 'd' in Wayne's name to make him 'Madsden'. Memo to Sky: we're a county side, not a city one. Yours sincerely, Ripley lad...
I would be accused of wild optimism to call a Derbyshire win, but if the
side pulls together, performs its disciplines well and holds its
catches, you never can tell.
I call it the Chuck Berry method of motivational speaking.
Here's hoping that we're saying that Johnnie (Sadler) B Goode tomorrow night...
Not expecting much from the lads tomorrow, but hope we make a good fist of it. As an aside, just noticed that ourselves and Glammy can't buy a win in the championship but are excelling in the one day game, how does that work?.
ReplyDeleteIt looks as if rain is going to get the upper hand at Trent Bridge, even allowing for the ability of umpires to get play going when Sky is present.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit surprised, though, that there isn't more confidence about our chances in this, as Notts have been playing very poorly in T20 so far - if it hadn't been for Lancs poor over-rate at the weekend, they would have lost three from three. Obviously, everyone's attention is going to be distracted from this by their run-scoring this week, but the true value of it is shown by the fact that in both matches they were run very close by their opponents despite their massive scores. Their bowlers will be every bit as battered as their batsmen are engorged, their fielding is sluggish, the wicket-keeping is dire, particularly when Brendan Taylor (for whom the term "iron gloves" might have been invented) takes over, and their own supporters are getting on their backs very quickly when things go wrong. Overall, there probably isn't a better time to be playing them, although I do recall 2013, when we went to Trent Bridge with three wins from three, hopes and ambitions high, lost, and only won more match in the competition. Best not to get too carried away!
I might be the only one to think this, but playing cricket on flat roads like the one used for the two matches this week at Trent Bridge (and perhaps for tonight as well) demeans and diminishes one day cricket by reducing it to a simple exercise of who can hit the ball furthest and most often. We might as well replace the bowlers with a bowling machine and have a range hitting competition instead. If Notts had produced a pitch that resulted in scores of 120 all out beating 115 all out, then used it again two days later with the same result, even they would be condemned for it. As it is, our twisted view of what we value in one day cricket means that Sky's commentators tonight will be lavishing praise on the wonders of Notts batting.
Incidentally, a certain Dominic Cork is one of the chief offenders for mispronouncing our former skipper's name. Then again, what can be expected of a Stokie!
ReplyDeleteNo I totally agree with you, Notoveryet. Playing matches on 'roads' serves no purpose and for me, entertainment has to be between two teams where batsmen can make runs with technique and flair, while bowlers get something if they try.
ReplyDeleteToo many of these tracks it is a glorified golf range, where they are effectively teeing off, safe in the knowledge that the ball won't deviate from the line.
As I said, I couldn't class us favourites but they can and have been beaten. I understand it is still tipping down there and suspect that we'd not be unhappy at taking a no result point if it stayed that way. Shame though. Maybe it will be another ten over slog...
Mark, I think Glamorgan, like us, have bowlers to keep tight lines and lengths, which is crucial in one-day cricket, but are not yet especially penetrative. Frustrating batsmen out is key and both sides have deep, hard hitting batting sides.
ReplyDeleteGraham - you are dead right about Corky - Paul Allott is another offender!