Leicestershire v Derbyshire

Well, another close finish that went the wrong way...

Good effort again by the boys, but Mark Turner took some late stick from the sound of it and we lost in narrow fashion.

For me it ends our T20 interest and we´d need real luck with results to progress from here. While not having studied results and fixtures, we´re probably mathematically stil in it but logic suggests we´re playing for honour now.

We´ll see. Catch you later.

So what now?

Full credit to Derbyshire for turning things around from Sunday´s Lancastrian debacle to convincingly beat Warwickshire last night, a result due to some key performances. Wes Durston´s al-round ability, coupled with the increasingly mature talents of Tom Knight to take Derbyshire clear of the home side and keep our hopes alive of making the final stages.

Of course, we now need to do without Knight and it is tribute to the way the youngster has fitted into the side that we are now pondering what we will do without him.

One option might be to bring back Chesney Hughes, which would give a slow left arm option and a hard hitting batsmen if he rediscovers his form. Another would be to bring someone else in, presumably instead of David Wainwright who appears to be needed at Yorkshire due to a hamstring injury sustained by Azeem Rafiq.

I doubt whether Lancashire, another side in contention, would lend us one from Kerrigan, Parry and Keedy so the only loan option might be to see if we could borrow Ant Botha from Warwickshire, whose defeat last night effectively ended their interest in the campaign. It would only be a stop gap, but Botha is still a steady bowler and might do a job in the last three games. Of course, this pre-supposes that Jake Needham´s recovery is a work in progress and I suspect that it will be until next season.

So the choices are simple, if Wainwright isn´t allowed to leave Yorkshire right now. We could go with the following side and keep faith with the spin option that has served us pretty well:

Guptill, Durston, Smith, Madsen, Park, Whiteley, Hughes, Sutton, Clare, Groenewald, Jones

or perhaps bring back Botha. Any thoughts?

For what its worth, I´d go with Hughes. He would lengthen the batting, is one of our own and could offer late hitting against the seamers. Friday´s game against high-flying Leicestershire is massive and we might then expect to beat Northants and Yorkshire, two sides who have struggled in the competition.

Mind you, nothing can be taken for granted with Derbyshire and we all remember the Northants game at Derby last year that we should have breezed and made a mess of. Not forgetting Worcestershire at home either...you just don´t know which Derbyshire side will turn up.

But if the good one does - well, we´re still in this.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow!

Warwickshire v Derbyshire

Great day today and finished in the grand manner by coming in to news of a win that keeps our hopes alive.

100 degrees yesterday here and 95 today and I even had a game of beach cricket today with the family. I resume my innings tomorrow, 324 not out... I jest, just in case you wondered.

Great all round work from Wes, while Tom Knight showed why he is so highly rated and why we´ve given him a three-year deal.

Good also today to hear of Tom Poynton´s contract, a wicket keeper batsman who I think will give the club great service in the years ahead as a tidy keeper who will only get better and a punishing batsman.

Funny game eh? Sunday we were rubbish and today completed a very sweet double over supposed betters.

Three games to go. Three wins needed, a few results going our way wouldn´t go amiss either.

For now though, good night and nice work lads. We knew you were better than Sunday.

Thanks for your comments

Guys thanks for keeping comments going while I´m away and finding it difficult to get online due to demand for 2 PCs here at the hotel...

However, could whoever is demanding the return of Morris/Brown/Amott find a new record? It isn´t going to happen and while Don did a lot for the club and John Morris brought some better`players in, they will not be returning to their previous roles  - period.

Opinions are good and healthy, but some aren´t well thought out. Whichever Anon is asking why we didn´t sign a second overseas should read down a few pages and the blog tells you. We tried to, but there was no one worth signing. Why pay top dollar for a second rater?

Anyway, enough from me as a queue is building again. 92 degrees today and off for a nice meal shortly

Adios amigos...

Lancashire v Derbyshire

In what was another very important game, we took a hell of a beating today. No other words for it really. When you struggle to make 80 in 20 overs then see your opponentsknock them off in less than ten without losing a wicket it is nothing less than a good hiding.

Such a defeat is hard to take from a decent side, but no one would call this Lancashire outfit a good one.

I´m obviously a long way from the action, but for me the margin of defeat makes this the low point of the season. I thought and hoped we were better than this.

Essentially we now need to win every game from here to qualify. Not impossible, but if performances aren´t better than this there´s not a hope in hell. On such days you feel sorry for the ones who went along to support them.

C´mon guys. We know you´re better than this...

Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire T20

No disgrace in that tonight, losing to a very strong side in the last over. Great effort by the batsmen after early losses, with Guptill again showing his talents and Ross Whiteley confirming what regular readers will know I´ve been saying for sometime.

Be good to see what some of those who attended thought, but I´d suggest that if we match that level of intensity against other teams in the group in the remaining games we could do pretty well and still make the play offs.

When a team contains Hales, Voges, Tamim and Patel one assumes that one of them will come off. Defeat yes, but far from downhearted.

Mind you, after a day of 90 degree temperature and cloudless skies, it would take a lot...

Glamorgan v Derbyshire

Nowt like coming in from a lovely day on the beach to find the boys have won by six wickets!

Full marks all round for a fine team effort, with Martin Guptill and Ross Whiteley sharing an important stand when it mattered.

I feel a celebration sangria coming on tonight. What I´ll be like if we beat Nottinghamshire on Friday I don´t know...

Great stuff. Now for evening meal and the end of a perfect day. Must be a song in that somewhere...

Glamorgan v Derbyshire day 2

In what is pleasantly starting to sound like a broken record, that was another good day's cricket by Derbyshire. The icing on the cake would have been the dismissal before stumps of South African star Alviro Petersen, but he's a good player and there is no disgrace in having to work for his wicket.

Derbyshire would have been pleased with their total and there were solid contributions down the order. I thought today was the day for Dan Redfern to get that elusive first century, but he can be proud of his efforts this season. He is ten short of 500 runs and currently averages a respectable 35.

Then it was time for the bowlers and while Tim Groenewald again made early inroads, it was Jon Clare who stole the show with five wickets for the first time this season. The youngster has had a little stick from some areas, but we need to remember that he has had two years of injury problems that need psychological as much as physical recovery time. A shoulder injury is difficult for a bowler and, as I've written before, there is a nagging doubt in the back of your mind that if you put everything into it, everything could go again. He's now got 18 Championship wickets at 27 and has bowled well in spells in the shorter forms. While his batting has yet to return to the promise of his first season, Clare is young enough to come again and have a lot to offer Derbyshire cricket.

As for the rest of this game, I'd be surprised if we enforced the follow on, even if we were in a position to do so. Rather I think tomorrow will be a case of moving 450 on - ideally - before declaring after tea and allowing time to get them out again on the last day.

That's my thoughts, but to be honest, this time tomorrow I'm expecting to be sipping an ice cold San Miguel at a beach bar in a quiet stretch of the Costa Brava, chilling nicely after our first leisurely meal in Spain. I will be checking the score beforehand though and hoping for good news to start our holiday.

I'll be blogging when I have the chance in the next 10-12 days - so don't desert me now!

See you soon.

Jones announces retirement

So Steffan Jones has announced he will retire at the end of the season. Surely no one is surprised by that? Faced with two offers, one of which woulod allow you to play as long as you felt able and coach for up to three years, or one where you could effectively work for the next 25, everyone would reach the same decision?

I know I would.

There's time for a full appraisal of Steff's contribution to Derbyshire cricket later in the season. For now, let's just enjoy a whole-hearted bowler of considerable talent while we can.

Getting to the T20 knockout would be a great way to sign off Steff. Finals day would be a bit special...

Glamorgan v Derbyshire day 1

Wes Durston's first Championship century for Derbyshire was the highlight of a first day that we can be pretty pleased with on the whole.

219-4 was a decent bit of batting on a truncated day, with good support coming from Wayne Madsen and Dan Redfern, who is still there at the close, unbeaten on 48. I hope he gets his head down again tomorrow and gets the maiden century that his improved form this summer so richly deserves.

The side was as I had suggested last night and with Ross Whiteley with him at the crease, Redfern will be in familiar company first thing tomorrow. If, as I suggested last night, we can go on to get over 350 we would be in a good position - assuming we back it up with disciplined bowling of course.

It was a day to say hello again to Graham Wagg, who must have some regrets over leaving the County Ground. A batting average of 23 and a bowling one of 50 was not what the player or club hoped for after a considerable outlay. While Wagg remains a player of ability, he is also prone to bad days, which have been a little too common this year. 14 wickets in eight matches is as negligible return.

Another former Derbyshire player, Ant Botha, has circulated the other 17 counties regarding his availability after an inconclusive mid-season appraisal with Ashley Giles at Warwickshire. At 34 Botha will be lucky to get another deal and is another who left for pastures new and found that the grass was not green at all on the other side of the fence. With the advent of Tom Knight, the potential of Peter Burgoyne and the possibility that Jake Needham could re-emerge next season after coaching with Jack Birkenshaw, I doubt Derbyshire will want him back. If anyone can rediscover Needham's mojo, Austin Powers style, it will be Birkenshaw, a very canny spinner in his day and acknowledged as a fine coach of slow bowlers.

Finally tonight and on the subject of young players, I'd like to highlight an excellent comment made last night by notoveryet, which ran as follows - he was commenting on yesterday's win

"Hmm, might set us up nicely for a fall back to earth on Friday. The ease of Notts win against Lancs today puts our tie with them in perspective. They are a truly formidable t20 team, in sharp contrast to their recent CC form, which has started some of my Notts supporter friends twitching about whether they are might be heading for relegation.


I think they are probably still a little too strong for this to be a real danger, but there is a real weakness and failure at Notts. It's exemplified by the fact that we have as many players in the England under 19 squad as they have. Notts have built their strategy on importing players, and in the meantime their development of their own players has dried up. I suspect that a Derbyshire side of their current home-grown players would see off the equivalent of Notts with comfort.

Peakfan's comment a few weeks ago about the make-up of WI Cavaliers (Usman Afzaal, Alex Tudor and Saqlain Mushtaq) demonstrates the weakness rather than the strength of Notts Premier League cricket, that it isn't producing potential future county and test players, but recycling the has-beens and never-weres from first class cricket.

This is the trap that Derbyshire have fallen into over the last few years. Think about how excited we are every year when we see who we've signed from other counties, and how the discussions about about next year always focus on who we can sign from elsewhere.

This was a survival necessity between about 1998 and 2006 because of the atrophy in our scouting and coaching set-up and the haemorrhage of talent. Since then, it has become a yearly narcotic injection. It makes us feel good for a time but ultimately doesn't deal with our underlying problem. It also drains our resources, and prevents us from developing our own solutions.

This is why I think the new direction has to be right. We can't compete in the market with Notts and their ilk, but ultimately their approach takes them into a cul-de-sac where they either have to carry on spending larger and larger amounts (Surrey for example) or have to risk short-term failure by developing their own (Hampshire and Yorkshire for example).

We only have one real option, and that's the one we're taking."

I totally agree with him. With regard to Friday, I think we will do very well to get something from the game against a team that I see as one of the best two in the format (with Somerset). If we do it will be a remarkable performance but we would still need to win other games that are winnable but we could just as easily lose (e.g Worcestershire).

Sooner or later, the ECB need to face facts. Either the big counties need to set up their own academies and stop using their wealth to poach those of others, or we need to introduce a transfer system of some kind that recompenses the county who spend years developing a player, only to lose him to another that has an inferior coaching infrastructure and more money.

See you tomorrow - then its holiday time!

Wainwright in on loan

Derbyshire have signed Yorkshire all-rounder David Wainwright on loan for a month with effect from this coming Saturday.

The signing will cover the absence of Tom Knight with England Under 19s and ensure that we retain the services of a young spin bowler of talent.

With Adil Rashid and Azeem Rafiq, Wainwright makes up a trio of spinners of ability in Yorkshire's ranks. The others are now ahead of him in the pecking order and Wainwright will be aware that Rafiq found great benefit in his loan spell at the County Ground.

A steady orthodox slow left arm bowler, Wainwright is also a batsman of some ability, boasting a first-class average of 35 with two centuries. I am sure he will do a good job, although the signing suggests that Jake Needham will have to work hard over the winter to get into the first eleven frame for another season.

With 77 first class wickets at 35 each, Wainwright also boasts twenty T20 wickets and a run rate of only seven an over in his career record. At 26 he has the experience to know his game and will be a good and worthy replacement for Knight.

Top marks to the club for moving quickly to bring him in on loan.

Glamorgan v Derbyshire preview

After a heartening few days in the T20, it is back to business in the Championship tomorrow as we head down to Wales for a match against Glamorgan. I just hope we have enough players to make the journey and that we've not had half our boys offered a deal by Warwickshire after today's win. Ashley's after players, you know...

When you look at the terrific bowling by young tyros Hughes and Knight the recent performances are especially heartening, as is the manner in which Ross Whiteley has gone about his business at number six. He has a long way to go, but I am very hopeful that Whiteley will make the number six berth his own, as a batsman who can bowl a few overs or as a genuine all-rounder.

It was surprising but good to see Garry Park play today and I assume that he will be replaced by Dan Redfern tomorrow, allowing him time to recover before the big game against Nottinghamshire next weekend. I would see the following Derbyshire side:

Madsen, Guptill, Durston, Hughes, Redfern, Whiteley, Sutton, Clare, Groenewald, Knight, Palladino.

There may be consideration for a return by Jake Needham, who could well be in the travelling party, though his playing may be dependent on the fitness of Jon Clare, who only bowled two overs today.

As for Glamorgan, Graham Wagg is fit to play against us and takes his place in the following 12:

AN Petersen (captain), GP Rees, WD Bragg, MJ Powell, BJ Wright, J Allenby, MA Wallace (wicket-keeper), JAR Harris, GG Wagg, RDB Croft, DA Cosker and WT Owen.


The presence of Croft and Cosker suggests that the ball will turn and whoever wins the toss is likely to bat, then hope to score 350-plus. We go into the game after back-to-back T20 wins and some very impressive cricket and shouldn't fear anyone.

These are encouraging days with some good standards. Keep them going boys.

Derbyshire v Warwickshire T20

Another (division one) scalp bites the dust...

After a professional bowling and fielding performance where no one went for 30 runs in their four overs, Derbyshire completed a fine win with a ball to go in the nineteenth over.

Martin Guptill led from the front with a brilliant 72 including six sixes, but it was a professional chase in which everyone contributed. The innings was finished off by Garry Park (who wasn't expected to play) and Ross 'Bradman' Whiteley, who now boasts a T20 average of  66.

The reasons for Derbyshire's form aren't hard to find. The lowest average in the top six is 25, with Park 44, Madsen 37 and Guptill 34. As for the bowlers, Knight and Hughes are bowling their overs for less than seven runs each; Clare and Groenewald for less than eight.

It is impressive stuff and they are very much in the shake up with six games to go. Where it finishes is anyone's guess, but there's no disputing that this is an improving side rejuvenated by young players and with an overseas player who is well worth the admission fee.

Plenty to play for...now back to the Championship in Wales tomorrow.

More later.

Book review - A Long Half Hour by Stephen Chalke

The latest book that I've been sent for a review was always likely to be a pleasure, as I have been a fan of the author since his first book came out.

Stephen Chalke's Runs in the Memory is, without doubt, one of the finest cricket books ever written and his easy style makes it one that you can go back to time and again. The basic premise is so simple you wonder why no one did it before - take a sample of cricketers who played in the 1950s and let them talk to you about their favourite match. Mix in a liberal splash of laugh out loud anecdotes, together with stories that were in the press of the day and it is a recipe for a wonderful book. Within its pages is the legendary Derbyshire v Hampshire game that was completed in a day, the events told from the players' perspective.

Several others have followed in the intervening period, all of them written beautifully and doing great credit to their subject. I am a big fan of oral histories anyway, having read the wonderful volumes on the First World War produced by Lyn MacDonald after her chats with veterans over a number of years. One only wishes that Stephen Chalke had started writing twenty years earlier, so he could have done similar volumes on the game in the 1930s and '40s.

A Long Half Hour comprises extended articles on six of the players who made the earlier books so entertaining. Understandably there is some duplication, but the players concerned - "Bomber" Wells, Geoff Edrich, Eric Hill, Dickie Dodds, Ken Biddulph and Arthur Milton  - are brought to life by the author's writing.

A danger in this sort of book is that it descends into hero-worship, but Stephen Chalke presents the individual and is unafraid to mention the fallibilities and foibles that we all have. We find that Arthur Milton needed a challenge to play really well and that Geoff Edrich was not a fan of Cyril Washbrook. The trust of the players in the author is evident from what they tell him, confident that it will appear in the manner intended. Every page has fresh revelations and wonderful anecdotes, with the best perhaps being that on "Bomber" Wells, a character so large that he might well have been invented.

Boundary catches taken with one hand while having a cup of tea, the player tricked into using a bat filled with compressed sawdust and the captain who was unaware of his 'stand and deliver' bowling style. He walked in from mid-off for the first ball of the over, walked back to his position and walked in again, in time for the third ball! Wells retired with 999 first-class wickets, quite proud that while a good few had reached a thousand, no one else had pulled up one short. Then, after he retired, a statistician found he 'only' had 998...

Wonderful stuff and the stories keep coming throughout 128 pages of pleasure. The era is brought to life within its pages and the game seems in many ways different to the modern one, almost certainly the better for it.

A Long Half Hour by Stephen Chalke is published by Fairfield Books and is priced £9.50 on Amazon.

Recognition for Rowe

Twenty-eight years after leading a rebel tour to South Africa, Lawrence Rowe has apologised to the people of Jamaica and the pavilion at Sabina Park has been named after him.

Rowe, a long-time resident of the United States, was back in Jamaica for the ceremony, an act of redemption that is, perhaps long overdue. The statistics don't tell the full story about the West Indian, a most delightful batsman who had one season with Derbyshire in 1974. He had so much time to play his shots that you wondered how he could ever get out, yet that is what he managed to do for us, time after time. He oozed class, but never made it tell in our colours.

On his debut against Sussex at a freezing County Ground,  as far removed from Jamaica as you could be, Rowe stroked a delightful 94 against an attack including John Snow and Tony Greig. He looked set to follow a prolific winter, in which he had scored 302 against England at Bridgetown, with a barrel load of runs in the county game.

I saw him several times that summer, sixteen years old and desperate for a sporting hero. I'd listened to the radio during the winter of 1973-74, as commentators waxed lyrical about his strokeplay. Dad and I just grinned at one another, envisaging Rowe leading a Derbyshire resurgence. We saw him play some of the most delightful cameos, thirties and forties of charm and elegance, then were frustrated as he continually gave it away. Rowe often whistled as he batted - nerves, confidence or an affectation? If the latter, it needed backing up with runs. If the former, maybe it was a factor in under-achievement.

Later that May, in a televised game against Gloucestershire played at Bristol, he eased his way to 71 runs, playing every shot in the book in what amounted to a batting masterclass. Deft late-cuts, a square cut like a rapier, a cover drive of genuine elegance, a hook for six when Brian Brain dropped one short. "His defensive technique is the best I've seen on a West Indian" said Dad, who had seen all of their greats. He toyed with David Graveney, before playing around a straight one and departing in a most disappointing manner. It was as if he'd had enough, like watching a world-class tenor fluff the high C at the end of the aria then sing the end of it in the wrong key.

We went on to lose the game, Brian Bolus bringing in the field when our hosts needed four off the last ball. Dad berated the skipper for about two weeks and still brings it up at least twice a year...

We listened to the cricket scores on the radio and it was always the same. "Lawrence Rowe made a stylish 38/45/56/72" - whatever. Yet he never bettered that debut score. We saw him against Yorkshire at Chesterfield, again in the John Player League and he opened with Tony Borrington, easing a four past mid-on and then another with a text book cover drive, the front knee bending, the follow through held for the cameras. He was class, C-L-A-S-S. The Yorkies were going to be put to the sword, then suddenly he was gone, run out, the bowler knocking Borrington's firmly-struck drive onto the stumps at the non-striker's end as he backed up too far. There was a draught across Queens Park from the heads being shaken...

So why didn't it work out for Lawrence Rowe? He was unlucky with niggling injuries, though there were suggestions in some quarters of hypochondria. John Wright's autobiography records a team mate telling him of Rowe undergoing a fitness test in the nets, batting on a wicket that was pretty poor. He never missed a ball, looked miles better than anyone else and then professed himself unfit, to general incredulity. He suffered badly from hayfever, which didn't help, while a knee injury hampered him to some extent. "Eye trouble" kept raising its head from people you spoke to and his later career was blighted by serious astigmatism in his leading left eye, something that couldn't be satisfactorily treated with glasses. It explained a lot and it may well have been that there were times he just didn't pick the ball up. Others reported that he feared failure and disappointing people, saying the pressure just built up inside him.

He signed off with 26 against Northamptonshire at Derby, another innings that promised much but ended in disappointment. If we had known more about the seriousness of the eye problem we might have been more understanding, but Rowe was a talent largely unfulfilled. A century in World Series Cricket, 175 against a fit and flying Lillee and Thomson, is still regarded as one of the finest innings played in Australia. There was another brilliant century in South Africa on the rebel tour too, but the good days for Lawrence Rowe became more sporadic. His career finished with a Test average of 43 and a first-class one of 38.

For a man who, when he batted, looked even better than Viv Richards it was not enough. It just shows that all the talent in the world still needs a little luck. With a decent left eye he could have been one of the all-time greats.

Worcestershire v Derbyshire

Two games unbeaten then...

Tonight's forecast always looked a little iffy, so it was no surprise to see the game rained off very quickly.

Two points would have been handy, but with Sunday's forecast looking a belter, there should be a fine crowd to see us play Warwickshire. If we win that one we could be second in the league, somewhat ironic in the light of the recent gnashing of teeth after the home game against tonight's opponents.

If you can manage along, get behind the lads and make it an afternoon to remember!

Elsewhere in cricket tonight, further confirmation that my assertion on Charl Langeveldt's star being in decline was correct. Langers bowled two overs for 31 for Kent against Middlesex, figures that would have been hard to believe a couple of years back. As I wrote recently, anyone can take a hammering in this game when a batsman's eye is in, though Langeveldt has been among the best in this form of the game. His ability to bowl the quicker ball is going though and he's now easier to get at as a result. He's going for just under ten an over this year, a long way from the standards of his pomp.

Have a good weekend!

PS Early warning that I'm off to the sunny climes of Spain on Wednesday, where we'll be for around two weeks. I will blog from time to time while I'm away, but not with the current regularity. Lots of long walks, leisurely meals and restful days in store, hopefully in temperatures far removed to here in recent days...

Congratulations to Burgoyne and Knight

Burgoyne and Knight may currently sound more like solicitors or estate agents but given time the two names could possibly become synonymous with Derbyshire cricket. At 17, for them both to be selected for their country's Under-19 side is an impressive achievement, albeit one that is richly deserved.

Knight is already seen as a player with a real talent, having bowled in several T20 fixtures without looking at all fazed by the razamatazz and the big names up against him. He has bowled straight and with tight lines, effectively telling batsmen to have a go but to bear in mind that if they miss they are in trouble. It is early days for him, but the potential is obvious.

Burgoyne is less well known but has turned in a string of fine displays for both Denby and the Derbyshire Academy, as well as making his mark on the Second Eleven. He is a powerful hitter of a ball and an off spinner who apparently gives the ball a tweak. Whether he follows Knight into the first eleven this year is debatable, but at his current rate of progress he could emerge in the middle order next year.

I'm sure we will all watch their performances with interest and wish them luck. It augurs well for their futures - and that of the county.

Worcestershire v Derbyshire preview T20

I'm not sure why, but it is noticeable that there are far less comments on posts after a win by the county than when we lose.

Maybe too many people are more used to losing, so like to get their moans in early, but check back over the last few pages and see what I mean. OK, perhaps more are attuned to our habit of, in the words of an old line dance classic, one step forward and two steps back, but surely people were impressed by last night?

We'll see after Friday's game. Revenge over a Worcestershire side we should have hammered at Derby is vital. Last night took us back into the pack for play-off positions and the boys batted well, bowled steadily and fielded superbly.

That eight overs were bowled by lads with an average age of eighteen and a half was most impressive. While Tom Knight is likely to go further with his bowling, Chesney's slow left arm 'darts' are a potent weapon. At one point last night he bowled a ball off three paces quicker than most seamers, giving a new dimension to the term 'quicker ball'. Knight, in contrast mixed his pace well but always attacked the stumps. He bowled a canny length and the batsmen had neither width to let their arms go nor leverage to get under the ball for boundaries. It was sensible, clever and heartening stuff.

It is a decent side for this format, though we are heavily reliant on one the top four making runs. It is to their credit that they have done so thus far and the batting unit, with the exception of that awful night last week at Derby, looks a decent one.

What makes a difference, of course, is fielding and there are some brilliant performers in the side. I mentioned Guptill, Madsen and Park last night, but it was a fine team effort last night, one that must be replicated tomorrow. What is especially heartening is the return to the team and form of Garry Park. He has endured a difficult year or so, but is for me beyond compare as a fielder. His speed over the ground, fast arm and secure hands make him easily the best I have seen in my time of following Derbyshire. People like Derek Morgan, Chris Adams and Phil de Freitas were fine fielders, but none had the all round brilliance of Park. As it was once worth the entrance money to see Bob Taylor keep wicket, so it is with Park in the field.

I hope that the runs continue to come and we see him in the county colours for some time. While the new blueprint may put a question mark against his long term future, as things stand he will always be in my one day side, irrespective of how many runs he scores or wickets he takes. In twenty years time, I guarantee that you will tell people that you saw Garry Park field, just the same as people talk about Jonty Rhodes, or those of a certain age recall Colin Bland. While those two remain the benchmark, I can't think of anyone better than Park in the modern game.

Yorkshire v Derbyshire T20

A fine performance by Derbyshire tonight saw them move back into the mix for the tournament.

Despite a shocking start, in which Wes Durston sold Martin Guptill down the river then played around a quick one from Ajmal Shahzad, Chesney Hughes and Wayne Madsen brought the innings back on track. It was not until the advent of Garry Park that the scoring rate lifted, however, the latter playing some brilliantly improvised strokes mixed with trademark running between the wickets.

As Luke Sutton said at the end, there are few better players for such situations than Madsen and we again has reason to be thankful for the common sense he showed. I can pay him no greater tribute than suggesting that his ability to time his shots so there are twos reminds me of Dean Jones, still the best one-day batsman of my experience.

When Park went after one improvisation too many, Ross Whiteley came in to play some fine shots, a blistering cover drive and a straight hit for six being the standouts. 150 was way beyond my expectations at ten overs and was tribute to some terrific cricket.

This continued in the field, with the skipper pulling off a fine stumping off a Wes Durston legside wide, then fine fielding and clever bowling combined to put the brakes on Yorkshire. I don't think the commentators gave enough credit to Hughes and Knight, both young players, for their clever bowling and subtle variations. The fielding was brilliant, with Guptill, Madsen and Park outstanding. Between them they saved the difference between the two teams on the boundary in an inspired display. The only mistake I recall in a tigerish display was the drop by Ross Whiteley, but anyone who has played cricket has dropped one of those and it happens.

The end result was decided by a fine penultimate over by Tim Groenewald and despite some brave blows by Gary Balance, Steffan Jones had too much in his locker to provide a shock ending.

It was a good effort by the Derbyshire side. For what its worth, I would like to see Garry Park move up to three where his improvisation could be of added value in the powerplay. Chesney is a fine young player, but is currently a better player of seam than spin. With increasing use of spinners to open the bowling, he tends to go for the big one with mixed results at the expense of working it around. Switching the two of them could be mutually beneficial. A minor point, perhaps, but constructive comment on a night when Derbyshire showed they can be a good side when they are all firing.

Good effort lads. Something similar at Worcester on Friday would set us up very nicely for Leek on Sunday.

Yorkshire v Derbyshire preview

Sorry about the absence of a blog yesterday, but the combination of my son's birthday and being offered (and accepting) a new job combined to take up most of my time. As days go, yesterday was up there with the best of them.

Tonight Derbyshire must show that if they want to be up there with the best they can cut it when it matters. In any game of cricket there are key moments and how your side does at those times largely dictates results. When we played and beat Yorkshire in the Pro 40 earlier in the season we batted well, bowled sensibly and were brilliant in the field. Only by doing that can we expect to win matches. Two out of three ain't bad, to quote Meatloaf, but what he omitted to say is that you win very few cricket matches unless you do well in all of them.

No news as yet of the teams, although Yorkshire have announced that Tim Bresnan is unfit - bad news for them, good for us. Azeem Rafiq should play against us and they have some talented players. Having said that, so do we. I don't see any changes in the batting, as they have all done well and apart from a blip against Worcestershire can't really be faulted. What we need is the bowlers to step up to the mark again. There may well be consideration over whether Jon Clare stays in the side or is perhaps replaced by Tony Palladino, but I don't see many other changes.

We need a win here. Things are still tight and top four places are there for anyone to take, but if we lose this one and then go down to Warwickshire I will be prepared to announce the end of our T20 interest this season.

I hope that's not necessary though.