So what next for Derbyshire?

As I mentioned in my previous post, the departure of Sam Conners leaves Derbyshire with a gap in their resources that needs to be filled. 

While acknowledging we have a raft of all rounders who bowl seam, only Zak Chappell and Pat Brown can be regarded certainties as specialist seam bowlers for next year. I am sure we all hope that Ben Aitchison is fit and ready to fire next April and there is no doubt that Harry Moore looks a serious talent. Yet there have to be question marks over the former and the latter will only be available outside of school commitments. 

I suspect Ben will get another deal at the county, because he is a fine player. Equally, I expect it to be dependent on fitness and we must hope that whatever remodelling of his action and/or run up is required doesn't change his ability to move the ball. At his best, he and Zak Chappell will be among the best opening attacks in division two, while Ben's safe hands will again be appreciated in the slip cordon, not to mention his ability to bat and lengthen the tail.

We will almost certainly need an overseas seamer to supplement them and that player has to be of a better standard than we had this year. No disrespects, but averages of 44 (DD) and 61 (Tickner) simply aren't good enough for those crucial roles. 

Yet there will certainly be a scouring of the domestic market and two players come to mind. 

Toby Pettman is out of contract at Nottinghamshire and given their proclivity for picking up players elsewhere he seems down the pecking order at Trent Bridge. At 26 he has still played only eleven first-class matches, but has 44 wickets in them at 23 runs each. I would be surprised if there were not offers from elsewhere this year and quite disappointed if he thought continuing at Trent Bridge was in the best interest of his career. 

The 6'7 seamer is talented, as we saw in his brief loan spell at Derbyshire and for me he would be a logical replacement for Sam Conners.

Another option would be at our happy hunting ground of Lancashire and Jack Blatherwick. Also 26, he is contracted until the end of 2025,  but counties rarely stand in the way of players who decide there are better options elsewhere.

He has only played 15 first class matches and his record is less impressive than Pettman, but good judges rate him and at this time in his life he needs to be playing in front of more than three men and a dog in second team cricket.

He took 8-65 against our second team at Denby this week and dismissed Wagstaff, Naeem and Thomson among an admittedly inexperienced batting line up. He also took the only wicket, that of Harry Came, when Lancashire were trounced by us in the One Day Cup.

It is not a vintage year for out of contract players. Nor do I see Derbyshire being able to attract a big name from another county and pay towards their breaking the contract.

Which makes the rumoured interest in Luke Procter understandable. I accept he is 36, but he is a very good player, averaging 50 with the bat and with 19 wickets at 32 with the ball this year. If such a player was notionally interested in joining your club, you would be daft to not at least explore the possibilities. A player equally adept at opening the batting and taking the new ball if required, what's not to like? 

It promises to be an interesting few weeks, with possible further outgoings and people coming the other way, as is professional sport. 

If we can build on the positive last few weeks, it might send us all into the long winter in a positive frame of mind. 

Of course we have been there before. But you never know...