News from the Twos

There are a couple of interesting names in the second eleven for the ongoing game against the MCC Young Cricketers at Glossop.

One is left-arm seamer Gurjit Singh, who had some success at Middlesex before being released. He has more recently played for Shropshire, where I assume he came under the tutelage of Karl Krikken and now finds himself in our seconds.

He took four wickets yesterday and will probably be happy with that, while the other trialist is a former county product, Akhil Patel. Brother of Samit, Akhil has bee around a few counties and has not yet made the runs that seemed likely when he was starting out, perhaps ten years ago now.

Whether either player is in on a 'serious' trial, or just to make up a side depleted by first team call ups and injury only time will tell. Singh took 4-69 as the opposition made 305-8 on the first day, though worryingly Greg Cork, similar in style, didn't bowl at all.

We will see how Derbyshire fare today and I will report back when time affords.

In closing, a name I noticed in last week's game against Yorkshire, but didn't recognise, was that of Sam Conners. He took 3-59 and bowled well in both innings against a strong side and I did a little more digging.

He is in the club academy and plays his cricket for Ockbrook and Borrowash as a right-arm seamer, when he often opens the bowling with Kevin Dean.

Eighteen years old, he bowls right arm fast-medium and, if he is working with Kevin Dean, will be learning how to swing the ball quite nicely!

Word is that Mal Loye is doing a fine job with the younger cricketers and, now that we are identifying young players earlier and getting them into the system, we should see them emerging from the age groups sooner and better placed for success than has sometimes been the case in the past.