Something for the weekend

Six weeks to go…


Those winter days spent shovelling snow and clearing ice seem but a distant memory as the bulbs are poking through the earth once more and there’s greater signs of activity from the birds. I could swear I picked up the aroma of linseed oil this morning!

Anyway, counties are finishing their plans in different ways, with Kent announcing they are unlikely to have an overseas player this year and Sussex naming three new players in a day, two of them with overseas backgrounds, despite declaring losses of over £170,000.

On that very subject, I’d an e mail the other day asking which Derbyshire players will see us incur a penalty when they play in the Championship this season. The answer being that there are three: Wayne Madsen and Chesney Hughes, despite their respective European and British passports, will qualify to play without penalty in 2013, while Greg Smith is still playing as a Kolpak.

I’m not sure why Smith is not yet qualified as he has been here for long enough to do so - indeed, many wars have begun and ended quicker than his qualification period. Maybe he has not filled in the requisite paperwork and retains an ambition to play for South Africa, but I’d see that as a somewhat forlorn hope.

Irrespective of his future plans I would suspect that Smith’s best bet might be to fill in those forms and accelerate his ‘Englishness.’ With all county budgets under pressure, players who will incur penalties when they play are unlikely to be high on shopping lists. I don’t know if Smith sees his long term future at Derbyshire or not, but potential suitors may baulk at any hidden costs - at least unless that player offers guarantees of returns.

Of course, Smith can boost his chances of a good deal somewhere with a fine season and must surely aim to break the 1,000 run barrier for the first time. Much will depend on the amount of bowling he has to do and few will complain if he was close to a 500 run/50 wicket double. More to the point, if he did so our chances of a decent season would be considerably higher.

I’ll be preparing my pre-season prospects in the coming weeks but won’t get too carried away. I’ve seen evidence of potential in our cricket over the last two years, but this is a young squad. If we get off to a good start and build momentum then anything could happen, but I’m expecting a season of respectability. I think there are a lot worse squads than ours out there and I think we have enough individual talent to win our share of games. Enough to win something? There I'm not so sure.

I do think that in signing Mark Turner and Tony Palladino John Morris has secured the services of two wicket-taking bowlers who have much to prove. If we can get their rhythm right and their confidence up they could make a big difference, especially in the County Championship.

If we assume (can we?) that Steffan Jones will play more one-day cricket this season than anything else, the Championship seam attack is relatively inexperienced. Indeed Palladino’s 52 first-class matches puts him comfortably ahead of Tim Groenewald (39) who himself is way ahead of the rest.

Yet if Mark Footitt has allied increased strength and stamina to his undoubted pace, Jon Clare is recovered from his injuries and Atif Sheikh has improved with a winter’s conditioning, Derbyshire’s seam attack could surprise people. The Australians rated Sheikh ‘pretty quick’ for a few overs last summer, while Clare and Turner can both bowl in the mid-high 80s. Throw in Footitt’s capability of 90mph and there is undoubted talent. Groenewald is no slouch either, with Palladino a more sedate pace but capable of extravagant movement on his day.

Much will depend on those ‘days’ for all of them being more frequent than some of their kind have managed in the recent past. If they can do that and we can produce appropriate wickets for them, batsmen might not fancy those Derbyshire fixtures.

In closing, news today that Warwickshire had recorded a profit of £528,000 last year, which sounds pretty good. Conversely, they made £2.7 million from a land sale, meaning that their trading deficit was £2.1 million. First Yorkshire, then Lancashire, now Warwickshire. Don't know about you, but if one of the counties is going to go bust, my money is on it being a big one.

Peakview, a regular reader and contributor to this blog hit the nail on the head with a post on Lancashire's 606 page. They must cut their cloth to suit, rather than living beyond their means with over ambitious and extravagant ground improvement plans. A lot of others need to learn to do the same.

Tune in tonight

First terrestrial opportunity to see Martin Guptill put bat to ball on BBC2 tonight on the World Cup highlights.

Our new overseas player scored an unbeaten 39 from 32 balls as New Zealand cruised to victory over Kenya, with two sixes and five fours. Brief it may be, certainly of the cameo category, but I'd hope the thought of this chap and Usman Khawaja combining in the T20 should whet some appetites.

My recorder is already set...

Something for the weekend

Here we are again, another week gone by and another week nearer the season. Only 48 days to go now...

Like most of you, I was encouraged to read the news of Derbyshire's pre-season trip to Barbados. With Chris Grant generously funding half of the cost and the players and the Barbados Tourism Board paying the rest, the team will benefit from excellent practice in conditions that are nigh-ideal. A few dour individuals may say we should have stayed here, but there are few opportunities for outdoor work in March. As John Morris says, getting the bowlers run ups ironed out and the batsmen out in the middle has to be a good thing and they should be raring to go by April 8.

The other good news came from Keith Loring, with the club due to get a £300K windfall in September after making the requisite ground improvements. While a loss is highly likely after last season, Keith Loring is predicting a profit in the coming year, with most of the above money effectively going into the bank. It is another excellent piece of work from a behind the scenes team that must be the envy of many on the county circuit.

Certainly there are a few counties, including Leicestershire, Yorkshire and Lancashire who will be counting the shekels very carefully in the next twelve months after a disastrous 2010. If, as some are predicting, a county goes to the wall in the not too distant future, the thinking money is that one of these three must be a likely candidate. Like them or not, it would be a very sad day for the game if that happened, with decades of rivalries going in one fell swoop.

It doesn't look like being Derbyshire though, which must really annoy some people within the game. Shame that...

Elsewhere this week there were a couple of interesting snippets of county news among the many articles on the cricket World Cup on the web.


One was that Warwickshire feel they have been let down by Younis Khan. Not only is he now unavailable for the first few weeks of the season, he may not manage to play at all because of his international commitments. That’s the same international commitments that he didn’t have as effectively a persona non grata with his country’s Cricket Board. Now things are all sweetness and light it would appear Warwickshire are an afterthought, to be cast aside. To say the least, for their fans and administrators this is a disappointing turn of events and the old adage ‘one good turn deserves another’ seems far from the truth in this instance.

From this distance Warwickshire appear to have been well and truly stuffed. Not too many Derbyshire fans will sympathise, but this could happen to any county. I’m just glad that we’re ‘sorted’ in that area for the coming season.

One man who isn’t ‘sorted’ is Iain O’Brien, the former New Zealand bowler now living in Matlock. His hopes of playing as a non-overseas player were dashed when the powers-that-be decided his English wife didn’t give him the same qualification route as, for example, Wayne Madsen’s European passport. It is somewhat bizarre, but the bowler’s quest for an opportunity has come to naught. Part of this is perhaps down to his injury record last season, but O’Brien will, I’m sure, find work as a stopgap during the season as others encounter similar problems with the incessant workload of the county game.

Anyway, time to go. In closing, thanks to Chris for alerting me to a Charl Langeveldt shirt you can bid for on ebay (current price just £19.99) while there's also a match-worn Azharuddin top that could be yours if you're happy to pay £55. Alternatively, you can buy a Dominic Cork 'Corky' clock.

Why, I'm really not sure.

Have a good weekend. Soon be time for those pre-season previews...

PS My bet for the World Cup? Hard to go past India on their own patch, but if South Africa are ever going to win things that matter, surely this is their time? With Smith, Amla, du Plessis, de Villiers, Duminy and Kallis in the batting, and Morkel, Steyn and Tsotsobe  to bowl quality seam, they have to be in there. With Imran Tahir now qualified and bowling on friendly tracks they should regard anything less than the final a dismal failure.

Cracking!

There was a very promising innings of 130 from Martin Guptill today as New Zealand posted a score of 311-6 against Ireland in a World Cup warm up match.

The Irish have a decent attack, including former Derbyshire bowler Boyd Rankin, but Guptill batted until two overs from the end of the innings and hit 12 fours and 3 sixes in a fine display that should win them the match.

I'm feeling good about that lad. I think he is going to be next 'big' Kiwi batsman and I'm delighted that we'll see him at Derbyshire for the second half of the season.

Something for the weekend

There’s less news emanating from the County Ground in recent days than is normally generated by a recluse's newsletter, so I’ve not been blogging so frequently. There’s no point me going over old ground and its also a waste of your eyesight reading things twice!


Somerset have effectively completed a winter of major expenditure with the double signings of Ajantha Mendis, to cover for Murali Kartik at the start of the season, as well as Keiron Pollard for the T20. That’s an impressive pairing and coupled with the signings of Gemaal Hussain and Steve Kirby they should be the team to beat this year. Hampshire, also known as Kolpak Central, should be up there too, but the winter has been relatively quiet for a lot of counties who seem resigned to working with what they have.

There has been no deal at this stage for either Usman Afzaal or Bilal Shafayat, another sign that is indicative of financial pressures in the game at present. Both players would have been assured of a lucrative contract a few short years ago, but the game has changed in that time. Further proof of that has come with Yorkshire following their Roses rivals Lancashire in announcing a £2 million loss for the past twelve months. These are extraordinary, not to mention worrying figures.

We still don’t know what Derbyshire’s balance sheet looked like for last year, but in the current climate, allied to the fact we incurred on field penalties for much of last season when Chesney Hughes and Robin Peterson played, I’d regard anything under a six figure loss as reasonable going. The T20 crowds were a disappointment and salvation can only be down to the events income that we may or may not have made.

The next twelve months will be critical for Derbyshire, but no more and no less so than for every county. By my reckoning only Warwickshire, Somerset and Worcestershire are currently projecting or have achieved a profit, the latter two ironic in that they are two of the smaller, theoretically at risk county sides.

Their respective financial models are ones that others would do well to take a look at. Derbyshire, to be fair, have done extraordinarily well in recent seasons too, but this year’s books may not make the most encouraging reading.

Tuesday thoughts

Thought I'd just stop by to say hello and let you know that I'm still around.

Like most people around these parts, I've been struck by the dreaded flu/cold bug that is doing the rounds in recent days, which has put my writing a little onto the back burner.

Hopefully things will be back to normal soon, but in between times there's little to report on really.

Glamorgan look like they have made an interesting signing in the talented young Richard Levi, the latest South African with a UK passport. No doubt Alviro Petersen had something to do with that one and his arrival should offset to some extent the loss of various players in the winter cull.

Meanwhile Hampshire look like fielding three Kolpaks this year, with Friedel de Wet and Johann Myburgh joining Neil McKenzie in their ranks. If nothing else, it should take the pressure of Derbyshire's supposed array of Kolpaks, even if none of them actually are.With Imran Tahir a newly qualified South African as overseas player, the Saffer influence down Southampton way this year should be considerable. If they all fire they should be the team to beat.

It was good to see Usman Khawaja voted Sheffield Shield player of the year in Australia and confirms that John Morris has done extraordinarily well to sign him. Whether he settles in and scores heavily or not, no one can say that Derbyshire and Morris have not shown ambition in the signing. Nor indeed in the talented Martin Guptill, who only needs to get through this careless stage in his innings to be a batsman of the highest class. There's not too much between a scorer of nice 40s and 50s and a really prolific player and Guptill is comfortably young enough to reach the top rank of international batsmen. From what I've seen he has all the shots and just needs to show a little more selectivity in their use to become a top drawer player.

Anyway, 58 days to go, or just under two months. Its been a long cold winter, but we're getting closer now!

Gladwin is Grand...

There’s only one contender for the G-Man.


I’ll admit that Peter Gibbs was one of the more aesthetically pleasing batsmen of my formative years as a fan, seeming to have more time than most and possessing a glorious cover drive. Indeed, his classic style was at odds with the more functional methods of some contemporaries, but as a cricketer and contributor to the county’s fortunes he was light years behind my number one, Cliff Gladwin. Looks like the club site and I are on a roll...

Curiously, Gladwin’s father Joe played with Tom Forrester, my ‘F’ of choice, but the boy’s talents far exceeded those of the father. He made his first class debut in 1939 prior to the Second World War, but had to wait long years until hostilities ended and he was able to resume his first-class career. He was thirty when cricket resumed in 1946, but took a hundred wickets that season and did so with metronomic regularity for the remainder of his career.

Although a solidly built man, he was light on his feet and had a short run up, followed by an easy action that meant he could bowl long spells. This can be seen on the Pathe news site by following this link:

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=29095

Gladwin can be seen bowling at two minutes fifteen seconds, playing against New Zealand in 1949.

His record speaks for itself and year in, year out he bowled with control and hostility. There was no real pace, but Gladwin’s late swing saw many fall victims in his leg-trap, where he was well supported by Donald Carr, Alan Revill and Derek Morgan. 1653 first-class victims at eighteen each is testimony to his consistency and sustained hostility and no batsman in the 1950’s fancied coming to Derby or Chesterfield. Various accounts tell of injuries ruling players out when faced with Cliff and Les Jackson on a green top – and that was before the game!

One of the best accounts of Derbyshire watching in the 1950’s was published in the Derby Telegraph some time ago and was written by someone called ‘S.Williams’ Part of this description can be seen below:

"The County Ground at Derby in the 1950s was a dump in the real sense of the word, a place of gentle decay.


The ramshackle former racecourse buildings were often home to no more than a few dozen spectators because, when the weather was unkind, watching – and, no doubt, playing – at the County Ground was not for the faint-hearted.


The wind came whipping off the old racecourse, straight from the Urals it seemed, cutting through you like a knife. The facilities were awful: toilets that have been described as French Colonial; catering which made the worst that the old British Railways could offer look like a Savoy Grill buffet. Finding shelter from wind and rain meant huddling at the back of the Grandstand while keeping one eye on the toilet habits of dozens of pigeons cooing happily in the cavernous roof. Once settled on a fine day, though, I had eyes only for my hero.


It is exactly 50 years since I last saw him in action. His run-up began easily – no stuttering start like so many of his profession – and gathered graceful speed until his body moved into that classic arc and his broad shoulders propelled the ball on its way.


Quite simply, Cliff Gladwin was one of the finest cricketers that I have ever seen. Whenever Gladwin was on the field, something was always likely to happen, whether it was shattering the stumps, clouting a few late runs to frustrate the opposition, or running somebody out. In short, Gladwin was an entertainer, a character to help brighten up those austere years after the Second World War."

Gladwin played eight Test matches, taking 15 wickets at 38, figures that suggest he was just short of the highest class. Yet his greatest moment came in South Africa in 1948-49, when he scored a leg-bye off the last ball of the Durban Test to win the game.

“Coometh the hour, coometh the man,” he had announced on arrival at the crease, and was as good as his word. He was 33 when he played the last of his Tests the following summer, but was one of the best bowlers in the country throughout the 1950s and could – perhaps should – have received greater recognition.

Whereas his partner in crime Les Jackson was philosophical about mistakes in the field, Gladwin could be fairly hard on team mates.

“Four for thirty-seven in nineteen overs…could have been four for thirty-three if that bugger had kept his legs together…” He knew his analysis TO THE RUN at the end of the innings and instilled in the young Harold Rhodes the need to make the batsman play everything and give nothing away. Rhodes, like Derek Morgan and Edwin Smith, often recounted how they got many wickets from batsmen taking a chance against them, having faced the opening pair for an hour or more with hardly a ball to score off.

He could be outspoken, but people will always accept someone doing that when their actions on the pitch justify it. Cliff Gladwin set a standard of parsimony that has seldom been exceeded and is rightly regarded as one of the club’s greatest ever players.

An easy choice for best G. What would we give for another of his ilk?

PS - the picture above shows Gladwin bowling for Derbyshire in his pomp, with the field set for a bowler in command of his game. The picture on the club site highlights what ruined many photographs of cricketers over the years - very few had any idea what they looked like as they let the ball go. When asked to pose as if about to bowl, many of the all-time greats looked like they were lobbing a hand grenade, while the batsmen could be even worse.

Just be thankful that no one ever took photographs of the mere mortals and distinctly average in action!

Jake the main man

There’s an interesting comment under yesterday’s post from ‘Needham 4 England’ where he expresses concern over the fact that Jake is the only spinner in the club, something that should have been addressed.


My quick and easy answer to that one is “How?”

If the author of the comment or anyone else can name one English-qualified spinner of talent who was available and we could have signed I might subscribe to the view, but I can’t think of one. David Wainwright at Yorkshire may have been an option, but decided to stay and fight for a place. To be fair, the lad had injury problems last year, partly the result of modifications to his action and is not that much more experienced than Needham.

There were a few early suggestions of Michael Munday from Somerset, but Wes Durston and Steffan Jones would know enough about him to make a decision fairly clear cut. Of course, he may not have wanted to move home, or may have asked for too much money, but if he had genuine talent we were well-placed to make a move.

Lancashire have three left-arm spinners but wanted to keep them all and they all wanted to stay. Apart from that, nothing. The Kolpak route was explored last year, but was costly and Robin Peterson no longer qualified for a visa, having returned to international cricket. The only other Kolpak options would have been Rolof van der Merwe, who spins it very little, or Nikita Miller who has been flattered by some good figures on dirt tracks in the Caribbean. Neither, for me, would have offered value for money nor the requisite returns. Remember, only South Africans and West Indians qualify for Kolpak status and only then if they’ve recently played international cricket. Zimbabwe do too, but its hardly a hotbed of spin wizardry, unless you rate the aging Ray Price, who had a stint at Worcestershire a few years back. Personally, I never forgave him for recording For the Good Times…


Then there’s the overseas role. Of the top spinners in the world game, all but Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka are in the IPL, while he has gone off the boil and has major international commitments this summer anyway.

I can accept criticism of people when it is deserved and will criticise as well in such a situation, but John Morris can no more spirit a spinner from the ether than anyone else can. I’m sure he would love a new Geoff Miller, but such players take time to develop.

Can Jake Needham be that man? We will go some way to finding out this summer. He will be the main man when conditions warrant spin, numero uno. He should play his fair share of one-day cricket too, when I think he’ll do well.

What I’d love to see is Jake bowl us to victory on a final afternoon with men around the bat. It is one thing bowling well to five men out on the ropes and keeping the score down. But there’s a different skillset and mindset in doing the same when you’ve four, maybe five team mates crouched around a batsman.

A spinner knows that if he bowls badly at such times his mates could get hurt and/or he could go for plenty. Only experience helps you to deal with these situations better and gives you the confidence to continue to toss the ball up and enable it to spin. To get the batsman driving and bowl him through the gate, or to get the nick onto the pad from the inside edge. To tempt the batsman down the track, beat him in the flight and let the keeper do the rest. This is what we want and need to see from Jake this year.

He will need plenty of bowling in the Seconds and encouragement to ‘rip’ it. The odd bad ball will be tolerated, as long as there’s enough good ones to test the opposition.

I think Jake has the ability to be our first choice spinner, should he wish, for the next 10-15 years. The coming season will show whether he has the mental toughness for the challenge, but for the sake of Derbyshire cricket I hope that he has.

PS Thanks to Sid for the news of Usman Khawaja's injury, which is a tweaked hamstring. In the annals of injuries sustained by prospective Derbyshire overseas players, that's like being smacked on the face by the beating wing of a butterfly...

Monday musings

You can tell it was a quiet weekend for cricket news, especially for any pertaining to Derbyshire cricket, when the highlight was Dominic Cork being knocked out of Nonentities on Ice, or whatever its called.


Corky’s departure actually removed the programme of one of its better known celebrities, at least in our house. We watched the start of the programme, when we spent five minutes collectively saying “Who?” to the TV as the ‘celebrities’ skated onto the ice, then the end, which was more than enough to be going on with.

Coupled with a glitch in our router, which meant I had to reinstall it, this has accounted for the relative quiet of late.

Of course, there will be little news now until we approach the season. John Morris has to all intents and purposes completed his recruiting and has done a pretty good job on the face of it.

He’s brought in two young bowlers of talent with reputations to build to replace two older ones with a track record of injuries. Palladino and Turner for Hunter and Lungley is a good swap and offers greater wicket-taking potential for me.

He’s also brought in two young batsmen of talent to share the overseas role, as well as bringing back a former favourite to cover a crucial role of wicket-keeper/batsman. Furthermore, Luke Sutton is now skipper, which can only be a good thing in my book.

Finally he has filled in a problem area in the Seconds with a new coach who has Derbyshire links, as well as signing up the standout batsman of the local leagues in recent years. All things considered, especially our financial situation, that’s a pretty good winter’s work by John Morris.

Further signings are unlikely and probably unnecessary, so we must now be patient and await the advent of pre-season training and matches, before April comes around once more.

The only news I anticipate is the club’s financial return for last year, which may not make for pretty reading. Having said that, it can hardly be worse than Lancashire’s loss of £2 million, which is a staggering sum in any business.

The only other relevant news of recent days is that John Wright appears as keen as John Morris to set up links between Derbyshire and New Zealand, feeling that county stints for his ‘more affordable’ players would be mutually beneficial. There have also been noises of some of our players going out there for the winter, which would doubtless broaden their experience. You can see an article on it here:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10703014

That’s it for now. I’ll be back soon with a roundup of news and between times keep well, keep happy and keep dreaming of a good, competitive summer.

Well, you did ask...

Thanks to 'Anon; for asking two questions - where do Usman Khawaja and Martin Guptill fit into the batting line up and what will be the line up for the first match.

For me, the first part is easy. Both should bat in the place that they are accustomed. Guptill opens for New Zealand and should do for us, Khawaja bats three as a rule and should do likewise.

Notwithstanding comments about their lack of experience in this country, both players will be happier doing what they do well and what caused John Morris to sign them.

The first team? That's more difficult and will be affected by pre-season form, fitness, how people look in the nets, the weather and the wicket. My guess is that it will be something along these lines for Gloucestershire at Bristol:

Madsen
Hughes
Khawaja
Park
Durston
Smith
Sutton
Clare
Groenewald
Palladino/Turner
Footitt

While the claims of Redfern, Borrington and Lineker will ebb and flow through the season, the batting line-up features the most experienced men who probably have the strongest claim at this stage.

As for the bowlers, Palladino and Turner have not moved to Derbyshire to be reserves so will want to stake an early claim on a place. Yet for balance the side really needs a fit and firing Jon Clare, who adds depth to the batting. Tim Groenewald would otherwise be number eight, which is maybe too high despite some dogged performances with the bat. Palladino, Turner and Footitt are bowlers of talent, but any runs from them would be a bonus.

Jake Needham? He'll have his opportunities as the season progresses, but Bristol in April isn't likely to be a spinner's wicket. We'll miss Steffan Jones bullish batting and positive attitude too, but I think we'll see him in the T20 and some Pro 40 games. If things go to plan, John Morris will want to rotate his seamers and keep them fresh, part of the rationale in bringing in new blood in that area.

I'll do prospects a little nearer the season, but I see no reason why a young squad of talent cannot be competitive, enjoy their cricket and win a few games. The latter becomes a habit and if we can gather a head of steam, who knows what might happen?

Tuesday thoughts

So, not just Khawaja, but Guptill. There’ll be some serious power down Derby way for the T20 and it should put a few extra derrieres on seats if there’s any justice in the world.


I suppose in an ideal world John Morris might have liked a reliable bowler for that second role, but there’s a dearth of them at present. While he may have got a bowler who could keep it tight for the T20, would he have got the required wickets in the second half of the season?

I’d have to say that on balance I prefer batsmen to bowlers in the overseas role, mainly because they’re less likely to be affected by injury. There’s a lot of body parts can go wrong in the mechanics of a bowling action and few bowlers get through a county stint without missing a fair bit of cricket. I know batsmen can pick up their fair share of knocks, but overall I think the theory is pretty sound.

No doubt people will now start to think about the batting order for the T20 and there is some serious power in there. If they fire regularly we should post some commanding totals and few teams will fancy bowling at us. There’s not been too many times we could say that of late…

Guptill, like Usman Khawaja, is a part-time off spinner and actually has best Test figures of 3-37. That he’s only taken four in his first-class career suggests we won’t see him turn his arm over too many times, but you never know.

Meanwhile, Surrey have signed Yasir Arafat as their overseas player for 2011 and he is sure to do a sound job as a cricketer of talent. Glamorgan, on the other hand, seem to be the greatest admirers of Derbyshire in the game.

How? Well, they took Graham Wagg from us and are now lining up Charl Langeveldt as their second overseas player for the T20. In addition, they’re hoping to bring over South African Richard Levi at some point, the link being that his surname is my Dad’s christian name. As he first saw Derbyshire play back in 1946, he must have a claim on being one of our longest-serving fans.

OK, the last part’s a bit tenuous. But somebody should tell them that they signed Alviro Petersen and not Robin Peterson…

They’ll be recruiting Virginia Madsen and Aled Jones next.

Martin Guptill signs

Amid all the conjecture regarding overseas players this winter I have seen Martin Guptill’s name mentioned once or twice. Such has been the focus of supporters on so-called ‘big names’, however, that he has perhaps slipped under the radar.

That should not detract from the fact that he is a very good player, one who has been compared by some good judges to the legendary Kiwi Martin Crowe in his style and poise at the crease. At 24 he shares his birthday with me (sadly 28 years apart…) and comes to England with a point to prove.

Guptill has faced accusations of giving it away when well set and against him stands the evidence of just one century in his Test career so far. Yet his county stint could well be the making of the player, as it was for his fellow country man John Wright thirty years ago. Being the ‘hired gun’ may well see Guptill translate delightful cameos into innings of genuine substance. To be fair there have been signs that this is coming, with telling contributions in the recent series against Pakistan. Some of these came in trying conditions and Guptill’s technique showed itself up to the task.

Where he should prove especially successful is in the T20, where his ability to clear the ropes should be handy in the powerplays. Last season I suggested that Derbyshire needed to find a couple of batsman of ability to draw in the crowds in the shortest form of the game, as well as providing pitches to allow them to play their shots.

We’re now halfway there. A likely top six of Guptill, Khawaja, Durston, Madsen, Hughes and Smith offers rich potential for some exciting strokeplay. If an attack of promise, but relative inexperience, can back them up there are the makings of an exciting campaign.

Martin Guptill is known among collectors of cricket curiosity for having only two toes on his left foot, the result of a fork lift accident when he was young. By the end of the season he could have cemented his reputation as a player of brilliance and proved to be an astute capture.

Put it another way. He can hardly be as bad as Chris Harris, while if he turns out to be another John Wright we will have few complaints.

Welcome to Derbyshire Martin. We’re looking forward to seeing you.

Khawaja watch

I got up early this morning to watch Usman Khawaja bat for New South Wales against Victoria in the Big Bash and was not disappointed.

Khawaja scored 68 from 43 balls and barely lifted a shot off the ground until he was caught. He was up against a good attack too, with Peter Siddle, Dirk Nannes and Andrew MacDonald in the opposition, but it was an exemplary effort that saw his team ultimately triumph in a close finish.

What I especially liked, besides the lack of real risk, was his use of the pace of the ball, with deft late cuts accounting for a number of runs. There was an audacious ramp down to fine leg too, while the speed at which he picks up length leaves bowlers little margin for error.

He has a lot of time to play his shots, always the sign of a good player, and looks in command of his game at present. He is essentially correct with a good technique, but his bat has the flourish of a player with above average gifts.

In short, his performance totally justified the positive response by the fans. However many runs the player makes this season, you can rest assured that they will be made with a bat that moves like a wand in the hands of a magician.

If he does get to grips with the different surfaces quickly, there will be some serious entertainment down Derby way.

Eddie Barlow - a 35th anniversary tribute - Part Six

Peakfan - Finally Eddie was largely responsible for the overhaul of Bangladesh cricket that saw them granted Test status in 2000. That must have been a huge job. Do you feel that the burden of work was a contributory factor to his stroke?

Cally Barlow – It was a huge job to sort out Bangladesh, not only from a playing perspective but on the administration side as well. I don't think Eddie ever cracked the administration side, but he did a thunderingly good job with the players. Without exception they all adored him and that rubbed off on the Bangladeshi people. He was absolutely the right person for the job at that time. He realised that a nation's aspirations were at stake and that Test status would empower not only the players but the people, who had lived for so long in the shadow of their more powerful neighbours, India and Pakistan.

He worked tirelessly to improve their game, even translating everything he did into Bengali so they could understand his words. He ignored those who patronised Bangladesh as not being good enough for Test cricket.

Did this bring on the stroke? I don't think so. Eddie had an underlying hereditary disease known as hyperhomocysteinemia, which increases the risk of artery or vein disease. It could have been treated had it been known about. I will say, however, that the treatment he received in Bangladesh was by far superior to any he received in either Singapore, where he was transferred, or in South Africa, where he ended up. In South Africa they let him fall off a commode and bump his head off the wall opposite Then they had the cheek to try and charge us for the X-rays!

P - He is still revered in Bangladesh and South Africa, as well as in Derbyshire. That must be a comfort to you?

C - You cannot believe how wonderful it is for me that Eddie is so fondly remembered. He could still be among us as everyone always talks about him to me. I had not been back to Bangladesh for nine years until this Spring, but the welcome I received would have done credit to the Queen! Even the youngsters came up to me and said, “You Mrs Eddie Barlow?” When I said yes, they wanted to shake my hand and now want to be my friends on Facebook!

Derbyshire and Gloucestershire fans are the same and it is a real pleasure.

P - After all of that, the two of you ended up in North Wales, where Eddie continued to coach despite having to use a wheelchair some of the time. If any one thing highlights his love for the game, that must surely be it?

C – This was something special for Eddie, having been thrown on the scrapheap in South Africa. He was delighted to accept Tony Lewis' offer of employment in North Wales. Thanks to the Professional Cricketer's Association he was given a motorised wheelchair, which gave him back his legs and meant I didn't have to trundle him up and down the nets in an ordinary one.

He coached North-East Wales juniors and they adored him. After he died, one of them came to me and said “We miss Eddie so much, as he was inspirational and motivated us so well.”

He was coaching to the end. Gray-Nicholls gave him three bats for my grandchildren and we took them over to Jersey for Christmas. He told me that he would show the boys how to bat properly. I wheeled him out into the garden before Christmas and he and the boys were out there for ages. I looked out of the window and the snow was beginning to fall so I called them all in. He really did die with his boots on (Eddie died on December 30, 2005 - P)

P - Did he keep in touch with the county throughout this time and they with him? Did many of his former colleagues keep in touch?

C – We often went over to Derbyshire and at ex-players lunches he and the guys would talk about the old days and the good times they all had together. He was also invited as guest of honour to the Lord's annual dinner and we went to many other functions too.

P - Whenever I think of Eddie, I see a somewhat dishevelled cricketer, mopping his brow with chunky forearms who, when I first saw him in 1970 playing for the Rest of the World against England, looked to be on a par with Sobers. Yet it was the glasses that inspired me the most, as a fellow-wearer who was just 12 at the time. Eddie inspired me and made me think I could play cricket, and I have, for the past 40 years! Did he ever get such comments from people?

C – In all the time I knew Eddie I only met one person who actively disliked him and another who always tried to put him down. Both I put down to jealousy and it was quite petty. Eddie was the most unassuming man in cricket. Yes, he believed he was always going to take wickets and catches and score runs, but if he didn't, that was yesterday and tomorrow was another challenge. I never heard him boast and apart from those two people everyone had a good word for him.

What did get him down a little was that when he met someone he had played against, they would always recall getting Eddie out for very little, or smashing a fifty off his bowling. He used to wonder why they never remembered him bowling them for a duck,or getting a hundred off their bowling.

P – I think that's a sign of his quality. Eddie was so good that people cling on to what they achieved against him, conveniently forgetting the number of times that HE came out on top!

C- That's maybe right! Because he was always so positive it rubbed off on everyone he met and made them believe in themselves.

P - Finally Cally, how do you think that Eddie is remembered?

C – On the field as a great opponent, giving as good as he got. Off the field as a man full of humour, with modesty in his achievements and a bucket full of charm. I was lucky to share his life for only a short time but would not have swapped a minute of it. Yes, he could be a pain in the backside, but can't we all? But he would have that twinkle in his eye and a little grin on his face and very soon the world was back on an even keel.

Dave Griffin - To me, Eddie will always be remembered as the man who made Derbyshire believe. There was no such thing as a lost cause and everyone at Derbyshire, on and off the field, became convinced that Derbyshire could beat anyone, and often did.

Gerald Mortimer - I had enormous admiration for Eddie as a man in terms of his personality and leadership qualities. Without doubt he was a born leader [he was an influential player and captain and could change the course of a game] and it is sad that he was denied the opportunity of showing this at Test match level due to the restrictions on S African cricket due to their apartheid policy.

Bob Taylor – In an era of great all-rounders, Eddie was up there with the best of them. He was getting on when he came to Derbyshire but still set the standards and demanded they were met. He taught us a lot and we were all grateful for the experience.

Tony Borrington - He was, quite simply, a great man and all those players who were privileged to have played under him not only benefited hugely from his influence but will have carried his values to the end of their playing careers – and beyond!

END

Once more with feeling

There’s an interesting piece this morning from BBC Hereford and Worcester, with Steve Rhodes claiming that player demands are not as excessive as they were. Seemingly there’s a realisation that the ‘gravy train’ of county cricket is drying up.


He may well be correct, but the top tier of cricketers no longer need the county game so the next one down are keen to further their experience. I assume that will be the case with Derbyshire’s signing of Usman Khawaja and whoever is coming in to cover the second half of the season.

I am convinced that our forthcoming accounts for last season will show a loss. With the club incurring penalties for playing a Kolpak (Robin Peterson) and a non-qualified player (Chesney Hughes) the central allocation will have been reduced. Meanwhile, attendances at the T20 were disappointing despite an encouraging campaign, mainly down to poor weather, the World Cup and understandably slow pitches after being relaid and turned around.

That being the case I think it extraordinary that we will have two overseas players for the T20. My guess is that it will be another batsman, for no other reason than anything otherwise would be a change to the gameplan mid-season. While there may be concern over whether our bowlers can keep the opposition tied down, conversely we could go with the idea of putting ourselves out of sight.

I don’t see many available bowlers who could both keep it tight in the T20 and do a good, penetrative and affordable job in the second half of the Championship campaign, so I’d be happy to see another batsman come in with a reputation to build on.

If he has the potential of Khawaja, who’s going to be disappointed?

More on Khawaja

It has been quite heartening today to read the positive comments around the web about the signing of Usman Khawaja from New South Wales. Gratifyingly for all concerned it has captured the imagination of most, something that will hopefully be translated into positive action at the gates of grounds.


John Morris told how he moved quickly as soon as Khawaja was capped by his country in an article in this morning’s Derby Telegraph, which you can see here:

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/sport/Aussie-ace-Derbys-overseas-batsman/article-3122614-detail/article.html

Of course, we shouldn’t pile too much pressure on a young man who will be experiencing his first taste of overseas pitches. The history of the game is littered with examples of young players who struggled to come to terms with our conditions initially. Greg Chappell had early struggles at Somerset, as did Barry Richards at Hampshire. Michael Slater, from the same state, never really came to terms with the conditions, although the technique of Khawaja appears more a foundation for success than did his earlier compatriot’s.

A thing that should work for him is what appears to be a love of batting. One sensed an edginess in Slater if the scoreboard wasn’t moving and teams quickly learned that if they cut off his profitable areas he would lose patience. While a batsman of flair and talent, Slats watching was regularly a frustration as he gave away promising starts.

In comparison Khawaja seems to have realised fairly early in his career, despite a love of playing his shots, that you can’t get runs in the pavilion. There’s an interesting comparator with Dan Redfern, who has played five more first class innings and scored around 800 runs less. While Redfern, a young player I rate very highly, has made eight half centuries thus far, Khawaja in just 46 innings has made ten and converted another six into centuries, one of them a double. The four years difference in age is a factor though, both physically and mentally.

There’s a nice piece from a recent Daily Telegraph on Khawaja, a qualified pilot, which is worth a read:

http://www.blogger.com/goog_19804201

So there’ll be no bullish claims that Khawaja will ‘score a bucket load’ from me. We’ll need to see how he adapts to a new environment and alien conditions before it is fair to do that sort of thing. But all things considered, John Morris has done an astute bit of work on this one. If it doesn’t come off it shouldn’t detract from the good intention.

If it does, it may well turn out to be a bit special and well worth a watch.

Derbyshire sign Usman Khawaja

While dozens of names have been banded about this winter, that of Usman Khawaja, who has joined Derbyshire from the start of the season until the end of the T20, was seldom seen among them.

Having said that, anyone who is in any doubt as to the talents of this young Australian of Pakistani descent should have a look at this footage of his first century for New South Wales against South Australia:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzQ0if2dxs4

Without doubt, he is a batsman of the highest quality. You don't bypass the likes of Adam Voges, David Hussey and Shaun Marsh on your way into the Australian side without having something special. Like many Derbyshire players over the years who have struggled to get international recognition from an unfashionable county, Khawaja probably had to be even better than most to get into that side as a Muslim. He was, after all, setting a precedent after his country had played international cricket for well over a hundred years.

The first man of that faith to represent his country, Khawaja seems pleasant and articulate, well aware that a lot rides on his shoulders. After 46 first class innings he averages over 50 and has six centuries and ten fifties, a remarkable return for one finding his way in the game. See how he feels about his rapid elevation here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuAMtxtWOvc

It may be unrealistic to expect a young man encountering English conditions for the first time to maintain such a record. Bristol in April could be a challenge, but any failures won't be for the want of trying. Reports suggest him a dedicated young professional of admirable discipline and he bats with a flowing style harnessed to a sound technique. He plays straight too, which always gives you a chance, especially in England. He may not be as prolific as the vastly more experienced Chris Rogers, but he could just surprise a few people. Write him off at your peril.

Be honest. Can't you just imagine Khawaja in full flow in the T20? Such a sight should surely fill a few more seats than last year and while he perhaps lacks the explosive style of Loots Bosman, that sound technique and wide range of shots should see him more productive.

I'm thrilled with the signing. Suggestions of established stars were always unrealistic given our resources and the riches available to them elsewhere. As I've said for months, our target market was always going to be in the next (still very good) tier down. That being the case, we've signed someone near the top of that tier, his country's best (by general acclaim) young batsman. You can't do much better than that my friends.Whatever runs he makes in 2011, I hope I'm around to see some of them. From what I've seen, satisfaction is pretty much guaranteed.

I'm thrilled that despite the current economic climate John Morris has managed to attract one of the brightest young talents in the world game. If you're still not convinced, listen to what Ian Chappell says about him here - the section on Khawaja starts at 1'57

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyPinNiNXiw

Whether he opens the batting or goes in at three or four will be down to John Morris, but I have every confidence that this young player will come with a steely determination to do well and repay the faith shown in him by Derbyshire. Who knows, his appearance may even attract the Muslim community, keen to see a young player of talent who has made it to the top in another country.

In short? A young player that people are talking about is coming to play for US. Full credit to Morris and anyone else who facilitated this one. Derbyshire fans have now got an early chance to see a player who could go on to grace the game for a long time. Chesney and Usman in full flow on a sunny afternoon would be worth travelling a long way to see.

A thumbs up from me. Roll on April.

Eddie Barlow - a 35th anniversary tribute - Part Five

Peakfan - I've always felt that Derbyshire missed an opportunity to have Eddie as a coach. Was that offer ever on the table for him?


Dave Griffin - Derbyshire wanted Eddie to stay. I think if he’d arrived 5 years earlier we’d have become a champion county. I think he felt he’d come and done what he needed to do and that it was up to Derbyshire to kick on. To be fair, they did – Nat West winners 3 years later with – predominantly – his side.

P – I'd agree with that! Had he come in 1970, at the height of his powers, he would have been an even greater sensation. Instead he ended up at Gloucestershire, where he was coach for two seasons. How did he find that?

Cally Barlow – To begin with he found it very difficult. One of the administrators told him he could not make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. The players had no motivation and no inclination to perform and some of them were downright obstructive. They had never met anyone like Eddie but would soon learn that they either did it his way or they were out. Eddie thought he had been brought in to get rid of the dross that the administrators did not have the guts to get rid of themselves. One of the players who had been contracted to bat and bowl came to Eddie and said that he could not bowl. Eddie told him he had better go and renew his contract with the chairman.

Guess what? He bowled! Eventually he got the team he wanted and who were willing and keen to work with him and it was a happy time for him. Unfortunately it came to an abrupt end when his father died and he had to go back to South Africa.

P - Presumably it was a frustration to be no longer able to change and affect games with his own skills?

C - Eddie was not the frustrated type. He had been the best and was now doing his utmost to produce cricketers with the same ethos he had himself. Some players can coach, others can't and Eddie always felt his job was to motivate players and fine tune their natural ability. It always annoyed him to hear Test players say they were on a learning curve. He felt that when they got to that level they should know what they were doing.

P - How did the players at Gloucestershire respond to his ideas on fitness? As well as (most of) those at Derbyshire, or was it harder work?

C - Derbyshire was definitely a wake up call for the players there. By the time he got to Gloucestershire there was a greater awareness that in order to perform at the optimum level they would have to be fit. The players at Gloucestershire were not averse to 'physical jerks' as it was becoming increasingly obvious that other counties were doing the same things, especially in the fielding arena. Eddie had led the way at Derbyshire.

P - I’ve read that Eddie’s methods sowed the seeds for Gloucestershire’s subsequent one-day success?

C – That's probably true. Eddie's greatest asset was making Gloucestershire's players believe they could be the best if they worked hard and believed in themselves.

P - Then of course it was back to South Africa, success with Orange Free State, Griqualand West and Transvaal and then the purchase of a winery. Life cannot have been dull?

C - Anything but! Besides wanting to be the best cricketer he could be, Eddie was always a wannabe farmer and while at Gloucestershire purchased a pig farm. It was probably a mistake in the then Nationalist Government as if you were not an Afrikaner all sorts of obstacles were put in your path. He never got paid first grade for his pigs but always second and third. When he asked where he could buy second or third grade pork Speckenham (the Pork Board) were not amused – and neither was Eddie.

He really enjoyed his time at Free State, getting five of his players into the national side, which was an amazing achievement. He left after a year for Transvaal, which he would later admit was the biggest mistake he ever made. He thought he was doing a good job and the players won their first silverware for ages, but one of the Board members went to the players and asked them if they wanted Eddie to stay. No one has ever given a definite answer to the question “Was Eddie sacked or did he leave of his own accord?”

After his stroke, Eddie could not remember, but the upshot was that he left and moved to the Cape to head up the new Superjuice Academy. This was a great success but after he divorced his second wife we moved to the Robertson area and bought another wine farm. Eddie decided to put cricket behind him for good. Wine farms are like horses though, they eat money, so he was pleased to be asked to go and coach at the Griquas (Griqualand West) by one of his good friends. Unfortunately this friend was rather controlling and always wanted to stick his nose into Eddie's business. After a season and a bit, Eddie came home and said “Right, pack up, we're leaving.”

It left a nasty taste in people's mouths, but I supported Eddie to the hilt on this one. We returned to the farm, but it was not long before he got a call from Ali Bacher to ask if he would like to coach Bangladesh. Prior to this, Eddie has a stint as batting coach to South Africa, but had got on the wrong side of Bob Woolmer and Ali said he was no longer required. Hansie Cronje was not pleased as he was very pro-Eddie and felt he had a lot to offer the team. At the end of the series against the West Indies he sent Eddie a present.

It was a silver tray, which read, “Don't piss on my patch. With thanks from the boys.” Eddie had told them that the West Indies were pissing all over them and they had to show them that this was not going to happen!

Anyway, Eddie came off the call from Ali and said “Ali must really want me out of the way.” It backfired though, if that was the intention, as we both loved Bangladesh

To be continued

AJ et al

The return of Andrew Harris to Derbyshire is not likely to be the most high profile move of the winter but could turn out to be the most important.


‘AJ’ is one of a select band of cricketers better known by his initials – in common with ‘AB’ (de Villiers) and ‘HD’ (Ackerman). Harris was a good, journeyman seam bowler who took over 450 wickets in his first class career that effectively saw him tour the East Midlands.

Had it not been for injuries he could feasibly have gone further, as he could trouble the best, especially when there was a little help in the wicket. He now has the opportunity to pass on his skills to a younger generation and if he can help those at the club to progress he will be doing a good job.

Harris’ role is as link man between the Academy under Karl Krikken and the first eleven. With Steffan Jones and Andrew Brown as bowling and batting coaches respectively, there now appears to be a logical and progressive coaching structure in place, all of them Derbyshire men. OK, I know Steff isn’t a Derbyshire man, but his mentality is Derbyshire through and through…

We seem to have an array of young batsmen coming through, albeit too slowly for most people. Redfern, Borrington, Siddique and Slater are all players of talent and perhaps Harris can help them to produce the goods more frequently than they have in the past. Weight of runs in the Seconds is the strongest argument for promotion to the senior side and while Harris was no great shakes as a batsman he will have his coaching badges and a wealth of experience to offer.

Where he can really excel is to bring through some young bowlers. With the exception of Atif Sheikh we have had few successes of late and Sheikh is some way from the finished article. A couple of lads in his own image coming through and Harris will be doing a sound job.

Elsewhere today Worcestershire have signed veteran Aussie Damian Wright for the early part of 2011. The player presumably gets a visa as he has spent part of the last few years playing for some county or another, including Glamorgan, Somerset, Northamptonshire and Sussex. He was also due to be at Derbyshire at one time but injury prevented the signing.

In other news, it was nice to see that Tom Poynton’s trip to Australia to work on his game has been sponsored by new committee man Chris Grant. The new man’s millions and his role have been the subject of discussion on the various boards. Poynton is the man in waiting for Derbyshire and a likely successor to Luke Sutton in two/three years time. If he can learn from this trip and from the skipper he will emerge as a good county cricketer. Equally Mr Grant will have done the club a good service and it is gratifying to see him help a young player in this way.

Finally tonight, Leicestershire’s auditors have expressed reservations about the club continuing as a going concern after their losses of £400K last season. The high profile and high cost investment in Matthew Hoggard and Brad Hodge might have won them two or three extra matches last year, but one wonders if it was really worth it. Jeopardising the long-term viability of a club for short-term and only moderate gain seems a foolish business plan to me and not one I would wish to see Derbyshire emulate

Monday musings

There’s conjecture a-plenty around the boards regarding our overseas targets for 2011, with all sorts of names being bandied about. In answer to a question on my post yesterday, I haven’t a clue when we’ll hear a name. These things take time and there will be agents involved, contracts to be signed and returned, visa eligibility to be confirmed etc.


As I’ve said before, there are lots of counties trying to sort things out now the IPL auction is done and dusted. We should bear in mind that while John Morris has made offers to two players there is no guarantee that they will automatically accept. One or both may be the subject of interest from elsewhere and they may wish to see if a more lucrative offer comes up. Like it or not, that’s the way it works.

What should also be remembered is that to qualify for a visa the players need to have played one Test in the last two years, or five in the last five years or 15 one-day games in 5 years. That rules out a lot of people…

IF both of our targets were genuinely in the mix for the IPL but rejected there’s only a small handful of options. Given the international calendar this summer, you can narrow likely targets to South Africa and New Zealand. I’ve seen a few suggestions of Chris Gayle, presumably based on wishful thinking and that Gayle missed out on the IPL, but there was a good reason for that. Pakistan tour the Caribbean in April and May, with India doing the same in June and July. Gayle, like Shivnarine Chanderpaul, has too many international commitments for a county deal, as he had for the IPL.

I’ve also seen suggestions of Ramnaresh Sarwan as an option. On the face of it that is a fair idea as he’s a good player who has been out of favour recently, but the West Indies are not so awash with talent that he can be omitted long term. Surely he will return in the next few months, probably in time for the World Cup?

Meanwhile Australia and Bangladesh meet in April and May with the latter going to Zimbabwe in July and August. Australia also go to Sri Lanka in August and September. Logically that takes Tamim Iqbal out too, together with a few Australians who could have been in the mix.

With all the big names in the IPL, there’s a very limited number of players to go around. Faf du Plessis, a very exciting South African all-rounder, said on Saturday that he’d love to return to Lancashire, where he spent time as a Kolpak. He wasn’t sure how many games he needed to play for South Africa to do so though (answer: one Test match or fifteen one-day games very quickly, as he’s uncapped right now.) The player would be an exciting asset to the county game, but it is unlikely to happen sometime soon, certainly not in time for 2011.

The only positive news, if we can be parochial and call it that, is that Leicestershire are the latest side to pretty much rule out a second T20 overseas player, in the light of losses of £400K last season. The news culminates a fairly horrible year for the Foxes and sees them join Gloucestershire, Kent and Worcestershire in doing so.

While there’s still no news on our accounts from last year, the news that John Morris is likely to have two overseas players for the T20 is a mini-miracle. To me, that suggests that either Keith Loring and his team have played a blinder (knighthoods must beckon…) or there’s been a little help financially from members of the Committee.

Or maybe John Morris has found a world star who, in a spirit of altruism, has agreed to play for nowt…

All will doubtless be revealed in time. For now, just enjoy the feeling of anticipation.