Friday, 7 June 2024

Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire Vitality Blast game 4

Derbyshire 198-6 (Madsen 53, Whiteley 46, Guest 32, Stone 3-42)

Nottinghamshire 102 (Dupavillon 3-15, Brown 3-17, Whiteley 3-23)

Derbyshire won by 96 runs

Wow.

I called the team last night, Mickey Arthur picked it today and that performance gave me hope that we can now progress in this competition.

It is one performance, one game but Nottinghshire were not just beaten for the first time since 2015, they were outclassed and outmanoeuvred.

Derbyshire were magnificent. This was a perfect performance.

It didn't look that way at the start, when Nye Donald went at deep midwicket first ball, but there were pleasing cameos from David Lloyd and Cam Fletcher, on debut. Both went too quickly for comfort and Patel, after promising something special against his old team mates, perished near the boundary edge.

Yet they were the aperitifs for a sumptuous main course. Madsen, thankfully restored to fitness and the team, looked in nick from the start and batting with common sense and the panache to which we have become accustomed, rebuilt the innings with the reliable Guest. He was motoring through the gears and reached an excellent fifty before sending a catch to Hales at deep mid off, having batted just 32 deliveries.

Then came Ross Whiteley. With the score looking like topping out around 160-170, he was quickly into his stride. Sixes and fours rained from his bat as he showed the power and finishing ability for which he was signed. Guest sensibly gave him the strike and although he was caught on the boundary from the final ball of the innings, Whiteley, with 5 sixes and 3 fours, put Derbyshire in a very strong position, on a wicket that at times looked two-paced.

It looked one-paced - quick - when Daryn Dupavillon removed one of Nottinghamshire's danger men, Joe Clarke, with a fast, short, first ball of the innings. Alex Hales didn't last long either and it soon became clear that this was going to be Derbyshire's night.

Dupavillon was excellent, as was Pat Brown, but the surprise package was Whiteley. Pumped after his batting display, he, like the others took three wickets in a complete all round performance. 

The fielding was excellent, Brown excelling on the cover boundary, but showing safe hands as befits wicket keepers, Fletcher and Donald each took two catches. Lloyd also held an awkward one as Derbyshire outplayed their opponents.

The side was well led by Patel, who clearly had a point to prove here. It was a complete and total victory, playing the kind of cricket I had hoped to see from a Derbyshire side this season. 

With Madsen and Donald back in the side and Fletcher promising additional power, the team is now well-balanced.

There is potential to do well in this competition and many more displays like this will gladden the hearts of supporters and make others keep a wary eye on Derbyshire. 

That was quite superb.

17 comments:

  1. It's hard to see many weaknesses in our white ball side this season. I thought maybe a lack of pace, but dupavillon was lightening tonight and the ball to Clarke was a brute. Of course, we will lose games, as is the nature of T20 cricket. We should win more than we lose. Kris

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  2. A fantastic performance! This is what we had been waiting for. I must admit, though, that I thought we were going to crumble early on.

    Madsen showed his class once again, and Guest played another excellent innings. It was thrilling to see Whiteley send the ball sailing into the stands. And then he goes and takes three wickets! Brown and Dupavillon were outstanding.

    Bring on Yorkshire.

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  3. Chesterfield Blue8 June 2024 at 07:23

    That's what we're capable of, a far more balanced side was evident and it was a fine team performance absolutely smashing them lot. A promising debut from Fletcher was good to see and Ross Whiteley was a joy at the end smashing it around with aplomb.
    Our bowling was just as good, Dupavillon, Brown, and Whiteley again all excellent. My only concern and it's a slight one is our opening pair combination, got to give Donald a couple more games there but I'm not convinced Lloyd should partner him, but who else do we try?.

    Keep this sort of performance up Derbyshire then who knows what's round the corner. Not many counties will chase down 198 against our strong looking attack

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    Replies
    1. I have no issue with Nye opening. He did it for Hants and the way he plays there will be nights he goes early. But if it is his night...

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  4. So good to see us trouncing our "near and not so dear neighbours" as you once described them, Steve. It was a performance we have been waiting for and must give the team and supporters the belief that we can progress further in the T20 this year. Bring on Yorkshire!

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  5. That was a great night and shows what is possible ….the team spirit was superb and our ground cricket distinctly better than Notts ….

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  6. PJS -
    Bravo lads that was a very strong performance. With a few minor tweaks they have found a template for success, thanks, no doubt, to reading your blog for a ‘well balanced’ XI, Sir ;)

    I certainly feared another batting collapse at the end of the power play but thankfully we recovered with a couple of outstanding performances.

    Whiteley’s innings was very welcome and I think it was Tom Wood in ‘comms’ that argued he should be batting higher up the order, where he can have 'a greater influence on matters'. Although to match this all round performance every game would be going some! Still, I agree, and would like to see him at 4 or 5.

    Guest batted really intelligently, not for the first time, and showed how an ‘anchor’ role works best. He still plays at a good tempo, knows when to let others take the strike, and ensures at least one recognised bat is there for the last couple of overs… simple, no? ;)

    I haven’t seen anything of Fletcher before and sticking him in at 3, especially coming in at the second delivery, should have been avoided, a real baptism!

    I much prefer batting first and setting a challenging target. With a core bowling unit of Brown, Chappell, Dupavillion & Patel, they will put pressure on many teams to chase a decent total and with clever use of the pic’n’mix of all rounders we have for the ‘fifth ‘ surely we can win more than we lose.

    So next game;
    Donald, Lloyd, Masden, Whiteley, Patel, Fletcher, Guest, Wagstaff, Chappell, Brown, Dupavillion

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  7. Very enjoyable watching the events develop ball by ball on t’ internet.

    It’s certainly been an up and down season so far.

    Congrats Peakfan on the site stats by the way. Apparently according to my London mates, following Derbyshire is very ‘niche’. We should alI feel honoured

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  8. With Fletcher signed and Reece out of sorts, the team more or less picks itself. As you say, it's now a lot more balanced, especially if Ross can offer some consistent overs.

    The signing of 2 overseas quicks, neither of whom offered much with the bat, along with the loan signing of Morley, looked rather odd at the time, and even more so now. Somehow, we may have stumbled upon the best combination...

    Great to see a comprehensive win against Notts. Let's just saviour the moment, and ignore the fact it's a Notts side seemingly far removed from one's we have faced in recent years.

    Madsen 'rescued' us (again) and his partnership with Guest was calm and calculated, enabling Ross to do what he does best.

    The bowling was more or less 'on it' from start to finish, led impressively by DD. The fielding was excellent, with a couple of awkward catches being taken nonchalantly. All in all, never in doubt!

    Now, can we back it up on Sunday?

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  9. A superb performance, and in front of a full house. Brilliant night.

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  10. Well this was the sort of performance we were hoping for after signing the likes of Patel, Donald and Whiteley and to do it against Notts was most welcome. Everything seemed to click and there were some excellent individual performances from Wayne Madsen, Ross Whiteley and Brooke Guest with the bat. Then the bowlers did their stuff too with an excellent spell from Daryn Dupavillon and Pat Brown. And then along came Ross Whiteley to finish them off. All this backed up with some excellent fielding and catches.

    What’s not to like with that all-round team effort.

    Nudger

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  11. Great to beat that lot !! We played well but I’m not sure about the openers. Can’t expect Mads to bail us out every game. Not to put a dampener on it but that Notts team is awfull. Worst I can remember. No obvious leader. Looked like a rudderless ship. The Game was done the moment Hales went. The other question is where does Amir fit in when he arrives. Can’t play 3 overseas . Do we drop a Fletcher and unbalance the team or Duppy , our best bowler?
    Tricky one . Let’s hope we can back this performance up tommorrow against the Yorkies. One thing I will garauntee. They won’t roll over like Notts Did
    Chad Jim

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  12. The standard was set last night, from the team selection which looked “right” and balanced for the first time this season, to batting with intent but also with sense when needed. Then the bowling was terrific and backed up in the field.

    Keep the standard there or thereabouts and there can be no complaints and we will have a chance to make some noise at the back end of the tournament.

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  13. Only leaves me to say ….

    Derbyshire lalala Derbyshire lalala

    😊💙

    John
    Chesterfield

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  14. I did call it! Notts are in trouble, a mish mash of buts and pieces in this comp a shadow of what they were, but Derbyshire annihilated them and finally played to their potential. How moores keeps that job given the money they spend is beyond me.

    Don't go overboard on the win as good as it was though as I said not to overboard on the losses as well. Think you have as good a chance as any and as I said how you finish.

    There will be ups and downs but hopefully a catalyst.

    Essex Fan

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  15. That Derbyshire commentator on the internet is absolutely unlistenable to. He laughs at his own largely inaccurate ramblings and messes everything up. He 's a joke and I for one will not listen to him ever. I prefer to watch without sound

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