Debt-free Derbyshire record ninth profit in ten years!

Compare and contrast...

Yesterday I read an excellent article by David Hopps on Cricinfo, which said that Yorkshire are around £20 million in debt, as well as awaiting the ECB disciplinary ruling after the racism rows. It went on to say that their chief executive, Stephen Vaughan, is even having to dismiss suggestions that Yorkshire are so close to administration that they are wrongfully trading.

With 23 legal cases ongoing and the costs of that involving the dismissed physio, Wayne Morton, likely to rise to around two million pounds if he wins his in the High Court, our Northern neighbours are in turmoil. Which come to think of it is the most polite way I could have phrased that.

Fast forward 24 hours and news breaks that Derbyshire are now debt free, aside from a long-term mortgage, ahead of the target set of 2024. A profit of 174k last year enable them to reach this landmark, the ninth time in ten years that the club has registered a surplus.

It is extraordinary news, which deserves the warmest of plaudits to everyone involved, especially the chairman, Ian Morgan and the chief executive, Ryan Duckett. The business model for the club must be the envy of their peers and those who deride 'little Derbyshire' no longer have any substance in their snide comments.

That this has been achieved, while at the same time the club has been steadily restoring respect on the field, is quite remarkable. The recruitment of Mickey Arthur, who heads a terrific coaching staff, as well as an improved and evolving playing squad means that Derbyshire can go into the 2023 season in rude health. The rudest ever, without doubt. Money can now be invested on ground development, as well as further improvements to the playing staff.

All it needs now to cement this remarkable turn around is some silverware. With the head of cricket reinforcing his commitment to the club on a four-year contract, don't bet against that over the next three seasons.

I have to admit to still being puzzled why Shan Masood opted for Yorkshire over Derbyshire. I can only assume the finances offered were ridiculous, which in the light of yesterday's news is somewhat ironic. The captaincy of a club that appears likely to receive a points penalty in the coming weeks cannot be easy. I suspect there will be challenges ahead for the genial Pakistan opener.

As for Derbyshire, there is no better run club in the game. Our cloth is cut to suit, yet we still manage to identify rejected or ignored talent from elsewhere and turn them into serious first-class cricketers. There is a buzz around the Incora County Ground, yet the potential first choice side to start the season would likely include seven or eight players who would be carving a career outside of the game, were it not for the opportunities Derbyshire has given them. Not just that, but how well respected and how impressive are Messrs Godleman, Reece, Dal, Aitchison, Guest, Chappell, Lamb et al?

How sweet it would be if a trophy was forthcoming, even if it isn't this year. It would be well deserved and wholly appropriate recognition of the quality of work being done, on and off the field, at our club.

To every man and woman involved, I applaud and thank you for your efforts on behalf of our club.

Now, let's go and win some cricket matches!

Advertising and Sponsorship call

It is time for my usual pre-season request for sponsors of the blog.

If you have a business that would benefit from a line advert linking to your website, or you know a friend who has, please get in touch by emailing me at peakfan36@yahoo.co.uk

Rates are very competitive and those who have worked with me in the past have found it very effective.

Alternately, if you would like to sponsor the blog, as many of you very kindly do, please make a donation through the button that is displayed in the top left hand corner of your screen if viewing this on a laptop or tablet.

I'm also happy to do this through bank transfer, should you wish and can assure you that the support is very much appreciated. Again, please get in touch at the above email address for details.

Thank you to everyone who makes an occasional or standing order donation, and to any potential sponsors.

Alan Hill

Just a quick post tonight, to acknowledge the appointment of Alan Hill as club president.

It is well deserved. Alan was one of the game's great unsung heroes and was one of mine when I was growing up and starting to support the club.

He has remained in close contact with Derbyshire cricket over many years and has regularly been in attendance at home matches.

He has always been and remains a top bloke and it was a thrill for me to be able to interview him for my second book. It was an interview handled as professionally as he has always been.

Best wishes, Alan. 

The presidency in what could be a special year...

Nice to see the comments!

Thank you all for starting the comments coming in once again. It is good to see and is the surest of indicators that the season will soon be upon us.

It was good to see the teams set out by James, which showed the strength of our squad as we near the season. One player who was omitted was Mitch Wagstaff. He may miss some of the season with studies, but will certainly feature around those times. Nice as the thought is, I don't see Ian Bell featuring!

It highlighted the absence of a reserve wicket- keeper, although I do not see this as an issue. For a club like Derbyshire, carrying a player who may not play at all is an unnecessary expense. Realistically Brooke Guest is now our (very good) number one and had we had a young wicket keeper last season, it would have been around £30K of unnecessary expenditure, as Brooke never missed a game.

As Jasper has pointed out, we can easily loan a wicket keeper at short notice. All of the bigger counties carry two, sometimes three. They would welcome the opportunity for a young player to get first team experience. It was telling that among the ECB's 'Six young players to watch', besides Sam Conners there were three young glovemen.

We should also remember that in January the club held trials for players who were interested in playing for the second eleven during the summer. It could be that one or more of those who were successful were wicket keepers. So I don't see it is a problem. Lancashire alone has two or three talented young keepers on their staff, a county that has  proved a rich source for Derbyshire in recent years.

Anyway, I will be speaking about Derbyshire's prospects for the season on North Derbyshire Radio on Friday evening, between 6 and 7pm. If you aren't free at that time, you can hear it on catch up here - after the show has aired, of course!

Finally today, my surgery has now been  confirmed for April 14. It is estimated that I will be in hospital for between six and ten days, so I will miss the Leicestershire fixture.

I will do what I normally do when I go on holiday and publish a fixture header, under which any comments can be made. 

The speed at which those comments are published will very much depend on how I am after surgery!

Thank you for your understanding.

County Championship Division Two: the rivals

In considering the prospects for Derbyshire's season, one has to look at the other sides and see the challenge.

There doesn't appear to be a great deal between teams this year, so the edge will come from those who more often produce under pressure, who hold their chances, keep key players fit and who enjoy better fortune with the all-important weather.

Durham

Someone has to step up and take the place of Chris Rushworth this year. For so long he carried their attack and they need Mattie Potts to stay fit and out of England contention. Ben Raine will continue to be a good cricketer, but Bedingham and Lees need to score heavily for them to be in with a chance of promotion.

Glamorgan

Labuschagne is back again and their batting looks as solid as most in the division. Yet their attack is ageing and needs to avoid injury. They don't appear especially strong outwith a first choice side, but they can push for promotion if muscles and bones avoid undue trauma.

Gloucestershire

Logically, should be one of the challengers, having been relegated. Yet I don't look at the squad and worry unduly. Chris Dent and Marcus Harris should score heavily, but they will need support. The attack has plenty of young talent, but one or two need to step up to take the wickets that will be required to win games.

The loss of Ryan Higgins, who has returned to Middlesex, will be a big blow, as will the absence of David Payne at the start of the season, after ankle surgery.

Leicestershire

Wiaan Mulder is back, but they will need overseas batters Handscomb and Rahane to score heavily to be in the mix.

Their attack has some good players, but most have question marks over their sustained fitness. Much will depend on Parkinson and Ahmed as their 'spin twins', with wickets likely produced to suit them. Full marks to the latter, pulling out of a potential IPL deal to improve his red ball skills.

I expect a better season, but would be surprised if they were genuine promotion contenders.

Sussex

With Cheteshwar Pujara and Steve Smith in their batting at different times, they should get some runs, especially with the excellent Tom Haines at the top of the order.

The bowling will miss Robinson and Archer (with England) so much will depend on new Australian recruit Nathan McAndrew and how he adapts to English wickets. Fynn Hudson-Prentice will hope for better luck with injury than last season and the attack would appear to be key to their chances of success. Runs won't be a problem, but can they take twenty wickets on a regular basis?

Worcestershire

A club in transition for the past two or three seasons, but they have a solid batting lineup and Azhar Ali for the season. Adam Hose has joined from Warwickshire and will further improve them.

They will miss Ed Barnard, the depth he offered to the batting, as well as his seam bowling. Although Mitchell Santner is a solid overseas recruit, they need Dylan Pennington and Joe Leach to stay fit if they are going to bowl sides out.

Yorkshire

A full strength side would stroll this division, but they won't see much of their England men.

Shan Masood will hope to emulate his 2022 form for Derbyshire, but does seem to have gone off the boil a little over the winter. Adam Lyth should again offer runs at the top and Malan in the middle, if more readily available. When Bairstow  returns he will have a point to prove, so they should get runs on the board.

But will the bowlers back them? Neil Wagner is a good cricketer, but Matt Milnes and Ben Mike need to establish themselves quickly in pastures new. The former is returning from a stress fracture, so there will be initial reservations about his fitness.

Conclusion

If the ECB allow their England men to play more often than seems likely, Yorkshire should be favourites. Yet point deductions, still very likely, could blow that out of the water.

Glamorgan and Worcestershire look to be decent sides, but it is a very difficult division to call.

As I have written before, the side that keeps key bowlers fit and scores runs at sufficient pace to force victories will come out on top.

There is no reason why that side cannot be Derbyshire.

But two final points. 

In March everyone fancies their chances..

And with Lakmal, Ali, Labuschagne, Neser, Harris, Rahane, Pujara, Smith, Masood and Wagner, among others, plying the trade in the division, don't let anyone tell you that the standard is low...

County Championship preview

Can Derbyshire build on the promise of 2022 and make 2023 a promotion season from Division 2 of the County Championship?

In my opinion and with appropriate caveats in place, yes, they can.

There is no obvious stand out team in the division this year. Last season, Nottinghamshire's attack alone dictated that they would gain promotion and they were way ahead of the rest. I don't see anyone doing that this year, so it is who comes to terms with the change in playing conditions and has the playing resources to force the all-important wins.

Sixteen points for a win this year, as in 2022, but only five, instead of eight, for a draw. The onus is thus on wickets that will produce a positive result, a captain of similar mindset and batters who can score runs at a pace that will enable the bowlers time to do their job.

If the wickets at Derby can replicate the one at Chesterfield last year, then Derbyshire have every chance. In new captain Leus du Plooy we have a man with a positive attitude and an ability to lead by example with the bat.

He has many batting options at his disposal and a sign of strength is that a first choice line up is hard to call. With new overseas signing Haider Ali set to open, his partner could be Luis Reece, Billy Godleman or Harry Came. It is easy to state a case for any of them, but good players look like being outside a first choice eleven, regardless of the decision made. 

The middle order appears easier to call, with Brooke Guest, Wayne Madsen, du Plooy and new signing Matt Lamb likely to bat three to six, as they all did so well last season. The signing of the latter, from Warwickshire, was a real coup in my book and he should add power, quality and runs to a lineup that looks very strong on paper after doing so well last year.

Yet Tom Wood will want to make up for lost time, having missed most of 2022. Those who miss out on the opening berths could also slot in lower down, so competition is as strong as it has been for a long time.

Reece and Godleman will be keen to make up for the relative disappointments of last season, while Came showed signs of coming to terms with the demands of the county game towards the end of the summer. Another good season from Guest could see his Lions credentials being pushed, his stylish batting at number three an added bonus to wicketkeeping of a very high standard. Can he get through another season without injury, given his work load? I wouldn't bet against it and I eagerly await seeing what he has to offer this year.

The batting shouldn't be a problem, but there are two question marks over the bowling.

Firstly, one of the spinners has to push forward and stake a claim for a regular place. Mattie McKiernan, Alex Thomson and Mark Watt all had their moments last year, but one of them has to offer 30-plus wickets this time around. McKiernan appeared to be the best batsman, Thomson the best all-rounder and Watt the best bowler. Who will come out on top? Mickey Arthur likes a slow left-armer and if he can show his ability to regularly dismiss batters merely intent on survival, Watt will be an asset.

Then again, Thomson struggled with injury last year, so hopefully can show what he has to offer in an all round capacity. McKiernan will doubtless play a major role in the limited over formats, so all should enjoy opportunity.

The seam attack looks potent but must stay fit. Suranga Lakmal is back and will hopefully find wickets more to his liking than last year. Hopefully his elbow holds out and we can enjoy a very fine bowler in vintage form.

Ben Aitchison, Sam Conners and Zak Chappell are other hostile seam options, all of them tall, lively and talented. We need them to stay fit and if they do, the ability to swap them in and out to retain freshness could see Derbyshire in nosebleed territory at the top of the table. There will be few better attacks in the division if they hit their stride early and it could make for very entertaining watching. 

George Scrimshaw and Nick Potts are other options, though I suspect the former will play more T20 than four day cricket.  With Reece and the excellent Anuj Dal to add their skills, the seam attack looks as good as it has in years.

On the basis of last season, Dal suggested he was one of the best pound for pound, under the radar cricketers in the country. An organised, busy batter, a bustling seam bowler and brilliant fielder, he offers balance and genuine all-round ability. I enjoy watching him in every facet of his game and hope that he continues to bring his obvious enjoyment to the county landscape for many years to come.

Don't discount Archie Harrison playing a game or two, either. He had a good winter in New Zealand and has only just turned nineteen. One for the future, perhaps, but a genuine all rounder of considerable potential.

We need luck with injuries and we need catches to be held. There will be no shortage of chances with the bowlers we have, so maintenance of standards in the field will be key to success, while luck with the weather wouldn't go amiss.

There will be times when the batting fails, but both Chappell and Aitchison have potential with the willow. It is a team game and the onus is on everyone to contribute, even if it is just holding up an end. That will especially come into play if the top order fails and either Lamb or Dal have to nurse the tail.

This isn't yet a perfect squad, but the outlook is decidedly more rosy than it appeared only 18 months ago. What a difference a good head of cricket creating a sound structure, together with a collective of good coaches has made.

I will look at our one day prospects further down the line. But while every county, at this stage, will think they have a chance of silverware and a good season, Derbyshire have every reason, perhaps more than many, for confidence. 

Yet the feeling remains that some of the squad may have reached their peak and have no more to give. Maybe not, but that's my final caveat. Can the Head of Cricket get ten per cent more from everyone? 

Hold on to your hats, a perhaps special summer awaits.

Good workout at Trent Bridge

As much as it is possible to tell from one innings, pre-season, I suspect that Matt Lamb will be a very effective player for Derbyshire this year.

His unbeaten 60 from 78 balls was the highlight of the day. It was controlled aggression against a keen division one attack and served to illustrate the depth of Derbyshire's batting this year.

With Wayne Madsen missing, his teammates took the opportunity for time in the middle and they all did well. Skipper Leus du Plooy was the only one to miss out, but everyone will benefit from time spent at the crease.

Lamb looks a very good player. Tall, powerful and quick on his feet, there were shots around the wicket and he should be an asset in all formats.

It was nice to see Billy Godleman in form early, too. Both he and Luis Reece had their struggles last year, but the side will do better if they are both in top form.

With Madsen and Haider Ali to come back into this side, there is a wealth of talent available.

Derbyshire closed on 203-4 in their 60 overs of batting, with Nottinghamshire reaching 52-1 in reply. Ben Slater was the man out, caught behind by Brooke Guest off the bowling of Zak Chappell.

Rain ended play early, but hopefully they can get back out there today, to enable the bowlers to find the rhythm the batters largely managed yesterday

Weekend thoughts

I have been working on my season preview for the County Championship for the past few days and will be presenting it for your 'delectation and delight', as Leonard Sachs used to say, during the course of the next week.

There will be a few of them around, though I have to say I disagreed with the first that I saw, on Twitter, which came up with the following Derbyshire starting eleven:

Billy Godleman

Harry Came

Brooke Guest (wk)

Wayne Madsen

Leus du Plooy ©

Luis Reece

Mattie McKiernan

Anuj Dal

Suranga Lakmal

Sam Conners

Nick Potts

While appreciating this was a personal choice by someone not a supporter of the county, I would be very surprised if it was one with which many Derbyshire fans would agree.

For starters, the side doesn't include Haider Ali and I find it hard to believe that our first choice side wouldn't include both overseas players. Nor do new signings, Matt Lamb and Zak Chappell feature, which would appear very unlikely.

And while Nick Potts is a young bowler of considerable potential, I suspect that he is further back in the pecking order than Ben Aitchison, for who traditional early season wickets may well have been designed. 

I am unconvinced that a spinner would be essential on early season tracks, although the presence of Dal and Reece in any side means that you can go with three and would seldom need four specialist seam bowlers.

I think it is hard to come up with a definitive first choice side this year, because the quality of the squad has improved. Assuming fitness, at least a couple of good batters, spinners and seam bowlers will always miss out.

I don't envy Mickey Arthur. Assuming all are fit, Lakmal will lead the attack, but which two do you choose from Conners, Aitchison and Chappell? Then there is Scrimshaw and Potts, so there are plenty of options!

None of us see the players in the nets, so can only go on gut feeling. But a more likely eleven to start might be:

Ali

Reece

Guest

Madsen

du Plooy

Lamb

Dal

Chappell

Aitchison

Conners

Lakmal

But I could do that again in 20 minutes and come up with a different eleven!

Book Review: Gilly - The Turbulent Life of Roy Gilchrist by Mark Peel

When I saw that a biography of Roy Gilchrist was among Pitch Publishing's output for this Spring, I was excited.

I had heard a lot about the West Indian fast bowler over the years. Most of it, to be fair, erred on the side of 'nasty and unpleasant', while some offered balance and said that he was 'a nice guy when you got to know him and probably when he was on your side.'

Which is pretty much what comes out of this excellent biography by Mark Peel, an established cricket writer of some reputation.

Gilchrist appears to have gone through much of his life with a chip on his shoulder and a dislike of authority. There was a short fuse, that manifested itself on many occasions, not just on the cricket field.

It is hard to feel a great deal of sympathy for a bowler whose response to a batsman hitting him for four would frequently, all too frequently, be a beamer. That he never did anyone serious damage with such a delivery, bowled  at the pace that he did for many years, was a minor miracle. That he felt the need to do it against amateur cricketers in the Northern Leagues for many years was disappointing. 

The truth of the matter is that Gilchrist, had he focused on his devastating yorker, which got him most of his wickets, perhaps interspersed with an occasional bouncer, might have been a more effective player and more likeable to boot.

His devastating fallout with the then West Indian captain, Gerry Alexander, saw a premature end to his international career, which might otherwise have seen him regarded as one of the greats. As it was, he had to resign himself to a couple of tours, one of them to England in 1957, when some very good batters found him uncomfortably fast.

That some league cricketers managed to score runs against him spoke volumes for their techniques, as well as their bravery. There are countless tales of broken bones, cracked skulls and bruised thighs, not to mention numerous clashes with opponents, captains and many in positions of authority.

It is impossible to read this book with too much sympathy for Gilchrist. His temper was too quick, his attitude too questionable and his patience too short for that. Neither then nor now can his 'branding' his then wife with an iron during a row be excused, nor is it easy to feel sympathy for someone who showed little remorse for the damage that he inflicted on the cricket field.

Bowling bouncers at teenagers in friendly matches, as well as fast yorkers in charity games was not the sign of a competitive edge. Rather that of a bully and high level of petulance.

His end came after his return to Jamaica, when cricket could no longer provide a source of regular income. He was a man who perennially struggled with money and it went through his fingers too quickly, even - perhaps especially - in his salad days.

Yet there were those who claimed he was misunderstood, a gentle soul and a good teammate. I suspect the opinion of those who played with and against him was never indifferent, Gilchrist perhaps the epitome of a 'Marmite' cricketer.

We will not see his like again and that can only be a good thing. That he filled cricket grounds on the basis of his reputation is undeniable. Yet some time before the end of the book, the numerous  transgressions had tipped the scales of this reader to have little sympathy for a man who clearly had very little to give himself, at least until his more mellow, illness- ravaged decline.

This book is another terrific read, one that I got through in just a couple of days. It deserves to be successful and I suspect that it will be.

Yet again, Pitch Publishing have done an excellent job

Gilly: The Turbulent Life of Roy Gilchrist is written by Mark Peel and published by Pitch Publishing

Bell stays on as batting coach

With the season fast approaching, news comes today that Ian Bell will continue as Derbyshire's batting consultant during the coming season.

He did sterling work last year, as virtually the entire top, seven had prolific seasons and appeared to respond to his work with them. They were aided, of course, by some unusually good early season batting wickets, as well as by the prolific output of Shan Masood. It is always easier to bat when someone appears to be using a barn door at the other end and keeping the score ticking over.

The expectations have been set and it will be interesting to see how that line up goes without the Pakistan talisman. It is where Haider Ali can make an impact, his aggressive style, hopefully tempered a little, putting the bowlers on the back foot and enabling Derbyshire to score heavily and with sufficient speed to force winning positions.

It has been a winter of pretty much constant encouragement, on and off the field. The time is fast approaching to see whether supporter enthusiasm is justified.

Pre-season friendlies have been announced against Nottinghamshire and Lancashire, the former on 23/24, the latter on 28/29 March. Both are at the Incora County Ground and will be live streamed.

One assumes that each game will see either side bat and bowl for a day each and will give early opportunity to see the new players, as well as how longer term favourites are shaping up.

Where I am today it is minus six, a true indicator that cricket will soon be with us...

Book Review: How To Be A Cricket Fan: A Life in Fifty Artefacts by Matthew Appleby

The first cricket book that I have read in 2023 is by the experienced writer, Matthew Appleby. This is his seventh book and he is on sure ground with this biography, of his late father, Edgar.

In fact it is part biography, partly autobiographical and shows how the author grew up with a father who was cricket-mad, a serious collector of its memorabilia and literature, as well as a keen player, until age took its toll.

Each chapter focuses on a particular collectible and it is an engaging read. The book shows how the memorabilia and cricket collecting market has grown dramatically over his lifetime, the prices paid by his father seemingly good value in the modern era.

There are plenty of amusing anecdotes, as his father goes from cricket obsessive to being a renowned speaker and statistician of the game, getting to know many of those who played it and coming across as both a great character and a serious trencherman.

For many years he and his wife ran a bookshop in Keswick, as well as a market stall in the town. By the time I got to the end of the book, my overriding feeling was that I wished I had known this a few years ago, and I would have undoubtedly enjoyed a trip to the Lakes and some cricket purchases to complete the trip.

It is an enjoyable book and once again Pitch Publishing are to be commended for their willingness to publish a wide range of sporting books. Not necessarily those that guarantee huge sales, but ones where the tale deserves the telling. It will be of particular interest to the serious collector, although I have no means of verifying the values quoted for some of the items mentioned. 

I regard myself as a cricket fan and collector - certainly of Derbyshire-related material, but came to the conclusion that I am very much dipping a toe into the market, in comparison to Appleby senior.

I hope that the book does well. It is not without error, but I haven't read another like it and for that reason alone it made for a good read.

How To Be A Cricket Fan: a life in 50 artefacts is written by Matthew Appleby and published by Pitch Publishing, priced £18.99