Madsen set for international call

Wayne Madsen, as reported by Cricinfo, will miss two county championship games for Derbyshire in the coming season, between July 20 and 28, as he will at last be playing international cricket - for Italy.

An Italian passport through his mother, which enabled him to qualify and play in this country in the first instance, allows him to represent that country in the T20 World Cup Europe qualifier, which will be held in Edinburgh between the above dates.

Two teams will qualify and the hosts, Scotland, together with Ireland, will be the favourites to do so. Yet the recruitment of Madsen, as well as Kent's Grant Stewart and Australians Spencer Johnson and Ben Manenti, will make the Italians competitive, under captain/coach Gareth Berg.

Michael di Venuto previously played for them and it should make for an entertaining tournament. It is played on a round robin basis, with Austria, Denmark, Germany and Jersey also involved.

It is belated international recognition for Wayne, who could likely have done a fine job for England at different points over the last decade, especially on overseas tours, where his ability against spin might have seen him do better than others who got the nod.

Assuming that it is confirmed by the club,  he will miss home matches against Durham and Glamorgan, but only the churlish would deny him the opportunity to play some cricket at international level.

He has graced the county game for a long time now and most county supporters will likely have one eye on Edinburgh for the duration of the tournament. 

Mark Watt will also be involved, of course, representing Scotland.

Ali watching

Thank you all so much for your kind words below my last post. Which, when I come to think of it, should probably have a bugle call attached at the end of the sentence...

Those words were very much appreciated and I am grateful to you all for taking the time to message, or to send me an email.

I'm not doing much at the moment, on medical advice, which has afforded me the opportunity to watch Haider Ali in the PSL.

It is quickly obvious, in watching him, that he has talent to spare. He is one of these mercurial players who seems to have a shot, sometimes two, for every ball. What will be interesting in the coming months will be to see how he tempers his approach at the top of the order and on English wickets.

Even in the context of T20, a couple of his dismissals have been poor. In one of them, having just come in, he stepped outside leg stump to attempt to penetrate a fairly well populated offside and was comprehensively bowled by the leg spinner. The match situation did not require such an approach and it will be interesting to see how that improves under Mickey Arthur.

In the game yesterday, he played several scintillating strokes then charged, rather than sashayed, down the wicket in the manner of Ranjitsinjhi, in the famous Beldam photograph. It was a far from glorious end to an innings that promised much.

I think that as supporters we will need to temper our expectations. I don't expect batting conditions to be as favourable as they were last year, when April and May saw uncharacteristically docile tracks. In any other year it may well have been Suranga Lakmal with a perpetual grin on his face, instead of Shan Masood, but the latter got himself in, got into a rhythm and drank at the well while conditions were in his favour.

Ali is a completely different player, closer to Shahid Afridi than Masood in style, though a better batter. Once he grasps his responsibilities and the conditions he will entertain and, perhaps like Chris Wilkins, will be well worth the entrance money when he comes off.

We must remember that he is relatively inexperienced and still a young man. He will make the mistakes that all young men make, but provide the fearless approach that is also their major attribute.

If he succeeds on a regular basis, Derbyshire should score runs fast enough to force positive results, which they need to do, with only three points for a draw this year. Too many sides last year took the easy way out and ground out draw after draw, which would really do no one any favours, this time around.

It should all make for outstanding entertainment and I'm sure that I could probably put a capital E on that word, in due course.

Enjoy your evenings, I will be back soon, when I can.

A change to the advertised..

With the cricket season 50 days away, excitement is building among supporters around the country. Over the coming weeks, the ' big Spring jacket' will be brought out and checked, as will the location of the flasks, gloves and hats that are de rigeur for the start of summer cricket follower.

I was among them, having planned a trip to Derby in April for an early home fixture, one to Durham for my usual 'home' game and my attendance of the Chesterfield cricket festival, the date having worked for me for the first time in a number of years.

Alas, yours truly will be getting surgery in April - the date as yet unconfirmed - which will require a hospital stay of 7 to 10 days, followed by convalescence of 2 to 3 months and no driving. So it looks like my cricket watching will be entirely stream-based this year, at least until the tail end of the season.

What it means for the blog? At this stage I'm unsure but it will be dictated by how I feel. There will be a point at which it has run its natural course and various factors will determine when that will be.

Hopefully it isn't yet, but this is an early warning for there being an interruption to the advertised programme this summer.

I will prepare my season preview in advance and I hope, at least, to do a header for each match, so that comments on the play can go into their rightful place, much as I have done during our annual holidays in previous summers.

Time will tell, but I felt it fair to let you know that coverage may not always be as detailed as in previous years, especially in early season.

But if I can, I will.

In My Mind's Eye Number 2: William Chatterton (1861-1913)

On the basis of contemporary accounts, William Chatterton must have been one of the most graceful batsmen to represent Derbyshire, as well as being one of the most loyal.

Indeed, when the history of Derbyshire cricket is considered, there is strong argument that he, with George Davidson, were the main reasons that the club regained and retained first-class status in 1894, having been demoted in 1888 for poor results.

A batting average of 25, to modern eyes is indicative of a player of only modest talent. Yet Chatterton, or 'Chatty' as he was known, made many of his on poor, uncovered and under-prepared wickets. It was 'Fiddler' Walker, then groundsman at Trent Bridge, who started to top dress wickets with marl. The high clay content of this, rolled out, improved wickets considerably, The downside was that wickets at the ground became fast and true, high scores of up to 500 runs in a day not uncommon. Tellingly, when the quality of wicket improved, Chatterton's average went northwards too, although his sound defence, noted in reports of the time, enabled him to score more runs on awkward tracks than many of his contemporaries.

Born at Birch Vale in the High Peak, he made his first appearance for the County Colts in 1885 but took two or three seasons before returning any figures of note. Indeed, his slow round-arm bowling looked the best of his game at that time and he continued to bowl throughout his career, taking 208 wickets at an average of 21 in first-class cricket. He was also a reliable slip fielder in an era when fielding ability was not necessarily commonplace.

His batting gradually developed, however, as he became known as one of the game's stylists. In 1889 he averaged nearly 29 with the bat and 16 with the ball, this after a couple of seasons when ill-health prevented him from showing his best form. With Derbyshire demoted at this time, fixtures were limited, though a fine season in 1891 saw him invited to go on tour with an England eleven to South Africa. He played in one Test match, scoring 48 in his only innings, yet made over 950 runs on the tour, easily heading the averages. He would have passed the thousand-run mark, but for illness again ruling him out of several matches.

Commentators waxed lyrical at his sound defence and technique, while his stroke play, when he chose to unfurl it, was 'a delight'. Reports confirm several offers to play for a first-class county around this time, but he declined them all. There was also an offer to spend three winters in Kimberley, South Africa, for  a sum of one thousand pounds and 'perquisites', but Chatterton again declined the offer, as a condition was that he become a permanent resident there.

He returned to England and a celebration dinner at The Old Bell Hotel in Derby, where his admirers entertained him and presented him with a cheque for £160, referring to him as 'the great standby' of the county eleven. He in turn said that he had no interest in playing for anyone but Derbyshire, and saw only good times ahead for the county.

The club's return to first-class status saw his form blossom still further and an average of over 40 in 1896 was his best. 'No batsman has ever had a more graceful style' wrote one onlooker 'and when he has played himself in he is one of the most attractive batsmen that ever took guard. He is a master of many strokes and to be trusted anywhere in the field'. He made several appearances for the Players against the Gentlemen and was regarded as unfortunate that no further invitation came to play for his country.

He again passed a thousand runs in 1901, but his form deserted him in 1902 and he was released by the county. Ill-health returned to dog him and the man who had been talented at both rugby and football (he played a few games for Derby County) was a shadow of his former self.

He returned to his father's home at Flowery Field, near Hyde and died of tuberculosis on March 19, 1913.

Perhaps accepting that offer in South Africa might have helped to prolong his life, but William was Derbyshire through and through. Plenty of other batsmen have exceeded his near eleven thousand runs for the club, but his skill and loyalty at a time when they were both badly needed helped to establish the county in first-class cricket.

We were very lucky to have him.

(Image sourced courtesy of David Griffin at the Derbyshire CCC Archive)

NB for some reason this piece never published a couple of winters ago, so I thought it time for it to see the light of day

Good luck to Leus

This afternoon, Leus du Plooy will play in the semi-final of the SA20 for Joburg Super Kings, after his batting was a major factor on them getting to this stage.

There are a lot of very fine batters on display in the competition, but the Derbyshire captain has looked very much at home in such elite company. 

I am hopeful that this summer will see him truly emerge in all formats as a player of the highest calibre. There have been times since his emergence over here when he has looked that way, but others when his footwork has been hesitant and his scores disappointing as a result.

For me, he's always looked a better player when he has gone for his shots, rather than when occupation of the crease has been more the order of the day. Perhaps 'Bazball' might be his natural home and his ability to score runs around 360° makes him a very dangerous customer.

His first season of captaincy will be interesting. Some players thrive on the additional responsibility, while others struggle to maintain their standards when they also have to think about other players.

Leus has some experienced cricketers to lean on and I think the new role could be the making of him. In what should be an exciting batting lineup, runs should not be an issue for the side and we could see the blossoming of player and county.

It promises to be very exciting.

Warming thoughts ahead of the season

While not having made major changes to the playing staff over the winter, it is impossible to deny that Mickey, Arthur has substantially improved the Derbyshire squad in that time.

The hugely prolific and highly respected Shan Masood has gone, as have Dustin Melton and Mikey Cohen. The last two were players not without talent and capable of some fine spells, but injury issues and their South African roots conspired against them when it came to any cost/benefit analysis.

In their place we now have a very good seam bowler of genuine potential in Zak Chappell, a middle order batsman of power in Matt Lamb, spinner Mark Watt for the full season and now Haider Ali for most, if not all of it too. Not to mention securing some of our best young talent to improved, longer-term deals.

For what it is worth, I think the batting looks very good. An article in the Cricketer suggested Ali may open the batting in 50-over and 4-day cricket, which surprised me but may be part of his development plan. I could more understand that rationale in the 20 over game, but perhaps Luis Reece and either Harry Came or Tom Wood will get the nod, with Ali entrusted the role of late innings pyrotechnics.

A sign of a good squad is when you can't honestly name a first choice eleven to start the season. I genuinely can't this year. I think there are players who are guaranteed playing, bar for injuries and the rest will need consistency of performance or rotation of seam bowlers to play.

I would have a go at the following:

Reece

Ali

Guest

Madsen

du Plooy

Lamb

Dal

Chappell

Aitchison

Conners

Lakmal

But I could just as easily make a case for others. It is a position of strength when one looks at four very good seam bowlers and ponder which one is omitted if they are all fit and a spinner warrants inclusion. Which, with Dal and Reece in the side, I think should be the case. I have never been convinced in the need to have four, even five seamers in an attack, if you are picking the correct first three.

Equally, which spinner gets the nod? Watt has the international experience, Thomson can bat, as can McKiernan, but which is more likely to take wickets when the opposition doesn't have to slog?  Decisions..

The side above doesn't include Godleman, Wood or Came, good players all. Nor does it include George Scrimshaw or Nick Potts, or for that matter Archie Harrison, who I suspect will enjoy game time this year as an all-rounder of considerable promise. This is how far we have come in just one year under Mickey Arthur.

With so many players playing for their future, supporters will expect intensity of performance and competition for places like never before.

It should make for compelling and memorable viewing.

Postscript: I have finally got around doing a draw from those kindly sponsoring the blog. My sincere apologies to to everyone for the delay, but there is plenty going on at present.

I have made contact with those who have won and thank everyone for their kindness and generosity.

Another draw will take place in due course.

Haider Ali signs for 2023!

Haider Ali, eh?

That is a very bold and innovative signing by Mickey Arthur in picking up one of Pakistan's hottest batting prospects for all formats for the 2023 season, subject to his international commitments.

While he has played a fair amount of the latter for a young man of just 22, he is not currently a first pick, so Derbyshire may perhaps see more of him than we did Shan Masood last year.

He is a completely different player, of course. Where Masood is essentially a sheet anchor, a Roundhead if you will, Haider is a Cavalier, an entertainer, capable of reaching and clearing the boundary on a regular basis. He has a good range of strokes and while typical English early season wickets will prove a fresh challenge for him, Arthur will know him well and be confident that he can rise to that challenge.

It would be wrong, I think, to expect him to replicate the exploits of Masood last year. He is much less experienced and a totally different kind of player. Nor will he have cost so much, as a young man with a reputation to build. 

He most frequently bats in the middle order and will certainly offer valuable firepower in the Vitality Blast. But there are suggestions that he has been signed to open the batting, which is interesting. It will test him, but may also see an enhancement to and strengthening of his technique.

As for the middle order...Guest, Madsen, du Plooy, Lamb and Dal is a serious lineup, not forgetting Tom Wood. There should be high level, high octane entertainment this summer.

I can only say that if Haider discovers his best form early, then he could be the missing link in this side. He is an entertainer, albeit one who will want to see his one-day averages head northwards. Coming to the county game, as for so many before, could be the making of him. He will better learn to go through the gears, rather than aiming to get from nought to sixty in no time but perhaps to the detriment of his average.

Here he is below, showing what he can do from YouTube. 

Those tickets look like being in high demand this season!

Welcome to Derbyshire, Haider.

Haider batting

Conners signs new deal

Terrific news to start the day today, with the announcement that Sam Conners has signed a new 2-year deal with Derbyshire that will keep him at the county until the end of 2024.

It follows on from his pace bowling colleague Ben Aitchison doing the same earlier in the winter and with Zac Chappell having joined from Nottinghamshire, the seam attack looks to be in very good health, especially with Suranga Lakmal seemingly back to full fitness and Nick Potts showing potential.

Sam is a class act, an opening bowler who may well have been on tour with England Lions this winter bar for an elbow problem, that has necessitated an injection that will hopefully sort the issue.

His whippy and lithe style is somewhat reminiscent of Harold Rhodes and his ability to move the ball makes him a potent threat. There is no limit to his potential and  few sides will fancy batting against him on his best days.

There are times when the line and length can go astray, but that is par for the course in a young bowler. One has to look at the bigger picture and appreciate what he brings to the Derbyshire attack. There would be no lack of interest in his services and it is heartening that Derbyshire are able to retain players of his potential and quality.

Enjoy your day, after that early pick me up!

Especially you, Sam..

Weekend warmer

The nights are getting ever so slowly lighter and we are within a hundred days of the start of a new cricket season. We only need the weather to warm up and for it to stop raining and the excitement would be building even faster..

This week the cricket media picked up on what I posted last week and confirmed that Mickey Arthur was staying at Derbyshire, not that there was any real suggestion that he was leaving, other from those voices that emanated from Pakistan.

It didn't really make any sense, to your correspondent at least, and for reasons that are well documented over the past couple of weeks. He seems to be happy, totally focused on Derbyshire and hopefully ready to build on the sound foundations that were established in 2022.

There are new players in place and there will be even more by the end of this month, when our second overseas player will be announced. At this stage it is hard to say if this player will fulfil all of the duties of that position, or will be only for a part of the county commitments.

I have seen various names mentioned, in comments on this blog and on social media. The reality is that none of us know who that player will be and that is good to see. I have every confidence that Arthur will have picked up a very good cricketer, my main interest being whether he has opted for another experienced man, like Suranga Lakmal and Shan Masood, or has gone for a man with a reputation to build. There are a few names in that latter category, while the best fit in the suggestions I have seen for an experienced man was Usman Khawaja.

Masood has had a difficult winter and been nowhere near as prolific as many, self included, thought he might be. Perhaps Yorkshire will not have picked up the run machine that he was for Derbyshire and last year may have been a never-ending purple patch that isn't extended, when he takes over the reins at our northern neighbours.

With twelve of the current staff coming to the end of their contracts in September, a lot of people have much to play for. I think that is the right thing, though of course, the risk in not securing players to a longer deal is that they could be 'poached' during the summer. I would expect a few counties to be keeping a close eye on the situation with Leus du Plooy, Luis Reece and Sam Conners, while George Scrimshaw is likely to be another to come under close scrutiny.

By the same token, all of them can earn another deal with Derbyshire. Having been given the captaincy, I would be surprised if du Plooy left, while Reece has always been grateful to Derbyshire for giving him an opportunity when he was released by Lancashire. In an ideal world we would retain the services of all four players and of course I hope that we do.

Finally today, I will be doing a draw this weekend among the blog subscribers who have a chance to win a cricket book. I will put the names of the winners on a post over the over the course of the next 2 days and if those people could get in touch at their convenience, I can sort out the prize for them.

To all of you, thank you for your continued support.

Postscript: in an interview published on the club website this afternoon, Arthur said that our new overseas player was 'young, very exciting and someone he has worked with, but only briefly...'

Hmm ..my gut feeling remains Abdullah Shafique. Any other thoughts?

Putting to bed the rumours

My understanding, to calm down troubled souls across the shires, is that there is 'absolutely nothing'  in the stories that linked Mickey Arthur to a return to Pakistan.

He remains one hundred per cent committed to the county and it's progression, so we needn't worry about him boarding a plane to Pakistan any time soon. 

There may, of course, be other opportunities to coach teams and franchises across the globe out of the English season, but that will, in its own way, merely take the name of Derbyshire into parts of the world where we may be less known and will not impact on his work here.

It may be that his work in Sri Lanka gave hope to some in Pakistan that he was looking at options. It may also be that there was a little 'positioning' taking place among the powers that be in that country, but he is happy and fully committed to the 'Derbyshire project'

 I have this from a very trusted source, so worry ye not, Falcons fans. That there has been no comment from the club is likely down to the fact that there is no substance to the story, nor that it is deemed worthy of comment.

So just relax and enjoy the countdown to the season!

Good wishes for 2023!

It isn't ideal to be approaching the end of 2022 with an element of uncertainty over the future of Mickey. Arthur. But such is professional sport these days that things rarely run smoothly.

For what it is worth, I would be surprised were the Head of Cricket to leave his post. There is considerable goodwill towards him at Derby and what I'm sure is a generous contract is his for the next three years. He can achieve something at the county in that timescale and leave it in a far better condition than it was found.

If he goes back to Pakistan? Things are never simple in that part of the world and it always seems to me that there are way too many fingers in pies they should be steering well clear of. Selection inconsistences and infighting seem to go hand in hand. There is no doubt that the main sport in that country produces some magnificent cricketers, yet I am never convinced that their strongest eleven ever takes the field.

The absence of Shan Masood for a long time and Mohamad Abbas perpetually seems odd at this distance and they are far from isolated occurrences. I get the impression that a slight shift in power battles sees the current incumbent of the coaching role in an awkward position, usually resulting in the end of a contract. It has been so for Arthur before, it will be again.

We must only hope that common sense prevails. Were he to see out his Derbyshire contract he would still be young enough to take on another international role, having probably added something notable to his CV. Leaving, let's make no bones about it, would leave a bad taste and after protestations of wanting to leave a legacy and be referred to in the same breath as the likes of Eddie Barlow and Fred Swarbrook, that wouldn't happen. But at the end of the day, all of us must make our own decisions in life.

With the offices at the Incora County Ground closed for the festive period, it is likely that any statement from the club will come next week, when they all return to work. I do hope that such a statement is quickly forthcoming, because there are memberships to sell and an overseas player to be signed. This work will be made considerably easier with the right man in post and that right man is Mickey Arthur.

Anyway, that will all sort in due course. From me, very best wishes for 2023 and thank you to all of you for your support, your messages, comments and emails over this year.

Perhaps 2023 is the year of the falcon...

Arthur conjecture gathering pace

You can pay your money and take your choice on this one.

According to some reports, Mickey Arthur is set to return to Pakistan as coach of their national side. According to others, his opinion only on the new cricket supremo in that country has been sought and he is happy where he is, at Derbyshire.

I really have nothing to add to this. It was inevitable, when I first heard that his name was in the frame for the role, that this kind of thing was going to happen. After all, international coaches of established pedigree are not common. It was my concern when he was chosen over Grant Bradburn, who also made the final cut.

By the same token, I think he would make a mistake in going back to a country where they decided against extending his contract originally. Returns in sport are seldom successful and I would be surprised - and of course disappointed - if Arthur were to turn his back on Derbyshire after just one season in charge and after signing a contract that keeps him at the club for a further three seasons.

Yet after 50 years and counting of following sport, very little surprises me anymore. 

All I hope is that either the club or the coach himself is quick in making a statement to clarify the situation for supporters. Things have blown up very quickly over Christmas and I have no doubt that there are some of those reporting who are perhaps quite liberal with the truth.

One way or the other we will know what is happening by the end of the week. But one thing is for sure.

Derbyshire will continue. But players who signed on the dotted line on the understanding that they would be working with him will be mighty disappointed were that to prove not to be the case.

I know I would.

Have a great Christmas!

There is just time, before we all shut down for the joys of family Christmas, to thank you all for your support over the past 12 months and for following the blog, wherever you are in the world.

I remain incredibly humbled that blog usage continues to rise, especially during the summer months. Family commitments limit my time to write stuff in the winter, but I continue to try to keep pace with developments and create copy, as and when I can.

Special thanks to those who have generously donated. That support really does make a difference and for those of you who would like to do so in the next couple of weeks, here is a little news about a January draw.

I will be offering five prizes in that draw, all of them excellent cricket books. The first name drawn out gets to choose first, then the second and so on. 

That draw will be open to all of those who have donated towards blog running costs, which is quite a few people!

Thank you so much to every single one. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and wish you the very best in 2023.

Here's to a winning Derbyshire!

Second team to hold trials

In another development that I can only applaud, Derbyshire will be holding trials in the early new year for English-based players with an interest in playing for the second eleven n the coming summer.

Led by Second XI Coach & Head of Analytics, Chris Highton, and with involvement from former Derbyshire all-rounder and new Analyst & Support Coach, Alex Hughes, the Second XI will provide players with the opportunity to play high level cricket and work to the standards expected by Head of Cricket, Mickey Arthur, in the first team.

The Club’s pathway will provide a steady stream of players for the Second XI, as they continue their development, but Derbyshire are also giving players the opportunity to impress ahead of the 2023 season and earn a spot within the setup.

It is a notable step forward. For a long time appearance in the second team, rightly or wrongly, appeared to be down to who had a few days off and was a decent player. There was a very poor occurrence a couple of years ago, when an overseas professional for a local club was originally announced as captain for a second team game.

I will be honest, as I always am. I see no point in offering opportunity in the county second eleven to anyone who is not legitimately looking for or good enough for potentially making a step up. There is a big difference between when Eddie Barlow brought over Peter Kirsten, Allan Lamb and Garth Le Roux, all seriously talented players and with a view to seeing which one was best fit for Derbyshire, and our playing a young Australian, Zimbabwean or South African who just happens to be local for a few nights.

We have seen changes this winter, all of them positive, but a lot of players are out of contract at the end of next season. If we can unearth a few gems, either from local cricket or further afield, then that would be a very positive use of the second team and excellent succession planning.

The summer presents an opportunity for them to find out the way that Mickey Arthur and his coaching staff work, and to buy in to the club's ethos.

If they can prove that they have what it takes for stepping up a level, then so much the better.

Madsen signs new deal

Such great news this morning, as Wayne Madsen extends his contract with the county to the end of the 2024 season.

He will be 40 by then, but if last season's form is anything to go by, maybe he can do a 'Darren Stevens' and play on longer still.

Last year very much marked a renaissance in his fortunes. His batting with Shan Masood was a joy to behold, but throughout the year he set an example with the bat, while remaining as good and safe a slip fielder as anywhere in the country.

That he was often the choice for point in T20 matches, when Anuj Dal was not playing also speaks volumes for his fitness. He still looks as fit as he did when he first burst onto the Derbyshire scene.

We have all been privileged to watch a genuine all-time Derbyshire great bat exclusively for our county for what will have been a decade and a half by that stage.

The thought of it continuing for at least another 2 years is very much a thought to warm the heart.

I'm sure I'm not alone in looking forward to both his classically correct and wonderfully improvised stroke play over the next two summers.

Fantastic news, for sure

Bring on 2023!

Weekend Warmer

On a day where the temperature here is currently reading -6, a winter warmer is very much what the doctor ordered!

Truth be told, there's not much to relate from a Derbyshire perspective. I am sure that off the field, the clubs, function rooms and the marquee are doing their bit towards supporting Mickey Arthur's ambitions. A successful festive period, following on from a very well attended fireworks night, can make a major contribution towards the club's financial well-being.

The only real news this week, though very positive, was the return to action of Sri Lankan seam bowler Suranga Lakmal. Having him restored to full fitness will be a major boost ahead of 2023 and his 2 for 29 in 4 overs, against the side currently coached by Arthur, was a respectable effort.

We seem to have plenty of options with both seam and spin this year, although of course, like every year you are only a couple of injuries away from a problem.

Mark Watt has also been in fine form for Scotland and has bowled with his usual guile and parsimony.

Perhaps this week we might have a pre-Christmas boost with the announcement of the second overseas player, but more logically that may have to wait until the new year.

Whatever happens, have a good week, stay safe and stay warm!

Just a thought...

While claiming no inside information, I wouldn't be at all disappointed if Mickey Arthur's choice of overseas batsman to replace Shan Masood turned out to be Abdullah Shafique.

The 23-year-old Pakistan opener looks to be really special, a generational talent. While he is batting on something akin to a road in the current Test match, his style and class are quite evident. Mind you, a Test average of 67 and first class one of over 70 is a reasonable indicator of quality.

I suspect that both he, his advisors and the PCB would see a stint in England as a very good finishing school. 

I have no doubt he will score very heavily in the years to come and will only get better.

I recall Dave mentioned him as a good option a few months back, in a blog comment. 

Nothing I have seen would dispute that assertion.

Arthur signs on for three more years!

There is wonderful news to wake up to today, as Derbyshire announce that Mickey Arthur has signed a 3-year contract extension, which takes him up to the end of 2025.

The news could hardly be better, as the experienced international coach has galvanised the county's fortunes in a relatively short space of time. The transformation was clear last season, when the side was much more competitive with minimal change to the playing staff. Over the next three seasons I would expect the club to kick on still further, with the playing staff changing to reflect the Head of Cricket's mentality and requirements.

It is a thrill to read how much he has bought into the county and into the area. My only concern, when I first heard of his interest in the post, was that we might be merely a stepping stone back into international cricket. It is extremely pleasing to see that is not the case and equally so to see that finances have been put in place to enable him to do the ' roots and branches' review that was needed.

Last season was exciting. Hold on to your hats, because the next three look like upping the excitement level!

Speaking of which, the fixtures came out this week. That announcement always seems to bring the season a little closer, even though we still have plenty of cold, frosty, wet and snowy days to come.

It is the typical mess that we have come to expect from the ECB. It would be nice if County cricket - the source of all those players doing so well for England at the moment - was played at a time of year when spectators might enjoy some sunshine on their backs, while the players were able to discard several layers of sweaters and leave the hand warmers in the dressing room.

During a 36 day period across July, August and September 2023, Derbyshire have eight days of cricket, home and away. Seriously, at the height of summer.

Meanwhile, after 20th May they play on a Saturday just once. It is crazy, counter-productive and as if those arranging the fixtures were hell bent on the game being unsuccessful. We can only hope that the next review of the county game actually considers when it is being played, not who is playing it.

They will argue, of course, that they want to leave Saturdays free for those who want to play the game, while later in the season, they want to avoid potential clashes with football. The argument simply doesn't stack up. There are many more people who love cricket and are unable to play the game for whatever reason, while the days of football being a 3pm Saturday game have long gone. Perhaps for 2024 we might have fixtures arranged for a time when spectators could actually attend a spectator sport. How radical would that be...?

The silver lining for me, however, is that the away game against Durham runs Thursday to Sunday and so enables me to go for the first three days with no impact on my annual leave. My accommodation is already booked and I am looking forward to attending a lovely ground and catching up with old friends.

I am also thrilled that after several years of trying I should be able to attend the Chesterfield Cricket Festival! As things stand, I will be there for the entirety of the four-day game against Yorkshire and I am already excited at once again watching a game where I had my introduction to Derbyshire cricket, back in 1967. 

Exciting times!

Arthur closing in on overseas target...

I would like to thank Gareth for sending me a link to a piece in the cricketer which suggests that Mickey Arthur is close to the second overseas signing for 2023.

You can see the article here, but the interesting section is:

"I could pull the trigger on a guy tomorrow I've just got to see how it ties in with budgets," Arthur, the former South Africa, Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka head coach, told The Cricketer.

"There is potentially another guy we've got in the loop. We are looking to see how that pans out before I commit totally to this player."

"There are a host of them that want to come here. I've got my eye on one young batter that would be very good for us."

I like the idea of a young batter. Someone with a reputation to make, hopefully available for the full season and with the ability to score heavily across the formats.

It all suggests that we should have some one in place before Christmas and that we can all go into our festive period excited at what the future holds.

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to find out who it is!

County to feature in 'Blast Off'

I'm afraid that time ran away from me yesterday and work took too great a chunk from my available time to comment on the day's big news.

Which was, of course, that Derbyshire will feature in a tournament-opening Vitality Blast 'Blast Off' double header at Edgbaston, which will see us play Lancashire while Birmingham Bears take on Yorkshire, on Saturday 20 May. It is a big occasion for supporters and one which will feature all of the razzmatazz of finals day. Who knows, it may well turn out to be a portent of things to come..

It highlights the tournament in a grandstand way and sees it come very much to the forefront of public consciousness, all this in May, when the county game usually sees its participants jostling for early dominance in the season.

The downside is that Derbyshire are the only side involved who are effectively giving up home advantage. They are the designated home side for their game, while it is Birmingham's home game anyway. The counter arguments that I have seen are that it is one less game for supporters to go to and that we are not really a home side.

But does that matter? We played very well on this ground last year and for me getting this tournament into minds so early in the summer can only be a good thing. It is innovative, it is making people aware that there is a better tournament out there than the one which has been marketed to death, yet still only sees the bulk of its attendance figures through promotional giveaways.

The Blast is a  very good competition. How else would England have become world champions in the format? The players in that side grew up playing in our domestic T20 and honed their skills in it. Derby to Birmingham is not that far and the club have already said that they will lay on coach travel to and from the ground. You get to see two games of cricket and this is in the price of your membership, if you chose to go down that route.

There was a time in my life when I had 40-50 miles in each direction as my daily commute. I didn't find it too difficult at the time and I wouldn't find it an issue to travel to support my favourite sports team, particularly when I could just jump on a luxury coach and relax.

Cricket supporters around the country have spent the last twelve months mobilising in support of the existing county structure. The dangers facing it were clear and the franchise competition is still out there, its supporters still vocal.

I am just pleased to see the counties fighting back with innovation of their own. Perhaps the following season it will be a different four counties involved, a different venue. I would assume so, but I hope that supporters of all four clubs get behind this.

From the perspective of the players, the opportunity to play in front of what should be a large crowd can only be positive for them. Big game experience can only be gained by playing in big games, there is no simulator that can otherwise replicate everything.

I accept that there will be other views and it is, of course the prerogative of the individuals concerned to hold those views.

But I like this. I like to see my county involved in innovation.

Bring it on! And remember, it is Blast Off, not Bake Off...