No complaints from me about the latest bit of tinkering from the ECB, where in county championship matches next season, the away captain will have the opportunity to chose whether to bowl first. Should he decline to do so, the toss will then take place.
It takes away pitch 'preparation' that favours the home side, or at least gives them a 50/50 opportunity of getting off to a flyer on a wicket that gives bowlers undue assistance. Wickets must now be good cricket wickets, made to last four days and hopefully, by the end of the third, offering the spin bowlers sufficient assistance to merit inclusion in the side.
Those counties that have effectively frozen out spin bowlers in favour of a battery of seam and dibbly-dobbly swing bowlers will have to don their thinking caps. Derbyshire's Wes Durston may come even more into his own as a batting all-rounder, while both Tom Knight and Matt Critchley will have conditions that may be more to their liking.
Theoretically, it could see the overseas spinner becoming a prize commodity, but the game is hardly awash with prize tweakers at present. Not even in its ancestral home of India, where shocking pitch preparation has seen the home side trouncing South Africa on pitches that are barely lasting into a fourth day. I'd suggest it was a throwback to the Indian side of the 1970s, when such giants as Bedi, Prasanna, Venkat and Chandrasekhar made a trip to that part of the world the ultimate challenge to the batting technique against spin.
I don't see the current crop of spinners in that league, but the wickets they are bowling on would light up the eyes of a moderate club twirler, let alone a decent international bowler. Would it change pitch preparation if South Africa were offered the chance to bat each time? Of course it would. The writing is on the wall when the bowling is opened by an off-spinner.
I don't see the star Indian batsmen being unduly thrilled either. Much as big name batsmen never looked forward to playing at Derby in the days when one could barely spot the wicket from the rest of the square, nor can those used to 'filling their boots' on feather bed tracks be happy about the adverse conditions. Mind you, if they are winning, they will be resigned to their fate and accept it, albeit grudgingly, as they watch their averages plummet.
I don't see it changing much at Derby, to be honest. The advent of the Falcons stand did seem to produce a climatic microcosm, whereby the first session each day was challenging for batsmen and bowlers got their reward for skilled bowling. Our problem last year, certainly in the matches that I saw, was that we too often bowled too wide or too short in those sessions, thus giving batsmen a chance to watch the ball go sailing harmlessly by.
I am sure that Graeme Welch will this winter be stressing to his young charges that the key thing is to make the batsmen PLAY. A new man at the crease wants a few wide balls to assess the pace and bounce, rather than having to figure it out from something homing in on his stumps and body. A rejuvenated Tony Palladino and Andy Carter will enjoy their first sessions at Derby and be expected to set an example in that respect.
It was interesting listening to Graeme Welch yesterday, saying that he has 'irons in the fire' for a another seamer. The potential of the young brigade is obvious, but expecting one or more of them to become the 'real deal' over one winter is perhaps unrealistic. We need progress, but they will need periods of rest, too. As I have written before, Carter will, if he stays fit, get fifty-plus wickets this year, but Welch is savvy enough to realise that we need at least plans B and C for the coming year to be an improvement on last.
I am confident that the signings of Neil Broom and Hamish Rutherford will help our bowlers have something to bowl at this year, but we will need a team approach to all the disciplines if 2016, the eightieth anniversary of our county championship win, is to prove memorable for all the right reasons.
Postscript: I still fully intend to do a piece on the academy intake, but time has passed me by these last few days.
Hopefully this weekend...
Friday, 27 November 2015
Tuesday, 24 November 2015
Good news comes in threes for Derbyshire
A 64% increase in the overall attendance in Derbyshire's T20 attendances reflects the a national boom for the format and amply illustrates the earning potential for the county - IF we can get better at the shortest form of the game.
The improvements in our bowling last season were well documented and easy to spot. It is not hard to see how there could be further progress if the bowlers kick on still further in 2016. Ben Cotton, Shiv Thakor and Alex Hughes all looked vastly improved bowlers and with support from others could make up a handy attack in the competition. They bowled tight lines, fired in the yorkers to good effect and kept the batsmen guessing. With more winter work on mixing up the pace, our attack should be both young AND talented.
Which makes the news from New Zealand of Neil Broom's continued good form all the more exciting.
Broom currently averages over seventy for Otago and the thought of he and Hamish Rutherford alongside Wes Durston, Wayne Madsen and Chesney Hughes in the line-up must whet the appetite of Derbyshire fans - even before we appoint a T20 specialist. Add in Alex Hughes and Shiv Thakor - both of who will be keen to improve on this year - and we should bat deep.
Where we fell down last year was in some fairly abject batting performances, with games given away by batting collapses that at times stretched credibility. The loss of Wayne Madsen and Alex Hughes for several matches didn't help our cause and too often we needed a little nous in the middle when the key phases of the game commenced.
If Broom, Rutherford and our mystery man can inject that much needed experience and common sense, we might just see a Derbyshire side that wins more than its fair share of T20 matches.
We'll see.
Finally tonight, the new intake for the club Academy has been announced. For some, that may be run of the mill news, but one or two of these lads could quite possibly in the first team in a couple of years time.
I will look at them in more detail another night, time permitting, tomorrow.
Adieu, until then.
The improvements in our bowling last season were well documented and easy to spot. It is not hard to see how there could be further progress if the bowlers kick on still further in 2016. Ben Cotton, Shiv Thakor and Alex Hughes all looked vastly improved bowlers and with support from others could make up a handy attack in the competition. They bowled tight lines, fired in the yorkers to good effect and kept the batsmen guessing. With more winter work on mixing up the pace, our attack should be both young AND talented.
Which makes the news from New Zealand of Neil Broom's continued good form all the more exciting.
Broom currently averages over seventy for Otago and the thought of he and Hamish Rutherford alongside Wes Durston, Wayne Madsen and Chesney Hughes in the line-up must whet the appetite of Derbyshire fans - even before we appoint a T20 specialist. Add in Alex Hughes and Shiv Thakor - both of who will be keen to improve on this year - and we should bat deep.
Where we fell down last year was in some fairly abject batting performances, with games given away by batting collapses that at times stretched credibility. The loss of Wayne Madsen and Alex Hughes for several matches didn't help our cause and too often we needed a little nous in the middle when the key phases of the game commenced.
If Broom, Rutherford and our mystery man can inject that much needed experience and common sense, we might just see a Derbyshire side that wins more than its fair share of T20 matches.
We'll see.
Finally tonight, the new intake for the club Academy has been announced. For some, that may be run of the mill news, but one or two of these lads could quite possibly in the first team in a couple of years time.
I will look at them in more detail another night, time permitting, tomorrow.
Adieu, until then.
Sunday, 22 November 2015
Book Review: Stumps and Runs and Rock n' Roll: Sixty Years Spent Beyond A Boundary by Tim Quelch
Part cricket book, part social history and part homage to popular music, Tim Quelch's latest book is the story of a life spent following cricket, primarily as a supporter.He is late into cricket book writing, but as Stephen Chalke has so admirably proven, that should be no barrier to success, nor to the reader's enjoyment. That the proceeds from his books go to charity is laudable, but no charitable urges are needed to support a book that is enjoyable from start to finish.
The author's strength is an ability to come up with a phrase that takes the reader, almost effortlessly, to the action. Wes Hall 'pounded in off a prodigiously long run, that began just yards from my cupped chin' beautifully captures the fascination of the game for the ardent follower, while Derek Underwood 'waddling to the wicket with the menace of a reclusive accountant, bewildered by exposure to dazzling daylight' encapsulates a great bowler in a phrase that John Arlott would have enjoyed.
I don't recall reading a cricket book before where the subject veers from Madonna to David Gower in the course of a paragraph, and any page that name checks both Jimi Hendrix and Curtley Ambrose has much going for it, at least for me. It is the surprise element that keeps the reader going, especially when the subject matter is well-known. The ardent cricket fan knows what happened in a given Test series, but the way in which Quelch presents his material is unique and thoroughly engaging.
The passage on Devon Malcolm's nine for 57 against South Africa in 1994 is superb and took me back to when I lay on the floor with my young son playing with Thomas the Tank Engine toys, yet with one eye willing the Derbyshire man on to even greater efforts. Such is the gift of fine writing, taking the reader back to that time and place, while for those too young to experience it, telling it like it really was.
There are fascinating insights into a personal life that leaves one wanting more too, with genuinely funny anecdotes rubbing shoulders with others that remind of the daily challenges that we all experience. It leaves the reader wanting to know more about the author, yet confirms his genuine talent in knowing exactly when to let it go. Few readers will end the book without feeling that the author would make wonderfully engaging company in a day at the cricket.
Tim Quelch deserves warm congratulations on a book that should be indispensable for those of a certain age, as well as required reading for those who want to find out what English cricket has been all about during the reign of Queen Elizabeth.
Definitely one for the Christmas stocking and a book that will get you through the dark nights until it all starts again next April.
Stumps & Runs & Rock n' Roll: Sixty Years Spent Beyond a Boundary is written by Tim Quelch and published by Pitch Publishing. It is available on Amazon for £17.99 and is also available from good book shops.
Friday, 20 November 2015
Footitt selection a triumph for Derbyshire
I read a couple of pieces on Mark Footitt's England call-up yesterday.
One was from Graeme Welch, who said that Mark's selection for the England tour of South Africa was more to do with Derbyshire than Surrey. The other was from a friend, ever the wag, who said that Mark must have improved since he left Derbyshire...
Welch is almost right, yet I would have said that the selection had everything to do with Derbyshire and nothing to do with Mark's new home. Unless, of course, that contribution can now be measured in his being closer to where the journalists are, never to be umderestimated in national side selection process.
Were it not for Derbyshire, Welch and an outstanding fitness and conditioning team, it is quite possible that Mark would have been out of the game at this point. They were not exactly queuing around the block when he left Nottinghamshire, where he was acknowledged as a bowler of pace, but variable accuracy and disappointing levels of fitness.
Indeed, he took only 23 wickets in four summers at Trent Bridge, which increased to 49 in the following three years at Derbyshire. Then, at the age of 27, it all clicked and his final three summers brought 202 first-class wickets. It was a combination of factors - growing into his physique, being properly coached, getting fitter than he had ever been before and feeling appreciated.
The latter is important for any cricketer - indeed, anyone in any working environment and I just hope, for Mark's sake, that it is replicated at both The Oval and in the England set up. We all know that he can still lose his radar on occasion, but he is increasingly likely to produce the spell, or the ball, that will challenge the very best.
With the retirement of Mitchell Johnson from the international arena, Mark has the potential and, hopefully, the opportunity, to become the fastest left-armer in the international game. I hope that they look after him and I hope he goes on to do so.
If he does, it is down to his hard work and that at the 3aaa County Ground. Nothing else.
One was from Graeme Welch, who said that Mark's selection for the England tour of South Africa was more to do with Derbyshire than Surrey. The other was from a friend, ever the wag, who said that Mark must have improved since he left Derbyshire...
Welch is almost right, yet I would have said that the selection had everything to do with Derbyshire and nothing to do with Mark's new home. Unless, of course, that contribution can now be measured in his being closer to where the journalists are, never to be umderestimated in national side selection process.
Were it not for Derbyshire, Welch and an outstanding fitness and conditioning team, it is quite possible that Mark would have been out of the game at this point. They were not exactly queuing around the block when he left Nottinghamshire, where he was acknowledged as a bowler of pace, but variable accuracy and disappointing levels of fitness.
Indeed, he took only 23 wickets in four summers at Trent Bridge, which increased to 49 in the following three years at Derbyshire. Then, at the age of 27, it all clicked and his final three summers brought 202 first-class wickets. It was a combination of factors - growing into his physique, being properly coached, getting fitter than he had ever been before and feeling appreciated.
The latter is important for any cricketer - indeed, anyone in any working environment and I just hope, for Mark's sake, that it is replicated at both The Oval and in the England set up. We all know that he can still lose his radar on occasion, but he is increasingly likely to produce the spell, or the ball, that will challenge the very best.
With the retirement of Mitchell Johnson from the international arena, Mark has the potential and, hopefully, the opportunity, to become the fastest left-armer in the international game. I hope that they look after him and I hope he goes on to do so.
If he does, it is down to his hard work and that at the 3aaa County Ground. Nothing else.
Sunday, 15 November 2015
Quiet old week ends with Heritage Launch
Not much news emanating from the 3aaa County Ground this week, as the winter really set in, at least north of the border. I was on the verge of starting my own ark at one point, so much rain has fallen. Were it the first day of a four-day game, I would be confident that the game was a wash-out for the duration.
The players have been back in training and have no doubt had sore hands and muscles over the past few days. The video clips on the club's Twitter feed have been excellent and it shows that the work has started in earnest. We can only hope that the players find a double-figure percentage increase across the board in the coming summer, consigning 2015 to a dim and largely unsatisfactory memory.
For me, this is the hardest part of the year. County cricket is slipping into more distant memory itself and the next instalment seems a long way off. Whether there will be player news, pre-Christmas, is anyone's guess, but mine is that it will be a long time coming. Players and agents will await the quieter post-Christmas period before making decisions on their futures, certainly those from overseas, where finalised tour schedules are not yet complete.
Off the field, I am pleased to see the club's archive launched today, with a lunch at the 3aaa County Ground. Such a facility is long overdue and the photographic collection, largely the result of a collaboration with the Derby Telegraph, is a welcome addition to club resources.
Over the years I have seen various items of memorabilia appear on ebay - player caps and blazers among them - and thought that the club needed such a resource to keep these items in the public domain. Private collections are all well and good, but I would be delighted to see a permanent facility where the blazers, caps and sweaters of other club legends can join those of Stan Worthington and Les Jackson on display. The same goes for match balls and bats - my summer visit to the Camp Nou and the astonishing memorabilia of FC Barcelona shows what can be done, if someone has the foresight to start things off.
Today's launch is the first step along the way and I am delighted to see it.
Warm congratulations to everyone involved.
The players have been back in training and have no doubt had sore hands and muscles over the past few days. The video clips on the club's Twitter feed have been excellent and it shows that the work has started in earnest. We can only hope that the players find a double-figure percentage increase across the board in the coming summer, consigning 2015 to a dim and largely unsatisfactory memory.
For me, this is the hardest part of the year. County cricket is slipping into more distant memory itself and the next instalment seems a long way off. Whether there will be player news, pre-Christmas, is anyone's guess, but mine is that it will be a long time coming. Players and agents will await the quieter post-Christmas period before making decisions on their futures, certainly those from overseas, where finalised tour schedules are not yet complete.
Off the field, I am pleased to see the club's archive launched today, with a lunch at the 3aaa County Ground. Such a facility is long overdue and the photographic collection, largely the result of a collaboration with the Derby Telegraph, is a welcome addition to club resources.
Over the years I have seen various items of memorabilia appear on ebay - player caps and blazers among them - and thought that the club needed such a resource to keep these items in the public domain. Private collections are all well and good, but I would be delighted to see a permanent facility where the blazers, caps and sweaters of other club legends can join those of Stan Worthington and Les Jackson on display. The same goes for match balls and bats - my summer visit to the Camp Nou and the astonishing memorabilia of FC Barcelona shows what can be done, if someone has the foresight to start things off.
Today's launch is the first step along the way and I am delighted to see it.
Warm congratulations to everyone involved.
Tuesday, 10 November 2015
Thrilled at Edwin Smith book review
That it came from one of my favourite cricket web sites was one thing, but I was absolutely delighted to get a review as favourable as this one, from Martin Chandler.
It came at a time when the supply of the book is dwindling. The reprint has sold very well and there are considerably fewer than a hundred remaining. With each day bringing fresh orders through ebay or email, I expect the book to be sold out - and gone forever, bar for the second-hand market - by Christmas.
Do make sure to order your copy by emailing me at peakfan36atyahoodotcodotuk. A copy signed by Edwin and I is £16.80, including postage and packing. You can also get a copy by searching ebay under 'Edwin Smith cricket book'.
Thanks very much to Martin for his kind words and to all those who have thus far bought a copy of the book.
I look forward to others getting in touch in the very near future.
Future bright for Knight and White
I wasn't going to miss out on a potential headline like that now, was I?The engagement of Tom Knight (pictured)
and Harry White on one-year deals is one of those that might slip under the radar on a busy news day, but be assured that both have the potential to be big players for Derbyshire.
Cynics will point to the fact that neither played much senior cricket last season and Knight, one of our bijou collection of spinners, barely turned his arm over in club or county cricket. Yet such comment belies the fact that people who know the game far better than any of us feel that he has what it takes to be a serious player. His destructive ability with a bat in his hands is well known to local cricket fans and if the coaching team have changed his bowling in a positive manner, he could be a very good all-round asset.
As I have written before, Tom was formerly a spin bowler with good control but with insufficient flight and turn to dismiss good batsmen on anything other than a helpful track. If I play devil's advocate for a moment, that might have been enough to make him a useful one-day cricketer, in a similar way to Stephen Parry is at Lancashire. The latter has played only nine one-day games in eight summers, yet is a key member of their one-day side.
Yet I don't think we have the resources at Derbyshire to employ single format players and it is in both the player's and our interests to take time to mould him into something more at a formative stage of his career. In doing so there is, of course, a danger that he could fail to recapture the bowling skills of his teenage years, but also the possibility that he could be transformed from a decent cricketer to one who is quite special. Given the dearth of English spin bowlers at present, I'd suggest it was a 'gamble' worth taking.
White is less far on in his development, but has height and his left-handed style as an advantage. Now Mark Footitt has gone, Harry and Greg Cork have an opportunity to battle for the 'variety' role in the county's seam attack. A change of angle is always an asset for an attack and both have an opportunity to work with one of the country's finest seam bowling coaches.
Good news in my book.
I look forward to seeing how they both progress.
Saturday, 7 November 2015
Broom solo effort fails to help Otago to win
Another fine innings by Neil Broom has given Derbyshire fans a tantalising taste of what they might expect next summer.
Broom opened the batting for Otago in their T20 game against Central Districts and top-scored with an unbeaten 70 in a total of 141-8. He faced only 49 balls, which suggests his team mates didn't do an especially good job of giving him the strike, but was not enough to prevent defeat by four wickets.
It doesn't look an especially strong side, truth be told, with Nathan McCullum's presence at five in the batting order a few places too high. He has been a decent cricketer, though not in his brother's class and his spell of two for 19 in four overs made the opposition work harder than might otherwise have been the case.
Other than that it has been another quiet week, the main news being the encouraging attendance of Derbyshire cricket legends at the Heritage lunch next weekend.
It is good to see the heroes of the past being recognised and celebrated. For me, Derbyshire County Cricket Club isn't just about those who are currently treading the green sward in the county colours, but every bit about those who gave years of loyal and fine service to the club.
Chatting to a number of these players in recent months has helped me to understand that sometimes they can feel distanced once their playing days are done. If it did nothing else, this project is worthy for reintegrating them with the club, yet it has done so much more.
I was lucky enough to see some of the sterling work that has been going on when I was down for the end of season Leicestershire game. Everyone involved deserves a pat on the back for their excellent efforts, which I hope continue to bear fruits in the months and years ahead.
It is the right way to go about things and I am delighted that it has gone so well for them.
Broom opened the batting for Otago in their T20 game against Central Districts and top-scored with an unbeaten 70 in a total of 141-8. He faced only 49 balls, which suggests his team mates didn't do an especially good job of giving him the strike, but was not enough to prevent defeat by four wickets.
It doesn't look an especially strong side, truth be told, with Nathan McCullum's presence at five in the batting order a few places too high. He has been a decent cricketer, though not in his brother's class and his spell of two for 19 in four overs made the opposition work harder than might otherwise have been the case.
Other than that it has been another quiet week, the main news being the encouraging attendance of Derbyshire cricket legends at the Heritage lunch next weekend.
It is good to see the heroes of the past being recognised and celebrated. For me, Derbyshire County Cricket Club isn't just about those who are currently treading the green sward in the county colours, but every bit about those who gave years of loyal and fine service to the club.
Chatting to a number of these players in recent months has helped me to understand that sometimes they can feel distanced once their playing days are done. If it did nothing else, this project is worthy for reintegrating them with the club, yet it has done so much more.
I was lucky enough to see some of the sterling work that has been going on when I was down for the end of season Leicestershire game. Everyone involved deserves a pat on the back for their excellent efforts, which I hope continue to bear fruits in the months and years ahead.
It is the right way to go about things and I am delighted that it has gone so well for them.
Tuesday, 3 November 2015
No fan of city re-branding
I have been looking for the chance to write about this for a while, but my recent hectic schedule at work and home has prevented me commenting as I wanted to do.
Gloucestershire are, apparently, considering the re-branding of their T20 side as 'Bristol' and have asked their members what they think of the idea. Given that they play all of their cricket there, with the exception of a handful of fixtures at Cheltenham, there is a certain logic to it, though less so, I'd have thought, if you live in an outlying part of the county.
Whatever else they do in their excellent attempts at reviving and upgrading our club, I hope that the people at Derbyshire never think that changing the name to 'Derby' is a good idea. It annoys me intensely when the Sky cameras are there and the commentators (Paul Allott and Nick Knight are the worst offenders) use the moniker when referring to our side.
There is a lot of offence taken in that missing syllable and way too much history to just toss it aside like yesterday's newspaper. We may now play all but one week of our season in the city, but historically it was never so. Chesterfield was the predominant playing venue for many years and enjoyed large crowds as a rule. Ilkeston had its share of games, especially the Nottinghamshire fixture, while Burton-on-Trent, Heanor and Buxton had their moments. Each had their charm, too, albeit of a fairly rustic variety in most cases, the toilet facilities being basic in the extreme.
Developing the 3aaa County Ground made sense from a financial perspective and the changes have been dramatic and pleasing, yet it would be naive in the extreme to believe that the majority of match day support is from the city alone. I am sure that the club will have statistics on the domicile of members, but the casual, but interested supporters are a well-travelled breed.
I love to walk around the ground on match days and chat to people I know, or who I want to get to know. They hail from Buxton, Matlock, Glossop, Bakewell, Crich and Belper, or from outwith the county boundaries. I am a Ripley man and we share a passion for the COUNTY cricket side. It is, after all, what they are called; Derbyshire County Cricket Club.
I am not sure what Birmingham Bears got from re-branding thus. Would people in the city suddenly realise after all this time that they had a cricket team in the city? Did a swathe of local arctophiles come forward to pledge their undying support, thanks to the new name? I suspect not, that it was just a gimmick and perhaps irritated more than it impressed.
There is nothing wrong with and much to like in the name Derbyshire Falcons. The traditionalist in me can live without anything other than the county name, but I can go with the flow on that one.
Never drop the 'shire' though, gentlemen. It means a lot to us folk outside the city. I like Derby, but I am passionate about the county, the Peak District and the stunning scenery that makes you proud to hail from that part of the world.
Yes, I'm a Peak fan.
Gloucestershire are, apparently, considering the re-branding of their T20 side as 'Bristol' and have asked their members what they think of the idea. Given that they play all of their cricket there, with the exception of a handful of fixtures at Cheltenham, there is a certain logic to it, though less so, I'd have thought, if you live in an outlying part of the county.
Whatever else they do in their excellent attempts at reviving and upgrading our club, I hope that the people at Derbyshire never think that changing the name to 'Derby' is a good idea. It annoys me intensely when the Sky cameras are there and the commentators (Paul Allott and Nick Knight are the worst offenders) use the moniker when referring to our side.
There is a lot of offence taken in that missing syllable and way too much history to just toss it aside like yesterday's newspaper. We may now play all but one week of our season in the city, but historically it was never so. Chesterfield was the predominant playing venue for many years and enjoyed large crowds as a rule. Ilkeston had its share of games, especially the Nottinghamshire fixture, while Burton-on-Trent, Heanor and Buxton had their moments. Each had their charm, too, albeit of a fairly rustic variety in most cases, the toilet facilities being basic in the extreme.
Developing the 3aaa County Ground made sense from a financial perspective and the changes have been dramatic and pleasing, yet it would be naive in the extreme to believe that the majority of match day support is from the city alone. I am sure that the club will have statistics on the domicile of members, but the casual, but interested supporters are a well-travelled breed.
I love to walk around the ground on match days and chat to people I know, or who I want to get to know. They hail from Buxton, Matlock, Glossop, Bakewell, Crich and Belper, or from outwith the county boundaries. I am a Ripley man and we share a passion for the COUNTY cricket side. It is, after all, what they are called; Derbyshire County Cricket Club.
I am not sure what Birmingham Bears got from re-branding thus. Would people in the city suddenly realise after all this time that they had a cricket team in the city? Did a swathe of local arctophiles come forward to pledge their undying support, thanks to the new name? I suspect not, that it was just a gimmick and perhaps irritated more than it impressed.
There is nothing wrong with and much to like in the name Derbyshire Falcons. The traditionalist in me can live without anything other than the county name, but I can go with the flow on that one.
Never drop the 'shire' though, gentlemen. It means a lot to us folk outside the city. I like Derby, but I am passionate about the county, the Peak District and the stunning scenery that makes you proud to hail from that part of the world.
Yes, I'm a Peak fan.
Lashings competition winners
Congratulations to Huw Lloyd, who was the first name pulled out of the hat by my daughter and wins one of the Lashings CC signed cricket shirts.
Sam Shelton wins the other and their prizes will be in the post in the next couple of days.
Thanks to everyone who entered!
Sam Shelton wins the other and their prizes will be in the post in the next couple of days.
Thanks to everyone who entered!
Friday, 30 October 2015
Win a signed Lashings CC cricket shirt!
I have two signed Lashings CC cricket shirts to give away this weekend, one on Twitter and one here on the blog. Both are small sized, so are perhaps more for the young cricket fan in your life, unless you are petite yourself.
They will, however, be a lovely addition to your cricket collection and are quite striking, as can be seen in the photograph.
Those signing it were:
Chris Schofield (England, Lancashire & Surrey)
Paul Horton (Lancashire & Leicestershire)
Chris Harris (New Zealand, Gloucestershire & Derbyshire)
Brenton Parchment (West Indies & Jamaica)
Preston Mommsen (Scotland Captain & Leicestershire)
Adam Riley (Kent & MCC)
Yasir Arafat (Pakistan, Scotland, Perth, Sussex, Kent, Lancashire, Surrey & Hampshire)
Matthew Coles (England Lions, Kent & Hampshire)
Min Patel (England & Kent)
Charl Willoughby (South Africa, Essex & Somerset)
Greg Smith (Leicestershire & Nottinghamshire)
Go to my @Peakfanblog Twitter account for another chance to enter, where you simply need to retweet my tweet on the shirt and follow my account.
On here, entry is equally simple. Drop me an email before 6pm on Sunday evening and tell me which of the players who signed the shirt had a short stint in Derbyshire colours.
The information above might just help you with that, just in case you are not old enough to remember! The first name pulled out by my daughter will win the prize, so please enclose your address with your email.
Thanks go to Lashings Cricket Club and to Burson-Marsteller for the merchandise.
Weekend warmer
It has been a fairly quiet week cricket-wise, but I had the pleasure of a trip down to the 3aaa County Ground yesterday for a lunch and talk with the the Derbyshire Cricket Society.
Edwin Smith and I were to be there, but the Derbyshire legend was unwell, so I had to do a rapid rewrite mid-morning. It seemed to go well, however and it was an absolute pleasure to meet so many committed Derbyshire supporters and such nice people.
Thank you to each and every one of you and I hope that the talk met your expectations.
The good news is that Edwin is much improved today and should soon be back to his best. I am sure that the good wishes of those present, duly conveyed, have helped him considerably!
I have to say that the lunch was absolutely delicious and the recent changes to the catering at the 3aaa County Ground seem to have improved things dramatically. If that is a standard that can be maintained, there will be few complaints over the forthcoming festive season.
On the subject of the book, which was being promoted, we are down to less than fifty copies now and then it will be gone. If you would like to buy a copy, perhaps for a Christmas gift, please get in touch by email to the usual address. It will also be available on ebay for the next month, or while stocks last - simply search under 'Edwin Smith book'.
Edwin Smith and I were to be there, but the Derbyshire legend was unwell, so I had to do a rapid rewrite mid-morning. It seemed to go well, however and it was an absolute pleasure to meet so many committed Derbyshire supporters and such nice people.
Thank you to each and every one of you and I hope that the talk met your expectations.
The good news is that Edwin is much improved today and should soon be back to his best. I am sure that the good wishes of those present, duly conveyed, have helped him considerably!
I have to say that the lunch was absolutely delicious and the recent changes to the catering at the 3aaa County Ground seem to have improved things dramatically. If that is a standard that can be maintained, there will be few complaints over the forthcoming festive season.
On the subject of the book, which was being promoted, we are down to less than fifty copies now and then it will be gone. If you would like to buy a copy, perhaps for a Christmas gift, please get in touch by email to the usual address. It will also be available on ebay for the next month, or while stocks last - simply search under 'Edwin Smith book'.
Monday, 26 October 2015
Another year for Chesney
It is a sensible move. That Chesney, in prime form, is a devastating batsman is beyond doubt. He bludgeons, rather than caresses the ball and I get an idea if it's his day in the first ten balls. Sometimes his feet are moving well and thoughts of a big score come to mind. Supporters can settle back for a treat when he is the groove, though sadly it ends prematurely too often for some tastes.
Last season hinted at a man on the up. It was his best and most consistent summer and there were enough innings of substance to hint that he may at last be coming to terms with the county game.
I think this contract reflects that. It is recognition of a good summer, but also a clear message to him to repeat it and show a level of consistency that has so far eluded him. He will doubtless be a key member of the one-day side, but will face a battle to hold down a place in the four-day game.
If one assumes that Godleman, Madsen, Rutherford and Broom will occupy four of the top six, then Chesney and Ben Slater are competing for one place, as, one assumes Shiv Thakor and Alex Hughes are lower down, unless both play on the seam-friendly early season tracks.
So there are incentives for hard work in the winter. I think Slater and Hughes are batsmen of genuine talent, the latter more experienced now and really needing to kick on. Ben, I think, has more time on his side but the competition is fierce, which can only be to the side's advantage.
I wish Chesney well. He is a genial character and I just wish that his left-arm 'darts' were not seemingly a thing of the past. Maybe they will be resurrected over the winter months..
More from me later in the week.
Friday, 23 October 2015
Lessons to be learned from history
I awoke this morning to a tweet, acknowledging it is a hundred years today since the death of WG Grace.
The first 'great' cricketer, Grace had but a moderate record against Derbyshire, never registering a century against us in 24 innings and only making two half centuries in the process. Nor did Donald Bradman, who 'only' averaged 61 against us, and nor did Peter May, who averaged a very modest 32 against Derbyshire in an otherwise glittering career.
Three of the biggest names in the history of the game and none of them registered a century against us, though each played at times when the county had a pretty good attack, of course. Grace faced Joe Hulme, George Davidson, Arnold Warren and Bill Bestwick over a lengthy career, while Peter May had to handle Gladwin and Jackson on uncovered wickets, something few managed to do for long.
Bradman? Well, he faced a largely aging attack in 1948, but came up against an inexperienced one in 1930 and one that was coming to the height of its considerable powers in 1934. All of which brings me to the point of today's article.
That attack in the 1930s was probably the most complete in the club's history and carried all before it in the seasons leading up to the Second World War. There was the pace of Bill Copson. as fast as anyone in the country for half a dozen overs, then the Pope brothers, Alf and George, who moved it around at sufficient pace to be awkward on most surfaces. They were also willing and able to bowl long spells, especially when they were taking wickets...
If they failed to break through there was the mercurial Tommy Mitchell's leg spin, or Les Townsend's off spin, while if things really got tough Stan Worthington would turn back the years and bowl a few overs of medium pace, having increasingly focused on becoming a very sound batsman as the decade progressed.
Eighty years ago next year, in 1936, that attack carried Derbyshire to their only county championship success, after coming third in 1934 and second in 1935. The truth of the matter is, however, that the seeds were sown between five and ten years earlier. With the exception of Copson, who burst onto the scene in 1932 and George Pope (1933) it was a time-served attack that needed only a decent batting effort to be able to force wins.
Which is why we will need a little patience, or recruits, if we are to hope for success in 2016. As our squad stands, I think we will improve in the four-day game, but I will need to see the progress in our young seamers to be convinced we can bowl out sides twice. If we picked up a good Kolpak seamer or all-rounder I would be more convinced, but Andy Carter and Tony Palladino cannot realistically be expected to bowl teams out all the time from April through to September.
With a young spin attack too, there needs to be an acceptance that a good all-round side may take a year or two to come together. Graeme Welch has recruited prudently and brought in two Kiwis who will stiffen the batting and with Wayne Madsen and Billy Godleman, we shouldn't find runs elusive. They should enable us to save more games than we managed last year, but if they quickly find form we will find opponents setting less than generous targets, just as happened when John Wright and Peter Kirsten were in their pomp.
In time, one or two of the clutch of young seamers may earn reputations to rank alongside some of the greats named above, but they need time to learn and hone their craft. If it happens next year I will be as thrilled as anyone, but I remain to be convinced that match-winning experience can be fast-tracked over one winter.
In time though, the groundwork now being done will pay greater dividends and we should all remember and acknowledge that.
Just as they did in 1936, when Sam Cadman's earlier work was commended and came to the ultimate fruition.
The first 'great' cricketer, Grace had but a moderate record against Derbyshire, never registering a century against us in 24 innings and only making two half centuries in the process. Nor did Donald Bradman, who 'only' averaged 61 against us, and nor did Peter May, who averaged a very modest 32 against Derbyshire in an otherwise glittering career.
Three of the biggest names in the history of the game and none of them registered a century against us, though each played at times when the county had a pretty good attack, of course. Grace faced Joe Hulme, George Davidson, Arnold Warren and Bill Bestwick over a lengthy career, while Peter May had to handle Gladwin and Jackson on uncovered wickets, something few managed to do for long.
Bradman? Well, he faced a largely aging attack in 1948, but came up against an inexperienced one in 1930 and one that was coming to the height of its considerable powers in 1934. All of which brings me to the point of today's article.
That attack in the 1930s was probably the most complete in the club's history and carried all before it in the seasons leading up to the Second World War. There was the pace of Bill Copson. as fast as anyone in the country for half a dozen overs, then the Pope brothers, Alf and George, who moved it around at sufficient pace to be awkward on most surfaces. They were also willing and able to bowl long spells, especially when they were taking wickets...
If they failed to break through there was the mercurial Tommy Mitchell's leg spin, or Les Townsend's off spin, while if things really got tough Stan Worthington would turn back the years and bowl a few overs of medium pace, having increasingly focused on becoming a very sound batsman as the decade progressed.
Eighty years ago next year, in 1936, that attack carried Derbyshire to their only county championship success, after coming third in 1934 and second in 1935. The truth of the matter is, however, that the seeds were sown between five and ten years earlier. With the exception of Copson, who burst onto the scene in 1932 and George Pope (1933) it was a time-served attack that needed only a decent batting effort to be able to force wins.
Which is why we will need a little patience, or recruits, if we are to hope for success in 2016. As our squad stands, I think we will improve in the four-day game, but I will need to see the progress in our young seamers to be convinced we can bowl out sides twice. If we picked up a good Kolpak seamer or all-rounder I would be more convinced, but Andy Carter and Tony Palladino cannot realistically be expected to bowl teams out all the time from April through to September.
With a young spin attack too, there needs to be an acceptance that a good all-round side may take a year or two to come together. Graeme Welch has recruited prudently and brought in two Kiwis who will stiffen the batting and with Wayne Madsen and Billy Godleman, we shouldn't find runs elusive. They should enable us to save more games than we managed last year, but if they quickly find form we will find opponents setting less than generous targets, just as happened when John Wright and Peter Kirsten were in their pomp.
In time, one or two of the clutch of young seamers may earn reputations to rank alongside some of the greats named above, but they need time to learn and hone their craft. If it happens next year I will be as thrilled as anyone, but I remain to be convinced that match-winning experience can be fast-tracked over one winter.
In time though, the groundwork now being done will pay greater dividends and we should all remember and acknowledge that.
Just as they did in 1936, when Sam Cadman's earlier work was commended and came to the ultimate fruition.
Thursday, 22 October 2015
Book Review : Grizzly: My Life and Times in Cricket by Chris Adams
Forget Kevin Pietersen, this was the book that I had eagerly awaited since hearing of its forthcoming publication, some time back. Chris Adams is, after all, a Derbyshire legend, the Whitwell lad who should have been the cornerstone of our batting for years.Yet it all went sour for him at Derbyshire, as it did for so many others at that time, of course. For supporters of the county, the first part of the book will be the most interesting and is something I will return to, but this book is excellent value throughout and doesn't disappoint in any way.
Bruce Talbot has done a fine job in the ghost writing and the book moves along at great pace, like the best of action thrillers. It pulls no punches, just like Adams at the crease. It is patently clear why he was such a good captain, leading his Sussex side from the front and into the most successful county side of the 2000s with aggressive batting, innovative captaincy and the not inconsiderable weapon of Mushtaq Ahmed as the spearhead of a potent attack.
His international career never took off and he was guilty of squandering a few starts, albeit against a strong South African attack. Luck plays a part in careers and a debut against a lesser side may have seen him flourish, yet England's loss was Sussex's gain and Adams led them to a period of unprecedented success.
His move to coaching was predictable and his early success at Surrey came as no surprise. Yet in the space of twelve months the club was in turmoil, suffering the death of Tom Maynard and the consequential and inevitable disarray as players and management struggled to cope with the loss of such a precocious talent. Ultimately Adams lost his job, but remains a coach with unfinished business at a shrewd county prepared to give him the opportunity.
That could have been at Derbyshire, as he explains being in the frame for the current role held by Graeme Welch. It is not hard to see his return to the county game at some point in the future, when his experiences, good and bad, will doubtless have steeled him and prepared him for a fresh challenge.
So what are his thoughts on those years at Derbyshire? He had 'difficult times' with Kim Barnett, who he describes as a man of few words but as a fantastic batsman. It was a troubled dressing room with strong characters, one in which Barnett and John Morris had a 'strained' relationship and in which the 'outspoken' views of Dominic Cork failed to help.
He admired Mohammad Azharuddin, struggled with Daryl Cullinan, who took his cricket very seriously and suffered from an especially juvenile prank, but really hit it off with Dean Jones and Les Stillman. The latter is credited with transforming his batting, but the abrasive style of Jones saw him at odds with most of the dressing room. While they almost delivered a second county championship to Derbyshire in 1996, the 'brutal honesty' of Jones did not sit well with other team members and Adams felt increasingly marginalised.
There's also a vivid account of the 1993 Benson and Hedges Cup Final and the lunchtime row with Wasim Akram over the latter's earlier beamer. The lead up to this is well explained, the bowler's later assertion that Adams threatened him with 'a butter knife' being denied and coming across as ever so slightly laughable. Yet it galvanised Derbyshire and Kim Barnett's assertion that they should 'leave Mike Atherton out there to chew up a lot of balls' later turned the game.
All of which makes for a quite terrific read. The only minus mark I could put against it is a sloppy mis-spelling of Guy 'Willett' (sic), the then Derbyshire chairman and former club captain. It doesn't detract from a book that should be high on the Christmas list of any Derbyshire, Sussex or Surrey fan, however.
Or indeed for any cricket enthusiast, tired of anodyne autobiographies that add little to what is already known about the subject from assorted media. Full marks to Pitch Publishing for another excellent read and for a book in which the typeface is excellent and the overall production of a very high standard.
Get it in your Christmas stocking.
You won't be disappointed.
Grizzly: My Life and Times in Cricket is written by Chris Adams with Bruce Talbot and published by Pitch Publishing, It is available from all good book shops and is currently available in hard back from Amazon, priced £15.90
Monday, 19 October 2015
Pringle story gets crisp response from Derbyshire
From the press release that emanated from the club today, it would
appear that Ryan Pringle - or perhaps, more specifically, his agent, may
not be flavour of the month in Derby right now.
I have to admit that I was surprised to read of our supposed 'signing' of the player from a newspaper report on Saturday. The club normally conduct their business discreetly and professionally, so to see a new player announced through another source was a surprise. The only precedent was when an Indian news agency announced that Cheteshwar Pujara had signed for the club, a day or so ahead of the club releasing the news themselves. That was more credible though - and at least turned out to be true.
I suspect that the player's agent has attempted a little leverage on the current employers by releasing the 'news', which is a little naughty, but probably not at all innovative. Interest from other counties is an obvious tactic to use in contractual negotiations, but can also be a dangerous game, if the current employer haven't made up their minds on your future.
Being in the public domain, as it was, I reported on it, but am sure my concerns as to the veracity of the information were obvious to those reading it. So it transpired and we must wait for news of further team strengthening, which it will in its own sweet time.
Truth be told, I am increasingly selective of the news agencies that I believe. The news feeds to which I subscribe (not pay for!) contain many wild and woolly stories to entice people into reading, then their laptops and tablets are bombarded with a gazillion adverts they hope you will click onto.
As the club rightly said today, the time to believe a signing is when it is announced on their site, until which time it can really only be conjecture and supposition.
Just wait until you read of our signing AB de Villiers for the T20 though...
And be aware, if you read it on here, that it may just be April 1st.
I have to admit that I was surprised to read of our supposed 'signing' of the player from a newspaper report on Saturday. The club normally conduct their business discreetly and professionally, so to see a new player announced through another source was a surprise. The only precedent was when an Indian news agency announced that Cheteshwar Pujara had signed for the club, a day or so ahead of the club releasing the news themselves. That was more credible though - and at least turned out to be true.
I suspect that the player's agent has attempted a little leverage on the current employers by releasing the 'news', which is a little naughty, but probably not at all innovative. Interest from other counties is an obvious tactic to use in contractual negotiations, but can also be a dangerous game, if the current employer haven't made up their minds on your future.
Being in the public domain, as it was, I reported on it, but am sure my concerns as to the veracity of the information were obvious to those reading it. So it transpired and we must wait for news of further team strengthening, which it will in its own sweet time.
Truth be told, I am increasingly selective of the news agencies that I believe. The news feeds to which I subscribe (not pay for!) contain many wild and woolly stories to entice people into reading, then their laptops and tablets are bombarded with a gazillion adverts they hope you will click onto.
As the club rightly said today, the time to believe a signing is when it is announced on their site, until which time it can really only be conjecture and supposition.
Just wait until you read of our signing AB de Villiers for the T20 though...
And be aware, if you read it on here, that it may just be April 1st.
Sunday, 18 October 2015
Broom and Rutherford in form for Otago
Otago's first innings was built around Hamish Rutherford's 79, then bolstered by a century from Jimmy Neesham, another fine and very underrated cricketer, before Central Districts replied with a mammoth 650-8.
When they took two wickets before the close, including that of Rutherford, they must have sniffed victory, but Broom batted for all of the last day to make an unbeaten 131, with fifteen fours.
The game ended in a draw, but the form of the two Derbyshire men is good to see!
Saturday, 17 October 2015
Ryan Pringle set for Derbyshire switch?
Durham all-rounder Ryan Pringle is, according to the North East Chronicle, set to be confirmed as a Derbyshire player this week, after contract talks broke down with his home county.Pringle, an exciting young talent who bowls off spin, can be classed as a genuine all rounder. At 23, he averages thirty with both bat and ball and had a very encouraging summer with Durham last year. He is seen as one of their best young players and the signing of a cricketer of division one pedigree would be a huge boost to Derbyshire. IF it happens...
A later edition says that Durham have made an eleventh hour bid to retain the player's services with an improved contract offer, but let's all hope that the lad fancies working with someone from his own part of the world and doesn't change his mind.
Be aware, though, that despite what is written in some quarters, this is not yet a done deal, so it is one for which we should keep fingers crossed.
We will need to wait for the official news to break for a more detailed write up from me, but if you want to see what I have read, here you are!
Friday, 16 October 2015
Cotton extension ends a lively week
The genial giant is a fine prospect. Some way removed from the finished product, but a lad whose potential is obvious. I still think he can gain a yard or two in pace and can get nastier with a ball in his hand, but his skills can only be enhanced by working with Graeme Welch and he showed in flashes this season that he has much to offer.
His T20 bowling, until a side strain truncated his campaign, was excellent. Bowling at the top and tail of the innings, he showed a remarkable ability to drop a yorker into the slot and conceded under seven an over. What he now needs to do is improve his wicket-taking skills in the longer format, something that will put him to the front of the queue for a place in a first-choice side.
That Cotts can bowl is undeniable and the raw talent is there. By the end of his two-year deal, we should have a good idea as to whether he can become a very good county bowler - or maybe even more.
I've had a few mails, tweets and messages about the departure of Mark Footitt and thankfully thay have all recognised the excellent service that Mark gave to us. We would all have liked the stay to be longer, but, as I said last night, he is entitled to do what he feels is best for him, his career and his family.
Below last night's piece, Mark suggests that Wayne Madsen will be next to leave the county. I don't see that, to be honest, because his circumstances are, for me, quite different.
Wayne is a focal point of Derbyshire cricket, the star batsman, the captain, the figurehead of the club. As such, I would assume he is as well paid as we can afford and is the most indispensable player in it. Yes, he could be approached by other counties, but would be unlikely to be captain and I wouldn't have thought would be as well treated as he has been at Derbyshire, where is both respected and valued.
The latter is important to any player - for that matter to an employee in any organisation. With his wife running a successful business locally, a career at Derbyshire remains a common sense option for the skipper, but there is a persuasive argument ahead at his next contract discussion.
Next year will be Wayne's eighth in Derbyshire colours and I would hope that the club offer him a tax-free benefit in 2018 or 2019. That would likely be more lucrative than any other deal offered to him and would set him up quite nicely for a future career, quite possibly in coaching.
He is a decent and honourable man and every interview suggests that he wants to lead a young group of players into a bright future. I hope so, because his calm persona and exemplary personal conduct are what an impressionable group of players needs.
His captaincy isn't yet perfect. I would love to see him try a few more things when wickets are elusive, such as introducing Wes Durston earlier, or bowling himself more, but he is a thoughtful man and an outstanding batsman. He exudes calm and confidence at the crease and, to quote Edwin Smith when I watched a session of play with him earlier this season, 'he looks a proper batsman'.
I hope that we see that immaculate defence, the stylish drives and the best reverse sweep in the game in our colours for many seasons to come.
And I think we will.
Thursday, 15 October 2015
Farewell to Footitt...
I wish him well, as I hope you all do. There will doubtless be dissenting voices who scream a lack of loyalty, but Mark has gone for top level county cricket where the journalists are, in the hope that he can capitalise on the form and fitness of his life with an England call up. It would be the icing on the cake that should, assuming his agent has done his sums properly, ensure Mark is comfortable for the rest of his cricket career.
He is now at his peak and Surrey should, if their fitness and conditioning team are as good as ours, enjoy the four years of his contract with plenty of lively displays. Like Derbyshire supporters, Oval fans (the ground, not their shape) will enjoy the days when he gets it right and bowls with a pace and hostility matched by few in the modern county game. They must also tolerate those when the radar has gone and he occasionally endangers the well-being of the wicket-keeper, with dives and leaps to the limit of their sinews.
He is a lovely lad who has been a credit to his family and his profession in his attitude. Any one of us would swap doing a job we enjoy in one place for the same job, but greater reward elsewhere. Mark deserves a crack at the top level and should an England call come, we can still enjoy the thought of Derbyshire's role in that achievement.
Will he be missed? Of course, but I have seen a number of comments around social media asking who we can sign to take sixty, seventy, eighty wickets in his stead. The simple answer is 'no one'.
I think we will see a new bowler come in, whether from this country or on a Kolpak deal. The money has to be there, as Surrey have paid up the last year of his current deal and we have that money in the wage bill anyway. Yet bowlers who can take wickets in that quantity are as rare as snowdrops on the Kalahari and I would be astonished if someone came in to do that.
More crucially, for me, is that two players step up to take 30 wickets each, or three emerge to take twenty more than this year. Mark was over-bowled at times this season, usually because he was the one fit, experienced bowler and offered the best, at times only chance of a breakthrough.
If Graeme Welch can accelerate a couple of his young proteges to that level, he will have done extremely well. It is not too great a leap of faith to see Tom Taylor doing that, as he took 28 wickets this year at a decent average. He wasn't quite the same bowler when he returned after his car accident and a knee injury reduced his effectiveness too, but he has shown in a fledgling career that he can get good players out. A winter of hard work - some of it in understanding the importance of over rates - could easily see him make the next step, as the talent is there.
Ben Cotton has more to give too, while Greg Cork and Harry White could easily emerge as our next left-armer. It is not hard to see Will Davis kicking on over the winter either, while Tom Milnes is a player that Welch obviously rates. There is an obvious incentive for all of these players, but they must listen and learn, then deliver.
Having said all that, it is unrealistic for these lads to bowl all summer, just as it is to expect Andy Carter and Tony Palladino to remain fit and firing for six months in three competitions. Another seam bowler of experience, for me, is a must and I am sure Graeme Welch will have several irons in the fire, even as I write.
One suggestion from me - how about Chris Wright, at Warwickshire? He has a year on his current deal there, but so did Mark Footitt and we know how that ended. He followed Graeme Welch to Birmingham from Essex and there is obvious, mutual respect.
More than anything, he is a very good bowler. Again one with injuries over the course of his career, but also with a proven record of taking wickets, as well as contributing useful lower order runs.
Wouldn't say no, that's for sure, yet that is something for the future.
For now it is thanks for all you have done at Derbyshire to Mark Footitt. Watching you race in from the City End will remain a vivid memory, as will stumps flying behind batsmen who were simply not quick enough to handle you.
It has been a pleasure.
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