An interview with Tony Palladino part 3

What were the factors that combined to make the championship side successful that year?

Well, Martin Guptill and Usman Khawaja scored over a thousand runs between them. We had a good bowling attack – not outrageous, but workmanlike. There was myself, Tim Groenewald, Mark Footitt was just feeling his way back, and Jon Clare. All were experienced enough to know their game and of course we had Wainers (David Wainwright) who spun us to a few wins. We batted a long way down, too. I was often at ten that year and Timmy, a good batsman, was usually eleven, unless Mark played.

We had a great dressing room too. A bit like this year, when there are no egos and superstars but we all worked hard together

Team spirit is often undervalued, isn't it?

Oh yeah, and I have played in dressing rooms where people actively hated each other. You would see players not dive if the bloke they didn't like was bowling, or run them out if they had the chance to do so. It could all get very toxic and it's happened to me two or three times in my career.

You don't play your best cricket in those situations.

Your century against an Australian side must have been a source of pride. Was any coach responsible for your batting improvement?

Not really. I had always had a good eye and it all just seemed to come together. I worked on my batting over the winter, which is never to your detriment.

It was a pretty good pitch, I got a few away early, then I gave the spinner a bit of tap and suddenly I was in the sixties or seventies. The ball wasn't doing much and I just kept going.

Did you get nervous as the landmark got closer?

No. I hit a couple of fours to take me to 99 and then I noticed that mid off was quite deep. Mentally I had worked out that if the right ball came I would nudge it to him and that's how it worked out!

You are closing in on 500 first-class wickets. Is that a target for you, or do you just take the games, and the wickets, as they come?

I'm on 464 at the moment...

I'm impressed by that!

(Laughs) I only know because Griff (David Griffin) told me today! I have two more matches this season (sadly he was injured) and am contracted for next year. I'm not getting younger and have had a niggle in my ankle this year, but I am hoping to get there next season, while I am still doing a good job for the side.

You have never been seen as a regular List A bowler over your career. Has that been a source of frustration for you, as you have always been very economical in first-class cricket?

It all started when I joined Derbyshire. I was doing well in the championship, so John Morris would rest me for the one-days and then Karl Krikken came in and wanted to keep me fresh for the four-day game too. It went on from there really, but as you get older you play less T20 as many see it as a young man's game. I like to think there's still room for me and my 'dibbly-dobblies' in the game!

But on average I have played twelve or thirteen four-day games a summer for Derbyshire, so maybe I couldn't have done that and played all the one-day games.

Professional sports people today have to put up with their every move being dissected in the media and social media. Do many of them read what is written about them, or do they tend to be selective, or avoid it altogether?

People are different. I do and sometimes what I read spurs me on. If I see something that isn't true I comment about it. Of course, if I have had a bad game and someone says something, you take it on the chin, as long as it isn't nasty or overly aggressive. A few others read it too, but some don't like to.

When I was at Essex there was a bloke who gave a lot of stick on their fans forum. I registered and asked him if he wanted to meet for a coffee and sort out the problem, but he said he didn't want to. Some are happy being keyboard warriors and would never dare say anything to your face and they just wouldn't sit down like you and I are today.

To be fair, Tony, I don't recall many people ever having a bad word to say about you in your time in Derbyshire. Maybe an odd comment on not bowling so well on a given day, but never more than that. You have always been very approachable and it has been appreciated.

Thanks Steve. I think it comes more naturally to some people than others, but I was a cricket supporter before I was a first-class player. I remember how it made my day when a player would stop and have a word, so I try to 'give back' if I can. They are the people who give you energy when they applaud and I still get a buzz from the ripple of applause when I go down to the boundary after taking a wicket. At the end of the day, you can't expect respect from people if you don't do the same for them. There's no harm in exchanging pleasantries and signing autographs, posing for a picture or whatever.

It's nice to be nice!

You have got through a long career now - who are the best batsmen that you have bowled at ?

Marcus Trescothick was always difficult for me when I was younger. I think as I gained experience I would have done better against him, as my skill set improved, but back then I used to swing the ball into him, as a left-hander, and he would either clip me off his pads, or sit back in his crease and punch me away.

There are others who always seem to score runs against us, but I tend not to dwell on such things as it can create negative energy. Nick Browne at Essex always seems to score runs against us, but I never think I can't get him out. All it takes is one ball...

Mark Ramprakash early in my career was a very good player, while Mark Cosgrove is another. He's a very good batsman and he doesn't let a bowler bowl too many dot balls as he doesn't like you to settle. He will run it down to third man off the face of the bat and keep it ticking over.

Daryl Mitchell too, at Worcestershire. He never gives his wicket away, so when you get him out you know you have earned it.

When you get into first-class cricket, does it take a while to get used to the different gradients of squares? I noticed Dustin Melton struggling at one end against Australia, but he was better when he switched ends.

It can do. I always prefer to bowl from the Racecourse, or Media Centre end at Derby, but as you get older such things don't really affect you. Canterbury has a big slope at one end, and at Lord's it took me a while to get used to the slope. I used to want to bowl at each ground so the slope helped my outswing, but then found it was going too wide, so I was more effective from the other end.

On that subject, if it was up to me I would have more second team cricket on the county grounds. Neither in batting or bowling do club wickets gets you prepared for the senior level. I played on a second team pitch this year and the ball never bounced higher than the logo on your pad. It was a shocker, but bowlers can get flattering wickets and batsmen look poor on such tracks.

You'd get a better idea of a player's worth with less games on good wickets, than cramming in more on wickets that are really sub-standard.

What do you see yourself doing when your playing career ends? You've been doing your coaching badges, I understand? Level three?

That's right. I would like to go into coaching, but when I finish playing there may not be an opportunity or vacancy for me. But I will keep my fingers crossed that there will be something, ideally at Derbyshire but otherwise at another county or a school/university.

And when you come to the end of your career, how will you look back on it?

I'll be proud. I was very lucky to get another bite at the cherry when it could all have been finished. I came to a good club who have looked after me and I think that I have repaid them over the years.

I have a medal at home that has pride of place and I am grateful for the support of those who came to matches, year in and year out. I am proud that along the way I have given a bit of enjoyment to people and they hopefully know I have always given my best.

It has been a career in entertainment, when you have done and said all. I consider myself very lucky and privileged to have been paid for a long time to play cricket and do a job that I love.