Monday musings

The North Group of the Vitality Blast is very odd, this year. 

Derbyshire currently sit fourth, ahead of Durham (who beat them) and Lancashire (who they have yet to play but have lost four from five).

Ahead are Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, both of who were beaten easily, with Yorkshire on top of the pile having done a smash and grab at Headingley, in a game where Derbyshire had done all the hard work.

A few observations from me to stimulate discussion...

First - I don't think Nye Donald as skipper works. He is a lovely bloke, articulate, intelligent and a good 'face' for the media. But skippering as wicket keeper is really tough and there's no evidence that in the field any one player is in charge. Madsen, Whiteley and Montgomery all seem to be doing bits, but you cannot captain by committee. There needs to be ONE hand on the tiller or it dissolves into a rabble. I don't think it helps his keeping either, which looks ragged at times.

Second - and staying with Nye, he has to be told that he isn't just what used to be called a pinch hitter. He can hit a ball a long way and is blessed with both strength and timing, but it appears he considers his job done at the end of the sixth over. His shot yesterday was silly and unnecessary, with thirty on the board in three overs. The top franchise players would accept that and wait for the next ball in their arc, not try to make something from a position where feet, head and hands were all in the wrong place. He was only going to get a single from the shot, so why go through with it? He would have probably got a wide had he left it.

Third - what is really to be gained with risky shots in the last over of the Powerplay? Derbyshire were 54-2 from five, scoring at eleven an over, when chasing nine. 130 to win from fifteen overs, around 8/8.5 an over. Then they were 58-4 after six, all the form players gone, three of them through self-inflicted wounds. It would be nice to see them take a leaf from the top franchise sides and players - score a boundary early, then knock it around. Then when Basra was out they needed 67 from seven and most teams would fancy that these days. One boundary an over and knock it around, without the need for anything excessive.

Yesterday's target was far from excessive, but the methodology of the chase was akin to using a pneumatic drill to crack a walnut. 

They return to red ball cricket this week and a trip to Durham, but the make up of the side needs looked at before the return to the white ball game.

For me, Mohammad Ghazanfar has to come in so there are two overseas bowlers. But he cannot play AS WELL AS Jack Morley, because 7-11 would then be Potts, Aitchison, Ghazanfar, Javed and Morley. 

Martin Andersson and Matthew Montgomery have been in terrific form, but we saw yesterday what happens when they fail. Hard as it is for me to write, there is a decline in the form of Wayne Madsen in this format, with scores of 18, 2, 22, 24, 7 and 27. Meanwhile, Caleb Jewell has 11, 20, 58*, 4, 14 and 25. Batting at three and four, one of them has to be doing better and kicking on from starts. Jewell's 132 runs have also taken 99 balls, not quick enough, while Wayne's 100 runs have taken 76 balls.

Either Matthew Montgomery needs to move up, as one of the form players, or Amrit Basra should get a crack at three. Alternatively, Yusuf Bin Naeem should get his chance, after fine form in the second team. 

My team for the remainder of the tournament would therefore be:

Donald, Andersson, Naeem, Montgomery, Basra, Whiteley, Madsen, Potts, Aitchison, Ghazanfar, Javed.

It is a shame for Jack Morley, who started the tournament really well. But unless you play two spinners at Old Trafford (likely and so give Aitchison a breather) he hasn't bowled his full allocation in recent matches anyway. 

Madsen at seven? He can rebuild if required and could nurse the tail to a score if all else fails. But you need your impact players having the maximum time at the crease. I still think Wayne has another season in him, but the short game is an unforgiving format and his role in it has to change in the best interests of the team.

I know some have called for Harry Came and Mitch Wagstaff to be given a game, but I don't look at that top seven and see how they strengthen it in this format. Both should play the 50-over competition, when the county will be missing both Nye Donald and probably Martin Andersson, surely picked up as a wildcard for the 'other competition' after his Blast displays. 

Maybe that is their competition this year, when the county could field:

Jewell, Came, Montgomery, Madsen, Naeem, Wagstaff, Guest, Chappell, Aitchison, Haydon, Morley. 

As always, I appreciate your comments.