Yorkshire preview and final thoughts on the Nottinghamshire win

In all of the euphoria following Derbyshire's win against Nottinghamshire last night, it is important to keep a sense of perspective. No matter the landmark and emphatic nature of that win, it was still just one game and two points. In isolation, it doesn't amount to much more than a can of beans. 

It affords local bragging rights, for the first time since I had hair, I think, but it needs to be the catalyst for the Derbyshire season. 

More by accident than design, we have come across our best side. A friend pointed out to me yesterday that I had said Derbyshire's second overseas signing would dictate our fortunes this year. When that second signing turned out to be another non-batting fast bowler, I was unconvinced, despite the last two games suggesting that Daryn Dupavillon is going to be a good asset in this format.

Yet with Blair Tickner sadly having to return home, the signing of Cam Fletcher offers the balance that I said we needed when I said a batting spinner or spinning batter was required. Okay, we got a batting keeper, having already got two of those, but the signs last night were that Fletcher will offer much needed additional power in the batting, as well as being an asset in the field. 

We shouldn't forget that we started with the wrong overseas player in this format, DD having a superior record to Tickner in T20, nor that we fell into the same trap as last year, opening with batters who, while talented, are not scoring quick enough.

While we had lost four wickets by the halfway mark last night, we had scored quickly enough to not need to panic. If you only have 60 on the board at that point, there is additional pressure, but we were around 80, which afforded opportunity to regroup.

Aneurin Donald failed last night, but I am confident that he and David Lloyd will get quick early runs on the board for us. There are then good options down to number seven, with the order largely irrelevant. The role of Ross Whiteley has to be fluid, but I think Mickey Arthur got it right last night. With four wickets gone, there was a need to rebuild and Brooke Guest is perfect for that role. 

The thing about Brooke is that he manages a game situation so well. He will never be as powerful as Whiteley, because he is built differently for the role that he has, but he works the gaps, runs hard and is still capable of reaching and clearing the boundary. 

The team looks completely different with Donald, Madsen and Fletcher in it. Indeed, there is potential for this side to go a long way, because it now bats down to number nine and has bowling options for most eventualities. There was also a confidence, almost a swagger, in the field, which I have seldom seen from a Derbyshire side.

I have no complaints about the bowling and fielding in four matches. You will get hit for fours and sixes - after all, opponents are allowed to play well. But after a mistake in the game at Northampton, where Samit Patel miscalculated his bowling options and left Luis Reece to bowl the last over, he has handled his bowling well and set fields shrewdly. In return, they have broadly bowled to those fields.

There might be a case for Samit to take an over in the Powerplay, rather than entrusting it to Whiteley or Wagstaff, because he seldom gets hit. So far he's only going at six an over, which is extraordinary, but he seems in control, has the respect of his teammates and seems genuinely motivated to succeed. 

Tomorrow we head to Headingley and another good test. Yorkshire are really struggling to keep seam bowlers fit and have had to loan Conor McKerr from Surrey for the rest of the competition. Conor is slowly working his way around all of the counties, having previously had a spell with Derbyshire, of course, as well as Nottinghamshire and Kent.

With Coad, Fisher, Milnes, Edwards and Leech out, Ottis Gibson hasn't had a lot of luck and the home side's batting looks their stronger suit. As I write this, there is no news on their squad, but the likelihood is in little change from the side they fielded last time out, against Northamptonshire:

Malan, Masood, Root, Ferreira, Wharton, Bess, Thompson, Revis,  Chohan, McKerr, Moriarty.

Adam Lyth and Matt Fisher may be fit to return, but we will await the squad announcement later.

As for Derbyshire, you don't fix what isn't broken. We fielded what I regard as our strongest side for this format last night. Barring injury and the potential addition of Mohammad Amir, I don't expect many changes to that for the rest of the competition. 

Let's see if we can build on last night.

If we can get to four, ideally five wins from eight games before four-day cricket returns, we will be very much in the mix.

Post script - Matthew Fisher is out of the Yorkshire squad, as is overseas wicketkeeper bat Donovan Ferreira, who has returned to South Africa for a family wedding.