Derbyshire 146 (Guest 49, Harmer 9-80)
and 97-1 (Guest 56*, Godleman 39*)
Derbyshire trail by 169 runs
It was a curate's egg of a day for Derbyshire at Chelmsford.
After stubborn resistance from Alex Hughes in company with Brooke Guest, Wayne Madsen played some fine shots before becoming one of nine wickets for Simon Harmer. After that it was a procession of inept batting and we were bowled out inside the session.
It was hugely disappointing. I will accept Harmer is a fine spinner, perhaps even the best in the world game at present, but a combination of poor shots and good catching saw a defeat in two days become a strong possibility.
Especially so when Luis Reece went for a duck in the second innings, but from there the excellent Guest and Billy Godleman saw things through to the close and looked fairly comfortable in doing so.
A wet ball and seam helped, while Harmer tired after bowling pretty much all day at one end, but nothing should be taken away from the two batsmen.
The skipper battled away in typical style, never orthodox, sometimes puzzling but always committed. Meanwhile, at the other end Guest was a revelation.
There may have been a few eyebrows raised when he came in at three here, when no one has handled that position well this year. Yet his previous displays highlighted a technique as sound as his temperament and they were confirmed against a testing attack.
He missed out on his maiden fifty in the first innings with what appeared a poor decision, but made no mistake in the second. His defence was sound but his timing was excellent from a full range of shots. Three successive fours off Porter highlighted his ability quite nicely, while a slog sweep for six from Harmer flew hard and flat like a bullet.
With similar application from him and the rest tomorrow - and more rain forecast - we might just escape with a draw.
But we need the rest to show the same commitment.
Displays like yesterday and by most in our first innings do little to silence those who say there are too many counties. For a long time it seemed we were only at this game to make up the numbers and that has been bitterly disappointing from my perspective.
I hope tomorrow that we show we do belong in this company and that the excellent work by the 'G men' in this innings was not in vain.
I am here to be convinced and hope that I am.
And as always I welcome your comments
Hopeless batting hopeless bowling, it's Derbyshire in a nutshell again, just a different season. I think we go in to these games against the bigger counties with a totally defeatist attitude, because these last two games have been truly awful, an embarrassing effort.
ReplyDeleteThe second day's play here was the worst I've ever seen from a Derbyshire bowling attack, and the fielding matched. I have a horrible feeling we'll finish bottom of this group because I don't know where a victory is coming from
I was very disappointed for Guest when he failed to reach his maiden 50 in the first innings so fair play to him for making no mistake in the second. He's shown good application and looks worth a run at 3 now.
ReplyDeleteYes, Guest has been a revelation. For someone with little first class experience, this was an amazing performance. He batted for nearly three hours for his 49, and then came out to bat in the second innings and did it all again. He looked calm and comfortable at the crease.
ReplyDeleteHe started the day not out and ended the day not out, even though he was out. That would make a good cricket quiz question. Perhaps we have discovered our number three.
It would be fantastic if he could go on today and make a century.
Yes,performances like this just add fuel to the fire for Atherton & Co who question Derbyshire CCC's very existence.
ReplyDeleteThe attack is certainly missing Palladino's line & length bowling.