Guest blog: Daryn Smit - Derbyshire's four-dimensional cricketer by Huw Lloyd

In modern cricket we are always told that cricketers cannot be one-dimensional anymore. If they are, a bowler they must learn to contribute with the bat and, if a batsman can offer a few overs to give frontline bowlers a breather, then their stock rises. Also, now gone are the days of Phil Tufnell and Monty Panesar having to be hidden in the field, everyone must be able to field and catch.

Derbyshire this season, though, have gone one better and signed Daryn Smit, who is potentially the world’s first true four dimensional cricketer: a middle order batsman averaging 36 in first-class cricket, a wicket keeper with over 350 dismissals, an excellent slip fielder and, finally, a leg spin bowler with over 100 first-class wickets to his name.

So far he has done all four for Derbyshire this summer, following a spell for the seconds last season where he scored a double hundred against Glamorgan. The club made him wait, however, as Smit tells the story.

“Scoring a double hundred on trial was a dream, but with the restructuring of the club nothing came through, contract-wise,” he said. “So I went back to South Africa and completed another season at home there, and was very much hoping to hear something.

“I put my feelers out and was hoping perhaps something would happen but nothing came through. Then on March 8 an offer came through from Derbyshire, which was late as county offers go, but very much an offer that you can’t say no to.”

I am sure that following Smit’s start to the season, Derbyshire and their fans will glad that he didn’t say no.

At one point last season, Derbyshire’s wicket-keeping cupboard looked pretty bare. The retirement of Tom Poynton due to injury left the club with just 19-year-old Harvey Hosein, who performed well. Then with the signing of Gary Wilson from Surrey, it appeared that Smit’s wicket keeping gloves would not be required.

However, with Wilson away on international duty it has been Smit and not Hosein who has been keeping, not what the all-rounder was expecting.

“When they signed me they made it clear they were signing me as a batsmen,” he said. “The keeping side of things had been taken care of. [They were] wanting to be open and honest with me, so I wasn’t disappointed.

“But then, as its turned out over the last few weeks with Gary [Wilson] away, the captain’s choice has been to use me rather than go to the youngster in Harvey, which has been great.

“I’ve absolutely loved being back there behind the stumps; its turned out really brilliantly.”
Anyone who has seen Smit keep, while Wilson has been away with Ireland, would find it hard to disagree with that decision. His glove work has been superb, hardly conceding a bye and effecting two stumpings, taking seven catches and also being credited with a run out.

So what is his strongest dimension? Smit is very clear where he feels his biggest strength lies, and that is with his keeping.
 
“My whole career, I’ve always been a wicket keeper. When I was first selected for South Africa Under 19s, AB de Villiers was the back-up wicket-keeper to me. That’s always what I’ve been about.”

However, like all good players, Smit has recognised the need to evolve and develop his game, and not be one-dimensional. He can see clearly how this has happened.

“As my career has developed, from 2003 onwards really, times have changed and wicket keepers have been forced to contribute with the bat. If you look at the way my career has panned out, I was always a keeper who could kind of chip in, but as a result of supply and demand I’ve been forced to develop my batting and make much bigger contributions.

“I think that’s shown through in the stats over the years, as I’ve got older and developed my batting. So much so that, over the last few seasons, I’ve played as just a batsman.”

Smit’s realisation of the need to evolve, and add extra dimensions to his game, will be something that as a senior player Derbyshire will be hoping he can pass on to their young squad. It’s something Smit was keen to point out was part of his role at the club.

“It’s not just about scoring the runs, taking the catches, or wickets out there in the middle, particularly in the set-up we have at Derbyshire without a head coach as such.

“To be able to support Billy (Godleman) as captain, to be another senior player in there to develop others; in my case I can make contributions to wicket keepers, leg spinners and batsmen and to try and develop the youngsters.

“Any contribution I can make can go a long way to helping the club develop.”

If Smit can help develop other players into cricketers as well rounded as him, this may even be his fifth dimension.

The new off field structure at Derbyshire is agreeing with Smit since his arrival, and the South African was singing its praises.

“I’m absolutely loving it. Not having a head coach breathing down your neck as such has allowed me that freedom. As an experienced 33-year-old who knows what it takes to perform at my peak, and get the best out of myself, it’s given me that space and freedom to do it.”

Smit was also keen to point out, though, that it did mean that extra responsibility on him and other senior players to nurture the younger players in the squad.

“That onus and responsibility falls on us, as a core of senior players, to help them learn their game and to show them the ropes.”

It’s clear that Smit is enjoying his move to Derbyshire and is enjoying the challenge of playing first-class cricket in England.

“Every week, every team you play against, you’re coming up against international quality players, whether it’s an overseas player or a local guy who’s played international cricket for England.

“You just don’t get that in South Africa. Very rarely do you get to play against international players and, as a professional cricketer that’s you want: to be testing yourself against the best in the world. The last game, we faced up against Nathan Lyon. That was a great challenge; it’s very rare to get that challenge in South Africa and I’m loving it.”

Derbyshire and their supporters will be hoping that Smit continues to enjoy his time and cricket for the county, and contributes with all four dimensions to his game on and off the field for years to come.

I have no doubt that Smit will be a great success for the club, and that he has the potential to write his name into the club’s history books with bat, ball, gloves and in the field. I look forward to watching him do so.

 Huw Lloyd (@Lloydzilla) for Deep Extra Cover.

Used with permission.

Good effort by Derbyshire yesterday

I was surprised - you could make that disappointed - to see no one commenting on a good effort by Derbyshire yesterday.

There were plenty of nay-sayers on Twitter and elsewhere suggesting that the wicket would 'change' when we batted on it, but I maintain that our batting is a decent unit this summer.

We were awful on the last day against Worcestershire, but we have produced some good batting efforts and the crux of our current woes is a weak attack, for reasons well documented.

Fair play to Billy Godleman for leading from the front and to Shiv Thakor for showing that he can produce the goods at number three. Mind you, there's a big difference in batting three after a decent first wicket stand and going in early, something that I still think will take a lot of doing. If you get a chance to get your mindset right at three, it is a heck of a lot easier than going in 15 minutes after being in the field for a day and a half and bowling twenty overs.

Gary Wilson again showed that he brings an ebullience and swagger to the middle order, something that was needed after a couple of quick wickets, while Daryn Smit's composure helped to stabilise things. Both will be annoyed at getting out to shots they didn't need to play, or executed poorly, but Derbyshire are still in the game and all three results are possible ahead of day four.

I will keep an eye on it while on the daily hospital visits and hope that we don't do something silly to throw the game away having worked hard to get back into it.

All comments welcome later, when I am likely to be busy.

Postscript - thanks to all for making this the busiest-ever May in the blog's history. There's already a 20% increase on last year, so whatever the on-field travails at times, off field interest remains as strong, if not stronger than ever.

Thank you.

Random and passing thoughts

My first half an hour free for a couple of days so thought I would pitch in with a few comments.

First up, my wife had eight-hour surgery on Wednesday and is recovering slowly but steadily. The surgical team are happy with progress and she has moved from intensive care to high dependency. She is likely to be in hospital for at least another week, as things stand, but a life-threatening issue appears to have been rectified. Needless to say, my respect and admiration for a wonderful team of surgeons, doctors and nurses knows no bounds and my thanks to them are absolute.

Hopefully I can report on continued progress sometime during the week.

On to cricket and our limited attack took a bit of a pasting, as expected, from Leicestershire. I don't recall a weaker county attack since the early 1970's, when we opened the bowling with the very pedestrian Ian Buxton, in the absence of viable alternatives. Having said that, Ian would have strengthened the attack in this game and was a gutsy cricketer.

The wicket appeared to me a road and I can't think Hardus Viljoen would have got much from it either. When you encounter such tracks, all you can do is grin and bear it, take the punishment when it is dished out and make sure that you cash in yourselves.

That is what Derbyshire has done. While the visitors have, on paper, a stronger attack, there's nowt short of a howitzer will get joy on such a wicket. While cloud and rain will likely truncate the play tomorrow, we should have no fears in such a track and should simply bat ourselves to safety.

Finally from me, I totally agree with Ian's post on the last article. Take the best two bowlers from any attack in the country and it will struggle and my pre-season post saying that we needed luck for success was entirely correct. Hardus Viljoen has remained fit for the past few years in South Africa, but has picked up an injury that rules him out of half of the summer. Meanwhile, Will Davis is also out and our likely impressive opening attack has been ripped apart.You can't blame anyone at the club for this, but they will likely be working on personal fitness plans for the two, much as was developed for Mark Footitt when he encountered such problems.

As for the wicket-keeping role, you pick your best player and do so until he fails to deliver. Daryn Smit kept for 144 overs in this game and conceded not a single bye, despite standing up for a lot of that time. Anyone who has seen him will doubtless agree he is one of the best glove men we have had in many years, much as I expected from reviews of his technique from South Africa.

Against that, arguments for his exclusion in favour of Harvey Hosein can generally only be the result of friendship and family loyalty. No one is clamouring for Tom Wood to play in place of Wayne Madsen, another player at the peak of his game. In any sport you pick your best players and in my opinion Smit is our best keeper, just as Madsen is the focal point of the batting.

He has been steady, if not yet prolific with the bat and set high standards behind the stumps. Harvey has scored some, but in my opinion not enough runs in the second eleven to make a strong case for himself.

Until he does so, or until Smit's standards drop, there is no argument.

With that, I say farewell  for another few days, bar for comments when I have time.

Thanks to the guest contributors for their help and please get in touch if you would like to run a piece.

Guest post: Derbyshire v Leicestershire day 1

On the wrong end of another vital toss on a warm morning at Derby.  Having said that we stuck to the task well in the morning session.  All the seamers bowled manfully in hot conditions. Special mention must go to Robert Hemmings whose opening spell of seven overs for nine runs was commendable.  Also interesting to see him open rather than come on first change.  Dino was back to his miserly best while snapping up the wicket of Horton, caught behind by Daryn Smit who kept the gloves despite the return of Gary Wilson.

We need a similar commitment after lunch.  The only downside, as ever, is where is the next wicket coming from?  That is, of course, the  perennial problem!

A couple of boundaries off Palladino following similar treatment to Taylor doesn't augur well.  Could be a long afternoon.

But then Dearden flashes at a delivery from Taylor and is well caught by Alex Hughes in the gully. Just need to get Cosgrove early!  Oh dear, Cosgrove dropped on eight off Tom Taylor.  Hope that doesn't prove expensive.

Interesting test for Rob Hemmings as he returns to the attack.  Cosgrove got hold of him and probably right to remove him from the front line.

Ackermann and Cosgrove beginning to look threatening. Oh for another wicket!

Leicestershire pass two hundred with only two down, it's looking ominous.  Tea can't come too soon!

Tea interval and time to regroup.  The attack is under the cosh and not sure where next wicket is coming from.  We just don't have a bowler in the ranks who can undermine the opposition.

What we need is a sporting declaration!!

Mendis and Madsen open the bowling after tea and Ackermann reaches his ton as the torment continues.

Two hundred and fifty up and no sign of a breakthrough.

Hang on a minute, we have another wicket as Mendis has Ackermann caught by Gary Wilson at slip.

Tom Taylor takes new ball as Leicestershire move on untroubled towards three hundred.

Last ten and we looking tired and a little ragged as opposition move on to three hundred and fifty.  No let up and heads dropping!

Four hundred up and there is no let up in the pain.  Another disappointing day for Derbyshire and their supporters.  Not sure where we go from here?

Interesting to see Graeme Welch in the Leicestershire camp.  He must have mixed feelings watching the sad demise of his old side.

Stuart, York

Guest post: Derbyshire v Leicestershire preview

If you are doing some baking over the next four days and need your mixture stirring then the 3aaa County Ground is the place for you, as Leicestershire visit Derbyshire, who between them have collected the wooden spoon for the last four seasons in the County Championship Division Two. Leicestershire have three to Derbyshire’s one and both will looking to collect their first victory of the season to ensure they do not collect another this season. Derbyshire currently sit 8th in the table with Leicestershire one place above them separated by four points, although Leicestershire have played a game more, which means this match has all the ingredients to be a showstopper.

Both sides have had their issues over recent years, with Derbyshire still struggling to replace the wickets of Mark Footitt, who left for the Kia Oval two seasons ago and will again be without Hardus Viljoen and Will Davis who are both ruled out through injury until the end of June. This will mean the onus will fall to the other bowlers in the side to take the 20 wickets required and especially overseas leg spinner Jeevan Mendis who I have made my key man for Derbyshire in this game.

Leicestershire have lacked the ability to bowl sides out and put them in winning positions, although in their last match Dieter Klein showed that he could be the answer to their issues, bowling well and taking four wickets. They will also be looking for more a return from Clint McKay now he has returned to fitness. They will be hoping the impressive Ned Eckersey can continue his fine form and give the bowlers a target to defend.

Not for the first time this season the bookmakers have Derbyshire as the underdogs and it is easy to see why. However I feel it is too close to call and if I was a betting man I would be keeping my hard earned cash in my pocket. Both sides could win and both sides equally could collapse and lose.


Key Men
Derbyshire: As Derbyshire strive to win their first County Championship game in over a year, Jeevan Mendis will be key for Derbyshire. Mendis is a genuine international wicket taking threat with his leg spin, he can also offer control to captain Billy Godleman. Mendis has so far taken 11 wickets in the County Championship at an average of around 26, he can also score useful runs down the order and can quickly take a game from the opposition.

Leicestershire: In the modern game you want your Wicketkeeper to not only be a safe pair of hands behind the stumps, but also be able to score lots of runs too, in Ned Eckersley that is exactly what Leicestershire have. Eckersley is the club’s leading run scorer and is averaging over 45 in doing so, he has also taken five catches too. Having a high quality batsmen who is also a quality wicket keeper allows more balance to the side and for Leicestershire it is key to their success.

Team News:
Derbyshire have named a 14 man squad, Gary Wilson returns from international duty but is struggling with a sore knee so Smit looks set to continue behind the stumps. Viljoen and Davis remain side lined by injury so Godleman will have to use his other bowlers to take those elusive 20 wickets. The surprise inclusion in the squad is Alfie Gleadall, who is a young seamer who has impressed recently for the second XI.

Leicestershire welcome back Ben Raine to the squad, as the useful allrounder returns from injury, he will surely play and add balance to the Leicestershire side. Rob Sayer also returns from  injury, with Callum Parkinson and Tom Wells making way. The foxes still have injury issues though as Neil Dexter and Richard Jones are unavailable through injury and Charlie Shreck is only fit enough for the seconds.

Derbyshire squad: Billy Godleman (c), Alfie Gleadall, Alex Hughes, Rob Hemmings, Charlie MacDonnell, Wayne Madsen, Jeevan Mendis, Tony Palladino, Luis Reece, Ben Slater, Daryn Smit (wk), Tom Taylor, Shiv Thakor. Gary Wilson,

Leicestershire squad: Mark Cosgrove (c), Colin Ackermann, Zak Chappell, Harry Dearden, Ned Eckersley, Gavin Griffiths, Lewis Hill, Paul Horton, Dieter Klein, Clint McKay, Mark Pettini, Ben Raine, Rob Sayer.

Form

Derbyshire: LLLLD
Leicestershire: DDLLW

Weather and conditions
The weather looks set fair for the four days and whisper it quietly but you may even need your sun cream, especially if it goes to the fourth day. The pitches at Derby have generally been flat and true and not offered a great deal for the bowlers. There has been rain around in the lead up to the match and that may add a bit more spice to the pitch, but generally you can expect runs, runs and runs.

Date: 25th May 2017 to 28th May 2017
Time: 11:00am
Ground: 3aaa County Ground, Derby
Umpires: Millns and Taylor
Odds (SkyBet): Derbyshire: Evens  Leicestershire: 4/5

With sincere thanks for this preview to Huw Lloyd, writing for Deep Extra Cover.

Guest Piece: Unbalanced Squad

Oh dear, l think the good feel factor is disappearing faster than some of the loose deliveries despatched off a beleaguered Derbyshire attack.  

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire matches, but since then the wheels seem to have come off.  Injuries, obviously, have not helped other than to underline lack of strength in depth, squad wise, especially in the bowling department.  Looking at the makeup of the squad it gives an impression of a lack of balance. We have more leggies than you can shake a stick at, and bizarrely three very good wicket keepers. The three keepers all offer slightly different qualities but nevertheless are fundamentally wicket keepers and you only need one in any given game.  HH hasn't had a look in and that seems like a waste of a talented cricketer.  I suppose at a push you could play all three but that seems unlikely.  The recruitment of one keeper was necessary but two, l don't think so, especially when reinforcements were required elsewhere.  Also to add to the unbalanced nature of the squad, we don't have an off spinner, okay we have 'Mads' but no SLA.

While the batting is not immune from criticism it's the bowling that has been the weak link and the signing of Hardus and Imran Tahir were welcome.  Obviously we have not seen the best of our strike bowler and Imran has yet to arrive, so in some respects we are left with last year's attack and that has not delivered on numerous occasions.  With hindsight another experienced seam bowler should probably have been signed rather than a third keeper.

Until the last few games, l thought we might have the makings of a strong and settled batting unit but those expectations were short lived.  Ben Slater has found himself a niche in the RLODC but he really needs to translate that into the longer version as, l think Adam said in an early response.  And why did Billy demote himself down the order, unless it was an attempt to avoid another unnecessary run out with Ben!  And there are still question marks about Shiv at three.  Is it asking too much with his bowling duties?  At the moment it seems as though if Wayne fails there is no one to take command of the innings at a vital time to either press on or repair the damage.

We have a handful of senior pros in Madsen, Palladino, Godleman and Wilson, along with our overseas contingent but the majority of the squad is made up of young cricketers trying to establish themselves in the game.  And while l am a big believer in home grown talent there is a case for a little more experience when you look at this youthful squad.  I am definitely not advocating going down the same route as Leicestershire , but maybe a tweak to the squad, with the introduction of an experienced loanee, especially in the absence of Viljoen.

In the meantime it will be interesting to compare our young guns with the senior citizens from Grace Road.  Just hope the Worcester debacle was a 'wake up call' for the team.

Stuart, York

Guest pieces

If anyone is interested in doing a guest piece, either a review of a coming day's play, a preview of a match or a talking point/observational piece, please let me know at peakfan36@yahoo.co.uk

I am happy to publish it as a post, rather than comment, provided it doesn't contain personal attacks and is as well-written as most of your comments are.

Simply pop it into an email and I will paste it into the blog. Your name will be included too, so please don't simply post as 'Anon'. If you are especially shy, use a pen name, but be assured your email address will NOT be published! If you wish to use the comments box for such a piece that is fine, but please make its purpose clear.

The remuneration is the same as I get - which is nothing - but it will enable you to voice your opinions and share them around, while keeping the blog ticking over nicely.

I will be back intermittently in the week or so ahead,  but for now have bigger issues to deal with than a thirty-over capitulation.

I look forward to hearing from you and a preview, or previews, of the Leicestershire game will be appreciated.

Thanks to you all!

Time for a rethink, methinks...

Yesterday was a very bad day for Derbyshire, there's no getting away from that.

As I said last night, it was unacceptable, unprofessional and shockingly poor. Frustrating too, when the batting has been pretty good this summer. Let's not forget, only a week or so back we were hailing a side that was racking up one-day 300s for fun.

All sides have bad days and I don't agree with suggestions that wholesale changes are needed.

Tweaking is, however.

Billy Godleman is captain and a good, sound county opening batsman. So why move down to the middle order? It is a different game there. As captain and skipper, Billy should bat at the top of the order, partnered by whoever is deemed in form. Whether that is Ben Slater or Luis Reece is largely irrelevant, but the skipper should be and should stay at the top, where he handles a new ball well. Why Reece opened in the second innings when apparently with a runner is a questionable decision, some might say foolhardy.

The problem is best solved, in four day cricket, by either Slater or Reece dropping to three. I know they want to give Shiv Thakor a chance there, but a brilliant ton against Northamptonshire apart, he has played cameos, which isn't the job description of that position. Besides, with Jeevan Mendis he is one of only two bowlers who can be trusted to bowl steadily most of the time. Ben Cotton is a good one-day bowler, but I remain to be convinced he can bowl sides out, while Tom Taylor and Tom Milnes are struggling.

If we keep having to bowl Thakor for twenty overs an innings, he isn't going to be able to go in early and be mentally 'switched on' for batting three. Aside from Jacques Kallis, there aren't many have handled that over the years. Talented as Thakor is, he ain't no Kallis and he will struggle and eventually buckle under such a workload.

Then I read that wholesale changes are needed, with Harvey Hosein the first of them. I would like to see Tom Wood play the T20, but does anyone think that Wood and Macdonell in the batting would improve on who is there now? Who is going to bowl, other than what we have in the first team?

With Viljoen and Davis hors de combat until the end of June, we can largely write off four-day cricket success, as I just cannot see where twenty wickets will come. Put the two of them in a later season side with Imran Tahir and there's a different complexion on things, but three straight losses tells a sorry story. We could score 500 and not get first innings lead...

The Hosein story will keep coming back, but therein lies a self-inflicted problem. When I pushed for us to sign Daryn Smit last year, I knew of his stature as a wicket-keeper, but when we signed Gary Wilson I didn't expect it to happen. With Wilson away with Ireland regularly, Hosein was likely to get a lot of cricket.

Then we signed Smit and it was only a matter of time before those at the club saw what everyone in South Africa has known for years - that he is a very high standard wicket-keeper. You have only to watch the speed of his hand work in stumpings and the catches he has taken, with and without gloves to see that. Truth be told, he is probably better than Wilson and the call on who gets the gloves on his return will be a tough one.

So do they give them to Hosein? All he can do is score a load of runs and keep to a high standard in the twos and wait his turn. Both Smit and Wilson know that they need to maintain standards in both disciplines to retain the role, but a slip in one of them, with two of high standard in the wings, will be costly. Yet Wilson, a pugnacious and vibrant batsman, as well as vice-captain, needs to be in the side anyway, which creates another problem.

For the time being my four-day side, assuming all are fit, would be:

Godleman
Slater
Reece
Madsen
Thakor
Hughes
Smit
Mendis
X
X
X

A lot of X's, because not one bowler is making a case for guaranteed selection.

Therein lies the problem.

Derbyshire v Worcestershire day 4

I drifted in and out of the game today, for reasons you are well aware of. When I saw the visitors had 'only' got 140 runs ahead, I thought a draw would be well within our compass.

How wrong could I be?

To be bowled out inside 30 overs in a four day game is unacceptably poor. I don't care whether it was a fourth day wicket or helpful to the bowlers, that was quite horrible.

In the time it took me to leave my house to get to the hospital, the innings was in disrepair. Losing wickets to careless shots is poor, getting people run out in such a situation is unprofessional.

There need to be serious discussions after such a display, because long-suffering supporters deserve much better than that.

Thanks for your observations so far and please keep them coming in my hopefully brief break from the blog.

Derbyshire v Worcestershire day 3

While being able to bowl first was an obvious advantage for Worcestershire, the same frailties that have earmarked our cricket for the past couple of seasons were evident today.

I didn't follow play too closely but the scoreboard doesn't lie and we remain a side that struggles to take wickets.

I just hope that Imran Tahir is fit when he gets here, because he will probably be bowling at one end until September...

There could be a last afternoon battle against defeat here, so let's hope that this summer's saving grace, our batting, can at least get something from the game.

Over to you now...

Hiatus ahead...

Things are going to be intermittent over the next week or so folks.

My wife has been in hospital for the past fortnight after a heart attack and major surgery is taking place on Wednesday of next week to try and sort the thing that caused it, together with a bigger problem that has been discovered in the course of tests.

Much as I love Derbyshire cricket, her well-being is of far greater importance than any cricket match. I will blog when time allows, but there will be times when I don't and that is going to be the second half of next week at the very least, possibly longer.

I just want you to know that I'm not losing interest in the blog or the club, but some things are way more important than the winning or losing of a cricket match. With hospital visits and travel taking time, there just aren't enough hours in the day at present.

Do please keep your comments coming  and post them on the last blog available. I will add them and comment myself as time permits, but you will know the reason if there's a longer time lapse than normal. If I miss any, I will apologise now and assure you that normal service will resume as soon as she is restored to something resembling her normal rude health.

Thank you for your continued interest and support.

On the pitch, I don't think we will be too disappointed with today's effort. After the rain and the covers, Worcestershire were always going to bowl and probably fancied their chances of more wickets than they got.

That we got to the close with only three down is due to an excellent, gritty effort from Luis Reece, opening in the place of Billy Godleman. The two of them together, tomorrow morning, have an opportunity to push our total to respectability, on a wicket that will doubtless remain helpful to the bowlers.

Fingers crossed, in more ways than one.

Postscript - no Hardus Viljoen until the end of June...it makes sense, because the guy is in a no win situation. He bowls when not fit and people say he's no good. He doesn't play and they make silly accusations that he is just here for the money.

Get him fit, then let him loose in the second half of the summer with Imran Tahir.

It does make you wonder why he played in a dead game the other night though, when struggling with a hip injury.

I didn't get that at all.

Derbyshire v Worcestershire RLODC

And so, with more of a whimper than the roar of a lion, Derbyshire's RLODC campaign petered out on a murky day, perhaps in keeping with the way things ended.

The batting was adequate, but no more than that. It was a good toss to win and the ball zipped around early on. Shiv Thakor played a fine innings, much of it on the front foot as conditions dictated. Alex Hughes played a delightful cameo that threatened to make our score something challenging, while Daryn Smit played some inventive shots at the death, including a remarkable reverse sweep for six over the wicket-keeper.

Yet the target never looked challenging for the visitors and for the most part the Derbyshire attack looked pedestrian. The early assault by Kohler-Cadmore effectively won them the game and bruised too many bowling figures for comfort, while the out fielding was at times quite ordinary.

Later things improved. Smit held an excellent catch standing up to end the first wicket stand, technically better if not so spectacular as his later two handed grab from Viljoen. I thought the latter's second spell quite menacing and a couple of the batsmen were noticeably hurried by his pace and bounce. The catch by Mendis on the boundary to give him a third wicket was somewhat fortuitous for him, though stunning by the fielder, but it was all a little too late by then.

Worcestershire are a decent team in this competition and showed it by progressing to the knock out stages. For Derbyshire, it was a familiar tale of early promise that petered out in an all too familiar fashion.

I will acknowledge improvement, which is perhaps what we all hoped for, but there is work to be done before this side progresses further. Sorting all the problems in one winter was asking too much, considering where we were last summer, but we seem short of two bowlers of quality.

For another year, someone has to really kick on, or we need to look for options elsewhere and spend our Elton John swag on a proven wicket-taker.

There have been good spells by most of the bowlers, but until we have five who bowl more good than bad, we will continue to be consigned to the group stages of this competition.

Which is probably why we signed Matt Henry and Imran Tahir for the T20.

It makes a lot of sense, based on the efforts we all saw today.

Derbyshire v Worcestershire RLODC

A fifty-over game of cricket, featuring Derbyshire, live on Sky TV. I have even switched my day off in lieu of working on Saturday to see it. What could possibly go wrong?

Er, the weather for one thing.

Frequent showers tomorrow for the early part of the day, so it's likely to be one of these games where the side batting second have a radically different chase than first seems likely.

I don't see changes to the team at Leicester, because it is pretty close to the strongest that we have. Of course that defeat was frustrating, but more so because we have shown lately that we are a better side than that. You would have to be super-cynical to not see that, but there are obvious weaknesses that will need addressed for another year.

For all that Jeevan Mendis has done a decent job, there will be more bite to our attack when Imran Tahir joins up. He is a class act and continues to prove it in the IPL, as he will in the Champions Trophy. Nor have we seen anything like the best from Hardus Viljoen, still striving for rhythm but probably looking forward to having the slips in place in the four-day game.

There's a decent attack there with Viljoen, Davis, Cotton/Palladino, Thakor and Tahir. The batting will take care of itself and give them something to work with and I feel there is plenty of good cricket in this side over the months ahead.

Hopefully it starts tomorrow, against opponents missing Moeen Ali and the talented Joe Clarke, but including Australian spinner Nathan Lyon. They are a good one-day side and will take some beating.

Their squad:

Kohler-Cadmore, Mitchell, Fell, D'Oliveira, Cox, Whiteley, Leach, Barnard, Tongue, Shantry, Lyon, Rhodes.

Hopefully the weather allows enough cricket for entertainment and the real Derbyshire side turns up.

Oh..and the commentators don't spend all day referring to 'Derby' and waxing lyrical over Wayne 'Madsden'.

Nope. That's going to happen...you know it as well as I do.

More from me tomorrow.

Leicestershire v Derbyshire RLODC

I hope, that when we look back at the season in September, that this game can be seen as a watershed.

Because with the exception of a couple of players, this was fairly horrible.

Alex Hughes is worthy of mention in despatches, for a gutsy and battling personal best that was worthy of a century. He did blot his copy book by running out Wayne Madsen, which is akin to doing a sliding tackle on Lionel Messi in the warm ups to put him out of the game.

We can ill afford such extravagances and despite cameos down the order, the final tally on what was a rather blameless track by all accounts never looked enough.

Of the bowlers, Madsen bowled a tidy early spell and Ben Cotton a very good one, but the least said about the rest, the better.

I am a little short of time tonight, so that will need to do for now. Tuesday's game on Sky against Worcestershire, at the time it was announced a biggie, now carries all the importance, for us at least, of a beer match.

Yet we need more. We need to combine the hitherto excellent batting with bowling of far greater discipline.

To lose is one thing, to do it so heavily against an ordinary side is disappointing.

With that I say goodnight for now.

Leicestershire v Derbyshire RLODC preview

A different day, but I suspect a very similar team for Derbyshire in their must win game against Leicestershire tomorrow. Even if they do win, the chances are that mathematics will do for them, in this season where only the top three qualify, with the two top sides going straight into the semis and the others playing for the right of opposing them.

Tony Palladino may come back in, depending on the look of the surface, but I don't see too many changes from a side that has been playing some fine cricket.

The opposition have some decent players, but they are the sort of side that we should be looking at beating for any aspirations of progress. It is an ageing squad, nor one of the most mobile in the field.

 McKay (capt), Ackermann, Ali, Chappell, Cosgrove, Delport, Eckersley, Griffiths, Hill, Klein, Parkinson, Pettini, Sayer, Sykes, Wells.

Despite leaving the field with a hand injury yesterday, Jeevan Mendis is fit and, if the rain stays out of it, I expect Derbyshire to win.

Simple as that, really.

Saturday thoughts on a loss: Viljoen the right choice

I have had a few emails and comments overnight regarding the defeat yesterday at Stanley Park.

There was a common theme - and one that I will disagree with - in that Billy Godleman made the wrong decision in entrusting the penultimate over to Hardus Viljoen.

Why wouldn't he? Hardus is an experienced bowler who has carried out the role well many times over his career. In the game against Warwickshire he bowled a nigh-perfect closing over and the hope would have been that he replicated that. He has done similarly many times in South Africa and doubtless will many times for us in the future. Brought over as our strike bowler, he has earned that reputation for a reason.

Yet sometimes it goes wrong, for him and for all bowlers. The margin between a ball that is hit and one that isn't is small and you have to second guess what the batsman is planning. You get it wrong, and he goes back in his crease to one that you bowl short of a length, it travels. Or he may come down the track, or back away outside leg, go the other way to scoop, or simply edge it.

You get the picture. It isn't as simple as 'he bowled badly' on occasion and you have to credit the batsman when it happens. Look at Ben Stokes in the Kolkata T20 World Cup Final, when the sixes were raining from Carlos Brathwaite's bat and he conceded 24 from the over. Did it make Stokes a bad player? Of course not. He is a far superior cricketer to Brathwaite and has bestrode this year's IPL like a colossus, but on that night he got his lengths wrong and the West Indian kept hitting through the line to great effect.

If they repeated that final over a hundred times, my money would be on Stokes in at least 95 of them, probably more, because he is s stellar cricketer.

It is especially an issue for fast bowlers and for Hardus Viljoen read Mark Footitt, or Devon Malcolm. They get it right, when body and mind are in synch and they are lethal. Get it wrong, at that pace, it flies away, anywhere and everywhere.

The only other option for Billy Godleman yesterday was Matt Critchley, but the critics would have had a field day had a young leggie been given the ball and been hit. He could have thrown the ball to Alex Hughes or Luis Reece, but neither had bowled in the innings and being then given the penultimate over is a tough gig. Let's be honest, we are all wise after the event.

No, Billy called it right but it didn't work yesterday. By the same token, it doesn't make Hardus a bad bowler by a long chalk.

Finally today, the wicket-keeping of Daryn Smit will have given food for thought when the T20 starts. A leg side stumping from a wide by Jeevan Mendis yesterday was further proof of his credentials and he has yet to concede a bye in the games in which he has kept. The decision between Smit and Gary Wilson for the short form of the game will be interesting and just one of many decisions that John Wright will need to make when he gets over.

Mind you, he has a gem in Shiv Thakor. What a player the young all rounder is and to bowl such a spell on a small ground when the batsmen are going for it reinforced his growing reputation, as did his earlier clean hitting. When this reviled new competition gets up and running he will be a very sound 'pick' for one of the sides.

The signs are we are much improved and good displays against Leicestershire and Worcestershire in the coming days can reinforce that opinion.

More from me soon.

Lancashire v Derbyshire RLODC

Derbyshire 132-2 (Slater 60 not, Thakor 38)

Lancashire 162-7 (Thakor  3-23, Mendis 2-38)

Lancashire won by three wickets

Although not yet mathematically impossible, Derbyshire's chances of group progress hang by a knife edge after an unfortunately sloppy end to one of those days of cricket hated by most cricket fans.

Stop start days are fairly wretched any time, but on an out ground, where facilities  are often limited, there is usually nowhere to go.

Derbyshire built a sound platform for another big score, with Ben 'Mr Consistency' Slater batting beautifully, before the rain allowed no resumption after lunch and the home side were set a target that makes little sense to anyone bar the statisticians.

They got off to a flyer and were pulled back by the spinners and Shiv Thakor. How he ended on the losing side is hard to figure, but while he can be proud of his excellent all round figures, for Hardus Viljoen it was a game to forget.

Notwithstanding his match rustiness, which is slowly coming back, he would have hoped for more than 0-44 in his four overs. With 24 needed from two and Thakor bowling beautifully,  most people's money would have been on Derbyshire, but Viljoen conceding 17 from the penultimate over wasn't part of the script and it left only a common sense job in the last.

Sometimes you have to admit that the opposition played well and deserved it and fair play to Lancashire for a fine run chase today.

But from a Derbyshire perspective, notwithstanding Duckworth/Lewis, a slippery outfield when we fielded and an innings that was never allowed to get to the 'business' part, it was a game that we had in our grasp and blew it.

That's the disappointment.

Lancashire v Derbyshire RLODC preview

Before the season started, one of the games that stood out to me was the game against Lancashire at Blackpool. I've watched league cricket at the ground but not the county game. It would have been nice to tick that one off, but there's a few too many things going on in my life right now to allow for that trip, nice as it would be.

But let's hope that Derbyshire do like to be beside the seaside on a wicket that could be dry after the recent weather but could also offer help to seamers under what is reckoned to be a fair old cloud covering. There won't be any great need for knotted hankies on the head or the trousers rolled up, but with a 60% chance of rain forecast, old Duckworth/Lewis may come to the fore again.

Derbyshire has named a fourteen-man squad, but I would be surprised if there were changes to the side for the game on Wednesday. With Gary Wilson unavailable, Daryn Smit rightly retains the gloves and perhaps the only thought is whether Luis Reece's seam option may be more use than Matt Critchley's non-spin from the other day. Mind you, Critch is developing into a very handy closer of an innings, one capable of reaching and clearing the ropes, so my guess is he will be retained.

They come up against a very strong seam attack in Jimmy Anderson, Ryan MacLaren and Kyle Jarvis, one that will test our batting. With several talented young batsmen in the side, they will be a real test for our revitalised side.

Their squad is:

 Steven Croft (Captain), James Anderson, Karl Brown, Jordan Clark, Alex Davies, Haseeb Hameed, Kyle Jarvis, Simon Kerrigan, Arron Lilley, Liam Livingstone, Ryan McLaren, Stephen Parry, Tom Bailey and Dane Vilas.

Sometimes these games can depend on an element of luck. Run into a side with their England men missing and star players nursing niggles and tough opponents become less of a challenge. Certainly Northamptonshire without Kleinveldt and Sanderson were an easier proposition than it would otherwise have been. Mind you, Yorkshire handled the absence of big guns well and their batting took the game just out of reach of our talented batting line up.

It is some considerable time since I was able to write those words with any real conviction, but the RLODC batting of this Derbyshire side is worthy of the accolade.

Let's hope our current good mood doesn't deflate faster than a Pleasure Beach balloon. I can handle defeat if it comes at the end of a good battle.

We have been doing that this year and it is both refreshing and heartening.

Long may it continue.

Professional Derbyshire pace chase to perfection

Warwickshire 292-7 (Hain 109, Bell 93, Thakor 3-48)

Derbyshire 296-6 (Slater 82, Godleman 46, Mendis 44 not)

Derbyshire won by 4 wickets

Last winter, when Kim Barnett was announcing the signings of various players, he said that he was looking for players who would get us across the line in matches.

Today, a number of those players, with notable assistance from existing and local ones, contributed to a fine team effort and an excellent record run chase.

Irrespective of mixed results, it is a long time since Derbyshire batted with the solidity and professionalism of this summer. You probably have to go back to Barnett's era, or that of John Wright and Peter Kirsten, to get anything similar and even they didn't rack up the runs that this side has in recent games as consistently. When one considers that you have a couple of handy clumpers at the bottom end of the order, there are reasons to expect one-day fun to continue.

The run chase was accomplished without major input from Messrs Godleman, Thakor and Madsen, all of them standouts thus far, but the rest of the batting delivered. Ben Slater played another fine innings and is a special player in this format, even if the partnership with Billy Godleman ended in a run out for the third time in five innings. Something to work on there, but they have been very consistent as a pairing so far.

Alex Hughes also played an important innings and remains a busy and important player in all aspects of the game. As for Daryn Smit, he has the calm head of experience on his shoulders and played a key role in resurrecting an innings that was wobbling a little at 170-4, with eight an over needed off fifteen.  He isn't the biggest hitter in the side, but any solid run chase needs a bloke who ticks over at a run a ball and provides the solidity that the bigger hitters need to do so freely.

Earlier, I understand, he also kept wicket impressively, as befits  man of his reputation behind the stumps. There is a tough call, moving forward, as to who gets the gloves for Derbyshire, for we are very well covered in that area.

Then there was Mendis. You hope, in these situations, that your hired overseas sees you home and shows his experience. Jeevan did that today, quickly into his stride and providing a fitting finale. While the early season wickets haven't been especially suitable for his bowling, he has been tidy, has taken us over the line today and probably effected the match-defining moment with the run out of Ian Bell. The right call as man of the match, for sure.

Earlier, the visiting batting looked set to get away, but they were reined back by an excellent spell by Shiv Thakor. It was also heartening to see Hardus Viljoen showing great nous at the death, with Thakor keeping the run chase to under 300 with canny closing overs.

All to play for then and a trip to the seaside on Friday.

Lancashire next and another win keeps us very much in the mix.

Well done lads. That was a good one today.

Derbyshire v Warwickshire RLODC preview

I only see one change to the Derbyshire side for tomorrow's visit of Warwickshire in the RLODC.

Tony Palladino will surely come back into the side to add another bowling specialist. That should take care of ten of the problem twenty overs from Headingley, while more opportunity for Alex Hughes should handle the vast majority of the other ten.

That squad of thirteen:

Billy Godleman
Luis Reece
Ben Slater
Shiv Thakor
Wayne Madsen
Daryn Smit
Jeevan Mendis
Alex Hughes
Matt Critchley
Tony Palladino
Hardus Viljoen
Tom Milnes
Ben Cotton

Visitors Warwickshire have won only one of five games and so, irrespective of their first division status, must be seen as beatable - IF we bowl better. Sod's Law is that we will choose this one to bat badly, but the line up looks long and impressive.

The visitors squad:

 Ian Bell, Mark Adair, Tim Ambrose, Keith Barker, Rikki Clarke, Sam Hain, Oliver Hannon-Dalby, Ateeq Javid, Matthew Lamb, Jeetan Patel, Josh Poysden, Grant Thornton, Aaron Thomason, Jonathon Trott

If we play to potential, with that side, we can win. If their top batsmen get going, then we will struggle.

I'm going for a home win though.

Don't let me down, lads.