Middlesex v Derbyshire day 4

Middlesex 433 and 302

Derbyshire 339 and 202 (Chappell 50, Thomson 41, Bamber 3-48, Brookes 3-29)

Middlesex won by 194 runs

Where do I begin..?

The older ones among you might have thought I was starting the old Andy Williams theme from Love Story, but there is so much to say after Derbyshire's latest defeat. It leaves them anchored to the bottom of division two and it is fair to say that we are, without a shadow of a doubt, the worst team in the country at four-day cricket.

I could write a full account of why that is, but it could turn into War and Peace. Suffice to say, I feel that the time is approaching when an overhaul of the coaching staff is required. 

When he started, Mickey Arthur said that he thought four years was about right for the duration of a coaching role, that players stopped taking on board the message at that point. I don't think that message has been getting through this year, but there are so many things wrong at the moment. 

These are not bad players. They have not become bad players, but they're not producing their best form and in any sport the buck stops with the coach or manager. The questions have to be asked and need to be answered - why is there such disparity between our best and worst form? Why do we more frequently show the latter? Can you do anything to change this, or has that train left the station?

We did okay on day one, very well on day two, battled hard and kept focused in the field on day three, then collapsed (again) on the final day. 

It was no surprise that Luis Reece didn't last long today. He was caught exhaustion, bowled strategy, having bowled 25 overs on top of his century in very hot weather. Off the pitch for just over eight overs in three days, the question has to be asked why he bowled more overs yesterday than Sam Conners and Daryn Dupavillon combined? Sam hasn't played much cricket this year, Daryn is supposedly our overseas strike bowler and Middlesex ran through our batting with seam, while Alex Thomson pretty much bowled at one end for Derbyshire and they ran around the outfield.

Fair play to Alex, the only real resistance today came from him and Zak Chappell, the only two of our bowlers who can look at their averages in this format without flinching. But why didn't Sam bowl at the end yesterday, when Middlesex were slogging it, maybe take two or three wickets and get his confidence up and average down?

He has only six wickets at 73 this season, while Anuj Dal, usually so reliable, has just eight at 68 and only averages 16 with the bat. Dupavillon has nine at 49, while Tickner took eight at 61. Sam and Nuj are good players but something is stifling them, preventing anything close to their best form. I don't think either overseas have been the requisite standard - decent players of course, but not 'overseas and the pressures it presents' level. 

We haven't seen Nick Potts this year and I feel his development has been blocked by that overseas recruitment. He might not make the standard, but how can we tell? Had he been fit, how much cricket would Ben Aitchison have got? Pat Brown has only had two matches and I wouldn't blame Conners at all if he thought his best interests might be served away from Derbyshire. 

I also feel for David Lloyd, who hasn't produced his best form in 4-day cricket. I know he has been carrying an injury, which hasn't helped, but perhaps he needs to drop down the order and have a break from the new ball. 

It is a mess. Overseas recruitment made me fear for this at the start of the year, but I actually think we are in a worse place right now than we were under Dave Houghton. That is something I never expected to write.

The rest of the Blast and the 50 over competition, for me, is last chance saloon for Mickey Arthur. Supporters would probably be more understanding if opportunity was given to players who are worthy of it. Harry Came, Nick Potts, Mitch Wagstaff for sure, but let's see Bin Naeem and Moore get a game in the one-day cup. There would be no expectation of dominance, nor even success at this stage. But we need to be seen to do something. Perhaps offering experience at this stage unearths a gem requiring only additional polish.

I don't look around the current playing staff and see a single player in anything approaching their best form. Even the more reliable, players like Guest, Madsen and Chappell, are treading water gingerly, while others are in danger of subsiding beneath the waves.

Why is that? Questions need asked about the playing environment, the mental attitude of the dressing room and the handling of both players and recruitment.

The Derbyshire Head of Cricket said at the start of the season that he now had HIS team. That being the case, there are major reasons for concern and the time is fast approaching when enough is enough.

There will doubtless be the usual comments. 'I am hugely disappointed,' 'We are hurting,' 'We weren't brave,' 'We are making the wrong decisions at key moments'. But the excuses are wearing as thin as my hairline.

When even optimistic old Peakfan is saying that, you know there are problems.