Farewell to six

It has been quite a day today.

Derbyshire chose it to announce the departure of six players, some of who had been with them for a number of years. My wife and I returned this morning from a lovely break in Berwick upon Tweed, while after feeling unwell for a couple of days I did a COVID test on our return and tested positive. 

It wasn't the greatest surprise to see the departures of Billy Godleman, Mattie McKiernan, Tom Wood, Mark Wood and Suranga Lakmal, but it is always disappointing to say farewell to players who have served the club well - indeed, very well in some cases.

The departure of Godleman has been on the cards since the early season defeat at Durham, when a fall out seemingly occurred with Mickey Arthur, from which there was no way back. 

For the first half of his career with the county, Billy was a run machine. T20 wasn't really his game, bar for one summer, but his unorthodox style saw plenty of runs added to the county scorebook in four-day and especially fifty-over cricket. With Wayne Madsen, he was a consistent presence and highly prolific. In recent summers he has been less productive, but the irony is that he started this year in his best form. I hope he finds a new county, which will be his fourth, but while I had a very good relationship with him, and there are plenty will say the same, there are others who found him less easy to get one with. You pays your money and takes your choice, but I wish him the very best, as he has been an excellent servant.

Tom Wood never really became a regular, although plenty of runs in the local leagues and second team suggested there was something there. So too did two of the fastest centuries in the club's history, days when he looked nigh impossible to bowl to.

Yet the challenge was that bowlers worked out he was less destructive when they tucked him up. Let him swing his arms and he could destroy you, but the footwork could be laboured at times. I hope we seem him ply his trade elsewhere and there may be interest from Leicestershire, especially for the Vitality Blast. Yet this looks to be it for one of the nicest guys you could wish to meet from a Derbyshire perspective, though he will doubtless score plenty of runs in the local leagues for years to come.

Mark Watt has enjoyed many good days in Derbyshire colours, but next year he will be heavily committed to Scotland and so has been released from his county deal, at least for now.

He has been a good contributor over several summers and although his build dictated he was never one of the most lithe of fielders he had a reliable pair of hands and often found himself at slip in the four-day game. His 24-yard delivery baffled a few in the early days, but as happens at first-class level you can be quickly found out and it has been less productive this year.

Nonetheless he has been a friendly member of the squad, always happy to chat and present a positive image for Derbyshire and for Scotland. I wish him well and maybe, just maybe, he'll be back at some point.

Mattie McKiernan has been a solid, if unspectacular county player. Another nice guy, whose best moments came in the Vitality Blast, just as his worst did. 

He could bat and hit a long ball, but he dealt in cameos, rather than regular match-winning efforts. He could slow down an innings and take wickets, but the absence of googly - although players denied this - held him back. If he had one, I suspect he might have bowled it last year when Rilee Rossouw took him apart at Taunton, as well as this year when another left-hander, Mitch Santner, did the same at Derby. 

There was an excellent century at Leicester last year, when it looked as if he might be set for a breakthrough, but he struggled for opportunity and the writing was on the wall when he got only occasional matches this year. 

A career in coaching awaits and I wish him well. He will be a success, as another pleasant man with excellent inter-personal skills. That may just be his forte, but he has been a solid county player and that is nothing to be ashamed of.

Finally, Suranga Lakmal arrived last year, having given up international cricket. He was to be the leader of the attack, but it never materialised. Less than 30 wickets in two summers isn't close to the requisite standard and Mohammad Amir replaces him for 2024. 

He didn't figure out the correct length to bowl in England and his greatest moments in Derbyshire colours came with spectacular catches.  Injuries were a regular issue with an aging body and Suranga simply couldn't get out on the pitch frequently enough to play consistently.

He won't go down as one of our great overseas players and how effectively he is replaced will determine how people will ultimately remember the Mickey Arthur years.

I would expect news of incomings next week, the decks having been well and truly cleared.

Let's see what happens.

The one that most saddens me is Archie Harrison. I'm not sure how you can truly assess the potential in a young man who played very little cricket at the club this summer. 

When he was at Repton he looked a serious talent. He may yet show that he is,  but for now he needs to go back to league cricket and, by weight of runs and wickets, show himself worthy of further opportunity.

He wouldn't be the first to do this and will not be the last who is perhaps a late developer. At 19 he has plenty of time on his side and he is very much a player. I will keep a close eye on over the next few summers.

But for now, I wish all of them the very best in their future endeavours and thank them for the special days and nights along the way.

Mickey Arthur has cleared the decks and now needs to be given the backing of supporters in his quest to improve the fortunes of the county.

Hard decisions had to be made and it is in the quality of the replacements by which the Head of Cricket will be judged.

An interesting winter lies ahead.