Midweek warmer

It has been a fairly quiet week - what can we expect after all of the excitement of signings throughout the winter months? I have carried on with the walking cricket, which has sustained me through the winter quite nicely, while making and amending plans for the summer.

My planned trip to Manchester in April has been abandoned, because work on the line between that city and Glasgow starts on the day of the game. What should be a straight journey becomes one requiring several changes and I can't be bothered with that. So I shall watch that one, all being well, from the comfort of our living room. 

But I will be at Derby for the home game against Northamptonshire and I've booked a room in the hotel that overlooks the ground, one with a fine view of the hallowed turf. I also have my hotel booked for the Lancashire game of the Chesterfield Festival, so all all that I need now is the weather to play ball - and Derbyshire to play well, of course!

I remain very excited at the prospect of this season. It's funny, rather than diminishing as time goes by, my anticipation of a new cricket season only seems to heighten. Maybe it is indicative of more of them behind me than in front, but regardless of results, I still find something special in the approach of a new season.

I will soon be at work on the season preview and look forward to your comments on this in due course. 

I am also having a clear out of some more cricket books, so here is an opportunity for sponsors of the blog to register their interest in the following. Please let me know, in order of preference, if you are interested in any of the following: 

Christopher Sanders - The Final Innings

David Foot - Cricket's Unholy Trinity

David Tossell - Blood on the Tracks  - England in Australia 1974-5

Chris Waters - Fred Trueman the authorised biography 

Ryan Hills - Groundwork - the story of Jim Smith's Derby County

Remember, to enter the draw, you simply need to have made a donation to the blog in the last six months. A number of people have kindly set up monthly donations, while others make occasional one-off contributions. All of these are appreciated and valued. 

If anyone has a business that they would like to promote through the blog, please let me know. This has proven to be very effective for others in the past and different options are available. Please ask for details at peakfan36@yahoo.co.uk

Until the next time!