Under 18s make the final!

Nottinghamshire 276-8 (Lambert 109, Stewart 3-62)

Derbyshire 278-6 (Clarke 91*, Vallabhaneni 61, Kelly 40)

Derbyshire won by 4 wickets 

There was some good talent on display from both sides in the under 18 plate semi-final between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire today. 

Early on the Derbyshire seamers held sway, with all of them putting in a good shift. Ayman Karim hit the deck hard and troubled the batters, while Jake Green was more skiddy but bowled equally well. Later he varied his pace intelligently and both emerged with decent figures.

I thought the two change bowlers, Stewart and Charles, even better. Matt Stewart gets late swing and reaped the rewards for bowling the right length for it. While he got his line wrong a few times - which kept the impressive Joe Hall busy behind the stumps - and had a tendency to bowl on the pads too much today, he looked a bowler of genuine potential, perhaps not only at this level. In his last spell he got his line and length wrong and was punished, as Gangotra and Ali hit powerfully, but he can learn from this.

At the other end Charles was nippy, with a lithe, whippy action that produced plenty of challenges for the visitors. He looked another player of talent on the evidence of today, though his early spell was more consistent in line.

The spinners had more of a struggle, although Arjun Annamalai might not have played had Joe Hawkins been available. Batting appears to be his stronger suit at this stage and although he started well and held a stunning caught and bowled, his line and length later deserted him.

Rubaiyat Abrar offered more control, but missed a run-out opportunity in his second spell and couldn't produce the wickets that he so often has this summer. He is apparently still under-17, however, so can easily come back stronger.

I thought the spinners were, in their defence, left on too long when Toby Lambert got going for the visitors. He looked on a different level to his teammates and played some delightful shots around the wicket. He proceeded to what looked an inevitable century almost from the point he took guard and was most impressive today.

Joe Hall kept wicket well, though he put down a chance off Stewart that he would normally expect to hold, redeeming himself later in the over by taking a more difficult one. Then he appeared to drop a skyer off the same bowler, but effected a smart run out soon afterwards...a mixed bag, but it isn't easy to skipper a side while maintaining a high standard with the gloves - plenty before him have found that so.

The standard was overall very high and it should be remembered that these young men are the crème de la crème of their age, though naturally with much to learn. It was a pleasure to watch them, some likely not for the last time.

A total of 276 was a good effort by the visitors, more than looked likely at the halfway point. It was going to need a good run chase to match it.

Sam Cliffe didn't last long, leg before to the lively Hatton-Lowe, but a straight drive just before had confirmed his talent. 

It brought together Rohan Vallabhaneni and Rubaiyat Abrar, two players for who the grapevine is buzzing and they didn't disappoint. They shared in a twelve-over stand of 82, with the lion's share made by Vallabhaneni. While slightly sketchy outside off stump, it didn't matter, so quickly does he pick up any aberration in line or length. He hit 11 fours in his half century and thirteen in 61 before a somewhat casual shot saw him caught. He is a special talent and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him on a bigger stage.

Abrar was more circumspect than usual, because he hits the ball hard and far, but he was willing to rotate the strike and let his partner lead until failing to get over a cover drive and being caught. 

It was 100-3 in the eighteenth with those two back in the pavilion, much to the visiting relief. Freddie Clarke and Zak Kelly then shared a well-paced stand that took their side to 143-3 at half way, ahead of the required rate. The advent of spinners Patel and Beer slowed the scoring, runs still coming but boundaries drying up. The rate rose above six for the first time and pressure mounted. Kelly was eventually caught at mid on from a full toss for a well-made 40, with 92 needed from 82 deliveries.

Patel's excellent spell cost only 36 runs and gave the visitors much-needed control. The final ten overs arrived with seventy runs required and finger nails being nibbled.

Chapman, who ran hard and improvised well, perished to the first of them, caught at long on. Annamalai played a couple of good shots but then perished after failing to score from the first three balls of the pacy Gangotra.

This brought in Joe Hall, the captain. Clarke was batting really well at the other end and cool heads were needed.  That's what Derbyshire got as Hall lent crucial support to a superb knock from Clarke. The Alrewas batter finished unbeaten on a delightful 91 from 99 deliveries, as Hall hit a four through mid wicket to win the game with five balls to spare and send his team through to the final.

It was as good a game as you could wish to see, with cricket the real winner today. Both sides showcased some terrific talent and deserve warm congratulations for magnificent entertainment.

Elsewhere at the Bunbury Festival, Derbyshire's Oscar Edwards made 90 to lead the Midlands to a win over the South and East. With Theo Brown making 33 from 18 deliveries and both Lucas Green and Tommy Bush bowling, it was a fine day for the Derbyshire boys.

Warm congratulations to Daryn Smit and his coaching team for all of their hard work. And of course to the under-18s for a genuine team effort today in which every member contributed fully to the success.

Oh - and thanks to Derbyshire CCC for running the stream today!

If you enjoyed today's game, these two sides face off in a three-day game at Denby from Tuesday to Thursday this week. 

After today's entertainment, that sounds well worth attending!

Scorecard and video clips here

Matt Montgomery signs from Nottinghamshire

On July 5, I suggested that my number one target for next summer would be Matt Montgomery of Nottinghamshire.

Today came news that he has signed a deal with Derbyshire for the next 3 seasons, as well as the One-Day Cup and I think it represents excellent business.

I have liked him for a few years and always found it strange that he couldn't get into the Nottinghamshire side. When he did, opportunities were limited and he frequently found himself batting at seven or eight in the order. 

This is a player who averages 32 in red ball cricket and 42 in white ball. He is only 25 and has the potential to realise his undoubted talent with a move to Derbyshire. 

He was captain of South Africa under-19s and played for Kwa Zulu Natal before moving to England to study at Loughborough University. He has been on the staff at Trent Bridge since 2021 and in limited opportunities has made two centuries - 178 against Durham and 177 against Essex. I do like a batter who 'goes big' when he gets in.

Were I in charge of selection for T20 in 2026, my top five would be Jewell, Donald, Madsen, Montgomery and Basra. I think he is a player with the potential to replace Wayne Madsen in time, while turning back the time to when the maestro also used to bowl miserly offspin in the short form of the game. He is hard to get away and it allows the selection of Brooke Guest in the side as there are two bowlers (Basra the other) in that top five. 

You probably realise I am very happy with this signing. I look forward to seeing him score a lot of runs for Derbyshire, while chipping in with his share of wickets.

Top marks from me. I have seen suggestions that he is replacing Samit Patel, which I guess to some extent he is. Yet Samit, with respect, was past his very impressive best in his time at Derbyshire.

Montgomery isn't close to what he can do at this stage. 

That potential is something that I look forward to being realised in Derbyshire colours.

Four Pathway players at Bunbury Festival

Good luck and warm congratulations to four young Derbyshire Pathway lads, as they represent the Midlands at the Bunbury Festival at Loughborough this week.

This is unheard of representation from our county and shows the hard work that they and the Pathway coaches are putting in.

The photo shows Tommy Bush, Oscar Edwards, Lucas Green and Theo Brown (photographer unknown)

Battling draw for under-18s

The under-18s got a solid draw against Durham at Repton, after a battling final day performance. 

231 behind on the first innings, Ayman Karim took his night watchman duties seriously and batted 48 overs for 42, while Sam Cliffe made 39. 

Hasnain Akhtar then batted three and a half hours for a fine century, including eleven fours and a six. Although a flurry of quick wickets gave Durham hope, Danny Chapman followed his first innings 84 with an unbeaten 23, as he and Akhtar took Derbyshire to 243-5 at the end of the game.

Northamptonshire v Derbyshire day four

Derbyshire 377 and 185-5 (Reece 61*, Guest 60*)

Northamptonshire 550-9d

Match drawn

I am always amused at the antics of a fielding side as they attempt to bowl out the last few wickets of a team fighting to avoid defeat.

Here Northamptonshire, who had been quite slow on the first day, especially in the afternoon, hurried through their overs as if their jock straps were coated with Fiery Jack. Every time the ball hit a pad there were strident appeals, remarkably from midwicket and third man on some replays. Not the vantage point one would choose from which to take guard, I suspect, so hardly best-placed to give an informed decision.

Yet after the early dismissal of Hawkins, Luis Reece and Brooke Guest stood firm. Reece was hampered by what seemed to be a recurrence of a hamstring strain, while Guest was adjudged caught at short mid-wicket by Northamptonshire, but not by the two umpires. He rightly stood his ground and batted on, sharing in a crucial, unbroken sixth wicket stand of 131 runs in which both batted admirably.

It was a fine effort by Derbyshire to escape with the draw, admittedly aided by the weather today. They played a lot of good cricket in this match and the discipline of yesterday's long bowling effort - only sixteen extras, seven of them leg byes, in 156 overs compared favourably to the home side, who gave away 61 across two innings. 

The attack needs an injection of fresh blood, without doubt. But I don't see the point in bringing in another overseas at this stage to replace Blair Tickner. Glamorgan are 24 points clear in second place after a terrific run of form and I don't see us making that up. Nor do I see the merit in an overseas player for the one day cup. Save the money, or use it on opportunity for another young player if needed, unless someone who is coming next year can leave early to bolster the ranks.

With Tickner going home, Brown at the Hundred, Reece potentially injured again and Chappell possibly ruled out on personal grounds, we are running out of seam bowling options. There's also Dal out until the end of the Hundred and Andersson limited by back spasms... it looks like Aitchison and Haydon will need to be wrapped in cotton wool for the weekend.

Will it bring further opportunity for someone on the Pathway? 

We will need to wait and see.

Thoughts on Arthur and recruitment

'I think our bowling needs some serious looking at and I have to be brutally honest when I watch us. We are an ageing team, slow in the field in most positions and slow between the wickets. That's not the brand of cricket I like. 

We gave it a good go with the players we had, but we'll turn it over now and for me it's about bringing in younger players, perhaps taking a bit of pain for a year or two, in order to build a really good young team'

So speaks Mickey Arthur in the latest issue of The Cricketer magazine. I am probably not the only one a little confused and not for the first time during his tenure.

This IS his team. He told us when he joined the club 'Judge me when I have my team' and we all assumed he had it by now, in year three, with the drastic overhaul of playing staff. His words suggest he is here (or plans to be) for the long haul, but is this cricket management by the unscientific process of 'throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick'?

This 'ageing team' was largely signed, or re-signed by Mickey and he has to own that. My wife wouldn't profess to be a cricketing sage, but when I told her we would have two blokes over 40 in our T20 side, her first words were 'but won't they be a bit slow'? Maybe she and I should take over, the Clough and Taylor of Derbyshire cricket...

Supporters will now be watching the said overhaul of Derbyshire cricket with even keener eyes. If we replace over-thirties with more of the same, there will rightly be questions asked. Of course you need experience in a side, but someone has to do the legwork and you can't hide them all in the field. Signing talented young men with reputations to build is a decent start - Amrit Basra and Rory Haydon being prime examples.

I have seen names tossed around as potential signings - Billy Root, Jonny Tattersall, Nick Browne, Chris Rushworth as examples. But would they transform us? Or have long term potential? Good cricketers all, but for me there is greater mileage in looking at players like Ben Martindale or Sam King at Nottinghamshire or Harry Singh at Lancashire. I don't see where Rocky Flintoff gets game time at Lancashire either, while Tom Aspinwall might be pushed further down the line with the possible signing of Ajeet Singh Dale.

Here's another comment from Arthur:

"Our pathway is consistently producing exciting talents, and we want to bring those players into the first team environment, to give them the best possible chance of succeeding in professional cricket with Derbyshire."

Of course we need to promote the best of the Pathway, but by the same token we cannot simply elevate four or five talented under-18s and expect them to become the cricketing equivalent of the Busby Babes. Their step to sustained second eleven performance is big, that up to the first team much bigger.

As a sage old professional said to me, you might score runs or take wickets in the second team against experienced players. Yet they are finding form and rhythm, not going flat out and not providing the pressure of the senior game. Joe Hawkins is a terrific young player, but figures at Northampton of 2-171 in 39 overs will show him how far he has to go. To be fair to him, he will have rarely bowled more than ten overs in an innings, so he probably poured himself into bed last night, after the physical and mental effort.

What has really surprised me this summer is the nigh complete falling off of a side that before the T20 was going very well. That they have largely battled is beyond doubt, but our unbeaten record was built around commendable rearguard efforts and a fair few of those draws would not be classed as 'winning' ones in the league cricket that I played.

We haven't helped ourselves by muddled preparation. After losing to Leicestershire, Arthur said he felt our best chance of beating them was by preparing a spinning pitch. Which doesn't say a lot for Blair Tickner or the chances of him returning, but says even less about the support he has had from pitch preparation. 

It was the same for the Blast...we had an overseas spinner, Mohammad Ghazanfar, from the white ball team of the year, together with an experienced international spinner as captain, yet never played to that obvious strength. I don't recall much deviating off straight at Derby, which would seem a fairly major oversight. If I had two such bowlers in my team, I would ensure the pitches were just on the acceptable side of Blackpool beach..

Having signed Caleb Jewell for next summer, Arthur has to split the second role AND order pitches to suit them. A seamer for the first batch of red ball, a spinner for the second, an all rounder for the Blast. Sure, it is nice to have someone there all summer, but Northamptonshire got it right by signing Chahal for this part of the summer. Surely that famous contacts book can unearth a decent spinner in Asia? You would hope a good seamer shouldn't be a challenge either, but he has to have early season pitches that offer something to work with. As for the T20, a bowler who can hit a long ball has to be the target. If the rumoured signing of Matt Montgomery comes through, a top five of Donald, Jewell, Madsen, Montgomery and Basra (hopefully) would surely get runs on the board? 

Clarity of thought - and feel free to disagree if you will - is all important. That is in-game too. I fully understand why Zak Chappell opened yesterday, but using Joe Hawkins as a night watchman means that it is likely our first innings century-maker, Martin Andersson, won't bat until number nine. Assuming they get on the pitch today.

There have been countless examples of muddled messages and thinking this year and that is the concern. 'My team' mark one hasn't worked. Supporters have a right to be sceptical if mark two is going to be any better.  Maybe it is worth seeing where it goes for next year, not least because recruitment has to start again if we don't. Players will have agreed to come by this stage and plans for the best of our young talent to come onto the staff will be advanced. 

But he has to get it right. Not least because the questions over coaching style will again raise their heads if he doesn't and, to use the Glasgow vernacular, his jaiket will be on a shoogly hook if he doesn't.

It has to be.

Northamptonshire v Derbyshire day 3

My wife and I are out at the theatre in Glasgow tonight, so there will be no blog on the day's play until tomorrow, when I pull in the last two days.

As we leave, Derbyshire are 46-3 and facing an innings defeat, a somewhat bizarre occurrence after the optimism of day one.

There are many talking points that I will address at the end of the match, but please add your comments on the day's play below.

Under 18s facing last day battle

Derbyshire's under 18s have a fight on their hands to save the game against Durham at Repton. 

The visitors made 497-6 today, in reply to the home score of 266 all out. Ghumman made 178, while Matt Stewart stuck to his task well and returned the best figures of 3-94.

So tomorrow is all about batting out time. The young players have shown their ability to score quickly in the shorter forms of the game, so it will be good to see another side to them, all being well, on the third and final day

Northamptonshire v Derbyshire day 2

Derbyshire 377

Northamptonshire 265-5 (Procter 71, Broad 64*, Bartlett 60* Reece 2-70)

Derbyshire lead by 112 runs

Derbyshire were unable to press home the advantage of their good batting effort at Northampton, with the home side rallying, as they did themselves, with a good lower order effort. 

At 154-5, with the dismissal of Saif Zaib by Joe Hawkins (not Dawkins or Wilkins as various media outlets have called him), the home side were rocking. Then an unbroken stand of 110 between Bartlett and Broad steered them to calmer waters by the close. The irony that the stand was between two players who Derbyshire actively pursued in recent winters was not lost on me...

The Derbyshire first innings was a good effort, but the expectation was perhaps that the pitch might deteriorate more quickly than it appears to have done. Reece bowled brilliantly between lunch and tea, while Hawkins did as well as one might expect from an 18-year old in his first match. He was a little short in his length early on, but will be proud of his opening wicket, that of the division's leading run scorer.

Tickner bowled with aggression but couldn't make the breakthrough, while both Chappell and Aitchison huffed and puffed tidily but couldn't break down the door.

Bartlett and Broad batted very well, as earlier did Procter, despite a fierce blow on the arm from Tickner. 

Early wickets are needed tomorrow, when rain looks likely to truncate proceedings.

Finally a word on the commentators. I don't often listen, because I prefer my own thoughts, but I thought they were very good today and even-handed in their comments. That isn't always the case on the circuit and I doff my cap to them for a job well done.

Northamptonshire v Derbyshire day1

Derbyshire 348-8 (Andersson 105, Reece 39, Donald 37, Aitchison 33*, Chappell 32, Hawkins 29* Chahal 4-116)

v Northamptonshire

A terrific rearguard action by Derbyshire at Northampton today put them in a good position after day one.

It is hard to judge a pitch until both sides have batted on it and the cause wasn't helped when Jack Morley was injured before the match and missed out. With Alex Thomson out with a broken finger, it meant the spin department on a turning pitch was 18-year old debutant Joe Hawkins, of who more later..

That Derbyshire reached 348-8 was largely due to a magnificent century from Martin Andersson. It was his third of the summer and for me, the best. He was assertive and played strokes all around the wicket. He has developed into a serious player and should only get better.

There was help for seam and spin alike, while a variable bounce on the first morning was presumably a concern for the home side when they lost the toss and were consigned to batting last on it. 

The variable bounce did for Caleb Jewell, leg before to a short ball that trapped him low on the shin, before Came went the same way to a leg spinner.

It was 89-5 before we knew it, after being 82-1 three overs earlier. Something we have seen before and the expectation was that the home side would likely be batting before tea. 

Yet Andersson batted superbly and hit fourteen boundaries in his century. Donald lent good support for a while, without suggesting permanence, as did Chappell, who will likely be annoyed to be dismissed on the reverse sweep when he too was going well.

Yet even their dismissal  did not end the resistance, as Hawkins and Aitchison added an unbroken 48 runs for the 9th wicket. We know that Ben can handle a bat, but here we saw the debut of Hawkins, who was clearly not fazed by the situation, pitch or opposition. He has a good technique and used it to counter pace and spin alike, surviving with a degree of comfort to fight another day. He also played a contender for shot of the innings, a delightful cover driven four.

Some of the home side fielding was decidedly average and Scrimshaw's drop was pretty shocking. Mind you, so was the incessant noise from the slips, who seemed to go full on Frankie Howerd whenever the ball didn't hit the middle of the bat. I put the sound off when they got excited at Luis Reece leaving a ball eighteen inches outside off stump. There's really no need for that.

Chahal was a danger all day, but bowled some loose stuff too and his figures reflect it. 

Derbyshire will be the happier at the close. And I didn't expect to write that at one o'clock this afternoon.

Postscript... this afternoon I enjoyed a long chat with Edwin Smith and we reminisced about when he took eight for 21 in his second appearance at the age of 17. He could relate to Joe Hawkins today and if Joe becomes half as good a cricketer, we will be happy.

Edwin reminded me of a trip to Northampton in the 1950s. They got to the ground to find a green wicket and his expectation was of little bowling. 

When they went out to the middle, they found a 'beach', with grass cuttings on it to give the impression of a green top. His spirits rose as he anticipated a long bowl and some wickets.

Alas, Cliff Gladwin and Les Jackson bowled them out, with support from Donald Carr's slow left arm. Edwin barely bowled, a harsh lesson for a youngster, as had been being dropped from the side after his 8-21.

I suspect Joe will bowl a lot of overs here..

Under 18's in Derby semi final against Nottinghamshire!

From the club website:

Derbyshire Boys Under 18s will face Nottinghamshire at The Central Co-op County Ground this Sunday, in the semi-final of the ECB County Plate. 

Having already overcome Durham and Lancashire in the earlier rounds, Derbyshire will now host their local rivals at Derby this Sunday, with a place in the final of the 50-over competition up for grabs.

Batter, Rohan Vallabhaneni, is averaging 50 in the tournament, while Matthew Stewart and Rubaiyat Abrar have claimed five wickets apiece, a number bettered by only three bowlers.

Entry will be free for the fixture, which will begin at 11am on Sunday 3 August. Please note, the Members Lounge in Monarch Security Pavilion will not be open for this fixture.

**Hopefully a good few people can get down to see some of our stars of tomorrow, playing for silverware.

It should be a terrific game. Hopefully the club will also run a stream of the match. 

Book Review: Around the World in 40 Years by Andy Moles with Geoffrey Dean

I am very much of an age where I remember Andy Moles, the player.

While he never looked the fittest, he was among the most consistent and for a decade was an outstanding opening bat for Warwickshire. He averaged over 40 in that time and only Peter Bowler of Derbyshire and James Hildreth of Somerset managed to do that without any international recognition. 

His autobiography is a joy to read. Co-written with Geoffrey Dean of The Times, it is chock full of stories and anecdotes, most of them new to me. His career is an object lesson in never giving up hope. He didn't get into the first class game until he was 25, yet thereafter the runs flowed from his bat, until a snapped Achilles tendon ended his career prematurely at the age of 36. 

Subsequently, he travelled the world and became a leading coach in South Africa, Kenya, Scotland, England and New Zealand. His last coaching role was as director of cricket for Afghanistan where he coached for nearly six years. Then an MRSA infection in his toe led to the amputation of his lower left leg. The section on his experiences in Afghanistan is worth the purchase price alone.

I would have loved to see him as a coach in county  cricket, where I think he would have been a great success. There was a time time when I thought he would have been a very good option for Derbyshire, but it never came about. 

His insights on playing alongside Brian Lara and Alan Donald are fascinating, but so too are his accounts of that outstanding Warwickshire side, under Dermot Reeve. His thoughts on batting and on coaching players reinforce his reputation as a thinking man, someone who would undoubtedly improve you if you listened. He played under Bob Woolmer, of course, one of the great innovators in cricket coaching.

Like a few books of late, it isn't the easiest of reads, especially when one gets to the point at which he lost a leg. But it is one that will be enjoyed by all cricket fans, especially those from the West Midlands. 

I enjoyed his honesty in this book and it is further proof that some of the best cricket books are not necessarily about the biggest names.

Highly recommended

Around The World in 40 Years is written by Andy Moles with Geoffrey Dean

Under 18s game in balance at end of first day

Derbyshire under 18s were all out for 266 against Durham today at Repton.

Sam Cliffe made 51 and Zak Kelly 41 at the top of the order, before Danny Chapman made 84, sharing a stand of 69 with Rubaiyat Abrar (36)

At the close, Durham were 44-1

Northamptonshire v Derbyshire preview

Both Amrit Basra and Joe Hawkins are included in a thirteen-man Derbyshire squad for the four-day game against Northamptonshire that starts tomorrow. 

I would hope that both play and have an opportunity to showcase their obvious talents. With the pitch expected to turn, one of the seamers is likely to miss out. Blair Tickner plays his final match for the club, heading home to New Zealand afterwards.

My preferred team:

Jewell, Came, Guest, Madsen, Basra, Donald, Reece, Chappell, Hawkins, Tickner, Morley

Andersson, Aitchison also in the squad but the former's back spasms are a concern and we will need Ben for the One Day Cup.

Luke Procter returns after missing the last game, while Justin Broad is back after a wrist injury. The home squad:

Procter, Bartlett, Broad, Chahal, Guthrie, Keogh, McManus, Ramesh, Sales, Scrimshaw, Vasconcelos, Zaib

 Yuzi Chahal will expect to be bowling at one end for much of the match, while Saif Zaib will want to build on his tally as the first man in division two to reach a thousand runs this summer. Caleb Jewell (916 runs) and Wayne Madsen (914) will hope to join him on that landmark during this game, while Harry Came needs 285 from his last eight innings to do so for Derbyshire.

Rain interruptions appear likely, with Thursday looking especially wet in the current forecast. The toss will be important, as neither side will want to bat last on a surface that normally turns at this stage of the summer.

Accordingly, I can't call a result, but the weather may take too much time out of the game and a draw could be the most likely scenario.

What do you think? 

Hawkins signs short-term deal

More excellent signing news from Derbyshire this afternoon, with Joe Hawkins signing a contract with the club until the end of August. 

This will see him eligible for the entirety of the One-Day Cup, as well as tomorrow's game at Northampton. With the pitch there liable to take spin and Alex Thomson out with a broken finger, my guess is that he will make his county debut.

I think he has a very bright future and he has looked like a young man with huge potential from when I first saw him. He is composed and organised as a batter, disciplined and unfazed as a bowler.

I am sure he will not be the last from a very encouraging assembly line in the Pathway. 

Reece signs new two year deal

Good news to start the week for Derbyshire fans, as Luis Reece has signed a new two-year deal at the club.

It will take him to a decade with the county and he has been one of our best signings in recent years. Whatever the future holds with regard to the promotion of youth, they need to be surrounded by good, reliable senior professionals in order to progress. He is definitely one of those.

With a batting average of just under 50, to go with 34 wickets at 18 runs each, it can be safely said that Luis has returned to his finest form this summer. The hamstring injury was unfortunate, but he showed on his return that the break has not impaired his effectiveness.

It will be good to see his talents in the county colours for another two seasons, hopefully with more to come.

Big win for under 18s

Finally tonight, there was a terrific 106 run win for the county under 18s today, against Lancashire at Spondon Cricket Club.

Winning the toss and opting to bat, Joe Hall (wicket keeper/captain like Brooke Guest) saw Cliffe (64) Abrar (24) and Vallabhaneni (43) give Derbyshire a brisk start in this 50 over game.

A middle order slump saw the score drop to 158-6, but Chapman (50) steadied things before Jake Green hit a 22-ball half century with four sixes and four fours.

The final total of 287 proved far too much for Lancashire, although Barrow followed his 4-37 with the highest score of 49. 

Matt Stewart, a young seam bowler who looks one to watch, returned astonishing figures of 5-27, while Rubaiyat Abrar, who opens the batting and hits very powerfully, took 3-25 with his clever left arm spin as Lancashire were all out for 181.

I am extremely excited at the ability in our age group cricketers and there is good reason for that 

Scorecard and limited videos can be seen here

Bedfordshire v Derbyshire friendly

Derbyshire 338-8 (Guest 100, Basra 87, Came 79, Andersson 30)

Bedfordshire 243-8 (Tarling 94, Houghton 41, Johnson 38, Potts 3-56, Aitchison 2-51, Basra 1-32, Haydon 1-38)

Derbyshire won by 95 runs

There was a good and encouraging run out for Derbyshire against Bedfordshire today, in a match where they ran out winners by 95 runs.

Having been put in to bat, Derbyshire batted steadily, after losing Mitch Wagstaff for 20. Harry Came made 79 from 88 balls, before the stand of the innings was shared by skipper Brooke Guest (100 from 90 deliveries with nine fours) and Amrit Basra, who made 87 from just 46 deliveries, with six fours and six sixes. They added 152 in sixteen overs for the fifth wicket.

The final total of 338-8 was solid, if not spectacular and was going to take some chasing. 

Bedfordshire had a decent batting line up. Jake Tarling, formerly of Leicestershire, made 141 off Kent last season and here scored 94, but oddly slowly at a rate of only 75. Kashif Ali, formerly of Worcestershire was in the side, as was Jamie Dunk of Scotland and Leicestershire. 

A young Derbyshire attack bowled tidily, Rory Haydon's opening spell being 8-1-25-1, while Joe Hawkins was sensibly brought into the attack early and bowled three tidy overs for just nine runs. Mitch Wagstaff sustained an injury and had his third over finished by Harry Came, while Nick Potts took two quick wickets to set the run chase back.

That is the frustrating thing about Nick. He does take wickets, but his first four overs went for 23 and those loose one or two balls an over often ruin his figures. But hie finished with three wickets here, a good effort.

Joe Hawkins took a wicket too and Haydon finished with the most economical analysis on the day. Basra bowled seven tidy overs to finish off Wagstaff's spell to complete a memorable debut, even if the figures won't count in career records.

It will be interesting to see how performances here affect Mickey Arthur's first choice side. I would love to see youngsters given a go in this competition, when they will admittedly face a higher level of opposition. Yet Arthur will see it as a trophy to win, understandably so.

As it stands, I expect a first choice side to look something like this:

Jewell, Came, Guest, Basra, Reece, Whiteley, Andersson, Chappell, Aitchison, Morley, Haydon. 

I would like to see Wagstaff (injury permitting) Potts and Hawkins in the mix, but it would need a massive shift in selection policy and would surprise me. 

And the above side doesn't include David Lloyd..

Squad v Bedfordshire

Brooke Guest has been announced as skipper for the one-day cup and a pleasingly young squad has been announced for the game against Bedfordshire today:

Brooke Guest (c/wk)
David Lloyd
Harry Came
Mitch Wagstaff
Yousaf bin Naeem
Amrit Basra
Joe Hawkins
Ben Aitchison
Pat Brown
Jack Morley
Rory Haydon
Nick Potts

I am unsure if there is a stream for this friendly, but will keep my eyes open for one later!

Weekend thoughts

I had an interesting exchange of messages with a friend last night, regarding the Mickey Arthur position. That's not a weird Kama Sutra thing, for the record...

He pointed out - and rightly- that Derbyshire COULD afford to dispose of his services, just as Lancashire did with Darren Benkenstein. By simply getting someone to 'act up' in his place for a more modest salary increase than an external appointment, with a guarantee of a return to their substantive role if they didn't get the job on a permanent basis. 

The time to do it, of course, would be as soon as the season has finished and the dust has settled on the different competitions. We will then know if the admitted concentration on red ball skills at the expense of the white ball was worthwhile, or if it promised much, yet ultimately came to naught. We know that the somewhat unbelievable 'white ball will take care of itself' didn't happen, at least in T20.

My concern remains, as I wrote yesterday, that we leave it until the end of next season and the new incumbent has contracts to renew and a possible replacement for Wayne Madsen to find. It would be a huge job. 

In addition, it would only encourage short termism and perhaps the recruitment of players who are deemed ready, rather than with a strong development potential. Then leave the next coach to deal with them..

Appointing from within makes sense.

What would make even more sense would be giving the job to Daryn Smit.

No one knows the talent coming through the Pathway better than he does and his articulate manner and people skills would make him a very strong candidate. 

Listen to the recent Falcons Nest Podcast, where he seems really enthused about the quality of the talent coming through. Not just Joe Hawkins, but also wicket keeper bat Joe Hall, who came to the Pathway from Yorkshire and has scored a lot of runs, as well as keeping wicket to a very high standard (he caught or stumped all the victims in Hawkins' hat trick earlier this season). There's also Rohan Vallabhaneni, a stylish free-scoring bat from Denstone College and Staffordshire and Jake Green, a talented opening bowler, while Zak Kelly appears an all rounder of talent.

In the younger age groups, Theo Brown, Tommy Bush, Oscar Edwards and Lucas Green will feature for the Midlands-based Bunbury side in August, having already won a two-day red ball fixture against the South and West.

In that game, Edwards scored an unbeaten half-century, Brown showed his attacking ability with 60 runs and leg-spinner Bush and seamer Green were amongst the wickets. Edwards, who plays for Clifton, Smit's own club, scored a century on debut for their first eleven, having moved from Leek Cricket Club and while playing for the Pathway under-15s, is still under 14.

For me, having a man in place who has identified some of the best young talent in the area is the way to go. My opinion, for what it is worth, aligns neatly with Smit, that we clear a path through to second team cricket and have a natural progression to the full county side. We cannot simply release lads at 18, when some might just need a little extra time to develop.

Let's see how the remainder of the season goes. The influx of new blood may galvanise the side for the Metro Bank Trophy, but a decision will need to be made at the end of the season, in the best interests of the club.

Watch this space ..