Sorry about the lack of blogging this week, but three successive days of 9am to 8pm have eaten into my available time and there's been no real news anyway.
A Derbyshire XI beat a Kevin Dean XI tonight at Chesterfield tonight, 169-6 beating 132. It would have been a good run out and an opportunity to get used to both the wicket and the outfield before the week's major matches.
The outfield should be like polished glass if it stays dry and the scoring rates will be high, I would have thought. Mark Footitt has been released from England duty and so is available, on what is normally a quick wicket that he should enjoy.
Northamptonshire on Sunday should be a high-scoring game and there are two sides of aggressive batsmen who will enjoy short boundaries and getting full value for a well-timed shot.
I just hope Derbyshire continue the form they showed against Nottinghamshire. A good performance is always to be enjoyed, but carries much more weight when it is replicated.
When we do that, we will really start going places.
More from me nearer the weekend. Enjoy the sun, while it lasts.
It's raining in Glasgow tonight...
Wednesday, 1 July 2015
Sunday, 28 June 2015
Burgoyne signs for Sussex
Just a note to say how surprised I was to see that Peter Burgoyne has signed for Sussex and is playing for them in the game against Warwickshire today.
Maybe he felt that a move away from Derbyshire was the best way to resume his career, but when we are crying out for a spin bowler, it seems a little surprising.
Maybe there will be more on that in due course, but I wish the lad well. He is a very talented cricketer and has a lot to offer.
It is just a shame it is not going to be for Derbyshire...
Postscript - having considered this, and thought about the well-documented stress-related issues that led to Peter leaving in the first instance, I come to the conclusion that a move elsewhere for a fresh start was deemed best for both parties.
We don't miss much at Derbyshire these days, so I suspect that is the true reason.
Maybe he felt that a move away from Derbyshire was the best way to resume his career, but when we are crying out for a spin bowler, it seems a little surprising.
Maybe there will be more on that in due course, but I wish the lad well. He is a very talented cricketer and has a lot to offer.
It is just a shame it is not going to be for Derbyshire...
Postscript - having considered this, and thought about the well-documented stress-related issues that led to Peter leaving in the first instance, I come to the conclusion that a move elsewhere for a fresh start was deemed best for both parties.
We don't miss much at Derbyshire these days, so I suspect that is the true reason.
Saturday, 27 June 2015
Edwin Smith book launch in Chesterfield
Chesterfield Public Library have kindly agreed to host the launch, which will take place on the evening of Tuesday, August 25 at 7.30pm.
I will be interviewing Edwin on the stage of the library lecture theatre and we will then take questions from the audience before signing copies of the book for interested parties.
Priced £14, Edwin Smith: a Life in Derbyshire Cricket is published by the Association of Cricket Historians and Statisticians and features Edwin's recollections of a career where he was the lead spin bowler in the Derbyshire side at the age of 18 and remained so for twenty summers.
Over the course of his career, which ran from 1951 to 1971, he took 1217 first-class wickets and is one of only seven Derbyshire bowlers to take more than a thousand. Of those players, only he and Derek Morgan survive and, as the last to the landmark, Edwin will almost certainly be the last man to do so.
He is a quite remarkable man with a great sense of humour and an extraordinary recollection of the players that he played with and against. The book contains his memories of those players and many stories have emerged, many of them in print for the first time. Hopefully it has captured life as a county cricketer over a twenty-year period and many of his contemporaries have been kind enough to supply information and stories.
It would be great to see as many people there as possible, to acknowledge Edwin as the living Derbyshire legend that he is.
Tickets will be available from the library in the near future, priced £3 (£2 concession) and I will provide contact details as soon as I have them. Please try and keep the date free!
We will also be signing copies of the book during the lunch interval of the County Championship game against Kent on Sunday August 23, after the members forum on that day.
I would like to thank both Derbyshire County Cricket Club and Derbyshire Libraries for their support - and hopefully you as well!
Not to mention Edwin...
The morning after the night before...
There was no negativity, as it may have been perceived in some quarters, in my suggesting that Derbyshire would lose to Nottinghamshire last night.
It was a comment born out of realism. When we lost so badly and performed in such an ignominious fashion, as we did against Surrey, what real expectation was there of a win against our local rivals? The Surrey side we played was not far short of their second team, while Nottinghamshire have a team of galacticos, featuring seven players of international experience. It would have been easy to go gung-ho and say 'We can win this', perhaps shaking an inspirational fist for emphasis, but I like to think I base comments and forecast on more than crossing my fingers behind my back as I spout forth...
Yet win we did, in style. Indeed, after the dismissal of Rikki Wessels, the game always seemed to be there. Truth be told, it was there from the point when Hamish Rutherford injected the so-important 'oomph' into the first six overs. I said last week that I would gladly take him now for as much of next year as he can manage, so having shown his ability to play both the more restrained role and that of the dashing young blade I am even more convinced. Come to Derbyshire, build a reputation and get into your national side, lad. You know it makes sense.
Chesney's violent assault on the bowling will have entertained, but the greater common sense shown down the order was pleasing. Given a platform, there's no need for daft shots. Work it around, hit the bad balls for four and rotate the strike. When we got to 170, we had a shout, 200 was a terrific effort, made possible by everyone in the side. While the efforts of the top order in the Powerplay gave us the impetus, those of Messrs Hughes, Knight and Poynton in the last four overs took our score out of sight.
So which is the real Derbyshire? The timid, unprofessional outfit that lost to Surrey, or the slick, talented one that beat Nottinghamshire's finest? I guess we will need to wait and see. The words of Graeme Welch must have stung them last week, though they shouldn't need that to perform like they did last night. A reminder of professional obligations rarely does harm, though and perhaps it will serve as a catalyst for a strong end to the season. After all, there are three months of cricket to go...
I still maintain - and will continue to do so, be warned - that we need to factor in the youth of the side. Some of you scoff at the notion, but in your own place of work, how many of the key personnel are under 25 (unless you work in a creche...)? How many of the best footballers are under-25, rather than between that age and their early thirties?
Both Alex Hughes and Shiv Thakor bowled exceptionally well last night, Hughes also contributing key runs down the order. They have both come in for criticism, but both are learning their games and will have good and bad, perhaps not even in equal measure. They are 23 and 21 respectively. Tom Knight is 21 too and the staff is full of lads of similar age. They have not yet fully grown into their bodies, developed an awareness of what they can and can't do, mastered their game and realised what they need to do to compete regularly at top level.
Give them all another three years and we will see them fly. The ECB didn't select the age of 26 for making payments to counties fielding players under that age by accident. It was because by that stage there is every expectation that a player, if he is up to the requisite standard, will be pulling his weight on the staff. Not all of the current batch will get there, but we have a good chance of success.
It doesn't change the fact that we need players alongside them with the necessary combination of experience and talent. Rutherford and Rimmington did what you want your overseas players to do last night and we have not had that from those roles this year. By the same token, both have minimal experience of English conditions and each has had his own learning curve.
The frustration is that the perception of a season is based on narrow margins. We should have breezed a win against Northamptonshire in the championship and didn't. It was there for the taking against Durham in the T20 and we bottled it. We were awful against Surrey last week.
Yet we excelled against Gloucestershire, impressed against Lancashire at Derby and were something special last night. It is tapping into those wins for consistency, getting the right combination of youth and experience on the field and pressing the button for maximum commitment, EVERY time, that will dictate how quickly we progress.
The talent is there. No question. They just need to prove it, prove it again, then keep proving it.
That's how you become a good side.
It was a comment born out of realism. When we lost so badly and performed in such an ignominious fashion, as we did against Surrey, what real expectation was there of a win against our local rivals? The Surrey side we played was not far short of their second team, while Nottinghamshire have a team of galacticos, featuring seven players of international experience. It would have been easy to go gung-ho and say 'We can win this', perhaps shaking an inspirational fist for emphasis, but I like to think I base comments and forecast on more than crossing my fingers behind my back as I spout forth...
Yet win we did, in style. Indeed, after the dismissal of Rikki Wessels, the game always seemed to be there. Truth be told, it was there from the point when Hamish Rutherford injected the so-important 'oomph' into the first six overs. I said last week that I would gladly take him now for as much of next year as he can manage, so having shown his ability to play both the more restrained role and that of the dashing young blade I am even more convinced. Come to Derbyshire, build a reputation and get into your national side, lad. You know it makes sense.
Chesney's violent assault on the bowling will have entertained, but the greater common sense shown down the order was pleasing. Given a platform, there's no need for daft shots. Work it around, hit the bad balls for four and rotate the strike. When we got to 170, we had a shout, 200 was a terrific effort, made possible by everyone in the side. While the efforts of the top order in the Powerplay gave us the impetus, those of Messrs Hughes, Knight and Poynton in the last four overs took our score out of sight.
So which is the real Derbyshire? The timid, unprofessional outfit that lost to Surrey, or the slick, talented one that beat Nottinghamshire's finest? I guess we will need to wait and see. The words of Graeme Welch must have stung them last week, though they shouldn't need that to perform like they did last night. A reminder of professional obligations rarely does harm, though and perhaps it will serve as a catalyst for a strong end to the season. After all, there are three months of cricket to go...
I still maintain - and will continue to do so, be warned - that we need to factor in the youth of the side. Some of you scoff at the notion, but in your own place of work, how many of the key personnel are under 25 (unless you work in a creche...)? How many of the best footballers are under-25, rather than between that age and their early thirties?
Both Alex Hughes and Shiv Thakor bowled exceptionally well last night, Hughes also contributing key runs down the order. They have both come in for criticism, but both are learning their games and will have good and bad, perhaps not even in equal measure. They are 23 and 21 respectively. Tom Knight is 21 too and the staff is full of lads of similar age. They have not yet fully grown into their bodies, developed an awareness of what they can and can't do, mastered their game and realised what they need to do to compete regularly at top level.
Give them all another three years and we will see them fly. The ECB didn't select the age of 26 for making payments to counties fielding players under that age by accident. It was because by that stage there is every expectation that a player, if he is up to the requisite standard, will be pulling his weight on the staff. Not all of the current batch will get there, but we have a good chance of success.
It doesn't change the fact that we need players alongside them with the necessary combination of experience and talent. Rutherford and Rimmington did what you want your overseas players to do last night and we have not had that from those roles this year. By the same token, both have minimal experience of English conditions and each has had his own learning curve.
The frustration is that the perception of a season is based on narrow margins. We should have breezed a win against Northamptonshire in the championship and didn't. It was there for the taking against Durham in the T20 and we bottled it. We were awful against Surrey last week.
Yet we excelled against Gloucestershire, impressed against Lancashire at Derby and were something special last night. It is tapping into those wins for consistency, getting the right combination of youth and experience on the field and pressing the button for maximum commitment, EVERY time, that will dictate how quickly we progress.
The talent is there. No question. They just need to prove it, prove it again, then keep proving it.
That's how you become a good side.
Friday, 26 June 2015
Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire T20
Derbyshire 201-7 (C Hughes 52, Rutherford 37)
Nottinghamshire 167 all out (Wessels 66, Rimmington 3-24)
Derbyshire won by 34 runs
What a fantastic response by the Derbyshire players tonight!
My arguments over the talent in the side were thoroughly vindicated tonight as we comfortably beat our 'big' yet perennially under-achieving local rivals by 34 runs.
It was a team performance, par excellence. Almost everyone got a few runs, led off by Hamish Rutherford, who gave the Powerplay overs the impetus we required. Then came Chesney, with five fours and three sixes in his 52, before Alex Hughes, Tom Knight and Tom Poynton showed common sense and power in the closing overs to steer us to a highest-ever T20 total of 201-7.
It gave us every chance of a memorable win, yet the visitors were going like a train before Wes Durston removed both Michael Lumb and the dangerous Rikki Wessels. Still, with a depth in batting, the game was far from won, but a key spell was bowled by Alex Hughes. He followed his useful innings with a spell of four overs for only 22 runs, priceless in such a high-scoring game.
With Nathan Rimmington bowling tight closing overs that he is famed for, finishing with 3-24, Derbyshire won when Mullaney was held by Wayne Madsen in the deep from the bowling of Wayne White.
It was an excellent effort, a team effort, with the entire eleven playing a part and showing that the talent is most definitely there. Shiv Thakor again bowled an excellent spell and got rid of middle order danger men Patel and Taylor, while the fielding held up well.
Seeing a performance like that proves the talent is there and, if we can just find a way of tapping into that conviction and commitment more often, we can win more matches.
Now, let's see everyone who is quickly on here to criticise be equally effusive with praise tonight, because it is fully deserved.
There will be more from me tomorrow night, but tomorrow is a working day and I must head to bed shortly.
The pride is back, now let's keep it there and get on a roll.
Well done. lads.
Nottinghamshire 167 all out (Wessels 66, Rimmington 3-24)
Derbyshire won by 34 runs
What a fantastic response by the Derbyshire players tonight!
My arguments over the talent in the side were thoroughly vindicated tonight as we comfortably beat our 'big' yet perennially under-achieving local rivals by 34 runs.
It was a team performance, par excellence. Almost everyone got a few runs, led off by Hamish Rutherford, who gave the Powerplay overs the impetus we required. Then came Chesney, with five fours and three sixes in his 52, before Alex Hughes, Tom Knight and Tom Poynton showed common sense and power in the closing overs to steer us to a highest-ever T20 total of 201-7.
It gave us every chance of a memorable win, yet the visitors were going like a train before Wes Durston removed both Michael Lumb and the dangerous Rikki Wessels. Still, with a depth in batting, the game was far from won, but a key spell was bowled by Alex Hughes. He followed his useful innings with a spell of four overs for only 22 runs, priceless in such a high-scoring game.
With Nathan Rimmington bowling tight closing overs that he is famed for, finishing with 3-24, Derbyshire won when Mullaney was held by Wayne Madsen in the deep from the bowling of Wayne White.
It was an excellent effort, a team effort, with the entire eleven playing a part and showing that the talent is most definitely there. Shiv Thakor again bowled an excellent spell and got rid of middle order danger men Patel and Taylor, while the fielding held up well.
Seeing a performance like that proves the talent is there and, if we can just find a way of tapping into that conviction and commitment more often, we can win more matches.
Now, let's see everyone who is quickly on here to criticise be equally effusive with praise tonight, because it is fully deserved.
There will be more from me tomorrow night, but tomorrow is a working day and I must head to bed shortly.
The pride is back, now let's keep it there and get on a roll.
Well done. lads.
Thursday, 25 June 2015
Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire preview
I am a little tight for time tonight, so will make this preview short and sweet.
I don't really expect David to slay Goliath tomorrow. Let's be honest, our moneybags neighbours should be walking this group with the players that they have. It could be argued that with the players they have they should be more disappointed with their fortunes than we are with ours. Their top six or seven are largely internationals and they are not delivering the goods.
By the same token, Derbyshire look to have a decent side out and, if they play to potential and with the added incentive of wounded pride, we should make them know that they have been in a game.
It just needs someone to produce that special performance to put them under pressure, just as Wes and Ches did in that ten-over thrash at Trent Bridge.
The squad:
Wes Durston (capt)
Hamish Rutherford
Chesney Hughes
Shiv Thakor
Wayne Madsen
Alex Hughes
Scott Elstone
Tom Poynton
Tom Knight
Wayne White
Nathan Rimmington
Will Davis
Nottinghamshire's squad is as follows:
Ball, Carter, Christian, Fletcher, Gidman, Gurney, Hales, Lumb, Mullaney, Patel, Smith, B Taylor, J Taylor, Wessels, Wood.
I will be back tomorrow, when hopefully I will have more time. My expectations are to be reporting on a defeat, but I will gladly take an improved performance against such opposition.
In closing: Luke Fletcher: is he stalking us?
I don't really expect David to slay Goliath tomorrow. Let's be honest, our moneybags neighbours should be walking this group with the players that they have. It could be argued that with the players they have they should be more disappointed with their fortunes than we are with ours. Their top six or seven are largely internationals and they are not delivering the goods.
By the same token, Derbyshire look to have a decent side out and, if they play to potential and with the added incentive of wounded pride, we should make them know that they have been in a game.
It just needs someone to produce that special performance to put them under pressure, just as Wes and Ches did in that ten-over thrash at Trent Bridge.
The squad:
Wes Durston (capt)
Hamish Rutherford
Chesney Hughes
Shiv Thakor
Wayne Madsen
Alex Hughes
Scott Elstone
Tom Poynton
Tom Knight
Wayne White
Nathan Rimmington
Will Davis
Nottinghamshire's squad is as follows:
Ball, Carter, Christian, Fletcher, Gidman, Gurney, Hales, Lumb, Mullaney, Patel, Smith, B Taylor, J Taylor, Wessels, Wood.
I will be back tomorrow, when hopefully I will have more time. My expectations are to be reporting on a defeat, but I will gladly take an improved performance against such opposition.
In closing: Luke Fletcher: is he stalking us?
Wednesday, 24 June 2015
Time to circle the wagons
Well, the dust is starting to settle after a fairly awful day yesterday and it is time for Derbyshire to circle the wagons, regroup and prepare for the remainder of the season.
Thanks to all of you for your comments, all of them well-made and pertinent. Without exception they display the passion and desire that we all have for our club and the wish for the side to become a force in the game once more. What we need is for the players to show similar passion in their performances to the end of the summer.
I am not going to go down the path of a retained list, nor would I wish anyone else to do so. We are all aware of those who are doing better than others, but such decisions will be made by Graeme Welch, based on performance and potential, neatly counter-balanced by an obvious need to strengthen the side in key areas and releasing the budget to do so.
I mentioned yesterday that I went to see the second team in action at Belper and it made interesting viewing. Two players - Shiv Thakor and Alex Hughes - looked way too good for that level and are likely to be back in the side for the next match. Thakor scored a century, while Hughes went onto a double century today and both looked fine players with big futures.
They may not yet be quite ready for sustained first team cricket, but they will be soon. I remain convinced that both will be an integral part of our team for a number of years to come. So too will Ben Slater, who is enduring a rocky patch at present but who will get back to form, simply because he is too good a player not to. Harvey Hosein has massive potential too, while I understand that Tom Knight is making good progress with his bowling and could yet be the answer to our spin bowling issue, as well as offering good runs.
Then there's Tom Taylor and Ben Cotton, both fine seamers with things to learn, but markedly improved from last year. Give them another couple, like Will Davis and the next generation attack is in place, all of it home-reared.
What we need, and right now, however, is experience in the batting order. The captain has had a stop/start summer with injury and has not yet discovered his best form, but Billy Godleman, Wes Durston and Chesney Hughes have all had their good days, without scoring the weight of runs we desperately need. To be honest, Wayne Madsen's absence through injury has highlighted all too clearly how often he has papered over cracks and carried us in recent summers.
Whatever happens in the close season, we need to inject greater experience into the side and somehow the nous to handle match situations. I know I have banged on about this, but we cannot fast track experience. Four years ago, at 26, Mark Footitt's career was going nowhere fast. Now he is on the threshold of the England team, having realised what he and his body could do. David Willey has been several seasons emerging as a quality all-rounder. He and Ben Stokes are mid-twenties, yet with two to three times the match experience of our lads. Which is why they are now winning them for their clubs and country.
The youngsters named above need games but they also need experience alongside them giving them support and setting examples. Willey has watched the likes of Andrew Hall, Stokes played with Paul Collingwood, and both will have learned from the experience. I watched Gareth Batty yesterday and we hadn't a player prepared to take on the role that he played.
We also need an overseas player who is prepared to graft but more importantly inspire. Eddie Barlow did that, Dean Jones did it too. We need someone on the pitch who is going to inspire with words and deeds. The teams that Eddie and Dean skippered lost games, but rarely, if ever, without a fight.
I have previously rejected the idea, but watching the last two days suggested to me that we could do worse than a time-served Kolpak, if only to get to parity with other teams. We would still be able to play the 9-2 formula mentioned in the blueprint, but the presence of an experienced batsman in there would be a godsend. A Petersen, Prince or Ingram, or maybe a Kiwi with a grannie from Bolsover...
It is obvious what we need and where, yet undeniable that the club has talent. We just need to give it an environment in which to flourish. The likes of Barnett, Morris and Adams became the players they were by being gradually eased into a strong batting side, that included the likes of Barry Wood, David Steele, Alan Hill and John Hampshire, besides John Wright and Peter Kirsten. Experienced players all, used to a range of match situations. The failures of youth were less obvious and their successes better appreciated than if they were all thrown in at the deep end, without the life jacket of experience to help as required.
I totally agree with Mr Grant and his comments yesterday, as well as his right to make them. He is a supporter, first and foremost, an unpaid volunteer who has put his considerable reputation and skills on the line for no other reason than a burning desire to make our club better. As the elected chairman of the club, he is entitled to say what he thinks. Players have been happy enough to accept his praise and generosity when things are going well. They must be equally prepared to accept criticism when it is deserved.
Which it was on this occasion. If anyone thinks it wasn't, then you have a different understanding of professionalism to me, because we were not professional yesterday, with bat, ball or in the field. What I am sure has been made patently clear by Graeme Welch is that the remainder of this season is where contracts will be won and lost. If people want to be a part of what I still think will be a bright future, they need to battle for places and work when they have one.
Shiv Thakor and Alex Hughes went to the seconds, scored big and argued their case for a place. I applaud them for doing so and the next step is to translate undoubted talent into sustained performance in the first team. Not just a nice fifty now and again, but regular scores and contributions with the ball, too. Both can go a long way in the game, but need to be prepared to work for it, like David Willey and Ben Stokes have done.
There will be further pain in the weeks ahead, but if people step up to the plate, we can minimise the frequency.
Then build the future that we all want to see.
Thanks to all of you for your comments, all of them well-made and pertinent. Without exception they display the passion and desire that we all have for our club and the wish for the side to become a force in the game once more. What we need is for the players to show similar passion in their performances to the end of the summer.
I am not going to go down the path of a retained list, nor would I wish anyone else to do so. We are all aware of those who are doing better than others, but such decisions will be made by Graeme Welch, based on performance and potential, neatly counter-balanced by an obvious need to strengthen the side in key areas and releasing the budget to do so.
I mentioned yesterday that I went to see the second team in action at Belper and it made interesting viewing. Two players - Shiv Thakor and Alex Hughes - looked way too good for that level and are likely to be back in the side for the next match. Thakor scored a century, while Hughes went onto a double century today and both looked fine players with big futures.
They may not yet be quite ready for sustained first team cricket, but they will be soon. I remain convinced that both will be an integral part of our team for a number of years to come. So too will Ben Slater, who is enduring a rocky patch at present but who will get back to form, simply because he is too good a player not to. Harvey Hosein has massive potential too, while I understand that Tom Knight is making good progress with his bowling and could yet be the answer to our spin bowling issue, as well as offering good runs.
Then there's Tom Taylor and Ben Cotton, both fine seamers with things to learn, but markedly improved from last year. Give them another couple, like Will Davis and the next generation attack is in place, all of it home-reared.
What we need, and right now, however, is experience in the batting order. The captain has had a stop/start summer with injury and has not yet discovered his best form, but Billy Godleman, Wes Durston and Chesney Hughes have all had their good days, without scoring the weight of runs we desperately need. To be honest, Wayne Madsen's absence through injury has highlighted all too clearly how often he has papered over cracks and carried us in recent summers.
Whatever happens in the close season, we need to inject greater experience into the side and somehow the nous to handle match situations. I know I have banged on about this, but we cannot fast track experience. Four years ago, at 26, Mark Footitt's career was going nowhere fast. Now he is on the threshold of the England team, having realised what he and his body could do. David Willey has been several seasons emerging as a quality all-rounder. He and Ben Stokes are mid-twenties, yet with two to three times the match experience of our lads. Which is why they are now winning them for their clubs and country.
The youngsters named above need games but they also need experience alongside them giving them support and setting examples. Willey has watched the likes of Andrew Hall, Stokes played with Paul Collingwood, and both will have learned from the experience. I watched Gareth Batty yesterday and we hadn't a player prepared to take on the role that he played.
We also need an overseas player who is prepared to graft but more importantly inspire. Eddie Barlow did that, Dean Jones did it too. We need someone on the pitch who is going to inspire with words and deeds. The teams that Eddie and Dean skippered lost games, but rarely, if ever, without a fight.
I have previously rejected the idea, but watching the last two days suggested to me that we could do worse than a time-served Kolpak, if only to get to parity with other teams. We would still be able to play the 9-2 formula mentioned in the blueprint, but the presence of an experienced batsman in there would be a godsend. A Petersen, Prince or Ingram, or maybe a Kiwi with a grannie from Bolsover...
It is obvious what we need and where, yet undeniable that the club has talent. We just need to give it an environment in which to flourish. The likes of Barnett, Morris and Adams became the players they were by being gradually eased into a strong batting side, that included the likes of Barry Wood, David Steele, Alan Hill and John Hampshire, besides John Wright and Peter Kirsten. Experienced players all, used to a range of match situations. The failures of youth were less obvious and their successes better appreciated than if they were all thrown in at the deep end, without the life jacket of experience to help as required.
I totally agree with Mr Grant and his comments yesterday, as well as his right to make them. He is a supporter, first and foremost, an unpaid volunteer who has put his considerable reputation and skills on the line for no other reason than a burning desire to make our club better. As the elected chairman of the club, he is entitled to say what he thinks. Players have been happy enough to accept his praise and generosity when things are going well. They must be equally prepared to accept criticism when it is deserved.
Which it was on this occasion. If anyone thinks it wasn't, then you have a different understanding of professionalism to me, because we were not professional yesterday, with bat, ball or in the field. What I am sure has been made patently clear by Graeme Welch is that the remainder of this season is where contracts will be won and lost. If people want to be a part of what I still think will be a bright future, they need to battle for places and work when they have one.
Shiv Thakor and Alex Hughes went to the seconds, scored big and argued their case for a place. I applaud them for doing so and the next step is to translate undoubted talent into sustained performance in the first team. Not just a nice fifty now and again, but regular scores and contributions with the ball, too. Both can go a long way in the game, but need to be prepared to work for it, like David Willey and Ben Stokes have done.
There will be further pain in the weeks ahead, but if people step up to the plate, we can minimise the frequency.
Then build the future that we all want to see.
Tuesday, 23 June 2015
Derbyshire v Surrey day 3
Surrey 239 and 315
Derbyshire 207 and 125
Surrey won by 222 runs
I have to make an admission here.
I left this game with an hour to go before tea, once the Surrey lead had reached 275, as there was no way that we were going to score such a total. Instead, I opted to pop into the delightful Belper Meadows ground to watch the second team. Shiv Thakor got a hundred, Alex Hughes did the same (and was still batting beautifully when I left) while Tom Knight's bat sounded like the finest piece of willow on the circuit as he was immediately timing the ball well, with Derbyshire 350-5 against Durham.
What did I miss? A shambles. No other word for it. Bowled out in little more than a session by an attack that was made to look much better than it was by a spineless piece of batting. I wasn't there, but that wasn't even a first-choice Surrey attack. I can take losing, but not in a manner that smacks of defeatism.
The chairman apologised on Twitter tonight and I don't blame him. He and the off field team have spent a lot of time and energy in bringing in players, attracting sponsors and trying to build a team that is fit for purpose in a vibrant and improving ground. Things are improving, slowly but surely, but we keep shooting ourselves in the foot with a twelve-gauge shotgun.
The first hour today was great cricket. We bowled good lines and there was barely a shot in anger. Yet Surrey saw it out and the runs gradually came. There were two or three strong shouts for catches behind, yet the umpire's finger stayed firmly in his pocket and Surrey reached lunch with only two wickets lost in the crucial morning.
The early afternoon session was critical. Footitt ran in and bowled very quickly, could have had more than the wicket he got and gave it everything. Yet at the other end, I think largely with an eye on another slow over rate, Wes Durston bowled tight, but a long way from dangerous, off spin. We needed wickets and Surrey were able to mount their score with relative ease.
They finally made 315, of which 61 - yes, SIXTY-ONE - were extras. If we were a good batting side I would struggle to excuse that, but we are not. We are, indeed, some way removed from that right now.
There is a crisis of confidence among the batting and it makes for painful viewing. Individually we have some good players in there, but in the last two to three weeks we have lurched from one crisis to another with our attempts with the bat.
Any hopes of promotion are well and truly over now. We must play for respectability and need a far better effort than this to get even that modest aspiration under our belts.
Supporters are hurting tonight and I know exactly why, because I am.
This was poor. Shockingly poor.
Derbyshire 207 and 125
Surrey won by 222 runs
I have to make an admission here.
I left this game with an hour to go before tea, once the Surrey lead had reached 275, as there was no way that we were going to score such a total. Instead, I opted to pop into the delightful Belper Meadows ground to watch the second team. Shiv Thakor got a hundred, Alex Hughes did the same (and was still batting beautifully when I left) while Tom Knight's bat sounded like the finest piece of willow on the circuit as he was immediately timing the ball well, with Derbyshire 350-5 against Durham.
What did I miss? A shambles. No other word for it. Bowled out in little more than a session by an attack that was made to look much better than it was by a spineless piece of batting. I wasn't there, but that wasn't even a first-choice Surrey attack. I can take losing, but not in a manner that smacks of defeatism.
The chairman apologised on Twitter tonight and I don't blame him. He and the off field team have spent a lot of time and energy in bringing in players, attracting sponsors and trying to build a team that is fit for purpose in a vibrant and improving ground. Things are improving, slowly but surely, but we keep shooting ourselves in the foot with a twelve-gauge shotgun.
The first hour today was great cricket. We bowled good lines and there was barely a shot in anger. Yet Surrey saw it out and the runs gradually came. There were two or three strong shouts for catches behind, yet the umpire's finger stayed firmly in his pocket and Surrey reached lunch with only two wickets lost in the crucial morning.
The early afternoon session was critical. Footitt ran in and bowled very quickly, could have had more than the wicket he got and gave it everything. Yet at the other end, I think largely with an eye on another slow over rate, Wes Durston bowled tight, but a long way from dangerous, off spin. We needed wickets and Surrey were able to mount their score with relative ease.
They finally made 315, of which 61 - yes, SIXTY-ONE - were extras. If we were a good batting side I would struggle to excuse that, but we are not. We are, indeed, some way removed from that right now.
There is a crisis of confidence among the batting and it makes for painful viewing. Individually we have some good players in there, but in the last two to three weeks we have lurched from one crisis to another with our attempts with the bat.
Any hopes of promotion are well and truly over now. We must play for respectability and need a far better effort than this to get even that modest aspiration under our belts.
Supporters are hurting tonight and I know exactly why, because I am.
This was poor. Shockingly poor.
Monday, 22 June 2015
Derbyshire v Surrey day 2
Surrey 239 and 77-2
Derbyshire 207 (Rutherford 59)
Surrey lead by 109 runs
There is a big first session at the 3aaa County Ground tomorrow, with Derbyshire needing wickets to take back the initiative that they surrendered today.
After rising at 4am and leaving at 5, I got to the ground in time for the start, which was surprisingly prompt, considering the heavy rain showers I drove through not too far away. In all honesty, the Derbyshire batting was a little anaemic, albeit in conditions that helped the seam bowlers, as first session tracks tend to do at Derby.
Several batsmen were guilty of hesitant footwork and loose shots. That takes nothing away from the visitors who bowled steadily (especially Nottinghamshire loanee Luke Fletcher), but they didn't have to work unduly for some of their rewards.
The best batting came from Hamish Rutherford. I thought him quite like Michael Di Venuto in build and stance, though there is a bit of the Dave Warner in the way he punishes the bad ball. Strong off his legs like all the best left-handers, he was punishing if anything was short or over-pitched, though obviously disappointed with himself when he too rather gave it away when he was looking set. Previously he had looked a very well organised player.
On the basis of one viewing, I would happily take him for next summer. He is at a stage of his career where Martin Guptill was when he first came, eager to impress and with a point to prove to get into his national side. If he came here next summer and scored a thousand runs, he would make that point quite emphatically. On the basis of his play on an awkward track, he could do that if he cashes in when conditions are more favourable.
Only Wes Durston, who batted well before also playing a loose shot, and Tony Palladino, who clumped merrily in an important last wicket stand with Mark Footitt, suggested permanence thereafter. A first innings lead of even fifty would have been handy, but we surrendered one of 32, which could gain in significance as the game goes on.
There were two spectacular clean bowleds for Mark Footitt, amid some close shaves for others in the Surrey second innings, but we need to take advantage of the first session conditions tomorrow. If the visitors gain a lead in excess of 250, recent track record doesn't suggest we will chase with any confidence.
Stranger things have happened, but we need to bat much better than we did today. I still maintain that winning this one keeps us in the promotion shake-up, but a loss would leave too much to make up and, I think, only respectability to play for.
We will have a better idea by this time tomorrow.
For now, good night. Don't mind admitting that I am shattered tonight after that early start...
Derbyshire 207 (Rutherford 59)
Surrey lead by 109 runs
There is a big first session at the 3aaa County Ground tomorrow, with Derbyshire needing wickets to take back the initiative that they surrendered today.
After rising at 4am and leaving at 5, I got to the ground in time for the start, which was surprisingly prompt, considering the heavy rain showers I drove through not too far away. In all honesty, the Derbyshire batting was a little anaemic, albeit in conditions that helped the seam bowlers, as first session tracks tend to do at Derby.
Several batsmen were guilty of hesitant footwork and loose shots. That takes nothing away from the visitors who bowled steadily (especially Nottinghamshire loanee Luke Fletcher), but they didn't have to work unduly for some of their rewards.
The best batting came from Hamish Rutherford. I thought him quite like Michael Di Venuto in build and stance, though there is a bit of the Dave Warner in the way he punishes the bad ball. Strong off his legs like all the best left-handers, he was punishing if anything was short or over-pitched, though obviously disappointed with himself when he too rather gave it away when he was looking set. Previously he had looked a very well organised player.
On the basis of one viewing, I would happily take him for next summer. He is at a stage of his career where Martin Guptill was when he first came, eager to impress and with a point to prove to get into his national side. If he came here next summer and scored a thousand runs, he would make that point quite emphatically. On the basis of his play on an awkward track, he could do that if he cashes in when conditions are more favourable.
Only Wes Durston, who batted well before also playing a loose shot, and Tony Palladino, who clumped merrily in an important last wicket stand with Mark Footitt, suggested permanence thereafter. A first innings lead of even fifty would have been handy, but we surrendered one of 32, which could gain in significance as the game goes on.
There were two spectacular clean bowleds for Mark Footitt, amid some close shaves for others in the Surrey second innings, but we need to take advantage of the first session conditions tomorrow. If the visitors gain a lead in excess of 250, recent track record doesn't suggest we will chase with any confidence.
Stranger things have happened, but we need to bat much better than we did today. I still maintain that winning this one keeps us in the promotion shake-up, but a loss would leave too much to make up and, I think, only respectability to play for.
We will have a better idea by this time tomorrow.
For now, good night. Don't mind admitting that I am shattered tonight after that early start...
Sunday, 21 June 2015
Derbyshire v Surrey day 1
Surrey 239 (White 3-43, Footitt 3-74)
Derbyshire 64-1
Derbyshire trail by 175 runs
Were it not for a few missed opportunities to dismiss the visitors for under 200, this was a good effort from Derbyshire.
They have faced less imposing Surrey sides in the recent past and gradually worked their way through the batting order, finishing with a flourish in taking the last four wickets for just four runs.
Mark Footitt and Wayne White led the way with three wickets each. Mark's will send him off to the England training camp in good fettle, while Wayne maintained his current record of taking his wickets at just fourteen runs each. There will be those at Old Trafford who wonder why he never produced such form for them, but Derbyshire can be pleased with the pace man's form since his return from early season injury, as can the bowler himself.
White will be a key factor in our attack when Mark Footitt goes off. He is quick enough to be awkward and if he can rediscover his batting talents could become a key all rounder too. Support came from Tom Taylor, who went off injured at one point, while Wes Durston nipped in with a couple of handy wickets, especially on a first-day wicket. That one of them was the dangerous Dean Elgar was especially handy and we looked to have a chance of the ascendancy once the South African had been dismissed.
Billy Godleman didn't last long when we went in after tea, but Ben Slater got welcome runs on the board, if less flamboyantly than usual, while Hamish Rutherford showed the technique and concentration that is so important from a number three in English conditions.
There's a big first session in store tomorrow, assuming the weather allows a prompt start. Showers are forecast, which may truncate the play, make the batsmen restart their innings and keep the bowlers fresh. We need to work hard and build partnerships, but after the first day we have a good chance of taking the initiative here.
Time to go. Tomorrow I rise at 5 and hope to be at the ground in time for the start, traffic and weather permitting.
Might need a coffee when I get there...
Derbyshire 64-1
Derbyshire trail by 175 runs
Were it not for a few missed opportunities to dismiss the visitors for under 200, this was a good effort from Derbyshire.
They have faced less imposing Surrey sides in the recent past and gradually worked their way through the batting order, finishing with a flourish in taking the last four wickets for just four runs.
Mark Footitt and Wayne White led the way with three wickets each. Mark's will send him off to the England training camp in good fettle, while Wayne maintained his current record of taking his wickets at just fourteen runs each. There will be those at Old Trafford who wonder why he never produced such form for them, but Derbyshire can be pleased with the pace man's form since his return from early season injury, as can the bowler himself.
White will be a key factor in our attack when Mark Footitt goes off. He is quick enough to be awkward and if he can rediscover his batting talents could become a key all rounder too. Support came from Tom Taylor, who went off injured at one point, while Wes Durston nipped in with a couple of handy wickets, especially on a first-day wicket. That one of them was the dangerous Dean Elgar was especially handy and we looked to have a chance of the ascendancy once the South African had been dismissed.
Billy Godleman didn't last long when we went in after tea, but Ben Slater got welcome runs on the board, if less flamboyantly than usual, while Hamish Rutherford showed the technique and concentration that is so important from a number three in English conditions.
There's a big first session in store tomorrow, assuming the weather allows a prompt start. Showers are forecast, which may truncate the play, make the batsmen restart their innings and keep the bowlers fresh. We need to work hard and build partnerships, but after the first day we have a good chance of taking the initiative here.
Time to go. Tomorrow I rise at 5 and hope to be at the ground in time for the start, traffic and weather permitting.
Might need a coffee when I get there...
Saturday, 20 June 2015
Jim Brailsford
Frank Collis 'Jim' Brailsford played only three matches for Derbyshire, all of them in 1958, after being on the staff since 1951. Yet his involvement in the county continued over the years that followed and he was always a supporter.
He returned to the club in 1975, becoming a member of the General Committee, before becoming Vice Chairman in 1976. He was also a life-long member of Chesterfield Cricket Club, spending close to 70 years with the Club as a player, supporter and benefactor.
He was a good player, scoring thousands of runs at club level, but his highest score in his three county appearances was 41. He could forever reflect on one of those appearances being in the game against Hampshire at Burton-on-Trent in 1958, when his aspirations as an opening batsman in county cricket were hardly helped by a rain-affected wicket that saw 39 wickets go down in a day.
It was a game that entered into the legend of the club and Jim was one of only eleven to recall it from the business end. I had hoped to speak to him as part of the series of interviews for the blog, but when I called him, only a few short months ago, he declined with an apology, not feeling well enough to do so.
At the age of 81, he has passed away. It is fitting that his wake will be held in a marquee at his beloved Queens Park cricket ground, just before the start of the cricket festival there.
He would have liked that.
Rest in Peace, Jim.
He returned to the club in 1975, becoming a member of the General Committee, before becoming Vice Chairman in 1976. He was also a life-long member of Chesterfield Cricket Club, spending close to 70 years with the Club as a player, supporter and benefactor.
He was a good player, scoring thousands of runs at club level, but his highest score in his three county appearances was 41. He could forever reflect on one of those appearances being in the game against Hampshire at Burton-on-Trent in 1958, when his aspirations as an opening batsman in county cricket were hardly helped by a rain-affected wicket that saw 39 wickets go down in a day.
It was a game that entered into the legend of the club and Jim was one of only eleven to recall it from the business end. I had hoped to speak to him as part of the series of interviews for the blog, but when I called him, only a few short months ago, he declined with an apology, not feeling well enough to do so.
At the age of 81, he has passed away. It is fitting that his wake will be held in a marquee at his beloved Queens Park cricket ground, just before the start of the cricket festival there.
He would have liked that.
Rest in Peace, Jim.
Derbyshire v Surrey preview
So it's ta-ta Tillakaratne and hello to Hamish at Derbyshire, at least for the time being, as we entertain a Sangakkara and Pietersen-free Surrey side at the 3aaa County Ground tomorrow.
The absence of their box-office stars has seen the visitors engage the services of Dean Elgar, a good cricketer who is an enigma (see what I did there, classical buffs?), capable of big runs and periods of drought in equal measure.
Which effectively makes him no different to any other cricketer, as I pointed out below yesterday's piece. There is, when you think about it, a matter of millimeters between a player in form or out of it, between the middle of the bat and its edge. There isn't a player in the world hasn't gone through a period where they can't find the middle of that bat and it has happened to the very best throughout the game's history.
That being the case, what price the rest? One or two of our lads have been out of sorts in recent weeks, but it doesn't make them bad players. By definition, as I have written before, if you are engaged to play professional cricket, you are in the top one per cent of your sport and therefore an extremely good player. None of us, watching from the boundary edge, has any real idea of what is involved from a mental and physical perspective.
Perhaps our biggest issue this summer has been that our overseas players haven't performed since Martin Guptill joined up with New Zealand. Dilshan and Amla have career averages around the 45-55 mark, yet for Derbyshire they averaged 25, something a young county player may aspire to, but not a world-ranked cricketer.
A young side needs the hired overseas hands to take the lead and ours sit eighth and ninth in the batting averages at the halfway point of the season. Everyone applauded the club's ambition when these cricketing luminaries were engaged. Yet the bottom line is that, whatever their impact on the dressing room, or what positive message it sends out to other names around the world about our club, they haven't delivered the thing we really needed.
I hope that Hamish Marshall does better and I wish him well, because the role of professional at any club, amateur or otherwise, carries responsibility and all are ultimately judged on their statistics. Their success can make life a lot easier for young team mates; their failures leave them with undue responsibility. If an international player can't get runs, why should there be an expectation of them from far less experienced youngsters?
Tomorrow's game sees Scott Elstone take a breather, while Mark Footitt should earn the accolades of the supporters in his last home appearance before the pre-Ashes boot camp. One of Derbyshire's seamers will drop out, the final choice for me being between Shiv Thakor and Tom Taylor
The squad:
Wayne Madsen (c), Tom Poynton (wk), Ben Slater, Billy Godleman, Chesney Hughes, Hamish Rutherford, Shiv Thakor, Wayne White, Tony Palladino, Tom Taylor, Mark Footitt
A win in this one sees us catapult back into the promotion places and remember there is a lot of cricket still to play. Our attack will miss Mark Footitt if he gets into the England side, but handling that is another aspect of our development as a club.
Surrey have players out, with Moises Henriques and Rory Burns missing after their horror collision at Arundel last week. They have taken Nottinghamshire seam bowler Luke Fletcher on loan and have Tim Linley back from a loan spell at Sussex. Their squad:
Gareth Batty (c), Gary Wilson (wk), Zafar Ansari, James Burke, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Dean Elgar, Luke Fletcher, Ben Foakes, Arun Harinath, Aneesh Kapil, Tim Linley, Dominic Sibley
I am going for a Derbyshire win here, with a keen attack hopefully getting an opportunity to bowl first on a typical County Ground first morning wicket. We need to bat better, the inconsistency undoubtedly proving a frustration for Graeme Welch, but at out best we have good players who can win games.
I will be along to see the second and third days of the game and look forward to catching up with friends old and new. I'd have made the first day too, but my son's birthday ensures that I tend to domestic responsibilities first.
I hope to see you there after a strong first day.
And happy birthday tomorrow, son!
The absence of their box-office stars has seen the visitors engage the services of Dean Elgar, a good cricketer who is an enigma (see what I did there, classical buffs?), capable of big runs and periods of drought in equal measure.
Which effectively makes him no different to any other cricketer, as I pointed out below yesterday's piece. There is, when you think about it, a matter of millimeters between a player in form or out of it, between the middle of the bat and its edge. There isn't a player in the world hasn't gone through a period where they can't find the middle of that bat and it has happened to the very best throughout the game's history.
That being the case, what price the rest? One or two of our lads have been out of sorts in recent weeks, but it doesn't make them bad players. By definition, as I have written before, if you are engaged to play professional cricket, you are in the top one per cent of your sport and therefore an extremely good player. None of us, watching from the boundary edge, has any real idea of what is involved from a mental and physical perspective.
Perhaps our biggest issue this summer has been that our overseas players haven't performed since Martin Guptill joined up with New Zealand. Dilshan and Amla have career averages around the 45-55 mark, yet for Derbyshire they averaged 25, something a young county player may aspire to, but not a world-ranked cricketer.
A young side needs the hired overseas hands to take the lead and ours sit eighth and ninth in the batting averages at the halfway point of the season. Everyone applauded the club's ambition when these cricketing luminaries were engaged. Yet the bottom line is that, whatever their impact on the dressing room, or what positive message it sends out to other names around the world about our club, they haven't delivered the thing we really needed.
I hope that Hamish Marshall does better and I wish him well, because the role of professional at any club, amateur or otherwise, carries responsibility and all are ultimately judged on their statistics. Their success can make life a lot easier for young team mates; their failures leave them with undue responsibility. If an international player can't get runs, why should there be an expectation of them from far less experienced youngsters?
Tomorrow's game sees Scott Elstone take a breather, while Mark Footitt should earn the accolades of the supporters in his last home appearance before the pre-Ashes boot camp. One of Derbyshire's seamers will drop out, the final choice for me being between Shiv Thakor and Tom Taylor
The squad:
Wayne Madsen (c), Tom Poynton (wk), Ben Slater, Billy Godleman, Chesney Hughes, Hamish Rutherford, Shiv Thakor, Wayne White, Tony Palladino, Tom Taylor, Mark Footitt
A win in this one sees us catapult back into the promotion places and remember there is a lot of cricket still to play. Our attack will miss Mark Footitt if he gets into the England side, but handling that is another aspect of our development as a club.
Surrey have players out, with Moises Henriques and Rory Burns missing after their horror collision at Arundel last week. They have taken Nottinghamshire seam bowler Luke Fletcher on loan and have Tim Linley back from a loan spell at Sussex. Their squad:
Gareth Batty (c), Gary Wilson (wk), Zafar Ansari, James Burke, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Dean Elgar, Luke Fletcher, Ben Foakes, Arun Harinath, Aneesh Kapil, Tim Linley, Dominic Sibley
I am going for a Derbyshire win here, with a keen attack hopefully getting an opportunity to bowl first on a typical County Ground first morning wicket. We need to bat better, the inconsistency undoubtedly proving a frustration for Graeme Welch, but at out best we have good players who can win games.
I will be along to see the second and third days of the game and look forward to catching up with friends old and new. I'd have made the first day too, but my son's birthday ensures that I tend to domestic responsibilities first.
I hope to see you there after a strong first day.
And happy birthday tomorrow, son!
Friday, 19 June 2015
Worcestershire v Derbyshire
Derbyshire 136-7
Worcestershire 139-2
Worcestershire won by eight wickets
Put bluntly, we were outclassed and hammered tonight, by a Worcestershire side that looks well-suited to this format. Especially with Moeen Ali in their side and in such sparkling form.
From the reports it appears that some manic batting cost us any chance of gaining the ascendancy in the Power play, with wickets going down in each of the first four overs. No side would expect to win from such a start and we didn't. The lower order did well to get a score of respectability on the board, but no one managed the fifty-plus score that might have stretched Worcestershire.
As it happened, it wouldn't have mattered, because Moeen Ali came out and put the attack to the sword, having earlier taken three wickets. It is what you hope your international star will do on a rare county appearance and he didn't let them down. By the time he was out, for 65 in the eighth over, the game was effectively finished as a contest, with his side already on 83.
We didn't become world-beaters after last night's win, nor are we hopeless after tonight. Rather we were guilty of some injudicious shot selection and some suicidal running, neither of which, in a fragile batting line-up, are recipes for success.
There is a distance to travel before we can compete in this form of the game, but the biggest challenge isn't necessarily talent, but consistency. The better players produce their best game on a more frequent basis and at this stage we have too many young players who struggle to do that.
A work in progress.
Worcestershire 139-2
Worcestershire won by eight wickets
Put bluntly, we were outclassed and hammered tonight, by a Worcestershire side that looks well-suited to this format. Especially with Moeen Ali in their side and in such sparkling form.
From the reports it appears that some manic batting cost us any chance of gaining the ascendancy in the Power play, with wickets going down in each of the first four overs. No side would expect to win from such a start and we didn't. The lower order did well to get a score of respectability on the board, but no one managed the fifty-plus score that might have stretched Worcestershire.
As it happened, it wouldn't have mattered, because Moeen Ali came out and put the attack to the sword, having earlier taken three wickets. It is what you hope your international star will do on a rare county appearance and he didn't let them down. By the time he was out, for 65 in the eighth over, the game was effectively finished as a contest, with his side already on 83.
We didn't become world-beaters after last night's win, nor are we hopeless after tonight. Rather we were guilty of some injudicious shot selection and some suicidal running, neither of which, in a fragile batting line-up, are recipes for success.
There is a distance to travel before we can compete in this form of the game, but the biggest challenge isn't necessarily talent, but consistency. The better players produce their best game on a more frequent basis and at this stage we have too many young players who struggle to do that.
A work in progress.
Derbyshire v Leicestershire T20
Leicestershire 172-7
Derbyshire won by 17 runs
By definition, Derbyshire have now improved in T20, winning their second game of the season to better last season's tally with plenty of cricket still to play.
That they did so was largely down to skipper Wes Durston, whose barnstorming innings of 88 gave us a total we could defend. Wes now has five our six top innings in the format and is a very good cricketer, especially when the requisite support allows him to go for his shots.
He got that down the order last night. T20 games are largely won by one player batting as lead and others lending appropriate support and so it proved. There was a better 'feel' to our batting line-up last night, not just because it came off. The return of Alex Hughes, a player I rate highly, was welcome after injury and his cameo at the end, including consecutive sixes in 21 from eleven balls, pushed Derbyshire from a competitive total to one that was going to stretch any side if we bowled well. While only one run, the difference between eight an over and over nine in this competition should not be underestimated.
As they have already proved, this is a better Leicestershire side than recent past and they have some strong players down the order, yet our bowlers held their nerve. Nathan Rimmington's first over went for nine, but he did very well afterwards and Wayne White reinforced the positive impact he has had on the attack with another good spell.
So too did Alex Hughes, whose first three overs went for only fifteen runs and wasn't hit for a boundary until his last, by which time it was too late. He removed the dangerous Mark Cosgrove and although Tom Wells battled hard towards the end of the innings, Derbyshire remained in control of this one and ran out comfortable winners.
And so to Worcester tonight, where I would expect the same team to take the field against a home side that beat Lancashire at Old Trafford last night. It will be a tough game against a good side, but as we have seen, it just needs someone to raise the game and deliver that special performance. Hamish Rutherford will make his debut, replacing the largely disappointing Tillakaratne Dilshan and I look forward to seeing how the talented young New Zealander does in the coming weeks. He has a battle to get into a strong batting side for his country, but good performances at county level, as Martin Guptill knows all too well, can reap dividends.
In closing this morning, warm congratulations to Mark Footitt, on his selection for the pre-Ashes training camp. It is richly deserved and recognition, not just of excellent form over the last three summers, but also a level of fitness that once seemed unlikely in the lad.
I hope it goes well for him and wish him the very best. That he will be missed by Derbyshire is undeniable, but the 'buzz' we would all get from seeing 'Mark Footitt -Derbyshire' on an England team sheet is equally so.
It is within touching distance now, Mark. Show them what you can do..
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
T20 crunch
If we beat Leicestershire and Worcestershire in the T20s scheduled for the next two nights, Derbyshire will retain an interest in the competition. If they don't, they won't, simple as that.
There is no news on the squad yet, but expect little change as there are few alternatives. Tillakaratne Dilshan plays the first, then hands the overseas baton to Hamish Rutherford, while we welcome back Alex Hughes and welcome Will Davis to the competition.
Both opponents are beatable, but only if Derbyshire can shake the T20 monkey from their backs. They play really good cricket in the championship at times, and have showed this summer that they are learning to bowl better lines and lengths in the T20, if not yet consistently.
It is undeniable, however, that until our batting shows greater resilience than a pack of cards in the middle order, we won't win many games. An old head coming in with four wickets down would be great for us, someone like Sean Ervine perhaps, but such a move would be for another season.
Last year we struggled in Power plays. This year we have done better, then undone all the good work by poor shot selection in the mid-section of the innings.
For now, let's hope that a poor week can be redeemed at the last. There are good enough players in the Derbyshire side to win at least one of these games.
They just need to believe it themselves.
There is no news on the squad yet, but expect little change as there are few alternatives. Tillakaratne Dilshan plays the first, then hands the overseas baton to Hamish Rutherford, while we welcome back Alex Hughes and welcome Will Davis to the competition.
Both opponents are beatable, but only if Derbyshire can shake the T20 monkey from their backs. They play really good cricket in the championship at times, and have showed this summer that they are learning to bowl better lines and lengths in the T20, if not yet consistently.
It is undeniable, however, that until our batting shows greater resilience than a pack of cards in the middle order, we won't win many games. An old head coming in with four wickets down would be great for us, someone like Sean Ervine perhaps, but such a move would be for another season.
Last year we struggled in Power plays. This year we have done better, then undone all the good work by poor shot selection in the mid-section of the innings.
For now, let's hope that a poor week can be redeemed at the last. There are good enough players in the Derbyshire side to win at least one of these games.
They just need to believe it themselves.
Essex v Derbyshire - final thoughts
Apologies for the lack of a blog last night, but a domestic emergency meant that I wasn't home till after midnight, by which time it was way too late for coherent thought.
Were I a betting man, I would have put good money on Wayne Madsen scoring runs yesterday. He is a class act and just needed some time in the middle after missing several weeks with a broken finger. We missed him badly, just as the absence of an overseas batsman in form has hit us since the departure of Martin Guptill.
I've covered that before and look forward to seeing how Hamish Rutherford does in the coming weeks, as a man with a reputation to build. One thing he cannot do, any more than the captain, is address the lack of form in our batting order. Chesney is in decent nick, as is Billy, but after an excellent third-wicket stand yesterday, he and Wayne deserved a little better than the rest capitulating for not an awful lot.
It all makes for a frustrating time at present, with other batsmen out of nick, but you can only deal with the hand that you are dealt. It wasn't that long ago that we were acknowledging Ben Slater reaching a thousand first-team runs at over 40, yet right now he can't buy a run. Scott Elstone needs to convert attractive twenties into something worthwhile, at the same time that Shiv Thakor could do with a score under his belt.
They are a long way from bad players and only a fool would suggest otherwise, but they are out of touch just now, something that affects all players, no matter how good, at some stage. England's captain couldn't buy an international score for around a year, now he can't stop scoring. It doesn't help that we have a small squad and there is little point in wishing for more until the close season.
I don't see the loan market as an option, unless we made a sudden leap up the table, in which case we wouldn't need loan players anyway. I see little merit in someone else's player doing well for you, unless, like with Wayne White, it is a precursor to a permanent move. The bottom line is that we have a young squad that needs time to develop. The top averaging batsmen are the experienced ones and it is exactly the same with the bowlers. It is no surprise and one has to accept that inexperience, of which we have plenty, breeds inconsistency.
It doesn't help, of course, that we have two senior players in the second team, both struggling for form and fitness. David Wainwright has struggled to recapture the form of 2012, while Jon Clare has been seen only sporadically in the past four years because of injury.
There is no doubt that either in their best form would walk into and enhance the side, but Wainwright's absence has highlighted a huge void in our staff, while Clare is the lost man of Derbyshire cricket. Four years ago he looked an England all-rounder in the making, but he is 30 next summer and has had little or no senior cricket in the intervening period.
His contract is up this year, while that of Wainwright, like most others, is probably one whereby the final year is by mutual agreement between both parties. If we could get both to anything approximating their best they would be a huge asset to Graeme Welch, but the reality is that at the moment they're not and, while I hope I am wrong, they may not return to their best days.
Both need big finishes to their summer, that's for sure.
Were I a betting man, I would have put good money on Wayne Madsen scoring runs yesterday. He is a class act and just needed some time in the middle after missing several weeks with a broken finger. We missed him badly, just as the absence of an overseas batsman in form has hit us since the departure of Martin Guptill.
I've covered that before and look forward to seeing how Hamish Rutherford does in the coming weeks, as a man with a reputation to build. One thing he cannot do, any more than the captain, is address the lack of form in our batting order. Chesney is in decent nick, as is Billy, but after an excellent third-wicket stand yesterday, he and Wayne deserved a little better than the rest capitulating for not an awful lot.
It all makes for a frustrating time at present, with other batsmen out of nick, but you can only deal with the hand that you are dealt. It wasn't that long ago that we were acknowledging Ben Slater reaching a thousand first-team runs at over 40, yet right now he can't buy a run. Scott Elstone needs to convert attractive twenties into something worthwhile, at the same time that Shiv Thakor could do with a score under his belt.
They are a long way from bad players and only a fool would suggest otherwise, but they are out of touch just now, something that affects all players, no matter how good, at some stage. England's captain couldn't buy an international score for around a year, now he can't stop scoring. It doesn't help that we have a small squad and there is little point in wishing for more until the close season.
I don't see the loan market as an option, unless we made a sudden leap up the table, in which case we wouldn't need loan players anyway. I see little merit in someone else's player doing well for you, unless, like with Wayne White, it is a precursor to a permanent move. The bottom line is that we have a young squad that needs time to develop. The top averaging batsmen are the experienced ones and it is exactly the same with the bowlers. It is no surprise and one has to accept that inexperience, of which we have plenty, breeds inconsistency.
It doesn't help, of course, that we have two senior players in the second team, both struggling for form and fitness. David Wainwright has struggled to recapture the form of 2012, while Jon Clare has been seen only sporadically in the past four years because of injury.
There is no doubt that either in their best form would walk into and enhance the side, but Wainwright's absence has highlighted a huge void in our staff, while Clare is the lost man of Derbyshire cricket. Four years ago he looked an England all-rounder in the making, but he is 30 next summer and has had little or no senior cricket in the intervening period.
His contract is up this year, while that of Wainwright, like most others, is probably one whereby the final year is by mutual agreement between both parties. If we could get both to anything approximating their best they would be a huge asset to Graeme Welch, but the reality is that at the moment they're not and, while I hope I am wrong, they may not return to their best days.
Both need big finishes to their summer, that's for sure.
Monday, 15 June 2015
Essex v Derbyshire day 2
Derbyshire 148
Essex 449-8 (White 4-102)
Essex lead by 301 runs
Well, Derbyshire plugged away all day today at Chelmsford but at the end of it Essex had compiled a lead of 301 runs, which should be more than enough for them to complete an innings win at some point tomorrow.
Wayne White took another four wickets and Tony Palladino bowled with his customary accuracy, but almost all of the Essex batsmen got runs. While I entertain no hopes of Derbyshire salvaging anything from this game (how could I?) I would at least like to see them battle and make it hard for the home side.
It would have been a good day for Mark Footitt to grab a few wickets, especially with an excellent article appearing about him on Cricinfo today. The demand for his inclusion against Australia is growing and I hope he gets the opportunity.
I always find it amusing, when people discuss the ability of players, that they focus on what they can't do, rather than what they can. The perfect action/grip/delivery/follow through really doesn't exist outwith the old MCC coaching manuals and what Graeme Welch appears to have done is encourage Mark to simply go for it and bowl fast. If only all coaches were the same...
Finally tonight, there's an increase in the number of 'Anonymous' posts to articles. I have no issue with anyone opting for that method of contribution, as long as you put a name at the bottom of the post.
Critical comments are always published unless personal attacks and it is important to represent the views of supporters. However, I don't like anonymous keyboard warriors, so please put a name on the bottom.
I have my name and face on the blog, so it's the least you can do.
Essex 449-8 (White 4-102)
Essex lead by 301 runs
Well, Derbyshire plugged away all day today at Chelmsford but at the end of it Essex had compiled a lead of 301 runs, which should be more than enough for them to complete an innings win at some point tomorrow.
Wayne White took another four wickets and Tony Palladino bowled with his customary accuracy, but almost all of the Essex batsmen got runs. While I entertain no hopes of Derbyshire salvaging anything from this game (how could I?) I would at least like to see them battle and make it hard for the home side.
It would have been a good day for Mark Footitt to grab a few wickets, especially with an excellent article appearing about him on Cricinfo today. The demand for his inclusion against Australia is growing and I hope he gets the opportunity.
I always find it amusing, when people discuss the ability of players, that they focus on what they can't do, rather than what they can. The perfect action/grip/delivery/follow through really doesn't exist outwith the old MCC coaching manuals and what Graeme Welch appears to have done is encourage Mark to simply go for it and bowl fast. If only all coaches were the same...
Finally tonight, there's an increase in the number of 'Anonymous' posts to articles. I have no issue with anyone opting for that method of contribution, as long as you put a name at the bottom of the post.
Critical comments are always published unless personal attacks and it is important to represent the views of supporters. However, I don't like anonymous keyboard warriors, so please put a name on the bottom.
I have my name and face on the blog, so it's the least you can do.
Sunday, 14 June 2015
Essex v Derbyshire day 1
Derbyshire 148 all out (Thakor 44)
Essex 108-0
Every game at Chelmsford this season has seen the team winning the toss bowl first. On each occasion, the batting side has failed to make 200 and the bowling side has gone on to win the match.
Against such statistics, the breaking news this morning that we had lost the toss hardly filled me with excitement. Our batting is low on confidence and at present I had little expectation of a score that might enable us to dictate the game.
My worst fears were realised inside the first hour and although Shiv Thakor and Wayne White gave an element of minor respectability to the innings, we folded for under 150.
By the close, Essex were only forty behind with ten wickets in hand. Hard as it is to say it, the game is as good as gone after the first day's play
As regulars will know, I am a positive bloke, but June has largely been a horrible month. The expectation of April seems a long way off right now and there's much work to be done to get things back on an even keel.
Disappointing really. It is hard to say otherwise.
Essex 108-0
Every game at Chelmsford this season has seen the team winning the toss bowl first. On each occasion, the batting side has failed to make 200 and the bowling side has gone on to win the match.
Against such statistics, the breaking news this morning that we had lost the toss hardly filled me with excitement. Our batting is low on confidence and at present I had little expectation of a score that might enable us to dictate the game.
My worst fears were realised inside the first hour and although Shiv Thakor and Wayne White gave an element of minor respectability to the innings, we folded for under 150.
By the close, Essex were only forty behind with ten wickets in hand. Hard as it is to say it, the game is as good as gone after the first day's play
As regulars will know, I am a positive bloke, but June has largely been a horrible month. The expectation of April seems a long way off right now and there's much work to be done to get things back on an even keel.
Disappointing really. It is hard to say otherwise.
Saturday, 13 June 2015
Essex v Derbyshire preview
After two fairly ordinary nights of T20 cricket, Derbyshire return to the comfort of a format they play rather well tomorrow, when they play against county cricket's perennial under-achievers, Essex, at Chelmsford.
There appears to be an epidemic of side strains running through the seam bowlers at present; first Wayne White, then Ben Cotton and now Tom Taylor ruled out with such an injury. Nevertheless, we will go in with a strong seam attack and the depth of that area of the playing staff is one consolation. Alex Hughes is still out, but Wayne Madsen returns to captain the side.
The Derbyshire squad:
Billy Godleman
Ben Slater
Chesney Hughes
Wayne Madsen
Wes Durston
Scott Elstone
Shiv Thakor
Tom Knight
Tom Poynton
Wayne White
Tony Palladino
Mark Footitt
Even without Tillakaratne Dilshan, missing for personal reasons, it is a strong-looking side and I expect an improved performance, one that will hopefully help ease the pain of the T20 performances.
Mark Footitt has a particular reason to bowl well and quickly, as England captain Alastair Cook lines up for his county in a rare county appearance, having made a big hundred in the corresponding game last year. Pre-season they were some people's favourites for promotion, yet sit bottom of the table despite a side that on paper looks the equal of any in the division. They have yet to pick up a batting bonus point at home this year, although the 'sporting' nature of the wickets thus far has been a contributory factor.
Their squad:
Alastair Cook
Nick Browne
Tom Westley
Ravi Bopara
Jesse Ryder
Ryan ten Doeschate
James Foster (Captain/Wicket-Keeper),
Graham Napier
Matt Salisbury
Adeel Malik
Jamie Porter
Jack Winslade
Nick Browne made two centuries in the game at Chesterfield last year and the batting looks to be their stronger suit, with David Masters injured and Reece Topley on what is effectively a phased return after a back injury. There's no Greg Smith either and the former Derbyshire man hasn't had much success since moving down south. Form has been elusive at times and he has had injury issues to contend with, all the more worrying in the last year of his contract.
We will need to bowl well to get through a batting side that, on paper at least has plenty of talent, but there is enough in the Derbyshire side to win it, if they maintain the intensity of the second and third days at Canterbury. The weather is set fair for the four days, so it is time to kick our four-day season into top gear.
Good luck lads!
There appears to be an epidemic of side strains running through the seam bowlers at present; first Wayne White, then Ben Cotton and now Tom Taylor ruled out with such an injury. Nevertheless, we will go in with a strong seam attack and the depth of that area of the playing staff is one consolation. Alex Hughes is still out, but Wayne Madsen returns to captain the side.
The Derbyshire squad:
Billy Godleman
Ben Slater
Chesney Hughes
Wayne Madsen
Wes Durston
Scott Elstone
Shiv Thakor
Tom Knight
Tom Poynton
Wayne White
Tony Palladino
Mark Footitt
Even without Tillakaratne Dilshan, missing for personal reasons, it is a strong-looking side and I expect an improved performance, one that will hopefully help ease the pain of the T20 performances.
Mark Footitt has a particular reason to bowl well and quickly, as England captain Alastair Cook lines up for his county in a rare county appearance, having made a big hundred in the corresponding game last year. Pre-season they were some people's favourites for promotion, yet sit bottom of the table despite a side that on paper looks the equal of any in the division. They have yet to pick up a batting bonus point at home this year, although the 'sporting' nature of the wickets thus far has been a contributory factor.
Their squad:
Alastair Cook
Nick Browne
Tom Westley
Ravi Bopara
Jesse Ryder
Ryan ten Doeschate
James Foster (Captain/Wicket-Keeper),
Graham Napier
Matt Salisbury
Adeel Malik
Jamie Porter
Jack Winslade
Nick Browne made two centuries in the game at Chesterfield last year and the batting looks to be their stronger suit, with David Masters injured and Reece Topley on what is effectively a phased return after a back injury. There's no Greg Smith either and the former Derbyshire man hasn't had much success since moving down south. Form has been elusive at times and he has had injury issues to contend with, all the more worrying in the last year of his contract.
We will need to bowl well to get through a batting side that, on paper at least has plenty of talent, but there is enough in the Derbyshire side to win it, if they maintain the intensity of the second and third days at Canterbury. The weather is set fair for the four days, so it is time to kick our four-day season into top gear.
Good luck lads!
Change of plan for another year?
Over the winter months, the gradual release of the news regarding our overseas stars for 2015 was met with considerable excitement on this blog and on social media.
Understandably so. A lot of hard work went into acquiring the signings of Hashim Amla, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Martin Guptill and Hamish Rutherford, the world of cricket impressed by the stature of those we recruited. The first three, at least, had acquired big reputations and there was a quite natural assumption that each would bring the skills and runs that had created them.
To be fair, I've never been a fan of 'revolving door' recruitment. It backfired horribly on Essex when they spent a rumoured £10K on Dwayne Bravo for the knock out phase of the T20, only for him to have a disastrous first game in which line and length deserted him with the ball and form with the bat and they left the competition.
It is a difficult market. That revolving door is forced onto many sides by the increasingly congested calendar of international fixtures, leaving many players unavailable and those who technically would be in desperate need of a breather.
Derbyshire's signing of such names as those above looked to have nailed success, but with the exception of the admirable Guptill, it has been only a qualified success. I accept that Amla and Dilshan have been an asset in the dressing room with their experience, but the cold truth is that an inexperienced squad like ours really needed weight of runs from both. With the money we undoubtedly spent on them, the returns have been poor. Dilshan may return from his stint in the Caribbean Premier League invigorated and in form, but I look enviously at the likes of Michael Klinger at Gloucestershire for the sort of player we really need for another year.
No matter how good a player you are, it must be difficult turning up in another country for three weeks, quickly getting used to wickets and then performing to expectations. If people of their standing in the game struggle to do it, what hope for others? Far better if we could identify a fringe player for a national side, one who has played the requisite games to qualify to play here, but has either slipped out of the picture or retired from the international game.
Oh for a Chris Rogers or Michael Di Venuto! Maybe I'm alone on this, but I can't help thinking we may get more in the coming weeks from Hamish Rutherford, a batsman of talent with a reputation to build. Just as we would from, assuming they were qualified to play through their international appearances, the likes of Chris Morris, David Wiese or Farhaan Behardien from South Africa, Jimmy Neesham of New Zealand or Mitchell Marsh of Australia. All of them players who might find their international claims revitalised or enhanced with a good season in England.
Or there's George Bailey, a very good batsman whose Australian international career is a peripheral one at the age of 32 and might be a good option for the middle order. Identifying a player in this bracket, perhaps not the very top tier in the world game, but who could play half a season or more, would for me be a better bet than a big name every four or five weeks.
I don't think, for example, that history has been kind to the memory of Jon Moss. A player of perhaps more modest talent, but who, in 2005, scored 1500 runs in all cricket for us, as well as taking fifty wickets to a similar mid-thirties average. I'd take that from a player who probably didn't cost the earth but offered something with bat and ball. That would then free 'big player' money for a reliable out-of-contract player from another county, one who could give us important experience in the middle order, perhaps.
The best overseas player in the county game in recent seasons has been Jeetan Patel at Warwickshire. He averages in the thirties with the bat, in the twenties with the ball, gives them control in one-day games and takes wickets. Can you ask for more?
Looking at the 2016 international schedule, there is hope, however. New Zealand have no scheduled tours during our summer and there are any number of talented players from that country who would be an asset to us. We'd take Mr Guptill in a heartbeat, but wouldn't say no to any of around seven or eight others, either.
Something to think about, for sure and while on that subject I'd suggest that they have been the most popular tourists to this country in many years. Not just for the way that they play the game, which is always aggressive, always on the front foot, but because they have done it with smiles on their faces.
They have been an absolute credit to their country and I hope that next time they are awarded more than a somewhat derisory two-Test series.
Understandably so. A lot of hard work went into acquiring the signings of Hashim Amla, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Martin Guptill and Hamish Rutherford, the world of cricket impressed by the stature of those we recruited. The first three, at least, had acquired big reputations and there was a quite natural assumption that each would bring the skills and runs that had created them.
To be fair, I've never been a fan of 'revolving door' recruitment. It backfired horribly on Essex when they spent a rumoured £10K on Dwayne Bravo for the knock out phase of the T20, only for him to have a disastrous first game in which line and length deserted him with the ball and form with the bat and they left the competition.
It is a difficult market. That revolving door is forced onto many sides by the increasingly congested calendar of international fixtures, leaving many players unavailable and those who technically would be in desperate need of a breather.
Derbyshire's signing of such names as those above looked to have nailed success, but with the exception of the admirable Guptill, it has been only a qualified success. I accept that Amla and Dilshan have been an asset in the dressing room with their experience, but the cold truth is that an inexperienced squad like ours really needed weight of runs from both. With the money we undoubtedly spent on them, the returns have been poor. Dilshan may return from his stint in the Caribbean Premier League invigorated and in form, but I look enviously at the likes of Michael Klinger at Gloucestershire for the sort of player we really need for another year.
No matter how good a player you are, it must be difficult turning up in another country for three weeks, quickly getting used to wickets and then performing to expectations. If people of their standing in the game struggle to do it, what hope for others? Far better if we could identify a fringe player for a national side, one who has played the requisite games to qualify to play here, but has either slipped out of the picture or retired from the international game.
Oh for a Chris Rogers or Michael Di Venuto! Maybe I'm alone on this, but I can't help thinking we may get more in the coming weeks from Hamish Rutherford, a batsman of talent with a reputation to build. Just as we would from, assuming they were qualified to play through their international appearances, the likes of Chris Morris, David Wiese or Farhaan Behardien from South Africa, Jimmy Neesham of New Zealand or Mitchell Marsh of Australia. All of them players who might find their international claims revitalised or enhanced with a good season in England.
Or there's George Bailey, a very good batsman whose Australian international career is a peripheral one at the age of 32 and might be a good option for the middle order. Identifying a player in this bracket, perhaps not the very top tier in the world game, but who could play half a season or more, would for me be a better bet than a big name every four or five weeks.
I don't think, for example, that history has been kind to the memory of Jon Moss. A player of perhaps more modest talent, but who, in 2005, scored 1500 runs in all cricket for us, as well as taking fifty wickets to a similar mid-thirties average. I'd take that from a player who probably didn't cost the earth but offered something with bat and ball. That would then free 'big player' money for a reliable out-of-contract player from another county, one who could give us important experience in the middle order, perhaps.
The best overseas player in the county game in recent seasons has been Jeetan Patel at Warwickshire. He averages in the thirties with the bat, in the twenties with the ball, gives them control in one-day games and takes wickets. Can you ask for more?
Looking at the 2016 international schedule, there is hope, however. New Zealand have no scheduled tours during our summer and there are any number of talented players from that country who would be an asset to us. We'd take Mr Guptill in a heartbeat, but wouldn't say no to any of around seven or eight others, either.
Something to think about, for sure and while on that subject I'd suggest that they have been the most popular tourists to this country in many years. Not just for the way that they play the game, which is always aggressive, always on the front foot, but because they have done it with smiles on their faces.
They have been an absolute credit to their country and I hope that next time they are awarded more than a somewhat derisory two-Test series.
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