Weekend roundup and perhaps the end of Ignorantgate...

I had a long chat with Tom Skinner this week at Derbyshire County Cricket Club, regarding 'ignorantgate' and how it had been perceived among the Derbyshire support. 

I made my feelings clear, that it was totally inappropriate for Mickey Arthur to use such words in any situation, but I was told, categorically, that these comments were not directed at loyal members and supporters, nor at those who express their considered and intelligent observations on here. 

It was agreed that the wording was both unfortunate and inappropriate and this was tackled  with Mickey straight away. In the heat of the moment he referred to individuals he knows who feel they have 'influence' and made unsubstantiated claims about certain topics. It was made clear by Tom that this was not aimed at me, at members nor contributors to this blog.

This is going to be the first item on next week's forum and the aim is to encourage an open dialogue with supporters, as Ryan Duckett said in his recent interview.

I think it is fair to say that if they did not want such a dialogue, they are under no obligation to hold the forum and might just wait for time to wash things away, which it may or may not do.

If you are going to that forum then feel free to make your thoughts known, but I can only speak for myself and say that I accept the explanation. Mickey was silly to air the comments and I hope that he has learned from the unfortunate, souring episode. 

He is naturally bullish, but the time for that is when he has done something worthy of note. He hasn't done that yet at this level, so perhaps a touch more restraint and humility would go a long way, moving forward.

Despite what appeared in The Cricketer end of season review, which suggested that he is only contracted until the end of next year, I can confirm that he is tied to Derbyshire until the end of 2028. Unless something else happens which forces the issue, of course...

Anyway, moving on, the story from earlier in the week has now been confirmed and Aneurin Donald will play in the Big Bash this winter with Perth Scorchers. 

I hope he does well and, like other Derbyshire supporters, will look out for their scores. Their first game is the tournament opener which is being held in... Chennai. No doubt hoping to capitalise on the massive interest in the game in India, but I hope that it is never replicated in the English game. It was a hard enough sell for Derbyshire to play a T20 game in Birmingham and I doubt they will run buses to Chennai...

Nye's game could be suited to the historically fast, bouncy pitches in Perth, once he gets used to them and he will be a strong addition to the side that won last year's competition and has the best overall record in the Big Bash, winning it six times.

I wish him well, as I am sure you all do.

This week I concluded my interview with Daryn Smit, which was absolutely fascinating. I am now in the process of transcribing it and look forward to publishing it in the not too distant future. I think you will find it every bit as interesting and enjoyable as I did. 

Finally today, I was delighted to receive an email from Feedspot to say that the blog is ranked number seven in their assessment of UK-based cricket resources.

Apparently their lists are curated based on factors such as relevance to the category, content quality, activity, and overall influence. They consider a range of sources, including independent blogs, publications, and official websites, where relevant to the topic.

You can see the list here and I am pleased to be regarded in this kind of company, especially being a one-man operation and only writing about one county.

That's enough for today. This morning saw my big winter coat on for the first time, so the cricket season seems as far away as ever right now. 

On the other hand, this week will see me playing walking cricket twice weekly until Christmas, which keeps me fit and ensures cricket remains in my life. 

And it won't be long until the fixtures are out...

Have a good week!