Yorkshire v Derbyshire T20

Derbyshire 207-5 (Madsen 66, du Plooy 51, Bresnan 2-17)

Yorkshire 152 (Leaning 36, van Beek 4-17)

Derbyshire won by 55 runs

After ten years of doing this blog, I still haven't worked out if Derbyshire are a fine side that too often slips into the land of mediocrity, or a poor one that sometimes, eye-catchingly, plays way above itself.

Make no mistake, if we had gone out in previous matches with the same attitude that was displayed today, as we breezed past our Yorkshire rabbits for the sixth successive time in this competition, we would be sitting pretty in the northern section.

Maybe I should write them off more often, but the time to get excited is if we replicate this performance against Worcestershire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire this week. If we do, then at least two of those games are winnable, because we were brilliant today. Goodbye anaemic cricket, hello fresh plasma, with a topping of iron tablets.

We batted without fear, with lots of common sense and with terrific skill. There's no rocket science to a game plan that says if Madsen and du Plooy spend time at the crease, we will win a lot more games.Here, their partnership was only seven overs, but it produced 87 magical, maniacal runs as they put the home side to the sword. There were several top edges from Madsen, but his 66 from just 37 balls, with six fours and four sixes, saw him top score. When he does that, we do well, such is the rate at which he scores.

Yet he at times seemed pedestrian alongside the magnificent du Plooy. Reaching fifty from just twenty deliveries, he equalled Wes Durston's county record, to go with setting a new benchmark for fifty in the RLODC game on this ground in 23 balls. Not bad for half a season's work and for the second time on this ground he took Duanne Olivier apart.

1. With one in the eye for those commentators who declare a six a 'maximum', he took 14 from the first ball of Olivier's final over. First he swatted an above waist height full toss for a straight six and then, having got two for the no ball, thrashed the free hit over mid on and out of the ground. 32 (yes, THIRTY-TWO) came from the over, which saw the chastened bowler retire from the attack.

du Plooy is a special talent and he will play international cricket, though whether for England or South Africa only he (and the terms of Brexit) will decide. His hand/eye coordination, coupled with his footwork, is breathtaking, his timing and placement extraordinary. He is not of brawny build, like a Wilkins or Kuiper, but he hits a ball a long way. With this summer's experience of English wickets behind him, he should be really something next season, that's for sure. I look forward to winter news of a contract extension for an outstanding cricketer and lovely bloke.

Eleven sixes came in the innings and the brisk start of Reece and Godleman should not be overlooked, nor the sensible batting of those who took us past 200, even if it was a little like after the Lord Mayor's show. I would still have Hudson-Prentice at five and a delicious sashay down the wicket and stroke over extra cover, when he first came in, oozed class.

Yet the home side were up with the rate for a long time, their main issue being the loss of regular wickets. Neither Rampaul nor Rankin bowled as well as in previous games and there were ten unnecessarily profligate wides in the innings. Yet today I am happy to say that Logan van Beek was star bowler by a mile, taking 4-17 in three overs of controlled aggression.

With the home side on 134-5 after thirteen overs, the dangerous Leaning and Thompson both in and going well, the result was far from certain. Yet the former was one of two catches by Godleman, to go with an excellent, direct hit run out before Leaning gloved a  sharp bouncer from van Beek to be brilliantly taken, around second leg slip, by the diving Smit. The game was over at that point.

Luis Reece bowled very well too, keeping an excellent line outside off stump, while Matt Critchley bowled another controlled spell of leg spin.Fittingly it was van Beek who finished things off with the run out of Shutt, capping an excellent performance, his best for the county.

For all their international absentees and their protestations to the contrary, this isn't a great Yorkshire side. Read or listen to their supporters, or the commentators today, who were just as bad, and one would assume they had a divine right to win matches. Team spirit didn't appear high to me, but it wouldn't be, as the defeat dropped them to the bottom of the group.

A 'little' county like Derbyshire really shouldn't be beating a 'big one' like Yorkshire, but we do so on a remarkably regular basis. If we can channel today's aggression and purpose, we are capable of winning at least two of the next three games, maybe even going on to qualify, but you just don't know.

Will the real Derbyshire County Cricket Club stand up?

Because I liked today's version. A lot.