First up, the change in the batting order. When you are 110-0 at the halfway mark, you are flying. Even when David Lloyd was caught, it just needed common sense batting to make 200. Ninety from ten is not a challenge in modern first class cricket, but why we moved Cam Fletcher, a proven quick run scorer, from three in the previous game to six is a puzzle. I could understand Wayne Madsen coming in at three, but Fletcher should then have followed on his quick dismissal, knocking it around, giving Nye Donald the strike.
Secondly, the treatment of Alex Thomson.
I don't think he has been well managed this year. After taking 12 wickets in the first game, he finds himself dropped in favour of a loan spinner, Jack Morley from Lancashire, after Mickey Arthur claimed 'spinners don't take wickets at Derby.' It was a comment hardly conducive to the success of either, when their chances are written off in an interview by their manager. It was also wrong, as proven by the spinners of Northamptonshire, who took nine wickets as they nearly beat us subsequently.
Alex is then recalled for the T20 at Northampton, bats well to give us something to bowl at, then is dropped again, in favour of Mitch Wagstaff.
He was restored to the team at Headingley, but given the opening over in the Powerplay against Malan and Lyth, two very good opening bats. Perhaps it harked back to Chesterfield last year, when he did well against the same opponents, but that run chase was much more onerous, the pressure greater, the pitch at Leeds a belter.
I wouldn't have thought Alex's confidence is especially high after all of this. It is professional sport and you need to be tough, but it poses a question.
Why would you give a two-year contract to someone who, by inference, you are saying is not going to take wickets in fifty per cent of the games? Speaking as a long-time manager of a lot of people, not as a cricket coach, getting the best from them is in building confidence, gently massaging egos and plenty of encouragement. Saying such a thing when Alex is the only bowler averaging under fifty wasn't the brightest of ideas, for him, for Morley or for the seamers who presumably should have been taking wickets, but weren't.
I said from the end of last year that we needed a spinner, ideally one who could bat. Alex could have continued his cricket education with such a player and the pitches could have been produced to bring them into the game more often. With our many seam options, we could have accommodated two spinners and we missed a trick there.
But we haven't done any favours to the one specialist spinner we have.
I fully agree with all of that. After his start to the season, it was the ideal opportunity to talk him up and boost his confidence. Instead he wrote him off and signed someone to replace him! Baffling man management.
ReplyDeleteAlex Thompson is a spinner who can bat and a pretty useful one. Just needs backed, given a role and given plenty of overs in all formats instead of being p*ssed about. Very frustrating.
ReplyDeleteAnd puzzle number two was why Ross Whiteley didn't bowl a ball in anger after bowling a really tidy spell against Notts. Was he injured or just not fancied?
ReplyDeleteI thought the batting order was strange, would love to know the thinking behind it.
ReplyDeletei've also thought it was strange how Thompson has been treated, particularly as Wagstaff is batting at 9; something that Thompson is competent at and a better spinner. Facet
So going great guns, but Madsen just out. Fletcher did indeed have a good knock straight in from club cricket, but not sure I would have played him at no.4 with Patel and Whiteley raring to go from that base. It didn't work out, but if Cam had struggled to 15 from 20 balls, we would be saying now why didn't we play the experienced guys?
ReplyDeleteJust my thoughts on it Steve. Totally agree with you over Alex though. I'm beginning to think don't join Derbyshire if you have that Christian name!!