Musings on two days in Derby

Three things stood out for me during my two days at the Incora County Ground. The style of Shan Masood, as well as how hard he is, to bat in only a short-sleeved shirt when even polar bears were donning gilets. Oh, and how amazing the sausage rolls are from the tea room. If you haven't had one of these 'Phat Pies' delicacies, do it soon...

In fairness and with tongue removed from cheek, there were a lot of standouts. I enjoyed watching the intensity of the Derbyshire players fielding drills, which looked ramped up several notches from previous years. There was also a greater cricketing relevance to what they did and I have never fully understood why cricketers play football and risk injury in doing so.

It was also a pleasure to catch up with a few of the players before play. With Covid and family commitments I haven't been down to Derby for three years, but their ready smiles and friendly chats picked up where we left off. It genuinely remains a pleasure, gentlemen. 

It was especially nice to hear more than one tell me that both Shan Masood and Suranga Lakmal are 'special players AND special people'. Such men can help this club develop in the way that we wish. 

I must also mention the stewards at the ground. My childhood recollections are of dour 'jobsworths' who regarded their interactions with those attending as an unfortunate intrusion.  Every one I encountered had a smile and a ready word, which set the tone for the day. 

I enjoyed my look around the club shop, where I made a few purchases. The new T20 caps are really quite swish, while the bobbled beanie hat may just have kept my ears attached to my head on the bitterly cold first afternoon. That will be perfect for winter dog walks up here, although our fox terrier, Wallace, already has his eye - and nearly his teeth - on the bobble...

I am also grateful to Tom Skinner and Stephen Martin for facilitating my access to the Media Centre. I spent time walking around the ground and catching up with friends old and new too, but I was able to see behind the scenes of a very slick and well-drilled operation that is every bit as impressive as what Mickey Arthur is bringing to our cricket.

Having seen them at work, I can see why the county is so well-respected and returns spectacular financial results, even during a pandemic. I was able to chat with James, who coordinates the excellent county stream and also to meet one or two of the camera personnel who do such sterling work. It really is quite the eye-opener and what we supporters take for granted is the result of highly-skilled people doing their jobs to a very high standard. Done to a fraction of the budget of some counties, they set a very high benchmark for others to match. 

A chance encounter when parking my car on the second morning led to a fascinating chat with Charlotte from the Derbyshire Cricket Foundation. She has just been planting up a flower bed to the rear of the Media Centre and explained, between trips with a watering can, their plans for a community allotment on some spare ground at the club. What a fabulous idea that is and how nice it was to hear what terrific work they do. They are looking for volunteers with this project and I would have been interested , but a six hundred-mile return trip seemed excessively enthusiastic. 

Finally, I was grateful to CEO Ryan Duckett, who took time out of his busy schedule to walk around the ground with me and discuss some of the club plans. There was no detailed discussion on players and contracts, nor did I expect it, but I was left firmly of the opinion that the club is in very sound hands and is moving in the right direction.

On the field and off it, Derbyshire are a club to be reckoned with. 

Sincere congratulations to everyone involved for your efforts, together with a  thank you for the warmth of your welcome.

There was even time to chat cricketing heroes with writing and broadcasting legend Edward Bevan, while also discussing the respective merits of The Byrds and The Grateful Dead with writer Michael Henderson. Sometimes when one meets heroes they are found to have feet of clay, but not in those  cases, both men whose work I have admired for many years 

As two-day breaks at the cricket go, this will be hard to beat.

I think it is clear from the above that I am very grateful to everyone concerned. As well as those who stopped me to say hello on my circuits of the ground. I remain humbled by continued interest in the blog and thank each and every one of you.

Until the next time.. 

Derbyshire v Glamorgan day 3

Derbyshire 368 and 170-2 (Madsen 58* Masood 42, Guest 40*)

Glamorgan 387 (Labuschagne 130, Madsen 5-82)

Derbyshire lead by 151 runs

It was a special day for Derbyshire's two overseas players today.

Suranga Lakmal took his first five-wicket haul for the county, while Shan Masood duly set a new record for the most county championship runs scored in April. For clarification, Nick Compton scored 715 in seven innings in 2012, while Masood scored 713 in just six innings. Compton's tally included 236 made against Cardiff MCCU, also a first - class but of course not championship fixture. (figures courtesy David Griffin). 

He has four more innings to become only the ninth man in history to score a thousand runs before the end of May and needs 287 to do it. What a player he is! 

I got home to see the afternoon and evening sessions, so caught the business end of Lakmal's spell. He was terrific with the second new ball and looks a class act. His fitness level is admirable and he continually asks questions of the batsmen, even on wickets not offering undue assistance. It will not be his last such haul. 

As for the match situation, much depends on the rain due tomorrow morning and what time it takes from the game. At 170-2 we are 151 ahead and could feasibly set the visitors a run chase in the afternoon. There are no real demons in the wicket, however, and conscious of their beating Nottinghamshire recently, I doubt any target would be especially generous. 

As for the rest of the day, I am willing Billy Godleman a big score, but it didn't come again today. I will be very happy if he returns to his erstwhile run tallies in the near future. Meanwhile, Wayne Madsen made another fifty, his fifth in succession, while Brooke Guest confirmed the good impression he made in the first innings. Both batted stylishly and very well, bringing a much greater ballast to the county batting than we have seen in recent seasons. 

Labuschagne earlier made a stylish century for the visitors, but my gut feeling is that they needed to bat longer and put us under greater pressure than they managed with a first innings lead of just nineteen runs. 

We will see tomorrow. I am no betting man, but a positive result here - certainly in favour of Derbyshire - requires the weather to be kind and one or two people to produce something quite spectacular. 

That's a challenge right there...

PS Play was even briefly delayed by the distraction of disco lights, coming from the marquee. 

I have never written that before and suspect that few cricket writers have. 

Derbyshire v Glamorgan day 2

Derbyshire 368

Glamorgan 240-4 (Lloyd 84, Labuschagne 53*

Derbyshire lead by 128 runs

It was much more pleasant cricket - watching weather today at Derby, with the sun eventually breaking through and offering some warmth - albeit with the help of several layers of warm clothes and a beanie bobble hat until the afternoon. 

Derbyshire lost wickets steadily to seam and spin, but sufficient runs were scored in between times to take the score past a healthy 350.

Dal and Du Plooy both batted pleasantly after the early dismissal of McKiernan, but the continued movement suggested that the home side would be quite happy with proceedings. The increasingly impressive Thomson opened his account with a hefty blow for six over mid on and batted sensibly thereafter.

Lunch was taken at 360-8 and it appeared that an interesting afternoon was in store.

It was less so in reality. I think Glamorgan bowlers, a yard or two quicker than ours, got a little more help accordingly. Perhaps, with the sun out and no clouds it was easier, but the only wicket came when Salter was run out after a mix up with his captain, Lloyd.

The skipper continued on his merry way after tea, until he assayed a drive at Dal and was well caught by Madsen at slip. Northeast was soon edging Conners to the same fielder, who put down an easier, though not easy chance.

But in fairness I don't think we bowled especially well, with the exception of Lakmal, who ran in hard. Most overs contained a 'four ball' and though there was plenty of encouragement from the field, which remained chipper, I couldn't see where a wicket was coming from. There was no consistency of line and length, essential on such a pitch. 

In the end it was from a somewhat unlikely source. Madsen's gentle off spin trapping Northeast leg before as he went to sweep. When Carlson fell to a poor shot off Lakmal and was caught behind, Derbyshire were back in the game. 

It could go either way tomorrow, but we need to bowl much better. 

Derbyshire v Glamorgan day 1

Derbyshire  282-5 (Guest 109, Madsen 70, Masood 60, Hogan 3-45, Neser 2-50)

v Glamorgan

A38 to Sir Frank Whittle Way, then on to the County Ground.

I have done it dozens - hundreds - of times over the years, yet the excitement never palls. Even on a cold, overcast day, the excitement is no less and I made sure to get there early, just after 9.30am today.

It afforded an opportunity to catch up with friends old and new, as well as to confirm that my forays from the Media Centre included my big jacket over a thick fleece. 

Derbyshire won the toss and opted to bat first against the all-Australian attack of Michaels Neser and Hogan. A keen attack too against the Derbyshire southpaws, Masood bravely the only man on the pitch, almost certainly the ground, in short sleeves.

The first ten overs were a challenge, but safely negotiated, before Godleman pushed at Hogan, who had probed nicely, and was caught behind. Both bowlers had beaten the bat and the dismissal was no more than Glamorgan deserved.

Guest came in to join Masood, who assayed nary an ambitious stroke in the first hour, playing straight and contenting himself with the now trademark tucks off his legs. One from the bowling of Harris flew to the rope, but it was a morning for accumulation, rather than speculation.

The advent of Harris and van der Gugten maintained the intensity of a keen and experienced seam attack, three of them in their thirties, with Hogan now 40.

Lloyd came closest to a breakthrough with a good shout for lbw against Masood, but Derbyshire got to lunch at 74-1, Guest having played the shot of the morning, a glorious cover drive for four. Masood was still there on 33.

He opened up after the interval, a flurry of boundaries taking him to yet another fifty. Yet the conditions were far from easy and Hogan caught and bowled him from a leading edge, ending a stand of 93 with Guest. The loud murmur of disappointment from the crowd reflected the mood and indeed surprise of the county support, yet the innings could hardly be considered a failure.

Thereafter, until tea was taken at 210-2, Guest and Madsen batted beautifully. Guest's footwork was good, his timing a joy to watch. Madsen's rich vein of form continued and a promising situation had been built.

Madsen was first to his landmark in the evening session, reaching a fifty that as always was worth watching. He continues to be a player of the highest class and went past 18,000 all-format runs for the county today. Only Kim Barnett, Denis Smith, John Morris and Derek Morgan now lie ahead of him. What a player he has been for Derbyshire! 

Guest duly reached his second century for us and his first at number three. It was made in challenging conditions that required a watchful approach, but nonetheless contained some sumptuous strokes. With this innings he would appear to have settled the debate over who bats three in this format. Once he got going he lost nothing in comparison to Madsen and I can offer no higher praise.

Neser finally got his reward for some excellent bowling by pinning Madsen leg before, the stand broken after 161 runs. Both he and Hogan threatened all day and Derbyshire's seam bowlers will have enjoyed the regularity with which the ball beat the bat, despite the home side's impressive tally.

Guest finally went for 109, bowled by an excellent ball from Hogan, who belied his years all day. Conners didn't last long in the evening gloom, a night watchman experiment that failed and three wickets had fallen for six runs to the second new ball. 

The umpires brought them off for bad light soon afterwards, but Derbyshire will still be fairly happy with 282-5.

Hopefully we can build on that tomorrow. 

Derbyshire v Glamorgan preview

It's like the night before Christmas for me tonight, as I look forward to the next two days at the Incora County Ground before heading back north on Saturday.

I hope to catch up with a few old and new faces and if you see me do please say hello. Having had to put in for my annual leave before the fixtures came out, these are the only dates that work for me, sadly. So I intend to make the most of them!

Derbyshire welcome back Ryan Sidebottom to a fourteen-man squad and he might replace Nick Potts, but the youngster has acquitted himself well so far. Similarly, Luis Reece will be keen to get back in the side after missing out at Leicester, but Mattie McKiernan deserves his place after making a maiden century there.

Decisions, decisions. Nice ones to have to make, but Mickey Arthur will need to make them tomorrow.

Squad: Godleman, Masood, Guest, Reece, Madsen, du Plooy, Came, McKiernan, Dal, Thomson, Sidebottom, Potts,  Lakmal, Conners.

In this battle of 2nd v 3rd, Glamorgan bring a 13-man squad that features the excellent Marnus Labuschagne. The match up between him and Shan Masood should be worth the admission fee, but Michael Neser is proving an astute overseas signing and Tim van der Gugten remains a fine bowler, as does James Harris.

Their squad: Lloyd, Carlson, Cooke, Cullen, Harris, Hogan, Labuschagne, Neser, Northeast, Salter, Sisodiya, van der Gugten, Weighell. 

It will be a tough game, but offers a realistic assessment of our chances of a high championship placing. We have benefited from the wonderful form of Shan Masood and Wayne Madsen so far, but they can't score big every time. If others can come to the party with the bat, and if we can continue to take regular wickets as we have been, then this could be a special summer. 

Be assured, however our supporters see the threat of Neser and van der Gugten, theirs will be equally concerned at the thought of facing Lakmal and Conners. 

We are progressing nicely.. 

See you tomorrow, all being well!

Leicestershire v Derbyshire day 4

Leicestershire 213 and 250 (Kimble 54, Parkinson 49, Thomson 3-50, Dal 2-16, Lakmal 2-57)

Derbyshire 531

Derbyshire won by an innings and 68 runs

Derbyshire had to wait until mid-afternoon to seal the victory that looked likely from day one, but eventually the introduction of Anuj Dal saw the last wicket taken with his first ball.

It was a professional performance from start to finish and it was fitting that two former county players, Callum Parkinson and Will Davis, were at the crease at the end. The old Derbyshire vanquished by the new. 

Leicestershire fought well, with Parkinson cruelly missing out on a half century that was fully deserved, and Kimble offering stout resistance, but Billy Godleman rotated his bowlers constantly and well to get those last four wickets.

Two were taken by Suranga Lakmal, who led the attack with discipline, energy and perseverance, while the other went to Mattie McKiernan, who had a terrific all round game that he will remember. 

It was a team performance that takes us to second in the table at the time of writing, a point behind Nottinghamshire.

A world way from expectations, perhaps and there will be challenging days to come. Yet it shows what is possible when a coach can provide a structured environment for players to flourish.

It is no coincidence that we have seen a return to the Madsen of old, nor that players like Dal, Thomson and McKiernan are showing massive improvement. Nick Potts has emerged too, raw, but obviously capable of wickets at this level. 

After three matches, we look a proper team, with competition for places and two very good overseas players. 

Who knows where it might lead? 

Leicestershire v Derbyshire day 3

Leicestershire 213 and 146-6 (Kimber 33*, Thomson 3-36)

Derbyshire 531 (Masood 219, McKiernan 101, Madsen 94, du Plooy 61* Barnes 5-101) 

Derbyshire lead by 172 runs

With good weather forecast, Derbyshire go into the final day of the game tomorrow needing four wickets for a first championship win of the summer.

It would be no more than they deserved, having dominated the game from the start and played some very good cricket. 

Mattie McKiernan duly completed a maiden century full of excellent strokes today. It was well deserved and he would be unlucky to be left out for the Glamorgan game after this display. 

Leus du Plooy looked more himself too, making important and very good runs, while the tail slogged it around with varying degrees of success to finish with a lead of 318 runs. Ed Barnes did well to finish with five wickets, but it was tough going for the home bowlers. 

Their openers started steadily, but the advent of Thomson started the slide. The off spinner looks the real deal this year, likely with the confidence of a niche in the side. Here, as at Lord's he bowled beautifully, varying his pace and getting at times both turn and bounce. 

When his return saw a stunning caught and bowled to remove Swindells, the day could scarce have gone better. The home side got bogged down and when Dal removed the dangerous Ackermann, baffling him with a change of pace, the writing was on the wall. 

Only Mulder, briefly, threatened a fight but Potts removed him with a quick delivery and Derbyshire looked very good. 

At 146-6, the home side need to produce something sensational tomorrow. Derbyshire just need to keep doing what they have so far in a very impressive display. 

Has anyone else noted greater urgency in the field? More frequent bowling changes, sometimes just an over here and there, keeping the batsmen guessing and on their toes? Innovative field placings, generally more purpose? 

It is like watching a totally different team to last year, yet with a couple of exceptions, the personnel hasn't changed. 

What a difference eh?

Leicestershire v Derbyshire day 2

Leicestershire 213

Derbyshire 437-4 (Masood 219, Madsen 94, McKiernan 63*, Du Plooy 16*)

Derbyshire lead by 224 runs

I think the English language  lacks sufficient superlatives for Shan Masood.

Suffice to say, as someone tweeted earlier, that in making 91, 62, 239 and 219 in his first four innings for the county, he has broken record after record.

The first Derbyshire player to make back to back double centuries, he has made more runs in four innings than all but two of our players made in all of last season. He is only the second Pakistan player to make successive double centuries in first-class cricket and is the first Pakistan opener to make a double century in County cricket. Now he has done that twice.. 

You get the picture. He is wonderful to watch, with an uncomplicated technique, exquisite timing and unfailing placement. His running between the wickets is exemplary and he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the great overseas players in the county's history.

He and Wayne Madsen became the second pairing, after the legendary John Wright and Peter Kirsten, to share back to back double century partnerships. This is the Madsen of old and watching cricket gets no better than watching those two this afternoon. It was vibrant, majestic, wonderful cricket, after Brooke Guest was the only wicket to fall to a bowler all day. 

Madsen looked set for a century when he tested his running against the fielders arm and was well run out by the direct hit of Ed Barnes for a fine 94. It was an unnecessary risk when he was in total control, but it shouldn't mask an innings of the highest quality. 

Mattie McKiernan came in next, keeping the left/right pairing going and he batted delightfully for the rest of the day, registering a career-best score. He should have been caught, but the swirling wind made the catch far from straightforward. There were some powerful strokes as he fully justified his elevation in the order, as well as the confidence of Mickey Arthur in his abilities. 

Du Plooy kept him company for the rest of the day, looking a little sketchy  but surviving to the close.

Derbyshire scored 401 runs in an exhilarating day of batting. One would expect them to hit it around tomorrow in the first hour or so and take an existing lead of 224 over 300 before bowling again. With the odd ball keeping low and a little bit of turn, one would hope that we don't see a repeat of the last game, but it would surprise me. 

Fantastic cricket from Derbyshire. No one will argue with that. 

Nor the magnificence of Madsen and Masood. 

Leicestershire v Derbyshire day 1

Leicestershire 213 (Evans 63, Mulder 39, Conners 4-62, Potts 2-32, Lakmal 2-52)

Derbyshire 36-1 (Masood 20*)

Derbyshire trail by 177 runs

It was a fine old day for Derbyshire at the Uptonsteel County Ground today, bowling the home side out for 213, then replying with 36-1 by the close.

The inclusion of Mattie McKiernan in place of Luis Reece was a pre-match surprise, though Luis limped his way through the last game and erring on the side of caution makes a lot of sense. McKiernan took a big wicket before lunch with a fine ball but may have more bowling in the second innings, as may Alex Thomson.

It was all about the seamers today. I thought that Sam Conners bowled really well after an erratic start, while Suranga Lakmal offered control without the best of luck. Two wickets in the afternoon were good reward, as they were for Nick Potts, who ontinues to make a big impression. His first was the special one of Colin Ackermann, brilliantly caught at point by the diving Anuj Dal, who was superb in the field all day. I really should have that sentence on copy and paste... 

He also bowled well and is another who keeps the batsman playing. While the Leicestershire tail wagged a little, there can be little disappointment in bowling out a team who opted to bat first, just after tea. 

It could have been better, Guest being less assured than some days behind the stumps, though there were some difficult wide balls to take and the pitch appeared to have variable bounce at times. 

When our turn came, Godleman was out before the close and looks a little out of sorts at present. It seems more crease occupation than anything overly assertive from the skipper and I hope we see him back to his best sometime soon.

Yet the imperious Masood looked good against two international bowlers in Hendricks and Mulder, remaining to start tomorrow in the company of Guest.

If we are still batting tomorrow night, we should be in control of this game. 

Leicestershire v Derbyshire preview

Very busy at work these past three days and only a short preview for this one.

The home side has yet to announce a squad, but there are doubts over seamers Wright and Hendricks.

Derbyshire will probably be the same eleven as the last game, with Came and McKiernan also in the thirteen. The latter was one of the few to emerge in credit from a heavy two-day defeat to the same side at Belper.

Here's hoping for a better result here, which we are capable of getting. 

Likely team: Godleman, Masood, Guest, Madsen, Du Plooy, Reece, Dal, Thomson, Conners, Potts, Lakmal..

Update: Leicestershire squad: Azad, Evans, Rhodes, Kimber, Ackermann, Welch, Swindells, Barnes, Wright, Hendricks, Davis, Mike, Parkinson

Derbyshire v Sussex day 4

Derbyshire 505-8

Sussex 174 and 513-3 (Haines 243, Pujara 201*)

Match drawn

I have to admit to not watching much of the final day's play here, with little expectation of anything other than a run-fest.

So it transpired, with both Tom Haines and Cheteshwar Pujara registering double centuries in a partnership of 351 runs and Derbyshire taking just one wicket in the day. After taking just two yesterday, it was a lot of work for the inexperienced bowlers and they will be glad to see the back of this one. 

Well done to both batsmen and it is only the third time in English cricket history that three batsmen have recorded double centuries in the same match.

But it doesn't make for very exciting cricket when things are so heavily weighted in favour of batsmen. I accept, as Mickey Arthur said afterwards, it was a pitch of international standard, but taking 20 wickets to win a county match will be a challenge. All the same, both Nick Potts and Sam Conners can be proud of their efforts here.

Seems like my domestic commitments came to the fore on the right day. I hope we manage to get a better balance over the rest of the season.

Anyway, fourth in the table after two games. Looks much more encouraging!

Next stop Leicester.. 

Derbyshire v Sussex day 3

Derbyshire 505-8

Sussex 174 and 278-2 (Haines 164*, Pujara 57*)

Derbyshire lead by 53 runs

I don't think anyone should be unduly surprised by our failure to push home the overnight advantage at Derby today.

Sussex have some good players and were unlikely to bat as badly a second time.  With players missing, I don't think this our strongest attack either, while the wicket shows little real sign of deterioration.

Therein lies a challenge. 'Good cricket wickets' offer something to batsmen and bowlers alike. Taunton, for example, isn't a good cricket wicket, because the bowlers will always hold the ascendancy. So too Chelmsford, where it will usually spin to suit Simon Harmer et al. But they ARE result wickets, an important distinction. 

We must remember ours is a team in evolution. We haven't become world-beaters overnight, but we are much more competitive. That will do for now, but we need some bowlers fit and Lakmal getting on a wicket to suit him. I suspect his opinion of the wicket here quite different to Shan Masood  and I feel for him. He has bowled much better in this game and offered good control, but he will be better with a few wickets behind him, perhaps a little more grass left on a track.

We also need to hold our catches and a few have been put down here, which never helps. Haines, a fine player, took advantage and batted beautifully today, with far better support.

The thinking money is now on a draw, with early breakthroughs tomorrow essential for us to force a positive result. I wouldn't expect Sussex, even though without a point in the game so far, to set us a run chase on the last afternoon, so we need to keep working away.

Small steps. Some of them, perforce, will be backwards. 

Derbyshire v Sussex day 2

Derbyshire 505-8 declared (Masood 239, Madsen 111, Thomson 52, Dal 38* Crocombe 3-131)

Sussex 174 (Haines 41, Potts 3-43 Conners 3-47, Dal 2-28, Du Plooy 1-0, Thomson 1-18)

Derbyshire lead by 331 runs

126 years later, George Davidson still sits atop the pile of highest innings played for Derbyshire, but no one who saw it will forget the 239 of Shan Masood over the past two days.

It was 211 runs more than Rizwan and Pujara managed between them for our visitors, as Derbyshire made steady inroads into the Sussex batting in the evening sunshine. 

Shan-tastic and Wayne took their partnership to 292 before the hard-working Haines bowled the latter. It was a lovely, crafted knock by the county legend, proving he still has what it takes to play the long innings in this format. 

Neither du Plooy nor Reece lasted long, but when Masood finally perished on the reverse sweep, the end appeared close. He rightly received a standing ovation from the crowd, appreciative of a player of the very highest class. 

But Anuj Dal and Alex Thomson have both started the season in excellent form, which they carried on here, adding 76 in eleven overs. Dal followed his 52 and unbeaten 24 at Lord's with another unbeaten 38, while Thomson followed 48 with an excellent, hard-hitting 52.

It enabled a declaration on a meaty 505-8, Nick Potts bringing up the 500 with the first six of the innings, but a hard graft appeared in store on a good pitch.

Sussex started well, with Haines looking in confident form, but after going for three boundaries Potts straightened one and pinned him leg before with the score on 62.

Thereafter wickets fell steadily. Lakmal bowled admirably but with little luck, while Godleman rang the bowling changes well. Conners looked much better from the Racecourse End and took three wickets, while Dal bowled admirably from the City End, keeping it tight and nipping it around. 

It was he who removed the dangerous Pujara, caught behind by Guest. He also had Rizwan dropped at slip by Thomson, a difficult chance, before Conners minimised the damage by having the Pakistan star also caught behind. 

The advent of Thomson brought a first over wicket - a sharp slip catch by Madsen - and Derbyshire were  very much in the ascendancy. 

In the final hour of the day, Potts took two more wickets and on this debut showing looks a real talent. He will be very pleased with 3-37, after an understandably nervous first over. 

All that was left was for du Plooy to bowl the last over and claim the final wicket, the perfect end to a pretty darn perfect day. Surely the follow on will be enforced tomorrow, with a lead of 331?

In closing, I thought Brooke Guest kept wicket very well today, taking four catches and stopping some occasional erratic stuff along the way. I enjoy his bubbly demeanour behind the stumps and he sets the tone well in the field. 

From a Derbyshire perspective this could hardly have gone any better. 

I'm liking this Mickey Arthur era, aren't you? 

Another look at George Davidson, record holder

 

Were it not for one feat, many modern Derbyshire fans would perhaps be unaware of the name of George Davidson. 

He still holds the record for the club highest individual innings of 274, made against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 1896. It sees his name mentioned whenever a county player passes the double century mark, yet no one, 126 years later, has surpassed it. Will Shan Masood today?

Centuries were also scored in that match by the two Williams, Chatterton and Storer. All three played a major role in what was a solid, if not spectacular Derbyshire side, on its day capable of beating anyone, though often flimsy in batting. Yet it is fair to say that like county elevens of a more recent vintage, dressing room relations were often far from cordial.

Levi Wright, one of the more consistent batsmen, recalled that 'the three leading professionals were unfortunately not always the best of friends and their manner and treatment of other players, particularly young ones on trial, was far from helpful'.

Indeed, things were so bad at one point that Chatterton and Davidson reputedly went through a season without speaking to one another, after an argument at dinner one evening. Davidson made a comment to the giant bowler George Porter, who suffered from sweaty feet, that apparently reduced the latter to tears. Chatterton took exception to it and laid down the law in no uncertain terms. 

Wright also separately refers to him being challenged to a fight by 'Jimmy Burns', perhaps the Essex bowler of the period. Even his obituary notices, which were sufficiently effusive commensurate to his talent, referred to a 'brusque exterior concealing a kindly heart'  and to 'his quick temper and hot-headed conduct'. 

Maybe not always an easy team mate then, but an extremely talented cricketer, one with a very interesting story.

In considering his attitude to new team mates, let us not forget that the lot of the professional in the 1890s was relatively glamorous, the challenge of someone new a threat to their livelihood. A good county player might earn only £150-250 a year, but that compared favourably to the lot of a labourer, the alternative for many, which was around £80-£100. To earn that money, you had to be selected. The standard contract was £5 a match for home games, £6 for away matches, out of which accommodation had to be paid for. On top of that, talent money might be paid, while collections would be taken for a good performance by a home player, which could earn as much as ten pounds. The irony of George's record score being made at an away ground, Old Trafford, was probably not lost on him.

A few professionals, like William Gunn and Arthur Shrewsbury of Nottinghamshire, did well in business ventures, but many worried about a life outside of the game and more than a few ended up in the workhouse when their playing days ended.

Like William Mycroft, George Davidson came from Brimington, near Chesterfield and honed his bowling skills with his father, Joseph. He was a good enough player to be a member of the first Derbyshire side to take the field, in 1871, and was known as an accurate bowler of off-spin. He took plenty of wickets in local cricket, even though he played only four first-class matches and took just six wickets. The two played together for Brimington Common and Davidson junior developed quickly. 

He worked in the iron works there as an unskilled labourer for 10d a day, before becoming professional at Keighley Cricket Club. He did well for them in 1885 and was offered a role on the staff at The Oval. Surrey wanted him to qualify and sign for them, as did Warwickshire later, but he only wanted to play for the county of his birth and made his debut for Derbyshire in 1886, against the MCC at Lord's. He took 5-37 on debut, something he was to do on 43 occasions, going on to take ten wickets in a match ten times. By means of comparison for modern supporters, his strike rate per wicket lies between that of Mike Hendrick and Harold Rhodes, confirming his ability quite nicely. 

For all that he holds that record score, Davidson averaged only a shade under 24 as a batsman from 260 innings, including two other centuries, but he added to that with 621 wickets at 18. If one takes the claim of any cricketer as an all rounder seriously, their batting average should exceed their bowling one, and these figures confirm that Davidson must have been a very fine player. 

Descriptions of his bowling suggest someone of Tony Palladino's pace, described as 'above medium but not fast'. He had a unique 'semi-circular' run up, starting at wide mid-off and had the ability to bowl for long spells, frequently doing so. Levi Wright recalled him disliking being taken off for any reason and praised him for his stamina throughout a long season. On one occasion at Leyton, he bowled from the start of the day at 12 noon until 1.35pm before a run was scored from him. He was taken off five minutes before lunch at 1.55pm and resumed again after the interval. A man of average height, he bowled right arm with great accuracy, as evidenced by a career record in which he conceded only two runs an over. He moved the ball off the pitch to great effect, with a fast, high action that enabled him, in the modern parlance, to hit the wicket hard.

The Lancashire game in which he scored 274 saw him bat for seven and a quarter hours. He followed this by bowling 57-34-75-3 in Lancashire's first innings, in which they were forced to follow on. To the modern viewer, used to players complaining of burnout and tiredness after a Test series, this makes astonishing reading.

Davidson also reached a century as part of another then record, the team score of 645 against Hampshire at Derby in 1898. With declarations not possible at this time, his captain, Sydney Evershed, told him to get out so the bowlers could get to work, but Davidson, confirming his contrary nature, ignored him and batted on to score his century, following it with another 31 overs and 6-42. As a batsman he was described as defensively sound, with the ability to play strokes when he got going. 

His annus mirabilis was in 1895, when he scored 1296 runs at 28 and took 138 wickets at less than 17. These are the figures of a special player, one who deserves to be mentioned when discussions of the county's finest take place. It was the first time a Derbyshire player did the double, and perhaps the result of spending the previous winter coaching and playing in South Africa, keeping his eye in quite nicely. He returned from the Cape 'bearing gifts and testimonials' after a series of fine performances. His record season for Derbyshire  saw him presented with a gold watch and chain by his friends at Brimington, as well as being talked about as one of the finest all round cricketers in the country.

He took a benefit in 1897, but contemporary reports blame Queen Victoria's  Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the weather for a cheque 'of meagre proportions' (£200) and comment 'it is not pleasant for the sportsmen of Derbyshire to feel that their favourite's reward was such a wretchedly small one and amounted, in fact, to absolute insult'.

It is hard to argue. Three times he took nine wickets in an innings for the county, every season but one that he played being the leading wicket-taker, while in 1892 he headed both the batting and bowling. Several reports comment that he was the 'biggest single reason' that Derbyshire remained a first-class county. His line and length were especially noteworthy and after twice bowling A.C.MacLaren, a giant of  the age, on a flat wicket in 1895, the Lancashire captain declared that 'he would exhaust anyone's patience with his metronomic accuracy'.

His final game for the county saw another record to which he contributed, albeit inadvertently. He had missed several matches with a strain when Yorkshire visited Chesterfield in 1898 but declared himself fit to play in Walter Sugg's benefit match. Wright recalled that it was obvious from the first ball that he wasn't himself, and it was all he could do to finish his only over. His absence from the rest of the innings left Yorkshire openers John Tunnicliffe and J.T. Brown a novice attack to face, and they responded with a then record opening stand of 554. It was the other side of a complex character, trying his best to play in the match to help his friend, even when he likely knew in his heart that it wouldn't work.

George never played for the county again. During the winter that followed, a bout of influenza quickly worsened into pneumonia and the man with the iron constitution died on 8 February 1899 at the tragically early age of 32, leaving a wife, six children under the age of seven and very little money. The editor of Cricket magazine in 1899 hoped that 'energetic steps might be taken by the gentlemen of Derbyshire on their behalf'. Given that the club was in its perennial impoverished state, it is unlikely that they ever did so.

It was an 'irreparable loss to the county and to the game of cricket', evident in the outpouring of the newspaper reports of the day. Few knew that he was unwell, so the shock was considerable for supporters and cricket followers. The story was covered in local press around the country, the opinion firmly of a very fine player cut off in his prime. Maybe, even yet, one of international standard.

'A very large crowd' attended his funeral, before he was interred at Tipton Cemetery, near Dudley on 13 February. This was at the wishes of his widow, who hoped to remain locally, even though the family wanted him buried in Brimington. His team mates Hancock, Storer, Sugg and Chatterton were among the pall-bearers, while wreaths were received from his captain, Sydney Evershed, the club and several individuals, as well as the MCC. An unusually candid report in the Derby Daily Telegraph of the time revealed that the player had been told, in the days before he died, that he could never play cricket again, such was the effect of the illness on his heart. Such news would have been hard to bear in his already weakened state.

In his obituary, Wisden recalled him as a cricketer 'just short of the highest class' who 'had he played for a better county might have enjoyed a still more brilliant career'. Former England captain Henry Leveson-Gower, a contemporary, in his book Off and On The Field said that 'he would have gone much further had he plied his skills elsewhere'. 

We have heard that plenty of times over the years. Given that players at that time continued well into their forties, he had at least another ten years ahead of him, when further records may well have been set.

There is perhaps an opportunity for the club and its supporters to do right by George Davidson. My research suggests that his grave at Tipton Cemetery is unmarked and may even be that of a pauper. It would be proper to look to mount a plaque, at least, to mark his last resting place.

After all, it is the longest surviving record in the county's cricket and his loyal and significant  contribution to its early years is worthy of belated recognition. 

(This piece originally appeared in 2020)

Derbyshire v Sussex day 1

Derbyshire 327-2 (Masood 201*, Madsen 88*)

v Sussex

Wow!

If anyone had any doubts as to the quality of Shan Masood, as well as his motivation for playing here, it was amply illustrated today.

Having warmed up nicely at Lord's, with scores of 91 and 62, he batted through the day today to make a sublime, unbeaten 201. That's 354 runs in 3 innings (so far) and a quite extraordinary start to his county career.

He added an unbroken 236 for the third wicket with Wayne Madsen, a new county record for the third wicket against Sussex. It was a joy to see Wayne back to his accumulating best, playing straight, working the field and running magnificently with Masood between the wickets. He was the perfect foil, finishing unbeaten on 88 himself.

For years, Wayne has carried the Derbyshire batting hopes and it is nice that he now has high-class support. With serious batting to come, we will hope to push towards 500 tomorrow and then see how things go.

I don't think our bowlers will find much more in the wicket than a young Sussex attack managed. The only two wickets that fell, Billy Godleman and Brooke Guest were both 'strangled' down the leg side, as Masood was at Lord's. They likely spent the day kicking themselves afterwards, as precious little passed the bat thereafter. 

Rizwan kept very well for the visitors and skipper Tom Haines bowled steadily and set intelligent fields to stem the flow of runs. I also liked the look of teenage spinner James Coles, who got the odd ball to bite and turn - not bad on day one, even better from a Derbyshire perspective.

But today was all about Shan Masood. After several years of less effective overseas recruitment by his predecessor, Mickey Arthur has produced a gem with a man who, astonishingly, can't get into the Pakistan side.

Shan already looks one of the best batsmen to have played for the county and I would rank his running between the wickets and judgement of a run to the same high standard as Dean Jones. His technique appears so easy, standing tall and still, then seemingly playing the ball wherever he wants. 

This was his first double century in first-class cricket. The question now is whether he can carry on tomorrow and threaten, maybe even beat George Davidson's county record score of 274, made in 1896.

How big a message would that send back home?

Wonderful stuff, a day of total dominance.

Don't you love to see it? 

Derbyshire v Sussex preview

Derbyshire's first home game of the season takes place tomorrow, against Sussex at the Incora County Ground.

Hopefully the teething issues with the stream have been resolved and we can all enjoy it, wherever we are. Before I forget, my first sighting of the new scoreboard is very favourable -  very clear and effective!

The game offers some wonderful Asian talent - Suranga Lakmal from Sri Lanka, Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan, Cheteshwar Pujara of India. Class acts all, and I hope the attendance reflects the talent on show. Kevin Pietersen should note that 'cast list'... 

Alex Hughes replaces Ryan Sidebottom in the only change to the Derbyshire 13 from Lord's. Logic suggests he and Harry Came may miss out, although using Anuj Dal as third seamer is an option, as was pointed out the other day.

My guess, however, is that we will go with the following eleven:

Godleman, Masood, Guest, Madsen, Du Plooy, Reece, Dal, Thomson, Conners, Lakmal, Potts.

Our visitors travel without Ollie Robinson and Fynn Hudson - Prentice, both injured and a big loss to their attack. They have named the following thirteen:

Alsop, Atkins, Burrows, Carter, Clark, Coles, Crocombe, Finn, Haines, Lenham, Orr, Pujara, Rizwan

Much will depend on our dismissing the big batting names, as well as how well we handle former England man Steve Finn, who spearheads the visiting attack.

But the first three days look set for fine weather, while the fourth may have a few showers. If the wicket offers a little help for the bowlers, I think this Derbyshire side has enough to get one in the win column.

What do you think? 

Middlesex v Derbyshire day 4

Middlesex 401 and 258-5 (Conners 3-61)

Derbyshire 304 and 255-5 (Masood 62, Madsen 54, Guest 43, Godleman 38, Dal 24* Du Plooy 23*, Helm 3-49)

Match drawn

Both at lunch and at tea today, as Derbyshire chased 356 to beat Middlesex at Lord's, there was a chance we could do something spectacular and make our highest successful run chase at that historic ground.

The reality is that we lost wickets at the wrong time. With Middlesex putting out boundary sweepers quite early to counteract the sumptuous timing of Shan Masood, the fours dried up and the soft dismissal of Masood, 'strangled' down the leg side, saw the innings lose impetus.

For a long time Godleman struggled with his timing, but was just getting going when he steered an ungainly cut to slip. 

Yet Madsen, in lovely touch, with Guest took the score past 180 at tea with only two wickets down. Guest was solid, straight and sensible, Madsen wristy and fluent. Had they had 45 minutes together after tea, then maybe, just maybe. 

But both went in quick succession, Madsen trapped leg before and Guest playing loosely away from his body to be well held at slip. When Reece went quickly it was time to shut up shop, which Du Plooy and Dal duly did. 

Middlesex were hampered by the loss of their captain, Tim Murtagh, to a hamstring injury which left them with only four bowlers. However, with Derbyshire in that situation from the first morning, it was hard to have too much sympathy. 

I thought Tom Helm bowled splendidly for them throughout and he looks a bowler with a bright future. Bamber too is a willing worker, though a greater appreciation of the lbw rule would serve him well and make his regular appeals less annoying. Their attack lacked a little variety, and Shaheen Afridi should make a difference when he arrives. 

As for Derbyshire we will likely be back in the loan market for a seamer, unless the injuries back home have eased. We can be pleased with the discipline and battling spirit shown here, but will be happier if one or two batsmen convert these starts into 'proper' scores.

Positive things to work on, though. Everyone made a contribution and we will gladly take that for starters

Middlesex v Derbyshire day 3

Middlesex 401 and 201-3 (White 79*, Holden 68*)

Derbyshire 304 (Masood 91, Dal 52, Thomson 45 Helm 3-52)

Middlesex lead by 298 runs

It was a curate's egg kind of day for Derbyshire today. There was a good and valuable partnership between Anuj Dal and Alex Thomson after both overnight batsmen perished when well set, but then the last four wickets fell without further addition to the score.

It was an innings - granted the first of the summer - that highlighted the frailties of last year. Masood apart, the next highest score of the top six was only 28. While the lengthy occupation of the crease was laudable, the bottom line is that we need more runs from those players.

When Middlesex batted again, three wickets went down and the ground fielding was excellent, but White and Holden then made hay in the evening sunshine. The four-man attack was exposed and I would have to say Lakmal looks a little undercooked in this game. I think he is better than figures of 2-166, but his debut hasn't been the success we hoped for. I am sure that things will improve. 

So to tomorrow, and we will see what kind of target Middlesex set. There appear few real issues in the pitch, but like all supporters I will hope for our handling the home attack with a little more elan than was broadly managed first time around.

I won't entertain too many hopes of a massive, successful run chase, especially this early in the season.

But I will be disappointed if we lose here. 

Middlesex v Derbyshire day 2

Middlesex 401 (Thomson 4-103, Conners 3-104)

Derbyshire 177-4 (Masood 91, Madsen 34)

Derbyshire trail by 224 runs

A delightful innings of 91 by Shan Masood lit up the day at Lord's, even if the Pakistan batman rather gave it away when a century was there for the taking.

Derbyshire did well in the morning to bowl out the home side for 401. Alex Thomson ended up with four wickets and Sam Conners bowled much better than yesterday, but the ball was doing a little bit more too, worrying from a Derbyshire perspective. 

Masood looked good from the start, playing through the V and delightfully when the line strayed to his pads. At the other end I thought our batsmen, while going for crease occupation, erred too much on the side of defence, allowing close fields to remain set. Helm bowled well, while Bamber seemed to be playing to different rules to everyone else, appealing whenever pads were hit, regardless of where the ball pitched. Murtagh remains a wily campaigner and Derbyshire were made to work.

Neither Godleman nor Guest ever suggested permanence and Madsen had early struggles, but Masood cut loose after reaching his fifty and it was a surprise when a rush of blood saw him charge the more innocuous-looking De Caires to be stumped for an excellent 91.

He looked on a different level to the rest and it will be a pleasure to watch him this year. 

Madsen went before the close, caught leg before on his crease, but du Plooy and Reece saw it to the close.

A big first session tomorrow, then. First we need to get past the follow on target, then hopefully bat much longer. At least that early occupation made the later task easier against a softer ball. With good batsmen at the crease and to come, we can certainly get past 300 here. 

Middlesex v Derbyshire day 1

Middlesex 307-4 (Eskinazi 118, De Caires 80, Lakmal 2-77) 

v Derbyshire 

On what turned out to be a very good batting track all day, I can only assume that, on winning the toss we thought any help would be early.

As it turned out there was little lateral movement and the home side progressed serenely all day. The cause wasn't helped by Ryan Sidebottom seemingly doing a hamstring seven balls in, which left four bowlers to do the bulk of the bowling all day. 

They stuck well to their task, supported well in the field where the ground fielding was excellent. Lakmal and Conners will bowl better but stuck at it, while Dal can seldom have bowled as many overs. Add in his fielding at point and he put in a good shift today. 

Again I thought Thomson excellent and bowling with good rhythm, fully deserving his late wicket with the assistance of a good catch from Conners. He was unlucky with a pre-lunch lbw shout too, when it was hard to see what the ball was missing. 

Eskinasi made a fine century, while De Caires, son of Mike Atherton, made his first half century in Middlesex colours. Both looked very organised players and the home side will be very happy tonight. 

Not the all - conquering start we hoped for, then, but we fought hard to the end. There appear no demons in the wicket and while bowling Middlesex out with four bowlers seems unlikely, we should make a decent fist of batting on this surface.

In closing, commiserations to Ryan Sidebottom, whose loan spell is almost certainly over at the end of this match. Mickey Arthur will likely be on the phone again to look at options.

We go again tomorrow