Bad luck for county alumni in Oz

It wasn't the best of weekends for former Derbyshire players at the start of the Australian Big Bash.

In yesterday's opening game, Hilton Cartwright (class of '22) seemed to hurt his neck in diving to stop a boundary. The game was suspended for ten minutes while he was attended to by medical staff, then taken off the field on a stretcher and in a neck brace. 

The injury has yet to be diagnosed at the time of writing, but it looked sufficiently bad for him to be ruled out for the immediate future. That's a real shame for the Perth Scorchers, as he has been in excellent form this season, averaging over 50 in the Sheffield Shield.

Meanwhile Hayden Kerr (also class of '22) had to retire hurt today, after pulling a hamstring while running between the wickets for the Sydney Sixers against the Melbourne Renegades. That also seems likely to rule him out for a game or two, so neither man has had the best of starts to the competition. 

One player who did impress me was Cooper Connolly, who at just 21 and with only 18 T20 matches behind him has already played for his country. He took 1-18 with his accurate slow left arm and then scored 64 batting at number three, looking a very talented player in the process. 

I always feel there is much to commend a player who offers an all-round game in twenty over cricket. I would expect Connolly to receive a few offers ahead of The Vitality Blast this year, if he stays injury-free himself, of course.

On Thursday morning Caleb Jewell will doubtless line up for Tasmania in their opening fixture, alongside another former Derbyshire player, Ben McDermott (class of '21). Jewell has struggled for runs this summer, his drought extending to recent club matches for North Hobart, in which he was dismissed for nought and five.

As we all know, an out of form player is only a couple of balls in the middle of the bat away from finding his rhythm. 

It would be nice all round if Caleb could manage that on Thursday.