I agreed with a comment last night, that everyone in the lower order was batting a place too high. We will never know if the selection of Anuj Dal would have changed the result, but for me it was an odd call to omit an all rounder who is not only your best fielder but also vice-captain.
Mattie McKiernan bowled only four overs and got a first-baller to a shot he didn't have to play. I understand picking three spinners if you are choosing from Bedi, Prasanna, Venkat and Chandrasekhar, or if you are playing on a pitch resembling a beach, but not, for more than one-offs, with ours.
So I think we got it wrong yesterday.
It might also have been the day to bat first. Bowling to defend a total might not be our strength, but on a very hot day, getting the opposition running around for a few hours could have been beneficial. It is all easy to say with the benefit of hindsight, of course, but games are won and lost on such decisions.
A friend sent me a video of the Haider Ali dismissal and having studied it, I am happy to admit the umpire got that one right. The Derbyshire batter pushed his left pad outside the line of off stump after contact, which on another day might have got him the decision he wanted. But fair play to the umpire, it wasn't an easy call but he was 100% correct in making it.
It just shows what a tough job they have with no replays at their disposal and most of them do a very good job. Of course no one gets it right every time, in any walk of life and generally it evens out over time, if you play regularly.
I have no idea what the pitch will be like at Edgbaston, but I would swap McKiernan or Watt for Dal. I don't know if Madsen can play again, but I dare say we will find out sometime on Monday.
Meantime, enjoy your weekends!
I think the injury to Ben Aitchison has also been a major headache for the 50 over team. He would have been an important bowler for us in this format especially with us knowing that George Scrimshaw was going to be missing, Suranga Lakmal having a few injury problems and there was always a possibility that Zak Chappell would pick up a wild card (I thought Trent Rockets were a likely target).
ReplyDeleteI assumed Wayne was allowed to play to get some practice before featuring in Manchester Originals next match so I am not expecting him to be available for the next game. Assuming that is the case the only changes I can see is Tom Wood for Madsen (I would bat him at Number 4) and as you mention Dal for a spinner.
It seems that McKiernan seems to be the third choice spinner even though I would have liked to have seen him play more across all formats as there is something about a leg spinner that anything could happen. They can go for runs or even get a batsman caught on the boundary. On some of the flat wickets we have played on in the Championship he could have been a partnership breaker.
If Matt Lamb is going to be around for next season, I would play him on Tuesday.His averages are great, but sadly he looks rusty and his back seems to sometimes be an issue. As for Tom Wood, he seems to be a great player of bad bowling. How much bad bowling we face in a season, is debatable. Kris
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DeleteEvery year we always seem to be having conversations about Tom Wood. The danger is we make him out to be a cross between Bradman and Tendulkar which then when he plays we find out he isn't. The frustrating thing I find is when he is in the team he always seems to be the first player to be left out as soon as he has a low score which cannot be great for his confidence when others seem to be given a run in the team to find their form. I think of how Zak Crawley was treated by England, in that he was kept in the team when he had a run of low scores when people were calling for him to be dropped and this summer he repaid that faith.
ReplyDeleteYou mention that he currently playing in the Notts 2nd Division but he is in the same club side (Gedling and Sherwood) as Anuj Dal. I was hoping he would be given a run in the side until the end of season to see if he can perform when playing on a regular basis. I think this is unlikely now as Wayne as been left out of Manchester Originals side again so will probably be available for more 50 over games.
Not sure how you read my reply when (for some reason) it's been removed from the blog? I've been watching Tom's progress for getting on for 10 years and from a young age he looked a cut above most of the prem league batters during that period. However, it's a huge leap for a player to become an established County player, the gulf between club and County cricket is getting wider and wider every season. Ref Anuj Dal, playing his club cricket in an inferior league doesn't seem to have helped his form much this year. Maybe it's just a coincidence?
DeleteDave, I removed your earlier comment as you referred to an 'overheard' comment that I didn't think was fair. No issue with this one, nor anything you usually post
DeleteI would prefer to see what Tom can do in the rest of the season. He then stands or falls on those efforts. He has been unlucky to get his chance when we had a strong batting line up, but he has to show that he more than one big knock a season, as that isn't career-sustaining. We know he can bat, question is, how often can he produce, as Harry Came has done?
ReplyDeleteWe will never know unless he gets a fair crack Steve. He played only 7 of the 14 T20s and to my recollection made 3 match winning contributions. Quite a decent return considering the high risk game you need to play in this format. He made around 220 runs at close to 40 with a strike rate of 161 ! ( think Glen Maxwell only made a similar number of runs for the whole tournament) Only person with strike rate higher was Deploy! If he could have played all 14 and doubled these figures he would be in that other competition no doubt. Based on that I can not see for the life of me how he’s dissapeared from the team after 2 games . His 28 off 34 balls at Cheltenham being the only reason we posted 298 and not 260.! Hard for a top order batsman when being asked to bat at 7 with the tail. As previous posters mentioned, never seems to get a fair run in the team which is essential for all players.
DeleteSarah G
I agree, Sarah. I'd be more comfortable with whatever decision is made at the end of the season if he has had opportunity. If we lose on Tuesday there's a few would benefit from first team exposure
DeleteYes, Tom needs to be given more opportunities for the rest of the season. But he has to impress. His CC stats are poor, and, if you take out the two record breaking centuries in the one day format, his other stats are not great. I agree with you, Steve. He needs to take out a leaf from Harry Came’s book. down the wicket.
ReplyDeleteI think the issue here is how a player can hold 2 of the fastest 100's scored in Derbyshire's history including a sensational innings on the 30th Jun when the "penny dropped" that perhaps he would be better opening the innings, to just 2 games later having been the drinks carrier for most of July in the FC, back down at number 7 in white ball cricket? That particular innings as Sarah G mentioned was the reason why we managed to get to 300 rather than capitulating to 260 all out? He wasn't at his most fluent, but who is batting at 7 having to bat with the tail? It was a mature innings IMO of 28 from 35 balls with a strike rate comparable to many this season who have been given a plethora of opportunities! This then culminates in him getting 1 more gig at Number 6 when he comes in at 245 with just 7 overs to go and being asked to "get on with it" in the final PP with 5 on the boundary! Surely his strength can be seen opening the batting in PP1 with only 2 men out. Give the lad a chance as he is without a doubt a serious talent in full flow! I also concur with Sarah G, where would his T20 stats have been given an opportunity to open every game as opposed to missing half the season whilst others had many chances scratching about! 220 runs at close to 40 at a strike rate of 161 and we are questioning should he be in the team? Rant over, soap box kicked in to touch. Rob
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