Waggy for England!

Graham Wagg has been picked for England in the international sixes held in Hong Kong in November.

It's a well deserved honour for the Derbyshire all-rounder, who takes his place in a side that has plenty of hard hitters and useful bowlers, but should it have been more?

The "Performance Squad" is going to India this winter and features Mark Davies, Sajid Mahmood, Amjad Khan, Robbie Joseph and Liam Plunkett as seam bowlers, Adil Rashid and Ollie Rayner as spinners.

I'd have thought Wagg's versatility with the ball would make him an asset on the sub-continent and the selectors seem to have opted for the additional pace of the others. There may yet be an opening for the all-rounder, however as all of those named have had serious question marks over their fitness in the past couple of seasons, especially Amjad Khan and Mark Davies. Joseph has had a good season, but only one and even then he didn't "fire" until the second half of the year. Plunkett and Mahmood are both fair bowlers, but what more do the selectors need to know about them?

On a different tack, Mark Lawson's disappointment at his injury against Leicestershire has been eased by being offered a week-to-week contract for next season, which effectively lets us look at him in a more competitive environment. Whether England in April is a place for leggies to impress is debatable, but he at least has a chance and the rest is up to him.

Elsewhere, Steve Stubbings, Ian Hunter, Dan Birch and Wayne White are all awaiting news on new contracts, while John Morris considers his options after the departure of Rikki Clarke, Nayan Doshi and Kevin Dean. Who else goes is to some extent down to who may be available elsewhere, but there's money for squad improvements and while one of the seamers may go, I'd be surprised at the departure of Stubbings or Birch - not to mention a little disappointed.

Finally, the club site notes the death of Alwyn Eato, a quick bowler who took 50 wickets in his career that spanned the early 1950's. One of a number of bowlers who struggled to get a game with the brilliance and resilience of Gladwin and Jackson, Brian Furniss and Derek Hall were others and the former county skipper Donald Carr once described Eato as one of the quickest and most hostile bowlers he had ever seen. With that speed came a little erratic direction, unacceptable to a team so used to the parsimony of the great duo. He once took 5-14 against Leicestershire and took his career wickets at 28 each before a successful league career with Worksop in the late 1950's.

See you all again soon!