Thursday 31 October 2024

Spinning yarn

The signing of Jack Morley is encouraging for Derbyshire, as are the noises he made on signing for the club and 'the project'. His loan spell was a success - more so when he returned later in the summer - but it does present Mickey Arthur with a dilemma. 

We now have a full set of spinners. Alex Thomson's off spin has proved useful, even though comments from the Head of Cricket last season were not exactly helpful. 

At the end of 2023 he gave the former Warwickshire player a new two-year deal. It surprised me, because he had injuries and perhaps the rationale was that there was a good player in there if he stayed fit. 

The deal was seemingly justified when Alex took twelve wickets in the season opener at Cardiff, but he only took a further twelve in the seven other matches for which he was selected. That still left him as our second most successful red ball bowler, which tells a story about our travails in the format. It also suggests that he might not be the number one spinning pick for 2025. Let's face it, he seldom was in 2024, even after that opening game when his confidence would have been sky high.

Alex is a lovely lad, a firm fan favourite, but professional sport is increasingly results-driven. We know he can bat, but an average of twelve over the season wasn't really good enough either. 

Jack Morley took wickets and if he can cut out the too frequent poor balls has a chance to become the first choice spinner. Certainly, I doubt he would have left Lancashire to play in the Derbyshire second team. With Samit Patel the first choice white ball spinner (and captain) he is unlikely to play outside of 4-day cricket in 2025. Mickey Arthur is on record as saying he likes a spinner who can turn the ball away from the right-hander and Jack Morley certainly offers that option. 

As I have said before, improving his batting is a way to make himself indispensable and I'm sure that will be a focus of his winter work. Zak Chappell became a genuine all-rounder last year, testament to a lot of graft and while Morley may never be more than someone who can keep an end going, in itself that will have its uses. 

I'm reminded of a story Edwin Smith told me about when he joined the Derbyshire staff and admittedly struggled against spin bowlers. The then county coach, his namesake Denis Smith, told him in no uncertain terms 'You bowl the bugger, you should be able to play it.' A simplistic view, perhaps, but Edwin became a doughty fighter at the end of an innings, in a side where runs were seldom readily available.

Which brings us to Mitch Wagstaff. At the moment, having just signed a 2-year deal, his career is at a crossroads. He is currently seen as an opening bat who can bowl some useful leg spin. One of those skill sets is going to blossom and it will be interesting to see which one. 

I am old enough to remember when we had a young Kim Barnett on the staff as a talented age group leg-spinner who could bat 'a bit'. We all know how that ended, but in his early seasons it might not have looked that way.

He first came on the scene in 1979 and averaged 25 with a highest score of 96. In the following two seasons his average dipped to 17 and then to 23. His bowling averages were 96, 33 and 108. Yet Phil Russell saw something, encouraged him and he never looked back from there. 

He was 21 in 1981 and kicked on in 1982, with two centuries and an average of 32. Yet by that stage he had just nine half centuries from 80 first-class innings. Wagstaff has two fifties from nine knocks and a similar average of 23, while his bowling average is better too. 

I am not for a moment suggesting Mitch is the new Barnett, but we need to be realistic with his development. He might not kick on, then again he might and we will only know if he gets the opportunity to do so. At 21 himself, he has the chance in the next two seasons to cement a place in a side that will almost certainly evolve at the end of 2025. 

He might become a batter who bowls a bit. Or a bowler who knows how to handle a bat. He could also become the real deal as another genuine all-round talent, maybe batting in the middle order, a Critchley Mk 2.

I would like to see him given the opportunity, because it is on such players and their development that the future of Derbyshire depends. 

But he needs to earn it. Score big and take wickets in league and second team cricket, then be ready when the time comes.

8 comments:

  1. Hope it works out in the spin front. I like both of them.

    As a Yorkshire fan, Shan Masood isn’t coming back. So could there be a way he returns to Derbyshire? That could work well!

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    1. I suggested that as an option a few weeks back, Greg. But then we signed Caleb Jewell from Tasmania and I don't see us having two overseas batters.

      School of thought, however.. while we probably need a bowler, if there was a chance to really strengthen the batting, would that be a better way to go?

      What do people think? Could we go with what we have, bowling wise?

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  2. I would definitely take Shan back but doubt that MA will. We need to create scoreboard pressure to then give the bowlers more to work with. The batting last season was pretty woeful. If we can get some decent runs from the openers then middle order batsmen can come to the crease at say 200-3 instead of 20-3 and a lot of the pressure has been released. If we can pick up a domestic bowler and/or Ben Aitchison is fit to return the need to sign an overseas bowler will be greatly reduced. Lakmal Tickner and DuPavillon were all woeful overseas signings and a complete waste of money.

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  3. I would certainly prefer Masood than a bowler, but can't see it. Does anyone know the situation with Ben Aitchison. I think he is out of contract now. Is he still on the payroll, while he gets fit? We need an extra bowler if not, as Conners has left. Andersson has come in, but that would still leave a pace bowler down. Kris

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    1. I think Ben will be here next year. I guess it depends on his proving his fitness, but she is clearly a very good bowler who will enhance our side when he is fit.
      I suspect they are waiting on him proving his fitness before making any announcement.
      They may need to revisit the shape of the squad IF he isn't fit, but Andersson for Conners leaves us in the same position as last year. Potts has re-signed and will need to be given opportunity. Personally I don't see a need for another seamer, when we could always take one on loan if needed.

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    2. I think we need another quality seamer. We couldn’t bowl teams out regularly last season. Aitchison is a huge ? and there’s no guarantees that Zak will be as effective especially if he picks up an injury. Andersson may be useful but can’t see him running through sides which will then leave pressure on our young prodigy!
      Paul

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    3. And he won't be available until June, in all likelihood...

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  4. That's a good point about Kim Barnett, Steve, and Phil Russel spotting his potential talent. Some coaches have a gift for this, in the same way Brian Clough could take ordinary players and turn them into something special.

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