Derbyshire v Sussex Metro Bank One Day Cup

Derbyshire 325-7 (Madsen 104*, Came 43, Andersson 39, Montgomery 36, Whiteley 33, Crocombe 3-44)

Sussex 137 (Leaning 25, Morley 5-28, Potts 2-21, Andersson 2-24)

Derbyshire won by 188 runs

Fair play to Derbyshire today, in another fine example in the occasional series of 'beating what is in front of you in fine style'.

As expected, they disposed of Sussex by 188 runs at the Our Co-op County Ground, doing wonders for their Net Run Rate in the process. It wasn't that much of a contest, despite the presence in the Sussex ranks of Messrs Leaning, Robinson and Crocombe, because the inexperience of their team mates was too great a counterbalance.

I didn't see much of the Derbyshire innings, but there was a more balanced look to the lineup with the return of Matthew Montgomery and they duly racked up 325-7. I reached my hotel room in time to see Wayne Madsen make his latest century in county colours and each time he does so I wonder how many more the old maestro has in his locker. I will leave you to fill in any individual blanks, including Ross Whiteley's 30 from an over of the unfortunate Troy Henry.

The visitors reply was something of a procession and they never threatened to get close to the required total. Harry Came kept changing position in the field and they kept finding him and after Nick Potts again reinforced his growing value to the side, Jack Morley took five wickets for 28 runs, the best figures in One-Day cricket by a Derbyshire spinner against another county (courtesy David Griffin).

It was all over with 19 overs to spare, early enough to give the visitors an early start on their way home and, for the younger players, a good chance of being home before their curfew..

Afterwards I watched a little of a match in the other competition, between a team in red and another in blue. I could have looked up who they were, but it didn't mean enough to warrant doing so. There was plenty of swishing, smearing, gratuitous crowd shots and as little finesse as both teams could muster. Before long I had switched over to Celebrity Escape to the Country.

I didn't know who they were, either.

Ah well, Scarborough on Friday and what should be a better test for Derbyshire. Yorkshire were soundly beaten by Middlesex today and those two sides, with Durham, still look the strongest in the group.

Derbyshire will take the win and hope to build momentum and confidence as a consequence.

We will see.

Postscript: meanwhile in Port of Spain, Mohammad Abbas was left out of the Pakistan side against the West Indies 'because of the conditions'. This despite taking eight wickets in the first Test match.

I don't think I will ever understand the rationale of Pakistan selection. I'm not even sure there is one...

Derbyshire v Sussex Metro Bank One Day Cup preview

Derbyshire entertain Sussex at Derby tomorrow and will hope to get on a roll in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.

It was good to report on a win yesterday and there was some good cricket played. It is important to record, however, that the Glamorgan side had four 19-year olds, as well as a 21 and 23 year old. To hear Mickey Arthur talk about our 'young guys' doing so well and realising that Nick Potts and Rory Haydon, our youngest, are 24 and 23 requires that qualification.

I would have been happier had Yusuf bin Naeem played, to be honest, rather than either 42-year old Wayne Madsen or 38-year old Ross Whiteley. We know what they can do and surely there has to be a development aspect to this competition? Either that or you go full on, in which case you contract an overseas player? 

The same applies tomorrow against a 'very good' Sussex side that is bottom of the table and missing seven players to the fast snack competition. They beat Essex in their last match, with seven players of 22 or younger in the ranks, two of them teenagers. It isn't a level playing field so I do find it difficult to be overly euphoric over victories in such circumstances, not to mention our 'young guys' being singled out.

Anyway, I don't expect much, if any change to the side tomorrow. If Rory Haydon isn't fit then Shoaib Bashir may return, because there aren't too many options. As I write there is no news on either side but last time out Sussex fielded the following side against Essex:

Tear, Thomas, Johnson, Ibrahim, Leaning, Carson, Hudson-Prentice, Robinson, Price, Henry, Munt

Given their greater experience  (notwithstanding some well-known names in the visiting ranks) this is a game that Derbyshire should win. It would keep alive their marginal interest in the competition, although with Yorkshire, Middlesex and Hampshire to come, they will regret losing to earlier lesser lights.

I will add a page for your comments afterwards and add my own observations from the limited cricket I see when I get down to Chesterfield.

As always, your comments are welcome.

Postscript: Matthew Montgomery is back so will likely come straight into the side and strengthen both the batting and bowling

Sussex squad: Carson (c), Crocombe, Henry, Ibrahim, Johnson, Kirtley, Leaning, Munt, Oosthuizen, F Price, Robinson, Tear, Thomas

With six players at the other competition, they are also missing Tom Haines,  Oli Carter, Tom Clark,, Danny Lamb, John Simpson, Dom Goodman,  Tom Price and Fynn Hudson-Prentice - 14 players absent in all