Thoughts on the T20

With the Vitality Blast T20 around the corner, my thoughts, at least those of a cricketing nature, have turned to how we will do in that competition this season.

I have to admit that I have concerns. We played some good cricket, but didn't qualify, last year. There were some poor displays, odd team selections and very poor captaincy at times, which, had they been minimised, might have seen us do better. We weren't far away.

Yet it should not be overlooked, as we get ever closer to a new tournament, that our attack included Lockie Ferguson, Wahab Riaz and Hardus Viljoen. The first two did very well and have been stand out performers in this year's World Cup, while Viljoen, for all of his faults, was a decent T20 bowler. Somehow we need to replace the three main bowlers.

Try as I might, I cannot see how, with current resources, we can bowl so economically. Mark Watt will be hard to get at, Luis Reece and Alex Hughes   will have good days, Ravi Rampaul will be a key bowler. Yet we do not appear to have someone who can nip out a few wickets in the Powerplay.

Dominic Cork will earn his money if he can earn knock out progression with the squad as it stands. My question today is whether he and John Wright might constitute unnecessary expenditure for Derbyshire.

Things are tight financially. We know that and the recently cancelled concert featuring Rita Ora will not have helped in that area. We also know that securing top international names gets harder by the year, because of conflicting competitions around the globe.

It is also fair comment to say that we earn more from one good home T20 fixture than we do from a season of championship cricket. It hurts me to say that, as the latter will always be my preferred format, yet it is the reality of the modern game. And if we are hammered in those games, the 'floating support' that bulks up the crowd may have second thoughts in the future.

I just think that if we are unable to fully resource a coach for whatever reason, it begs the question as to why we incur the cost of employing him/them.

I know that Dominic won the domestic T20 in 2010, but we have someone already on the payroll, in Daryn Smit, who has similar experience, albeit from South Africa. Might it not have made more sense to save the additional coaching expense and put Smit, in a player/coach capacity, in charge of the T20 side?

Just as Dave Houghton runs four day cricket and Mal Loye did the RLODC, he could have done so with Steve Kirby without any detriment to the side. No one doubts his ability, nor his tactical awareness, his glove work is impeccable and he is more likely to reach the boundary in the closing overs than Harvey Hosein.

The money saved might then have made a difference in the quality of overseas player being pursued. Perhaps we might even have managed two specialists, using what we have plus the saving, and allowing Logan van Beek to have a breather.

I have every confidence that Derbyshire, having done so all season, will compete strongly in the T20.

If we qualify, without further addition to the playing strength, I will gladly acknowledge the contribution of Dominic Cork to that performance. He will have to display leadership, motivational skills and tactical nous to get us there.

If we don't, realistically, many supporters will consider it unnecessary expenditure and we will need a rethink for another year. Leicestershire have this morning announced no second overseas player, as they can't afford it. And they don't have a specialist T20 coaching team to pay.

I don't think our position so parlous, and even if it means a change in rationale, not bringing in a quick bowler but an enhancement to the current squad, it would be a statement of intent to do something.

Thoughts?