Derbyshire v Middlesex preview

There are eight days of county cricket left for another year and tomorrow is the start of the last four at the County Ground. With the forecast favourable - perhaps a bit of rain on Friday - it is the last opportunity to see Derbyshire 2024 in action on home turf.

I suspect there will be a few changes ahead of next season and it promises to be an interesting winter ahead. 

For now, Mickey Arthur has selected pretty much the last thirteen players he has available, after the departures of Sam Conners, Matt Lamb and Daryn Dupavillon. I couldn't begin to select a final eleven, but the squad is:

Came, Reece, Guest, Madsen, Lloyd, Donald, Naeem, Chappell, Moore, Thomson, Morley, Brown, Wagstaff

Martin Andersson cannot play in this fixture by the terms of the loan deal from Middlesex. 

Wayne Madsen needs 152 runs from his final four innings of the season to reach a thousand, the only player remotely close to doing so. It would be quite an achievement, but would also highlight the need for greater support to be signed over the winter. 

Visitors Middlesex still have a chance of promotion and will be giving it everything to do so. Leus du Plooy will be hoping for runs on his return and their squad is as follows: 

Roland-Jones, Bamber, Brookes, Cornwell, Davies, de Caires, du Plooy, Fernandes, Helm, Higgins, Holden, Hollman, Robson, Stoneman.

Bamber will be playing for Warwickshire next season and will be a big loss for Middlesex. Wickets would appear to be the issue they face should they get promotion, but that will be the same for Yorkshire, who look set to lose Matt Fisher to Surrey.

It should be a good game of cricket and, just as happened in the games against Glamorgan and Northamptonshire, I suspect the toss will have a major impact on the eventual result, as so often happens at this time of year.

Here's hoping we win it - and make the correct decision afterwards...

Matt Lamb retires due to injury

I don't think that Derbyshire ever really saw the best of Matt Lamb, who has had to retire due to injury. 

He made an excellent double century earlier in the season, but even then it was clear that he was moving far from easily. He seemed laboured in his footwork, both forward and back, while his running between the wickets was understandably slow. Had he been fully fit he would have been a good option for one day cricket, but that was something his back never allowed.

With his contract up at the end of this season, I had concerns over whether it would be renewed, especially when he had missed so much cricket over his two seasons with the county. 

He will be a long time retired, like any sports person. Doing so now enables him to hopefully get the problem sorted, then move into his next career. 

I wish him well. My favourite innings was that played at Durham last season, when he made 99 in challenging conditions before falling leg before to Ben Raine. It showed that he had the talent but that problematic back never allowed him to show Derbyshire supporters his very best form on a consistent basis. 

I wish him well in his future endeavours and thank him for his best efforts. 

For Derbyshire, the reshaping of the squad for next season will commence in earnest.

Thoughts on winter recruitment

As we approach the end of another domestic county cricket season, there is always a time for reflection, which will come, but also planning for the future, which is the more urgent. 

Mickey Arthur is now three years into what he said at the start would be a four-year plan to resurrect the fortunes of Derbyshire County Cricket Club. It is fair to say that at this time he has not done so; equally to say that in many eyes he is lucky to be still in post, ahead of year four. 

I cannot think of any other sporting organisations in which the last two seasons would have been tolerated or accepted. In his first season there were reasons to be optimistic, but the subsequent changes in playing personnel have not been positive. I will accept and applaud that Mickey has been a vocal advocate for the county game, but as a coach, like any other of his kind, his currency is in results and they have failed to materialise. Possibly only the cost of paying up the contract keeps him in post.

Of course, there have been high points, easy to mistake for a pivotal moment. The memorable  win over Somerset at Taunton this year, that over Nottinghamshire at Derby in the Blast, the four-day win over Glamorgan at Derby, marking the first win at the County Ground almost since I had hair. 

But these are counter-balanced by the low points. The frankly awful game against Yorkshire to start the Chesterfield cricket week, when the decision to bat first will still be talked about long after I am gone. The decision to bowl at Hove, then be hit for 150 by lunch and over 600 in total before being bowled out by spin. There are plenty of other options, but I don't want this piece to be unduly negative. 

My concern is that recruitment has veered towards short-termism. Mickey may well say otherwise, but it doesn't appear to have been thought out with a long-term goal at the epicentre. David Lloyd seems to have been signed on the back of his triple century against us in 2022,  Nye Donald on the back of the astonishing 234 he played - also against us - in 2016. Neither has suggested this year that they offer the level of consistency that a fragile batting lineup requires and the statistics do not lie. The same goes for Samit Patel, only a qualified success in T20 cricket and Ross Whiteley, rightly a county hero a decade past but showing perhaps the effects of the passage of time. The Vitality Blast saw their better efforts, but none has enjoyed a vintage year.

I would dearly love all of them to show their best form next year, but that may require a leap of faith and a turning back of the clock, neither of them especially easy.

Signing two overseas quick bowlers of only moderate reputation was the mistake it always looked like being. I said this at the time, but have had no great pleasure in being proved correct. Arthur's plans changed because of Mohammad Amir and another unnamed overseas quick falling through, but he should have realised that signing two average players, both right arm, neither better than we had, was not the solution. All it has done - indeed all it was likely to do - was block opportunity for Sam Conners and destroy it for Nick Potts. I am old enough to remember when we signed Venkat, ostensibly to help a young Geoff Miller and Bob Swindell, when we also had Fred Swarbrook. Venkat got choice of ends, Miller had to wait his turn and Swindell pretty much disappeared. 

Conners has now moved on and Potts may or may not be here next year. Let's not forget one was an England Lion not too long ago, the other looking the real deal for England under-19s. When were they ever going to get regular cricket, with not only two overseas but Pat Brown, Zak Chappell  and a raft of seam bowling all-rounders ahead of them? 

I can't imagine many know that the Derbyshire Cricket Society have sponsored Potts this season. In terms of balls bowled and appearances made it must be one of the more lucrative sponsorships this year, but I really feel for the lad and his lack of opportunity. Just as I feel for the society and their 'phantom' player.

My other concern is in rumours of potential recruits for next season. Luke Procter has had a good summer for Northamptonshire and is a sound player, but I suspect his name was linked as an option and with the signing of Martin Andersson - and departure of John Sadler at his county - he will stay where he is as club captain, under a new coach. 

But Luke Fletcher? Seven wickets at 44 each this season doesn't suggest a player still in his prime and he will be 36 when next year starts. That he has been a good county bowler for many seasons is undeniable, but unless we are looking for sponsorship from Saga next year, surely we cannot genuinely be looking at this? I am hoping this rumour is purely a consequence of the signing of Samit Patel, meaning no disrespect to Fletcher, a fine servant to his county, in saying so. We have to aspire to people with points to prove, like Martin Andersson, who does look like he will be an asset next summer 

A far better option than Fletcher would be Toby Pettman, a good bowler at the right age who can still improve and will take wickets at county level. He would be an excellent medium to long-term option. He is also out of contract and seemingly down the pecking order at Trent Bridge. 

Overseas recruits? For me, we need to find a reliable batter and a quality spinner. I would like to think, given his experiences in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, that the Head of Cricket can find the latter. The proposed links of franchise sides with this country and The Hundred may open the doors from India, but such bowlers are plentiful on the sub-continent.

It had crossed my mind, as Adam noted the other day, that Derbyshire might be interested in Jack Morley. He looks a young player of potential, but he is contracted to Lancashire for two more seasons and it would need a mutual agreement on his departure to change that. The question is if he is sufficiently advanced in his career to improve Derbyshire and if he is markedly better than Alex Thomson, who seems to be on the periphery these days, despite his excellent start to the season. I do like Morley, but the cause of any spinner, especially in early season, is advanced by ability with a bat and he hasn't suggested that in his time on loan at the club.

I don't think we need another quick bowler from overseas. Chappell, Brown, Moore, hopefully Aitchison, Andersson, Dal and Reece should be enough seamers for red ball needs and 50-over cricket. If we can add Pettman, I would be pretty happy with resources.

But a batter, PLEASE! I have previously suggested a move for Cheteshwar Pujara, released by Sussex, but after more thought, I don't know. He will be 37 next season and can also be filed under the age issue I referred to above. 

Far better to scour Australia, New Zealand or South Africa for a reliable player who wants to play here. Look at the successes this year of Bedingham, Handscomb, Hughes, Bancroft, Ackermann, Labuschagne, Ingram...look at our past successes with Kirsten, Wright, Jones, North, Rogers, Di Venuto, Barlow and Guptill.

Players from those countries more easily adjust to English conditions and usually offer outstanding value. It doesn't always work out, of course, as Middlesex found when they engaged Pieter Malan in 2023 and he only averaged 14 as a specialist bat. But in researching the player, talking to the right people, assessing the character as well as the technique, you can come up with a gem, as Durham certainly have with Bedingham. If one batter averages 86, like he has this year, it helps the rest considerably.

Marcus Harris might be one such option, a solid bat of good reputation. So too someone like Tom Latham, or killing two birds with one stone Beau Webster, who followed an excellent Australian winter with a short and successful Gloucestershire stint.  A powerful middle order bat who averaged over 50 in each season and takes plenty of wickets with his off spin, what's not to like?  Aaron Hardie would be another option, good with bat and ball, a genuine all-format player, like Webster. Then there's Matt Renshaw, who has had three stints with Somerset and has been consistent for a number of years. Maybe even Marques Ackermann, building a good reputation in South Africa, though my preference would be someone with experience in England.

Were it me I would be having a word with Mark Alleyne at Bristol. They have already engaged Cameron Bancroft for next season so will need to choose between Webster and Zafar Gohar, a spinner I have liked for some time. A batting average of 45 and 13 wickets at 28 in a season limited by injury makes Gohar a compelling choice if Gloucestershire opt for Webster (batting average 58 and 16 wickets at 21). 

One thing is for sure - we can't afford average, one-dimensional players in T20 unless their specialism is REALLY good. As I have written before, the best of bowlers can only affect four overs in an innings, but find someone who can also score quick runs and you are striking gold. I would be more than happy to split overseas players and find two specifically for T20 if we can, all-round contributors unless they are very, very good at one discipline, like Zaman Khan.

There is a big winter ahead and the effectiveness of the work done will determine if the Arthur era is looked back on with fondness or as a bitter disappointment.

As always, I welcome your thoughts!

Radio interview

My latest interview with North Derbyshire Radio aired last night and can be listened to here

I am on at the nineteen minute mark

Hope you enioy

Northamptonshire v Derbyshire day 3

Northamptonshire 219 and 211 (Andersson 3-23)

Derbyshire 165 and 132 (Madsen 48*, Keogh 5-44, Chahal 4-54)

Northamptonshire won by 133 runs

There was no surprise in the eventual defeat against Northamptonshire today. As I wrote last night, they already had enough runs to play with and win the game. Although Derbyshire bowled better today, they were never going to get remotely close to the required total on a pitch with less grass than I have hair and a world-class spinner in the opposition ranks. 

So it transpired. Rob Keogh often looks like Jim Laker against us and between them he and Yuzi Chahal took nine of the ten wickets today. Following up on last night, our spinners in the second innings took 4-134 in 34 overs, theirs took 9-98 in 33. It is, of course, much easier to bowl when you have a world-class operator at the other end..

It is a defeat that seems likely to consign Derbyshire to the wooden spoon in red ball cricket and the statistics don't lie. We just haven't been good enough in that format, we recruited poorly and too many people have had sub-standard seasons. Only Madsen and Guest average over thirty from regular players, which won't win you many matches in its own right.

Reasons to be cheerful?  Well, Martin Andersson looked again to be a solid signing for next year, taking three cheap wickets in the second innings and bowling with considerable common sense. Harry Moore continues to look a special talent and he can reflect on his debut with pride in a job well done.

Then there is Wayne Madsen. Earlier in the season I suggested that next year may be his last, but 848 runs at 47 in red ball cricket suggest there is still plenty of life in the old dog. Today, once again, he looked to be on a different level to everyone else, finishing with an unbeaten 48, to go with his first innings of 47. He alone seemed to be able to pick Chahal and he still looks as fit as anyone in the side. 

Life without Madsen is tough to contemplate, but I see no reason why he couldn't yet go on for a couple of seasons. 

Finally today, it is worthy of note that Ajay Khunti has been playing out of his skin for our second team while on trial. He had a few games for Northamptonshire earlier in the summer, when he took a few wickets with his leg spin. 

Since joining our second team he has reeled off scores of 173, 15*, 63 and today 109* against Worcestershire, who featured two bowlers who played against our first team in the one-day cup. 

I don't know the lad from Adam, but if the purpose of second team cricket is to impress, I don't think anyone could fail to be by his efforts in three matches. I would love to think he might be given greater opportunity another year, because the batting lineup definitely needs a rethink in 2025. 

Northamptonshire v Derbyshire day 2

Northamptonshire 219 and 178-5 (Keogh 46*, Miller 42, Sales 40, Moore 2-6)

Derbyshire 165 (Reece 50, Madsen 47, Chahal 5-45, Keogh 3-65)

Northamptonshire lead by 232 runs

The frustrations of being a Derbyshire supporter were laid bare at Northampton today, as the county collapsed from a promising position of 

81-1, to be all out for 165, a first innings deficit of 54 runs. That had been extended to a lead of 232 by the home side when rain brought a premature close.

I can't really blame anyone, because, just as we did against Glamorgan, Northamptonshire prepared a pitch to suit their attack and gambled on winning the toss, which they did. There was considerably more help for Rob Keogh and Yuzi Chahal today and with a few deliveries that turned and lifted, they sowed seeds in the minds of Derbyshire batters. Few of them overstayed their welcome.

Luis Reece completed a dogged half century and Wayne Madsen played some nice shots and looked more comfortable than most, but once the latter was dismissed by a beauty from Chahal, the writing was on the wall. Sanderson had earlier dismissed Guest with an equally good delivery and Keogh got one to turn and find the edge of Reece's bat, but Lloyd played an unwise shot before he had settled and Donald again never suggested permanence. The rest struggled to read Chahal's variations and it was a procession from there 

Moore again bowled beautifully when the home side went in again, taking two good scalps in Shaw and Procter, but our spinners were less effective and there are already enough runs in the bank for Northamptonshire to easily win this one.

Once again, the overseas player made the difference. While Shaw had a poor game, Chahal looked like he was bowling hand grenades, as the ball bit and turned. Meanwhile our remaining overseas player was in action for the second eleven at Barnt Green, which says it all, really. 

One other point - might there not have been greater merit in playing Mitch Wagstaff here as the second spinner? He is after all, as the marketing department tell us frequently, 'one of our own' and his opportunities and development would have potential longer term benefits than a lad from Lancashire. 

Likewise Yousaf Bin Naeem. We need to find a way to offer opportunity to a lad of obvious talent and, when we lose this one to the bottom side in the country, he should be brought in for the remaining fixtures.

While it is unfair to be overly critical of performance on a wicket that isn't ideal for batting, David Lloyd has a season-highest score of just 60 in four-day cricket and Nye Donald seems to see 25 as the summit of his aspirations in this form of the game. Looking ahead to next year, we simply cannot afford to carry two players in the batting lineup. An overseas batter and Nuj Dal would likely replace both on current form, but that would also need a rethink on the captaincy. 

I was surprised that Moore got taken off after only six overs - workload limitation or not - and felt we might have done better today with pace at one end, spin at the other. 

I fully expect Northamptonshire to come at us hard when we bat again, with Sanderson and Chahal bowling in tandem. But the stark reality is that our spinners today took 2-121 in thirty overs, while theirs took 8-110 in thirty-seven.

In a nutshell, that is where we will lose the game.

In an even smaller nutshell, that is where we need an overseas player to step up to the plate next year.

Northamptonshire v Derbyshire day one

Northamptonshire 219 (Zaib 90, Broad 45, Andersson 2-28, Chappell 2-33)

Derbyshire 65-1 (Reece 39*, Guest 20*)

Derbyshire trail by 154 runs

From the moment that Zak Chappell found the edge of Prithvi Shaw's bat with the second ball of the day, this was an excellent effort by Derbyshire at Northampton. 

The Indian is a wonderful player, but plays in similar vain to Nye Donald, a defensive shot almost a personal slight. It would have been nice to have seen him in full flow today, but it was  even better to see him walking back to the pavilion so early.

David Lloyd used seven bowlers and all of them took wickets. There was a maiden one in first- class cricket for Harry Moore, no more than he deserved for a remarkably accurate spell of bowling at such a tender age. Martin Andersson also impressed with two wickets on his return 'debut' and will clearly be an asset next summer. Chappell again led from the front and while the spinners were expensive, there was sufficient turn to appreciate batting last may not be the easiest of tasks on a used pitch pretty much shaved of grass. As you would, with a world-class spinner in your eleven..

Excellent catches were taken, Donald taking a fine low one at third slip, while Guest held a very good low one and took a smart stumping later in an excellent display behind the stumps. Such is his consistency that it is easy to take him for granted, but there were no byes today, in a flawless display of wicket-keeping in which he kept the field on their toes.

Only when the excellent Saif Zaib and Justin Broad added 73 for the seventh wicket did the home side suggest they were going to turn the tide. Zaib's knock was outstanding on a pitch that was far from easy, but Lloyd used his bowlers well and 219 all out by tea would have been ahead of aspirations at the start.

Harry Came didn't last long as Ben Sanderson probed in time-honoured fashion with the new ball and Broad got the wicket, but the expected threat from Chahal didn't really materialise tonight, despite the Indian giving it plenty of air. Both Reece and Guest seemed to read him well and played him late, both surving to the close with good technique and excellent concentration.

The plan now is ideally to bat for around a day and a half, though one can never be sure that's how things will pan out. There is considerable depth to the batting, however, with Moore at ten, so hopefully there are strong contributions down the order. 

In conclusion? It would be very difficult to fault the efforts today. We dominated because of an excellent team effort in which everyone contributed in some way. 

When you see that level of commitment there can be no complaints. 

More of the same tomorrow, please.

Northamptonshire v Derbyshire preview

Derbyshire welcome two loan players to their 12-man squad for tomorrow's game at Northampton. 

Jack Morley's loan from Lancashire has been extended to the end of the summer, while Martin Andersson joins on loan for the same period, but will be unable to play in the next match against his former county, Middlesex. I had wondered if Andersson might join us for a few games, as it seemed something of a waste for him to be playing in the Middlesex second team, gathering dust.

Alex Thomson is back in the squad after injury and a decision on the final eleven will be made when they have seen the pitch. Harry Moore is also in the squad and may make his first class debut. Anuj Dal is out with a groin strain, Nick Potts with a strained side, while Sam Conners, Matt Lamb and Ben Aitchison are also injured. Daryn Dupavillon may have played his last game for the county, having been announced when he signed as being available until mid-September.

The Derbyshire squad: 

Came, Reece, Guest, Madsen, Lloyd, Donald, Andersson, Chappell, Thomson, Morley, Moore, Brown.

I couldn't call the final eleven but it appears likely the final eleven may see one of the spinners or  either Brown or Moore drop out.

As for Northamptonshire, they parted company with John Sadler this week and it will be interesting to see the effect this has on the players. Rumours still circulate that Luke Procter interests Mickey Arthur for next summer, so it will be worth keeping an eye on his performance in this match. 

There is no news on the home squad at this stage, but Ben Sanderson is likely to lead the attack and Saif Zaib and Prithvi Shaw will likely spearhead the batting with Procter. Indian leg spinner Yuzi Chahal will be a danger, especially if Derbyshire has to bat last

Rain looks likely to take time out of the second day here, but I fancy Derbyshire to give a good account of themselves. Andersson will be keen to impress and the side will be desperate to finish the season on a high.

I am going for a draw, courtesy of that rain, but what do you think? 

Postscript: Indian duo Prithvi Shaw and Yuzi Chahal are in the home 12, which is captained by Luke Procter:

Procter, Broad, Chahal, Keogh, Shaw, Leech, McManus, Miller, Patel, Sales, Sanderson, Zaib

Quick talking points

Just like last year, the four teams that will make T20 Finals Day are from the southern group. 

Somerset, Surrey, Sussex and Gloucestershire will battle it out at Edgbaston and many of you will notice that three of those four counties are not currently hosting teams in the other competition.

You could argue that some teams are more affected by the odd scheduling than others. Northamptonshire, for example, leaned heavily on Sikandar Raza and Matt Breetzke in getting through the group stages, yet neither was available for the delayed quarter final stage. 

I always thought the northern group very strong, but events of the last two seasons suggest otherwise. 

Yet for me, the two teams of the summer this year have been Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

The former lost their first choice attack to other clubs last winter, then saw the likely replacements wiped out by injury. So they had to field an attack made up of academy and minor county players and did wonderfully well to compete in both the T20 and the one day cup. 

As for Gloucestershire, you wouldn't look at them and think they were a team of outstanding individual ability, yet collectively they work. Mark Alleyne has proven as shrewd a coach as he was a captain and has created a wonderful team spirit in which they never know when to lie down. 

Last night they should never have been able to defend 138 against Birmingham, yet they won by 14 runs. Accurate bowling was backed up by brilliant and tigerish fielding and it reminded me of their heyday when Alleyne, Kim Barnett and Ian Harvey did so well for them 

Hopefully Derbyshire can generate similar fighting spirit for 2025.

We live in hope, but there is much to do.

Weekend thoughts

Apologies for a quiet few days blogging, but we have been finishing off what has been a lot of work in the house and can now look forward to the autumn and winter in the knowledge we don't have a great deal to do! 

In the world of county cricket, we are starting to see reactions to poor seasons. No doubt in the coming weeks we will read of players who have been released around the country, but today both Northamptonshire and Kent decided it was time for a parting of the ways with their head coaches, John Sadler and Matt Walker respectively. 

The departure of Sadler is no real surprise, as the waves of discontent were palpable even from this distance. The support was unconvinced by qualification for the quarter finals of the T20 and rumours of dressing room discontent have probably led to his release. It will be interesting to see what impact this has on the team in the game between Northamptonshire and Derbyshire this week.

Although Kent have had a poor year, Walker has been at the helm for eight seasons and by all accounts had done a pretty solid job. They appear to be a team in transition, which to be fair has seemed the case since the retirement of Darren Stevens. 

It does make you wonder whether this is also a consequence of cricket increasingly going the way of football. Hampshire have already thrown in their lot with the owner of the Delhi Capitals, a deal worth a rumoured £120 million. Meanwhile Leicestershire's CEO, Sean Jarvis has warned of a serious financial shortfall this year and says that they may need to go down the same route, this after a loss of £440K last year and debts of £4.2 million. It should be pointed out that Derbyshire, a club of similar size, has registered profits in ten of the last eleven seasons, but it is equally fair to say that the overseas players recruited by our East Midlands rivals cannot come cheap either.

Derbyshire have a meeting of members on September 18, at which it is expected that their stance on the future investment in The Hundred will be made clear. It will be an opportunity to ask questions and I would certainly advise any member to register, which they require to do, to attend this meeting. 

All of the above suggests to me that the hiring and firing of coaches in the summer game may begin to replicate that in football. When the money men come in to any sport they are generally intolerant of failure and I think we will see much more of this in the years ahead. 

It could be argued that Mickey Arthur is very fortunate that Derbyshire still appear to be talking in terms of his being in charge next year, after a season every bit as disappointing as those experienced by Northamptonshire and Kent. His likely saving grace is the final year of a contract that is simply too lucrative to pay off. 

I really, really hope that he turns it around over the winter and that next year we see a transformed and revitalised Derbyshire. Nothing would give me greater pleasure, but increasingly I feel that the game I grew up watching is starting to pass me by. Regardless of what plans may come in the future, or what franchises are created to participate in whatever competition, I will continue to support Derbyshire. I just hope that the plans for overseas investment are thought through and that there continues to be cricket worth supporting at a time of year where frostbite isn't a risk. 

Finally tonight and returning to on field matters, I have enjoyed watching Scotland play Australia this week and there have been some astonishing batting displays. Travis Head was seeing it like a football on Wednesday, yet was out for a duck today - how often do we see that happen? There was also an outstanding century, the fastest ever in T20 for Australia, by Josh Inglis today. It took him just 43 deliveries, as the Aussies breezed though both matches.

There was however, another opportunity to enjoy the considerable talents of Scotland's Brandon McMullen, who made 59 with four sixes and four fours and produced some outrageous strokes. At 24 the South African born player should really be picked up by any forward thinking county. He is also a very handy bowler and just looks a class above his team mates.

I would be a very happy man if Mickey Arthur got his number from Mark Watt sometime soon.

Enjoy your weekends. I will be back with a preview of the Northamptonshire game in due course.

Sussex v Derbyshire day 4

Sussex 607-8

Derbyshire 290 and 258 (Came 79, Madsen 77, Carson 6-67)

Sussex won by an innings and 59 runs

I was taken back to my school days by Derbyshire today. 

Mr Fletcher, my English teacher used to tell us to do a story in a MINIMUM of 2 pages for homework and often he would call me to the front of the class after he had finished the marking.

'The first page and a half was terrific' he said, 'but why did you ruin it by wrapping it all up in half a page?' He had a point, but I had other homework. Two pages was two pages...

So it was with Derbyshire today. At 204-2 there was genuine hope that we might at least make Sussex bat again. Yet 54 runs later we were on our way north, having collapsed in unseemly fashion to the off spin of Carson, who bowled well here, after Unadkat made the pre-lunch breakthrough with a quick one-two of Madsen and Lloyd. Again, he did what you want your overseas player to do, opening the door and allowing his team to push it wide. 

But it was poor from Derbyshire. I felt for Madsen, who made over 200 runs in this game but got scant support. Harry Came battled for 95 overs for his 79, but there was little else of substance and it was all rather grim. 

So too were the after match comments of the Head of Cricket. Apparently, if we had bowled better the result could have been different. Let's not forget that they went in at 161-0 on that first day. Would it not have been fair to comment that we misread the pitch (again) and that the opposition feasted like trenchermen at an all you can eat buffet? They scored 600, so that decision was not the wisest, in consigning ourselves to the final innings on a late summer pitch that was always likely to turn, as well as declining to take first use of what appeared a pretty decent track to most people watching.

Much the same happened at Chesterfield. On a pitch of similar hue to the rest of the ground, we opted to bat first when everyone else was inwardly screaming 'BOWL'. It beggars belief that a coach of international standing and reputation can so misread pitches then throw his team under the bus after the match. 

After the last match he claimed that we had 'found our method'. To be fair, that was really not much more than winning the toss and making the right decision. Enjoyable as the victory was, few were naive enough to think that we would have come out on the right end of things if the toss had gone Glamorgan's way.

There is a soft underbelly to the Derbyshire batting. I don't currently watch and feel we will get 400 very often, well aware that one wicket often brings two, sometimes three. No one outside the top four averages better than mid-twenties and until that is addressed, or the top four score like Bradman, we will continue to under-achieve in this format.

Not much more to say, really. 

One step forward, two steps back.