Under 18s showing a way forward?

I want to pull a couple of strands from the past week together in today's piece. 

I was a little concerned to see the post-match interview with Harry Came yesterday, which suggested that Derbyshire will carry on as they have been in the remaining fixtures of the Metro Bank One Day Cup. 

Let's be quite honest here. As Hamez pointed out in the comments to yesterday's piece, the average age of the Derbyshire top seven yesterday, in what is supposed to be a development competition, was just under 33. We lost, of course, both the match and an opportunity that this competition might otherwise provide. 

Why are we batting a specialist bat, Ross Whiteley, at seven? He is nearly 38 and nothing about the summer's cricket has suggested he has much to offer in the future. He is a lovely lad and a terrific fielder, but is that really enough at this level? The same goes with Wayne Madsen. Is there really a point in playing him over Yusuf bin Naeem at 42? Especially in a dead game, in a development competition, I will say again...

At the same time, Somerset fielded a sixteen-year old in their match yesterday. He didn't do much, but as a wily old professional said to me, one of the challenges for an emerging cricketer is playing on a big ground in front of a crowd. It is nothing like club cricket and exposing them to this as early as possible is going to aid their development. 

Somerset is actually a good example. They blood young players early - the Rew brothers as fine examples - and they reap the dividends down the line. 

Derbyshire's best 'young' player is Nick Potts, who is 24. While not suggesting he has yet reached 'old fogey' status, he isn't that young either. Then there's Yusuf bin Naeem, at 19, the same as Matt Stewart. When will they get a proper opportunity? 

I know Naeem played a bit of white ball, but not where he likes to bat. And there's a big difference in batting three and going in at seven, different expectations, different mindset. You wouldn't look at a young lad starring in the academy of your football club as a left back, then tell him he's playing centre forward for the first team on Saturday...

Naeem has done well in the second team this summer, got some scores, taken a few wickets, fielded well. When can he expect the reward, the elevation to the senior ranks? For Naeem, read Stewart, who looks a terrific talent. He can have a wild spell, but that goes with the territory at that age. He can also take wickets, but surely he hasn't to wait five years for an opportunity? It is easy to look at what people CAN'T do - but what about looking at what they CAN do and what they bring to a side? 

This week the Derbyshire under 18s played Leicestershire in a terrific three-day game at Repton School. Batting first they made 337, with George Blount following his double century against Yorkshire with 102. Oscar Edwards made 91, Theo Brown 38 and Umayr Hewitt 36. 

Leicestershire replied with 277-5 declared, before Derbyshire made 248-3 declared. This time Edwards made 71 and Hasnain Akhtar 90, Zak Kelly added a breezy unbeaten 51 in a confident display and Leicestershire needed 309 to win.

They had a good go but were all out for 258, with Hewitt taking 8-92 with his spin and sealing another excellent win for the senior age group side.

The point being that Blount, Edwards, Brown and Hewitt are playing above their age. They are 15/16 and handling it well, as befits young men regularly doing well against burly blokes in the local leagues. 

I am not suggesting we elevate them en masse to the first team, but I would really like to know what plans are in place for that transition. Honestly, I suspect most of the fan base would be understanding of a defeat if, in the process, we had given opportunity to Derbyshire-reared talent. Players who could become special, would justify the work in the Pathway and would nicely quieten the likes of Mike Atherton who has asked, in the past, what is the point of Derbyshire? 

I am actually getting as much pleasure in following the under 18s as I am the senior side in the past couple of seasons. Not just because they are more successful, but I can see how the net is being cast wider for talent, the players are developing and that a strategy is in place.

I don't really see that at a top level, right now. What has happened to Joe Hawkins? Maybe he has levelled out, doesn't spin it enough, hasn't the batting technique or mental toughness to go further? By the same token, I don't know how you really judge that at 19, when we see what Nick Potts has achieved this year. With Shoaib Bashir and Jack Morley both young and performing well, I am not sure how Joe gets into the senior side, despite being a considerably better bat than both.

If they are all fit, the county seam resources are strong. But yesterday Cricinfo reported that Pat Brown has signed a new deal after a cricket-less summer and one has to ask what consequences that might have for the likes of Matt Stewart and Jake Green, when Harry Moore is also theoretically ahead of them.

At some point, a Derbyshire Head of Cricket has to say 'it's time for change' and the Board has to back that person through a transitional period, while young players come in and establish themselves. They won't all make it, life doesn't work like that, but I genuinely feel that the next Head of Cricket at our club has to be given carte blanche to bring through young players and be given five years to make it work. Bring in young talent from elsewhere too, if they are lacking opportunity. Aid their development with a couple of seasoned overseas professionals who will keep them right, on and off the pitch. Let's give it a go with youth, because it isn't really working the other way. The post-Madsen era is coming, whether we like it or not and it offers an opportunity for a roots and branches review.

I just feel that at the moment Derbyshire are drifting and while that could go in either direction, the signs are that it is not the preferred one of travel from the supporters perspective. 

Yes, they still have a chance in red ball cricket, but first up when that returns is a Durham side that is way too strong for Division Two and I think I know how that story ends. 

When I look through the current squad, I see too many players whose best days are behind them and who are not going to take us any further. Lovely blokes, good servants, with occasional performances of note. But no more than that. 

While accepting that a pesky thing called education will get in the way right now for some of our bright young things, the planning for when they have finished their school days simply HAS to start now.

Viva la revolucion!

Scorecard and clips of that under-18 win here