Derbyshire v. Worcestershire preview

On North Derbyshire radio last night, I was asked how big a feat it would be for Derbyshire to make the knockout stages of the Vitality Blast for the second successive year.

My answer was simple. It would be massive and a tremendous achievement, considering that in the eyes of many, we're only here to make up the numbers.

Yet after a slow start to the competition, partly down to the early fixtures, partly to muddled team selection, we are only one game away from what appears to be another game at Taunton, against Somerset.

There is time enough to ponder whether we can improve on last year's 'performance' (we can) but more immediately there's a job to do against a Worcestershire side that itself has overachieved this year.

Their success has been down to a three-man spin attack that has carried all before it, at least until it was dismantled by Durham last night. 

We know all about Mitchell Santner, of course. Hell, he was nearly a Derbyshire player, until knee surgery put the kybosh on that a few years ago. He is a canny spinner and dangerous hitter, as too is  Brett D'Oliveira. The mystery element has come from Pakistan leg spinner Usama Mir, who has been plucked from Welsh League cricket to take a good few wickets and confuse plenty of batters in the competition. 

I watched him last night and he is tall, similar to Anil Kumble for those of a certain age, but his main delivery appears to be the leg break. His four overs went for 47 last night and the only mystery at one point was whether he was going to go for four or six. He needs watching though and the bounce he gets often leaves batters top edging the sweep.

With Pennington, Finch and Brown as seamers, it is a varied attack, though Finch was taken off last night after twice bowling chest height full tosses in his final over, missing the intended yorker by some margin.

Yet it is more about what our players do. We now appear to have a powerful and dangerous top six, together with a three-man pace attack that is good as anyone has. Chappell, Khan and Scrimshaw may sound like a legal firm, but they are a highly talented and awkward quick bowling attack, armed with plenty of tricks. 

I was delighted when we signed Zak Chappell and his variations have not let me down. He is a canny operator and now has more wickets than any other Derbyshire bowler in a T20 season. 

We know all about George Scrimshaw, tall, fast and awkward, but he seems more mature this year, more in control of what he is doing and where the ball is going. Few will fancy him on a fast and bouncy track.

As for Zaman Khan, nothing could give me more pleasure than to hear he has been signed for this competition next year. He is unorthodox, awkward and very fast. I have watched him in every game this year and never once had the impression that he was coasting. When I look around the country at young quick bowlers, his control of pace, line and bounce are extraordinary at just 21. To produce the figures that he does, bowling his overs at the bookends of the innings, is remarkable. Little seems to faze him and the engaging grin rarely leaves his face, even under pressure.

In the absence of Mark Watt, opponents may look to target Mattie McKiernan and Alex Thomson, but they have both held their nerve and bowled crucial overs with great skill.

After playing catch up for the last few games, we get to the last one with our future firmly within our own grasp, in front of our own supporters.

I know Derby is a football city, as evidenced by the seventeen thousand who have already purchased season tickets for 2023-2024.

How nice it would be if a few of those people went along to support Derbyshire tomorrow. The club deserves a large crowd, the players will feed from the atmosphere they create, the result could swing on a loud, partisan support creating a positive atmosphere.

I wish the Derbyshire players well. 

I hope - and I think - they will do it.

Postcript: Tom Wood, eh? What an innings that was last night. I have two final observations on it.

The first is whether Derbyshire can replicate Bazball (or at least the pre-Ashes version) and solve their opening problems with someone who takes the attack to the opposition? 

The second is that surely he has played himself into a contract for next season? Players who can produce that sort of knock are few and far between, usually in high demand around the world. 

Tom has two of the five fastest one-day centuries for Derbyshire and makes the game look very easy when he is in this form. As Eddie Barlow used to say, see the ball, hit it - that is all there really is to batting. 

With muscles akin to my waistline, there are very few who hit it with greater power than Tom and the outpouring of support in the ground and on social media last night was touching.

To quote the club's social media account today, he's 'one of our own', which he is, albeit by a more circuitous route than it should have been. 

Were we to release him at season end, you could bet your lunch money on Leicestershire offering him a deal, as they have with several Derbyshire players in the past.

Should he be further on in his career, at his age, than he is? Yes. Has he deserved greater opportunity than has come his way? Yes, again.

I would include him in all first team cricket for the rest of the summer and let him show what he can do. Stand or fall on the opportunity, but give it his best shot.

Because last night will have shown people further afield than Derbyshire what a talented player he really is.

That innings will live long in the memory.