It is still technically possible for them to qualify as one of the best-placed third place teams, but while my optimism is well known to regular readers, I hope my realism is even more so.
Losing Zak Chappell, Harry Moore and Pat Brown from the likely first-choice eleven is oft-cited as a reason for the poor results, but only the former was likely to play a major part. Could we really place additional weight of expectation on the shoulders of Moore, if he regains full fitness? He has played less first-class cricket than Nick Potts and will come into 2027 off the back of two seasons without stepping onto a pitch.
The same goes with Brown. He looked very good in his first summer with the county, but a serious injury severely impacted him last year and he has played no cricket in 2026. He may, or may not, be around for 2027 and might see a fresh start as better for him. Almost certainly any new contract with Derbyshire would need to reflect the uncertainty over his fitness and his underwhelming returns - albeit injury-affected - last year.
Derbyshire has missed the depth and power that Chappell adds to the batting, almost as much as his bowling. Whatever the improved batting abilities of Nick Potts and Ben Aitchison, neither of them are yet more than good number nines. Yet both have additional batting pressure because our overseas picks are clear tens and elevens.
That is my 'beef' with Mickey Arthur's overseas selections. I don't blame him for re-signing Caleb Jewell after a very good 2025, but I wasn't then and am not now convinced that he will get better. A career average of 32, as he approaches 30, is less than, to use an example, Harry Came. I could get behind someone in their early 20s with such an average, but otherwise it suggests a technical flaw that opponents have exploited with worrying frequency.
If finance is an issue (and it usually is) then perhaps the money on a second overseas player next year might be better spent on a solid county professional? There would be savings on air fares, accommodation and a car, before any other benefit is considered and with the ECB keen to change to one overseas player per county from 2028, perhaps it would be better to recruit someone now who might offer multi-format options and depth.
According to The Cricketer, Hampshire are very interested in Anuj Dal, after their disappointing summer in red ball cricket. Nuj has been a good servant to Derbyshire but perhaps a fresh challenge might be what he needs, after a few disappointing seasons. He seemed to have made it in 2022, when he averaged 73 with the bat and took 34 wickets, but his batting average has declined and there have been only four fifties and one century since then. Similarly, his bowling is useful, rather than deadly and maybe the county needs to look at other options. Especially when there are doubts over the fitness of Luis Reece, while Martin Andersson still seems to be more of an occasional bowler.
One such might be Danny Lamb, likely to be released by Sussex but an all-format player of clear talent. So too Will Rhodes, who struggles for game time in a strong Durham squad but is a solid left-hand bat and handy seamer, again across formats. There are others, seasoned professionals who offer good multi-format value.
Such players could be important to Derbyshire, who cannot carry a large squad and need players who can contribute in both red and white ball cricket.
Which brings me back to overseas players. Akif Javed and Sufyan Moqim look decent, but both are bowlers only. That being the case, they need to be winning games and neither - in limited performances in Moqim's case - has looked like doing so.
Perhaps we need to look at players who can contribute with bat, ball and in the field. Neither Javed nor Moqim could be confused with Keith Boyce in the field and they aren't batters either. A player who can give impetus with the bat and bowl some overs is the ideal and single-discipline players have to be very good at that to succeed.
Before the season started, I felt Worcestershire had recruited well with Usama Mir and the explosive Sikandar Raza, and so it has proved. A batting leggie and another who hits a long ball - what's not to like? Shadab Khan took the game away from Derbyshire on Wednesday with 58 from 22 balls, before taking three wickets. Nottinghamshire picked up George Munsey from Scotland and he has done very well for them. There are others north of the border and Michael Leask, an aggressive bat and handy spinner, as well as brilliant fielder, could have done a decent job. So too Brandon McMullen, who I have long since espoused, a player who contributes in all disciplines. There's also Harry Tector of Ireland, a fine bat and handy spinner.
I just feel that bringing over players unknown in this country is fine, but just as English players won't know them, they will also be unaware of our pitches and players. If they are learning as they go, the risk is that the tournament is gone before they have fully adapted.
That is rather what has happened here. Javed bowled well on Wednesday, but in games where you really needed the overseas to set the standard, earlier in the competition, he was found wanting. A good overseas would have closed out at Chesterfield and Headingley, two games that will still remain frustrating ten years from now.
It needs a rethink. I am not as qualified as Mickey Arthur, but I hope that I apply a liberal coating of common sense when I write. Our Vitality Blast side this year has looked unbalanced, oddly short of batting AND bowling. An emphasis on the recruitment of players who can offer both would be pretty sound strategy.
As always, I appreciate your thoughts.
Someone like Leask or McMullen would be an excellent idea, with the added bonus that Scottish players count as local not overseas signings.
ReplyDeleteI've long thought Munsey would be an outstanding player in the Blast and he's one of the leading run scorers now he's got a chance this year.
I also agree that for overseas T20 signings we need to be looking at an all rounder who can consistently contribute in either or both batting or bowling or a proper gun bat who can be relied on for serious knocks.
Jewell has looked no better and indeed probably poorer than all our local bats and the two bowlers solid I think but not outstanding. If they're average then don't bother basically.
Good analysis. I would go further & only sign overseas players for T20, whether that be 1 or 2. Savings made would go on domestic player(s) & better quality overseas for T20.
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I rate Dal but his injury history isn’t good he’s someone who you just can’t rely on
ReplyDeleteI think you are definitely correct in that one overseas signing is the way to go. Far too often the club signs a player then for whatever reason they can’t play and then some other player is signed as a last minute replacement without to much thought and seemingly just for the sake of saying you’ve got two overseas players. It seems such a waste of money. With Caleb Jewell it is a tough decision because he done very well last season but he has looked quite poor this season and before we signed him he spent 2 or 3 summers playing for Doncaster without any first class teams coming in for him which sort of tells you something. As for Dal he has been good in the past but his better days do seem behind him. I’m very surprised that Hampshire are keen to sign him
ReplyDeleteNot having a spinner who can bat, is a bit of an issue, both in red and white ball. We've had McKeirnan, Thomson and the lesser spotted Wagstaff, in recent times. It does make a difference if you bat deep. Kris
ReplyDeleteGood points as always. Call me old fashioned but I want players who want to play for Derbyshire, and that's not what you get with an overseas who is, quite rightly, looking for the next lucrative short-term contract. And players who were let go by ssomewhere else were usually let go for a reason. Dave.
ReplyDeleteAs ever, some very good points and interesting suggestions. Caleb Jewell's career has been inconsistent so Derbyshire must have been delighted with his form last season but returning to Tasmania, he averaged only 24. The Sheffield Shield, though, is a notch or two above our Division 2 and I'd be impressed if Harry Came could match Jewell's average if he were selected.
ReplyDeleteUnless, you're getting a real top quality international, I see little point in having an overseas player. Getting Decent county pro level overseas players is pointless when we can get them cheaper in England and begs the question why we bother with an academy, if they don't get the chance?
ReplyDeleteLook at Rory Haydon as an example. He has had a fantastic season, averaging early 20s with the ball but only got in because there was no-one else. last year in the one day cup, I think he was the only DCCC bowler to go at less than a run a ball last year. Would he have fared any worse? Not knocking Javed at all, he's been pretty good, particularly as he's never played in England before and you don't time to acclimatise these days but he's not blowing teams away, which for the expense of an overseas player, is surely the point?
Facet
Just looked it up, to be fair Aitchison, did have an economy below 6 as well at 5.98. Whilst Haydon's was better at 5.23!
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The fundamental issue with Derbyshire’s white-ball side is the composition of the squad itself. We have players such as Came, Reece, Guest and Bashir who are essentially red-ball specialists, while Donald, Brown and Whiteley are predominantly white-ball players. That’s seven contracted players who, realistically, are suited to only one format.
ReplyDeleteThe red-ball team feels much closer to where it needs to be. By the end of the season, I expect Derbyshire to be in the conversation and competing consistently. The white-ball side, however, remains some distance away despite showing signs of being competitive. There is a core to build around, but it is still a very small one: Donald, Andersson, Montgomery and Potts perhaps form that nucleus.
As difficult as it is to say, Wayne Madsen has underperformed significantly in white-ball cricket. Given everything he has contributed to the club, there is no criticism of his legacy, but perhaps it would be best for both player and club if, should he sign through to 2027, his focus shifted solely towards red-ball cricket. Whiteley continues to demonstrate his quality, yet there have been too many occasions when Derbyshire have been in winning positions and failed to get over the line. For an experienced player, those moments inevitably shape perceptions.
Basra and Naeem have not yet fully seized their opportunities, although judging young players in T20 cricket can be harsh. Unlike 50-over cricket, where there is time to settle and build an innings, T20 often allows little margin for development. That said, the only way players gain confidence and experience is through exposure. At least Basra and Naeem have played games and learned from them.
I also have concerns over Morley’s role. If he is batting at number 10 or 11, then his batting simply has to improve. Ideally, Derbyshire need a number eight who offers genuine lower-order runs while also being capable of bowling effectively at the death alongside Sufyan.
The broader issue is that there are too many uncertainties within this side. There are arguably seven positions where supporters could have a legitimate debate over who should be playing. That points towards a squad that lacks definition and identity.
Mickey Arthur has to accept some responsibility for that. He has had time to shape this team and, understandably, pursued experienced players such as Patel, Brown and Whiteley in search of quicker success. But the disappointment is that there still appears to be little evidence of a longer-term succession plan taking shape. Recruitment has addressed immediate needs, yet the foundations for sustained white-ball success remain unclear.
Perhaps patience is required. Perhaps this is a case of committing to a strategy and allowing it time to mature. But after several seasons under the current regime, it is reasonable to ask whether Derbyshire’s white-ball programme is genuinely building towards something, or whether it is simply trying to remain competitive from year to year without ever establishing a settled identity.
That, ultimately, is the challenge facing the club. The red-ball side looks close to becoming a genuine contender. The white-ball side still feels like a team searching for answers.