Season prospects - the County Championship

 I did my first season preview for Derbyshire in 2008, which seems an unfeasibly long time ago. For most of that time, I suspect regular readers might say, I have remained optimistic to a level that at times has scarce been warranted. Far too often, the light at the end of the tunnel has been nothing but a burglar's torch and we have seen more false dawns than a Tony Orlando tribute convention.

Whisper it gently, but **might** this year be different?

I certainly have sensed a greater optimism than before among contributors to this blog. More so than those seasons when we signed Shiv Chanderpaul and expected him to bat one end from April to September, or when we picked up a gun overseas who turned out to be injury prone/injured or to have other plans.

This is year three of the Mickey Arthur Project and for me the one on which he should and will be judged. In season one, the arrival of the big name coach got an extra ten per cent out of players, but the ceiling of talent was still too universally low for genuine progress, although there were reasons for optimism. Last year there was a regression, the reality of some players not QUITE being the standard that we needed. Injuries to key personnel didn't help, nor did pitches at Derby that were largely lifeless and only occasionally conducive to results. Batters loved them, but bowlers can seldom have racked up with anything other than heavy hearts.

This winter has seen revolving doors at the Incora County Ground, as a number have left and more have come in, the latter players of reputation. standing and talent. Leus du Plooy has gone, to Middlesex in a move that still bemuses, as has George Scrimshaw, a key member of the T20 side, together with local favourite Tom Wood. Mattie McKiernan has moved into coaching, while Mark Watt will be with Scotland at the T20 World Cup. There will also be no Billy Godleman, after admirable service over many seasons.

Yet those coming in are winners, as we have heard many times on social media, with more collective silverware than the average episode of Antiques Roadshow. The question, I suppose, is if they are all here to enhance those collections, or for one last pay day. I am old enough to remember the time when Derbyshire became the last chance saloon for an assortment of county veterans, most of them showing too frequently why their erstwhile employers had dispensed with their services.

I don't think that will be the case with the class of 2024. There are time-served warriors, for sure, but there appears to be a collective desire to do something special. With a wily coach of international reputation now giving us his undivided attention and two time-served players as red and white ball skippers, this **could** be the year.

How you quantify success is another question and it may not yet be in silverware, but recruitment has produced what on paper looks a side for all formats, with the usual caveats in place of good fortune with the weather and injuries, as well as holding the chances when they come.

Those chances should be there with the arrival of Mohammad Amir, he of the silky skills and basilisk stare. Recent viewings in the PSL have suggested a player at the very height of his considerable powers, still lively, still with great control of the ball and with many variations of grip and pace. He will need to be nursed, as the leap from four overs in two spells in T20 to twenty overs a day in four-day cricket is considerable. He will put a few on the gate, because the shouts of 'AMIR, AMIR' from the stands of the PSL have confirmed he is still box office, but I suspect we will see limited four-day appearances, his powder largely being kept dry for the Blast...

Blair Tickner will arrive from New Zealand as an international bowler, albeit one who has snuck under the radar. He looks to be lively in pace and crucially appears to bowl a length that may do well in this country. The county has engaged Kiwi quicks with mixed success in recent years and time will show if Tickner can be one of the more memorable, but he has a reputation to build and a good summer here will push him up the list back home, when international squads are being chosen.

The supporting cast of seamers is good. Zak Chappell made a good impression last year and will want to build on his success, while Sam Conners has the chance to push himself into contention among England possibilities. If Sam can cut out the too-frequent four balls that sometimes ruin his figures, he has the ability to produce the special that could take him to the next level. 

Pat Brown has arrived from Worcestershire and while T20 will be his forte, he could be used as a strike bowler in the longer form. He wanted greater opportunity and will get it, even if the variations that make him such a canny short form adversary may need to be tempered down to build pressure in the championship. 

We may not see the considerable talents of Ben Aitchison until perhaps May or June and must hope that he recovers fully from back surgery in the winter. It is a big year for him, the last of his current deal and we must hope that he doesn't need to change his action with a consequential reduction of effectiveness. Similarly with Nick Potts, another in the final year of his contract and needing to prove that he can do at first-class level what he has so far managed through the age groups. County cricket is littered with those who showed early promise then faded away and we must hope that 'one of our own' comes through in the summer ahead.

Spin bowling looks to have less depth, with only Alex Thomson officially on the staff for the four-day game. He did well last year and the arrival of Samit Patel is unlikely to reduce his opportunity, though a rumoured loan spinner might offer required competition. I can't see many games where we play two spinners, though three seam bowling all rounders (Dal, Reece and Lloyd) in the likely first choice side offers a chance for a more varied attack if required.

The batting should take care of itself. As the season ended last year, Luis Reece and Harry Came recreated the halcyon days of Barnett and Bowler up top and it is unlikely that they will be displaced in the four-day game. Whether David Lloyd or Brooke Guest goes in at three will be interesting to see, both capable of fulfilling the requirements of the role. The former, keen to make an impression, will likely want to lead from the front.

The evergreen Wayne Madsen will still be a comforting sight in the middle order, whether at four or five. The winter hasn't suggested his considerable powers are yet on the wane and he will remain one of the safest slips and most sage of counsels for Lloyd. His time at Derbyshire has been memorable and almost as long-standing as this blog. May he continue for a few more summers yet..

Aneurin Donald and Matt Lamb will compete with Ross Whiteley and Mitch Wagstaff for other middle order places. Donald has all the shots but has suffered in the past with a desire to play them too early or too often. He will be a huge asset in the Blast (more on that later in the summer) but can offer real impetus in the four-day game. He also offers quality back up to Guest with the gloves and will undoubtedly entertain. 

Lamb was unlucky last season with injury.  When he could play he still looked in discomfort and it wasn't conducive to his showing his best form. There was sufficient evidence in a fine innings at Chester-le-Street and a match-winning one at Northampton to suggest he has plenty to offer and that middle order battle will be worth a watch. 

Wagstaff made good impressions last year and in other times would have walked into this side. He will have to force entry, however, but his leg spin variant might see opportunity come knocking as the summer progresses. Between times he will need to get runs in the bank at league and second team level and be ready when the time comes.

Meanwhile Whiteley returns, one of the prodigal sons of 2012, with a reputation as a T20 biffer which has subsumed his ability in longer forms. I recall watching Ross in second team cricket years ago, when he looked a talented left arm bowler who could bat a bit. The bowling is less frequently seen these days but it is still a viable option, even if his greater value may well be seen in one-day cricket, where he has one of the best pair of hands on the circuit, besides an ability to hit a long ball that could be vital.

Anuj Dal will remain a key component of the side with bat and ball, a wristy accumulator and steady stock bowler. His emergence in recent seasons has been one of the joys of Derbyshire watching and there is no reason to think it will not continue. As well as being one of the best cover points in the game, he shows constant enjoyment of his lot in life and is an engaging and articulate 'face' of the club off the field.

Brooke Guest will continue his role as an outstanding wicket-keeper/batsman and will keep the field on its toes, while offering stylish runs wherever he bats. Like Dal and Luis Reece, it is a joy to watch players who take such obvious enjoyment in their work and I expect that to continue this summer.

David Lloyd will skipper the side with common sense and expected flair and Mickey Arthur has chosen well in recruiting the former Glamorgan man. Critics will point to his batting average and suggest it should be better, but I have a feeling that his best days lie ahead and his probing medium pace is another string to his bow that I hope he will not be reluctant to utilise.

I haven't mentioned Samit Patel as I see him unlikely to play four-day cricket, unless at Chesterfield in July. Yet his experience will be important and such a reputation will be invaluable for the others in that dressing room. When the Blast commences his nous and skills will be crucial to our prospects.

Forecast?  In March, everyone fancies themselves for a promotion shot, but several have blown that possibility by the middle of May. There is the talent in that dressing room and if people stay fit and the rain clouds stay away, Derbyshire might just surprise people this year. On paper, it is our strongest, most competitive squad for many a year.

Mickey Arthur now has HIS squad. 

What he does with it should be compelling viewing.