Lancashire 197-3 (Davies 83*, Livingstone 45, Vilas 40* Hudson-Prentice 2-40)
Lancashire won by 7 wickets
It was more heartening from Derbyshire tonight, certainly with the bat, but the end result was the same. Lancashire ran out winners with ten balls to spare and the result never looked in doubt after their Powerplay.
Leus du Plooy batted superbly for his 92, with some outrageous shots. He was eventually caught on the boundary in the final over and his stand of exactly 100 with Harry Came took ten overs.
It was packed with fine shots and excellent running, both playing the ramp and the flip over the keeper to good effect. Came's knock was encouraging and his first fifty in first-class cricket. Thereafter Critchley kept du Plooy company as they added 63 in 6 overs and the innings closed one boundary short of 200.
Sadly, Billy Godleman's run continues and he now has 0,2,3 and 4 in his four innings. I understand that Dominic Cork is definitely picking the T20 side - not Godleman himself, as I have seen reported elsewhere and mentioned myself. Therefore the coach should do the right thing and allow him to take a break now, as he looked shot tonight. The ball that got him was nothing special, but beat him all ends up to castle his stumps.
It was a good total, but inside six overs Lancashire were flying, even after the early loss of Allen. Livingstone and Davies were brutal against bowling that was far too short at times. I didn't see anything more in McKerr than we already have on the staff, though it is hard to give a fair assessment of a lad in his first T20 against a powerful line up such as this.
The only bowler to escape with reputation intact was Critchley, whose four overs for 29 were positively parsimonious in comparison to others.
One win from four then. Play this anyway you like but the injuries have wrecked any hopes of progressing to the knock outs this season. That's not negativity, merely being realistic.
From here on it is a case of maintaining pride and reputations for players and coaching staff alike.
If we can bat like that regularly we might win a game or two, but the bowlers must give the opposition less opportunity to cut and pull than they afforded tonight.
Just when we get it right on the batting front, we make a right pigs ear of the bowling. Came and Du Plooy were a joy to watch, Came looks a great find the only positive from this season so far, Du Plooy is also hopefully back in the groove with that 92. Godleman has to be dropped now with wood or Hosein taking his place, nine in four innings is disgraceful nothing else can be said.
ReplyDeleteOur bowling was an absolute shambles, amateurish really and we now have lots of seamers at the club who can't really take wickets in this format. Scrimshaw, Mckerr, Aitchison, Conners, Cohen, Van Beek, Melton you could stick all their names in a hat pull out three and go with that. Infact I think that's what we probably do, because they're all just so similar in quality or lack of it.
You probably think I'm being too harsh Peakfan but we're stacked with seamers none of whom particularly inspire me
Yes I think you are too harsh. You cannot fast forward experience. 21 and 22 year old don't bowl like time served Jimmy Anderson, who I remember as a young lad of promise but with no certainty he would become the legend he now is.
DeleteConners, Aitchison and Cohen deserve credit for good progress this year. Maiden five wicket hauls and year on year improvements.
Some of the others might not make it and the jury is out. But like anything else, the only way you get better is by doing it.
Why not, instead of loaning McKerr, give Potts a go? Show him what he needs to aspire to?
So why are Conners, Aitchison, and Cohen not getting a look in? I honestly can't fathom the decision making that's going on in this T20 as it stands, why are we playing a bowler the day after he joins who hasn't bowled in ages?. That says to me that Cork and Houghton have no faith in the three we mention. Scrimshaw is another mystery, barely played any cricket and gets a game ahead of those three. Baffling!
DeleteI don't know the answer to that. Wish I did. I would assume injury but Conners played for the 2s at Yorkshire.
DeleteBaffling indeed..
After posting such a good score, it was disappointing that we couldn't keep Lancs in check. Still, fantastic performances by Came and du Plooy. Came is growing in confidence, and du Plooy is back to his 2019 form.
ReplyDeleteSadly, Billy failed again. It's time to rest him and give him some outings in the seconds (although he didn't do well for them on Monday in the T20 game against Yorks, lasting only five balls). Bring in Tom Wood. He can't do any worse, and he might even score some runs.
Great innings from L Du Plooy Derbyshire played both of their loan bowlers both bowled dross what’s the point in loaning these bowlers?Does DH actually think he can win the tournament?
ReplyDeleteWell though du Plooy and Came batted I'm afraid that was a 220 track last night. I would have gone pace off and Masden and Hughes would therefore have been greatly missed. I bet McDermott would have been spectacular too. Season over in terms of success I'm afraid - and I've never said that in June before. Massive rethink needed at the club. Like never before.
ReplyDeleteThomson was only given 1 over - 10 off it to be fair - but it was too late. What about McKiernan - pace was always going to concede on that pitch. Chesterfield blue is right - the seamers are much of a muchness.
DeleteI feared the worst at 9 for 2, but du Plooy and Came really turned it around. So the second innings was disappointing, and there was no atmosphere at all.
ReplyDeleteStill, I didn't expect much with Livingstone in the opposition. Pity we can't sign him, he loves batting at Derby. Before yesterday his T20 record at Derby was: 2019 - rained off, 2018 - 100 off 51, 2017 - 44 off 18. In 50 over matches, 2018 - 86 off 71 (plus 27 off 24 for England A), 2016 - 98 off 98.
We've played Lancs twice and dropped livingstone on both occasions, yesterday on nought. No wonder he scores runs against us! Such small margins in t20 and with our squad shorn of 4 key players we really need to take these opportunities..
DeleteBoth Du Plooy and especially Came deserve congratulations for their batting under pressure at 8-2, but i think the overall game was men against boys, how Lancs only got 136-4 on Sunday I will never know, the way they batted last night was a masterclass, most of their batting was authentic powerfully timed shots, no slogging, they also kept rotating the score. As mentioned above we obviously miss Madsen & Hughes in both batting and bowling departments, but there are many positives to take from the batting, hopefully now he has made a score Came feels less under pressure, Wood has to be given a chance on Thursday. Also I though the fielding (except McKerr dropped catch) was good. Like everyone else, I cannot understand the bowling selection, most teams bowl at least 2 spinners and bowlers who take the pace off, what do we do, stack the team with pace and only bowl one of the spinners. Now we are unlikely to qualify there has to be changes and try out something different, Wood, McKiernan and possibly Thompson have to play otherwise how can the management make decisions on contracts for next season?
ReplyDelete