Weekend thoughts

Lancashire next, for unbeaten Derbyshire in the one-day cup and I watched them lose an excellent game of cricket at Blackpool today. 

Not that I was beside the seaside (beside the sea) but in my armchair, in front of an excellent stream and with commentators who concentrated on the cricket and knew their stuff.

Kent won by five runs in a game that swung both ways as it progressed. The winning margin was five runs and of course it was former red rose star Matt Parkinson who won it with four wickets, including the last man, Ollie Sutton. He could barely move with a side strain sustained on the third ball he bowled, having already taken a wicket.

Truth be told, Lancashire wouldn't have got close, had it not been for an outstanding unbeaten century by their captain, Keaton Jennings. He certainly looks like the key wicket on Wednesday, because while there are other talented batters in the side (Bohannon and Balderson the main ones) their side will not be close to the one that has beaten us in the T20 this year. 

Australian overseas star Chris Green played today and bowled well, but he may or may not be available for the game against us. 

I see this as a winnable game for Derbyshire and if we can go to 3/0 there is a very good chance of our progression to the knockout stage. 

Assuming there are no injuries from the game against Middlesex, I would go with the same team. Realistically, there are only two players outside of it and on current form the strongest eleven took the field.

In other news, I just wonder if Mickey Arthur might go back to assess the viability of a return for Shan Masood next year. It seems to me that the wolves are circling at Headingley, with rumours that Ottis Gibson will be replaced by Darren Lehmann at the end of the season. Colin Graves is back in charge and the likelihood is he will want his own man at the helm.

There has never been the love affair with supporters that Masood enjoyed at Derby and I don't think his continually shifting in the batting order has helped his own consistency. Some of the comments from 'supporters' have been uncalled for and I think it would be worth a polite enquiry, at least. 

I wouldn't expect him to necessarily replicate his stunning form of two summers ago, because he was in prime nick at a time when pitches were roads. Equally, given the volatility of selection in Pakistan, I wouldn't expect him to remain in the international thinking overly long, either. 

Perhaps securing his services might see Derbyshire sorted for a batter the others could play around for a few years. 

Thoughts?