Sussex v Derbyshire day 3

Sussex 607-8

Derbyshire 290 (Madsen 138 Carson 5-90) and 141-2 (Came 54*, Madsen 31*)

Derbyshire trail by 176 runs

A battling effort by Derbyshire sees them go into the final day of the game at Hove with a chance of salvaging a draw from this fixture.

Wayne Madsen progressed to a superb century in the morning and received good support from Zak Chappell and Daryn Dupavillon to take Derbyshire's score to at least respectability. Madsen has scored some wonderful centuries for Derbyshire but this one has to be up there with the best. 

He will need to do the same again tomorrow, however, as his side still trail by 176 runs  with eight wickets remaining. 

It was a much better effort second time around and full credit needs to go to Harry Came, who has batted through the 57 overs of the innings so far for an excellent, unbeaten 54. Madsen remains too, but the challenge of a fourth day pitch taking increasing spin is clear.

Carson has bowled well for the home side, but I thought he was lucky with the lbw against Guest, which even on repeat viewings looked a little high to me.

Much to play for and fair play to the side for the battling spirit they have shown since the early wickets in the first innings.

More from me tomorrow.

Sussex v Derbyshire day 2

Sussex 607-8 (Hughes 144, Simpson 121, Carson 97, Dupavillon 3-107)

Derbyshire 178-6 (Madsen 79*, Dal 45, Unadkat 3-41)

Derbyshire trail by 429 runs

That was a tough old day for Derbyshire, one that exposed the gap between them and table-topping Sussex very clearly. 

Rather following the script that I suggested last night, Sussex duly rattled up 600 and then reduced the Derbyshire innings to rubble in the twinkling of an eye. To be fair, they then rallied and a vintage knock by the sublime Wayne Madsen carried their first innings at least into the third day.

To be honest, the major difference between the two sides is that one has got two overseas players who have led from the front. The 144 from Daniel Hughes yesterday was matched by 3-41 by Jaydev Unadkat, who bowled beautifully with the new ball, putting it in areas that we simply didn't manage yesterday. The 3-107 by Daryn Dupavillon simply didn't compare and it again stressed what we need to find this winter.

Simpson made an excellent century for Sussex before Carson was dismissed for 97, bringing a relief to Derbyshire after being in the field for 140 overs. Came went early in reply and I was surprised that Guest wasn't given a breather after such a long time in the field. He only conceded six byes in the innings, a worthy effort, but would have benefited from a little time in the changing room. Having said that, when the first four wickets are down inside the first eight overs, none of them had much time to gather their thoughts...

Donald batted well for a time, then was bowled through a sizeable gate and it was left to Dal to help in a partnership of 84 runs, before he was smartly caught at short leg by Alsop. A few balls turning quite sharply again confirmed that the decision to bowl and expose themselves to a final innings was not the shrewdest, but maybe tomorrow sees a counter-attack of mythical proportions, that leaves the home side needing 200 on the last day. Hmm..

It seems unlikely, but Madsen played another of those innings where you shake your head and marvel at his longevity and consistency. On the basis of what I saw today, next season need not be his last, as he remains as lean as a butcher's dog, his stroke play still something for the ages. 

One back foot force through extra cover today made me gasp at its beauty and he appeared on a different level to anyone else. Playing the ball late and watching it closely, it was an object lesson in batting against spin, three swept boundaries in the day's final over the piece de resistance in an innings of consummate class.

It is hard to believe we can salvage anything from this game, still 429 runs behind. But it was equally hard to believe that Madsen is still capable of such quality into his fifth decade.

Enjoy him, as long as it lasts. 

We will not see his like again. 

Postscript: rumours emanating from Trent Bridge suggest that Luke Fletcher might be moving to Derbyshire next season. 

I have had several messages and emails today asking my thoughts, so here goes..

If he is still fit, if he is wanting to do something with his remaining career, I can buy into it. He will be 36 next season and might be the controlling sort of bowler we need. 

But I don't want the County Ground to become a retirement village. Given the choice, I would take Luke Procter, but that is also only a rumour. If Fletcher, a fine servant for Nottinghamshire over many seasons, was to make the switch, I would hope he had more to offer than in his loan spell of a few years back, when he didn't seem to be pushing himself unduly. To be honest, he never struck me as a potential Derbyshire player, but then neither did Samit Patel - and we all know what happened there... 

Sussex v Derbyshire day 1

Sussex 391-4 (Hughes 144, Haines 72, Alsop 69*)

v Derbyshire

Even when you have supported a club for 57 summers, not to mention having played the game for around 45,  there are still things that have a tendency to surprise. 

In a season that has produced a few such moments, 'Hove day one' will go down alongside 'Chesterfield day one' in the biggest surprises. We chose to bat at Chesterfield and pretty much everyone else was surprised at the decision. We chose to bowl today and it looked equally contentious. Unless the master plan is to easily chase down 400 on the last afternoon, of course..

There was a time when bowling first at Hove made a lot of sense. Sussex tended to do it often when they had Maurice Tate to open the bowling and they did it even more frequently when Imran Khan and Garth Le Roux steamed in with sea fret hanging around and more than a tinge of green on the pitch. Heck, even our own Michael Holding will recall the 8-21 he took here, the ball seemingly on a piece of elastic for him to tug at will.

Today? On a lovely sunny day (a rare beast in 2024) the pitch looked like a road and the decision to bowl first in such conditions seemed odd. I don't think we bowled especially well, but the Sussex openers cast nary a backwards glance, as they racked up 150 without loss by lunch. 

It was my first real sighting of Daniel Hughes in Sussex colours and I could see why they have signed him for next season over Cheteshwar Pujara. He is an assertive player, similar in style to Michael di Venuto and looked hugely impressive today. Plenty of time to spare, wide range of strokes, willing and able to rotate the strike. What's not to like? Tom Haines is a fine player himself but looked almost pedestrian in comparison. 

The attack looked somewhat toothless and the need for a good overseas opening bowler was clear. Then again, a talented leg spinner would have been interesting to watch and one of these options has to be on our winter shopping list. 

Chances were put down, something I seem to have written far too often this summer and we need to find more reliable slip fielders for 2025. Either that or find a modern version of Brian Statham, mainly dealing in bowled and leg before victims. My report card on the slip cordon this year would definitely read 'C+, must do better'.

The batting was more subdued after the departure of Hughes at 240, made in only 46 overs, but it was largely damage limitation by that point. Jack Morley bowled steadily, as did David Lloyd, but if the spinners are bowling 42 overs on the first day AFTER you won the toss, then either the seam attack has had a collective off day or you are making an admission that the decision to bowl wasn't the right one. 

Before half an hour of the day's play had elapsed, I messaged a friend to say that Sussex would rack up 400 before the close. 

I wasn't too far wide of the mark with that assertion. Although Derbyshire fought back hard, especially in the session between lunch and tea, they are looking down a barrel at the end of the first day. Logically, the home side should go on to score 600 here, but based on what I saw today, there is no reason why Derbyshire shouldn't respond in kind. 

I guess we will have an idea on that by this time tomorrow.

Sussex v Derbyshire County Championship preview

Harry Moore is in the 13-man Derbyshire squad for the game at Hove tomorrow and could make his County Championship debut for the club. 

There is no Sam Conners, who looks likely to have played his last game for the club, but Derbyshire will arrive in good health and confidence for the game against table-topping Sussex.

The Derbyshire squad:

Came, Reece, Guest, Madsen, Lloyd, Donald, Dal, Chappell, Moore, Brown, Morley, Dupavillon, Potts

Sussex have the following squad:

Simpson, Alsop, Carson, Carter, Clark, Coles, Crocombe, Haines, Hudson-Prentice, Hughes, Hunt, Karvelas, Robinson, Unadkat

Sussex have played good cricket and look like being promoted this year on merit. They have recruited well and have two good overseas players in Hughes and Unadkat.

It will be a tough game for Derbyshire but also an opportunity to see where they are against a team that has managed to get to the brink of promotion. 

By the end of it we will see if Derbyshire have the foundations of a side that could do so next year, or there is still considerable work to do.

The forecast is set fair for the four days, so it should make for enjoyable viewing. 

See you tomorrow night! 

So what next for Derbyshire?

As I mentioned in my previous post, the departure of Sam Conners leaves Derbyshire with a gap in their resources that needs to be filled. 

While acknowledging we have a raft of all rounders who bowl seam, only Zak Chappell and Pat Brown can be regarded certainties as specialist seam bowlers for next year. I am sure we all hope that Ben Aitchison is fit and ready to fire next April and there is no doubt that Harry Moore looks a serious talent. Yet there have to be question marks over the former and the latter will only be available outside of school commitments. 

I suspect Ben will get another deal at the county, because he is a fine player. Equally, I expect it to be dependent on fitness and we must hope that whatever remodelling of his action and/or run up is required doesn't change his ability to move the ball. At his best, he and Zak Chappell will be among the best opening attacks in division two, while Ben's safe hands will again be appreciated in the slip cordon, not to mention his ability to bat and lengthen the tail.

We will almost certainly need an overseas seamer to supplement them and that player has to be of a better standard than we had this year. No disrespects, but averages of 44 (DD) and 61 (Tickner) simply aren't good enough for those crucial roles. 

Yet there will certainly be a scouring of the domestic market and two players come to mind. 

Toby Pettman is out of contract at Nottinghamshire and given their proclivity for picking up players elsewhere he seems down the pecking order at Trent Bridge. At 26 he has still played only eleven first-class matches, but has 44 wickets in them at 23 runs each. I would be surprised if there were not offers from elsewhere this year and quite disappointed if he thought continuing at Trent Bridge was in the best interest of his career. 

The 6'7 seamer is talented, as we saw in his brief loan spell at Derbyshire and for me he would be a logical replacement for Sam Conners.

Another option would be at our happy hunting ground of Lancashire and Jack Blatherwick. Also 26, he is contracted until the end of 2025,  but counties rarely stand in the way of players who decide there are better options elsewhere.

He has only played 15 first class matches and his record is less impressive than Pettman, but good judges rate him and at this time in his life he needs to be playing in front of more than three men and a dog in second team cricket.

He took 8-65 against our second team at Denby this week and dismissed Wagstaff, Naeem and Thomson among an admittedly inexperienced batting line up. He also took the only wicket, that of Harry Came, when Lancashire were trounced by us in the One Day Cup.

It is not a vintage year for out of contract players. Nor do I see Derbyshire being able to attract a big name from another county and pay towards their breaking the contract.

Which makes the rumoured interest in Luke Procter understandable. I accept he is 36, but he is a very good player, averaging 50 with the bat and with 19 wickets at 32 with the ball this year. If such a player was notionally interested in joining your club, you would be daft to not at least explore the possibilities. A player equally adept at opening the batting and taking the new ball if required, what's not to like? 

It promises to be an interesting few weeks, with possible further outgoings and people coming the other way, as is professional sport. 

If we can build on the positive last few weeks, it might send us all into the long winter in a positive frame of mind. 

Of course we have been there before. But you never know...

Sam Conners to leave Derbyshire

So Sam Conners will be leaving Derbyshire at the end of this season, having signed a two-year deal at Durham

It is always sad to see a player leave who has risen through the county ranks, but in contrast to others who have departed over the past ten years or so, I think this is the right move for both player and club.

It is not that long since Sam was playing for and taking wickets with the England Lions. At that point he looked like he was set for a stellar career that could easily culminate in national recognition. Yet over the past two seasons his career has appeared to stagnate, for whatever reasons. 

The progression of any cricketer is down to the rapport with a coach and if you speak to any of them they will always cite the influence of someone on their career. 

For whatever reason - and this isn't a time or place to go into it - there has been a disconnect with Sam and it looked increasingly likely that there would be a parting of the ways this year.

In 2023 he took 27 wickets in four-day cricket at 45 runs each. It wasn't great and realistically those figures needed to be reversed for a player of his undoubted ability. Yet this season he has never got going and only seven wickets, costing 75 runs each, is indicative of a career seeking a new challenge, new guidance, perhaps greater opportunity. 

The pitches at Derby didn't help, but there are at least signs that this issue is being addressed. Certainly the talent is there. When Sam is at his best, running in hard, swinging it with late movement, he is a handful. Yet at this stage of his career, at 25 he is at the crossroads and his next move needed to be the right one. Perhaps Durham will suit him, the two-year deal there having been announced this morning.

He has never been seen as a 20-over bowler but I suspect that he needs to play more cricket to get the rhythm that he needs. Perhaps he needs to look no further than his teammate, Zak Chappell, who has moved onto the next level as a player since moving to Derbyshire, playing more cricket and getting into that all-important rhythm.

I wish him well. He is a lovely lad and has always given his best in the county colours. While not laying claims as a batter, we will remember his support of Fynn Hudson Prentice at Trent Bridge in the epic win there, while he was always a fine fielder in the deep. 

For Derbyshire, the challenge will be replacing him, because with a question mark over the future of Nick Potts and with Ben Aitchison having not played all summer, there is now a gaping hole in the seam bowling cupboard. 

That is the subject for another article, but for now I would like to wish Sam the very best in his future endeavours.

If Durham can unlock that potential, there is a serious player there.

Derbyshire v Glamorgan day 4

Glamorgan 168 and 287 (Morley 3-46)

Derbyshire 429 and 27-0

Derbyshire won by ten wickets

So the end came, as hoped and largely expected, before lunch. Luis Reece despatched successive leg stump full tosses from Sam Northeast to fine leg for boundaries, to wrap up an outstanding ten wicket win.

This was the sort of cricket we hoped for with the red ball when Derbyshire appointed Mickey Arthur, but it has too seldom been seen so far. Yet the displays in the one day cup, closely followed by the excellent effort in this game, suggest that the corner is, if not being turned, being approached with due care and attention.

We should not overlook that it could have been considerably different had David Lloyd not won the toss on the first day. But how many matches are won and loss on that coin toss? Had we made the right decision after winning it at Chesterfield, this could have been the second in that win column.

Nor should it be overlooked that the game was won without an overseas player and with limping personnel that are rapidly becoming like extras in The Walking Dead, with muscle and ligament injuries. As I have said all summer, the talent is in this squad in spades. Perhaps it has just taken longer than it should have to sink in, but the performance here was professional with a capital P. 

It would be nice to think that we could replicate this between now and the end of the season, always assuming we can patch people up sufficiently to keep eleven bodies on the pitch. David Lloyd did well against his erstwhile employers, while this was an excellent all-round team performance. It was also fitting that Reece sealed the win, having played a pivotal role the last time a game was won here, 1803 days ago. Two of the three wickets today, plus the winning runs constituted a decent morning's work by him.

The personnel have changed a lot since that last win, but maybe, just maybe, our fortunes are starting to as well.

Well done lads. That was a proper performance, one you can be proud of. 

Just like we are.

Derbyshire v Glamorgan day 3

Glamorgan 168 and 236-7 (Carlson 56, Ingram 53, Morley 3-35, Brown 2-50)

Derbyshire 429

Glamorgan trail by 25 runs with 3 wickets remaining

Three wickets separate Derbyshire from their first win at Derby in four-day cricket in a piffling 1803 days, at the end of day three of this fine game. 

Today was the first one in this match that they didn't dominate and after taking three early wickets they then had to graft through the afternoon, as Colin Ingram and Kiran Carlson worked hard to keep their side in with a chance of saving the game.

Throughout they maintained focus in the field and I thought Pat Brown bowled very well today, fast and hostile, really slipping himself as a strike bowler should in such situations. 

He and Zak Chappell took those three wickets before lunch, but then the willingness to graft was crucial, as the Glamorgan engine room got stuck in.

Yet it all turned in the final session. Jack Morley removed Ingram, then, after Chris Cooke lent stoic support to his skipper, David Lloyd bowled him through the gate as he played an expansive drive. These were big wickets, but the biggest came when Carlson, after batting 202 minutes, came down the pitch to Morley and was smartly stumped by Guest, with sleight of hand worthy of a magician. When van der Gugten went back to the next ball from the on loan Lancastrian, he was hopelessly beaten by the turn and palpably leg before. Douthwaite and Crane saw it through to the close but they will have to bat a long time tomorrow 

All of which means that Derbyshire need three wickets to wrap up the win. Morley bowled with good control today and maintained pressure throughout, it always being harder to bowl when the expectation of your success is at its height and conditions are favourable. He was well-supported by the rest of the attack although Anuj Dal became the latest injury victim and only bowled two overs before leaving the field.

The forecast is thankfully set fair and one would hope that a deserved and eagerly-awaited win is sealed before lunch.

Once again, the boys 'done well' today and I thought skipper David Lloyd handled his attack well.

May they get what they fully deserve tomorrow.

Derbyshire v Glamorgan day 2

Glamorgan 168 and 39-0

Derbyshire 429 (Dal 94, Came 84, Madsen 70, Lloyd 44, Crane 3-43, Kellaway 3-59)

Derbyshire lead by 222 runs

Derbyshire today batted themselves into a position where they could end the long sequence since a home win this weekend, but they will need luck from the weather 

There looks to be a fair amount of rain around over the next two days and it might be that we rue the opportunity not to have a few more overs tonight. The last wicket stand between Anij Dal and Pat Brown added useful runs to an already substantial lead, but also ate up time that might be crucial later in the game. 

We will see, but credit to the home side for a good batting display today. Dal was excellent and in this form he is delightful to watch. His batting is full of wristy goodness and his stroke play, especially off his pads today was a joy to watch. Earlier, Madsen and Lloyd both batted well, but both will have been disappointed to give it away with loose strokes after doing all the hard work. Meanwhile Came looked set for a century, before being caught and bowled at the second attempt by Kellaway, who ended up with three wickets.

A word about Nye Donald. I love watching him bat, but I also wish he would appreciate that not every innings has to be approached as if a T20. His dismissal was disappointing, even if it took a terrific catch of anticipation and reflex by Cooke to take it, far down the leg side. He doesn't need to temper his natural game too much, just appreciate that in four-day cricket defensive strokes are perfectly acceptable.

Chappell later confirmed his credentials as a genuine all-rounder and the lead was a healthy one by the time Dal  holed out in the deep, attempting to reach what would have been a deserved century.

Glamorgan's bowlers toiled away and Leonard, on loan from Somerset, ran in hard and troubled the batters with his pace, even if he overdid the short stuff at times. I thought Crane was underbowled but they stayed focused in the field. 

Chappell will again lead Derbyshire's efforts tomorrow, but Jack Morley will have a key role to play on a pitch that has so far offered gentle turn, with six wickets falling to spin in the home innings. There could have been an early wicket, but Donald put down a fairly routine chance offered by Root, which hopefully won't came back to bite..

In two days time we might be celebrating that rare beast of a home win in 4-day cricket.

We must hope that the weather doesn't ruin the party, any more than the Glamorgan batters.

They won't make it easy, that's for sure.

Ray Toole

I have had a few messages and comments regarding Ray Toole,who is currently playing (and doing well) for the second team at Chesterfield. 

He took 5-38 in 20 overs yesterday, all of his wickets leg before, as Derbyshire ended the third day only 66 behind and needing two more wickets before a run chase. 

The Kiwi plays for Central Districts in New Zealand and has done well for them in recent years. With 102 wickets at 26 he can obviously bowl and at 26 he is coming to his peak. As a left-armer he affords variety to any attack and is presumably well-known to Ben Smith, the Derbyshire batting coach. 

He holds a British passport so theoretically, if he was good enough, he could play as a non-overseas player. He certainly seems keen to play over here, having played in the Essex area in 2022 and in Durham in 2023. He was picked up by Essex in 2022 and played three One-Day Cup matches with them, taking  three wickets for 96 runs in 20 overs.

In 2023 he played against Derbyshire 2nds for Durham and took several wickets, including Luis Reece to the first ball of the match. He subsequently played a championship game for the northern county, taking no wickets in the two innings.

Is he good enough for the county game? I don't know. I couldn't pretend the overall standard in New Zealand matches that here and several counties have found players who have struggled in the day to day grind. Certainly our experience with Logan Van Beek and Blair Tickner wasn't what was expected, so they would need to be sure.

Perhaps he might be offered another short term deal for the remainder of the county season? We don't currently have an overseas player, with Daryn Dupavillon's ankle injury giving recurring problems. One way to see if he is worthy of further investigation would be a deal to the end of the summer, especially when we are low in squad numbers at present. I don't think a single game for Durham is a basis on which to judge him, because there are many examples of fine cricketers who started with ducks or by going around the park, before becoming established stars 

That way we see if there is the ability at county level and, if it comes off, both player and county could be winners.

We will see what happens in the coming days. 

Postscript: he ended with 6-38, taking the final wicket with his SIXTH lbw...

Derbyshire won by six wickets, Khunti seeing them to victory after a few alarms.

Derbyshire v Glamorgan day one

Glamorgan 168 (van Der Gugten 46*, Chappell 6-47)

Derbyshire 119-2 (Came 58*, Madsen 41*)

Derbyshire trail by 49 runs

It was arguably the best day of the season, certainly the best day of the red ball season for Derbyshire today. Zak Chappell bowled wonderfully, especially before lunch, to dismiss the visitors for 168, before Derbyshire, led by Harry Came, reached 119-2 before bad light brought a premature close.

It was a good toss to win, the pitch having been covered and being very evidently green- tinged. Derbyshire opened with Chappell and Luis Reece and they bowled splendidly, the visitors being 

32-6 at lunch, which came early because of rain.

Zak was as good as it is possible to be in that pre-lunch session, with very few loose balls and the batters having to play at most things coming their way. The slip cordon was kept interested at all times and to remove the prolific Northeast and Carlson with not a run between them was a surprise.

Catches were held too, none of them too difficult, but in the afternoon Glamorgan fought hard to put a total on the board. Douthwaite and van der Gugten did well, but the support bowlers did us proud and Morley finished things off when Leonard was caught on the long on boundary by Reece.

Chappell has been a standout in all formats this season and is a bowler of high quality. He is very much the focal point of the attack and a player we can build one around for next year. He took his hundredth all-format Derbyshire wicket today and I hope there are many more to come.

Van Der Gugten bowled very well in reply, as he almost always does and removed Reece with a fine ball, before Guest clipped one off his toes and was caught at square leg. Thereafter, Came - who looked in good touch after a successful One Day Cup - and the returning Wayne Madsen steered Derbyshire to relatively calm waters by the close. 

It could yet go pear-shaped, of course and one can never fully legislate against a Derbyshire collapse. But we have played our way into a position where that elusive home win might actually materialise. 

Before that happens, we need to bat very well tomorrow, then chip away at a good batting lineup second time around. Conditions will not be so favourable for our attack, in all likelihood, but today we put in a very good shift. 

In closing, news came today that Sussex are not retaining Cheteshwar Pujara for next season, instead engaging Daniel Hughes for the whole summer. At 36, I would suggest the Indian bat has a few good summers in him yet and is exactly the sort of player we should chase for red ball and fifty-over cricket. 

He averages just under 63 in red ball cricket this summer... you would, wouldn't you? 

Seconds do well at Chesterfield

Time has overtaken me in the last couple of days, finishing off what has been a lot of worthwhile work in the house, but I didn't want not to mention an excellent performance by the second team at Chesterfield. 

After winning the toss Yorkshire were asked to bat and bowled out for 245 on the first day. There were three wickets each for Manraj Johal, previously on the staff at Warwickshire and for Rory Haydon, who has been playing with success for Staffordshire after leaving the academy at the same county. 

Derbyshire were in early trouble, with Mitch Wagstaff, captaining the side, out for nought, but Will Tarrant started the recovery with 46 before an outstanding stand between Yousaf Bin Naeem and Ajay Khunti added 259 in 65 overs. Naeem made an excellent 123, while Khunti, a left-handed bat and leg spinner scored 173 with 29 boundaries. He has been trialling with both Leciestershire and Northamptonshire this summer and could hardly have done more to impress on this occasion.

Derbyshire ended on 470 all out, going into day three of a four-day game. While both sides were fairly young, Yorkshire's attack featured both Dom Bess and Matthew Fisher, as well as Dom Leech, who this morning it was announced was moving to Northamptonshire on a three-year deal. So it could hardly be claimed to be weak.

A good effort by the young Derbyshire side and I will report back on their efforts at the end of the game.

Derbyshire v Glamorgan preview

Derbyshire return to red ball action on home turf tomorrow, with a twelve-man squad strengthened by the addition - and return - of Jack Morley from Lancashire. With injuries biting, it is effectively the last eleven standing with Morley the likely spinning option in the continued absence of Alex Thomson. He is back on what is initially a two-match loan and hopefully he gets a chance to show what he can do.

Wayne Madsen, Nye Donald and Pat Brown returns from duties elsewhere in the following twelve. The first eleven named make up the likely side, at least for me:

Came, Reece, Guest, Lloyd, Madsen, Donald, Dal, Chappell, Morley, Dupavillon, Brown (Potts).

Glamorgan will come in on a high, having reached the final of the one-day cup. They have played excellent cricket this year under a very good coach, Grant Bradburn. They still have an outside chance of promotion in 4-day cricket so it should be good to watch, as Derbyshire strive to get their first win of the season.

Their squad:

Sam Northeast (c)
Kiran Carlson
Chris Cooke
Mason Crane
Dan Douthwaite
Andy Gorvin
Colin Ingram
Ben Kellaway
Ned Leonard
Billy Root

Fraser Sheat
Asa Tribe
Timm van der Gugten
Will Smale

I hope we see a pitch like the ones we saw for the One Day Cup. There was a little more pace and bounce in them and we must hope that they are indicative of plans for next year onwards.

Having said that, I am going to call a draw here. Rain look set to take time out of the day tomorrow and also on Saturday, so much will depend on how the respective batting lineups play on the other days. 

It is hard, even for an optimist like me, to suggest a home win based on track record and playing resources that are limited.

But as always I will be watching from the start and hoping for improved home performances in the remainder of the 2024 season.

Weekend thoughts

So, with white ball cricket finished for another season and becoming but a memory, we are left with only twenty red ball days of cricket in 2024, weather permitting, of course.

Like a few of you. I watched the interview on the club site with Mickey Arthur and he showed understandable pride in the performances of individuals and in some cases the team. The wins winds over Somerset and Durham were excellent and both Middlesex and Lancashire were summarily dispatched. As a correspondent noted the other day, all but two of the sides we played were from division one of the County Championship, while the others were only relegated last season. 

, 

It gives a sense of perspective in the five wins, but nor should we forget that some of those teams were heavily impacted by players absent at the other competition going on at present. While acknowledging you can only ever beat who is in front of you, it would be difficult to claim a genuine sense of achievement in beating sides with ten players missing, as was the case with Somerset and Lancashire.

For Mickey Arthur and Derbyshire to claim progress this season, we need to finish strongly in red ball cricket. We currently have no wins and three defeats, being adrift by nineteen points at the bottom of the table. 

I felt a certain sympathy for Arthur when he claimed that we had lost out on two top line bowlers from overseas before the season started. It explains why we ended up with those we did, but it also highlights that he had misread the greater need of the side. Regardless of their ability, if two overseas bowlers are signed of that quality they have to play, but you also have to omit your home grown talent. 

If Ben Aitchison is fit for next year (crossing fingers and toes as I type) and with Conners, Brown, Chappell and a raft of all round seamers to choose from, not to mention Harry Moore, we don't need two overseas bowlers. If one is a really good leg-spinner you might persuade me, but not easily.

Nor am I easily convinced by protestations that the players are tired. Between July 19 and the start of our next game on August 22 they will have played eight days of cricket. I accept there are physical and mental demands, but no more than my father experienced when he was working five or six days down a coal mine each week, or more than many others in high pressure jobs, trying to keep their families fed. Support mechanisms are in place and people have to get on with their jobs within that. The pressures are there for all teams and for everyone, whatever their calling or responsibilities in life. 

So we must await the return of the 4-day game and hope that the bounce and carry that was increasingly evident in the recent one-day cup fixtures at Derby has continued. As I said on the radio the other night, we need one or two in the win column, because it has been a long time since that happened at home. 

How to address that has to be number one on the list of priorities as we approach the final month of the season.

Book Review: Clyde Walcott - Statesman of West Indies Cricket by Peter Mason

In the 1950s, Clyde Walcott was part of the legendary ‘three Ws’ batting triumvirate with Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell, that helped give West Indies cricket a new identity distinct from its colonial past. He was a batter of considerable power, who contributed well to one of the greatest of all 'engine rooms', as well as being a good wicket-keeper until back issues caused him to leave that to others.

His Test and first-class records were remarkably similar and anyone who ends a lengthy career with a Test average of 56.68, just ahead of a first-class one of 56.64 deserves to be bracketed in that exclusive pantheon of greatness. He was also an outstanding league professional for Enfield in Lancashire over four seasons, a time that produces some delightful stories here.

After Test cricket he became a prominent administrator, managing the great West Indies teams that dominated the sport in the 1980s. There was mutual respect with his captains and he took a lot of pressure from them in handling media requirements, as well as the distinct  challenges of inter-island rivalries 

A vocal supporter of using cricket to apply pressure to the South African apartheid regime, in 1992 he became chairman of the International Cricket Council – the first black man in that influential role.

Yet of equal interest in this absorbing book is the account of his time as the cricket and social welfare organiser in the then British Guiana, a position that he held for sixteen years. His work in developing the game on the plantations unearthed some excellent cricketers.

Peter Mason has done an outstanding job with this biography and I applaud the depth of research, as well as the excellent statistics, notes and index. Recognition too should go to the Manchester University Press as this isn't necessarily the obvious choice of subject for such a publisher. Yet they have produced an excellent, highly readable book that is also in a font size that will be appreciated by the more mature reader, for who Walcott was a giant figure of their youth. 

Walcott was a man of many parts, all of them done to a very high standard. He was a figure of towering influence in the game of cricket over five decades, which is an astonishing legacy.

This book is worthy recognition of a life well-lived and a man of considerable and deserved reputation. 

Highly recommended. 

Clyde Walcott: Statesman of West Indies Cricket is written by Peter Mason and published by the Manchester University Press

It is published on September 17 at only £9.99 for the paperback. 

Rumours...

Besides being one of the all-time great albums by Fleetwood Mac, rumours are what we get every year, at the time when player contracts are coming to an end and moves are being suggested. 

I find a lot of such rumours laughable. There will always be someone who likes to make out that they know something, the bloke (usually) who 'has it on good authority' (with voice dropping...)

I don't deal in rumours on here. There are numerous occasions when I have heard that a player is set to join, but I don't say anything, unless I see it already in the public domain. The club do the work, often a lot of work and they deserve the right to announce the deal, or the signing, when they choose to do so. Of course, if it is 'out there' it is fair game.

A lot of rumours start with the agents of players and they generally tell people who they know cannot keep quiet. Thus the story spreads and before you know it the media and pubs are full of stories. It happens in all sports, as the best deals possible are understandably sought for their client.

I might at times suggest that player A would be a good signing for Derbyshire, but that should not be interpreted that I have inside knowledge. The 'Martin Andersson to Derbyshire' story was around for a few weeks and I could vouch for the veracity of it from people that I trust. But it was not for me to break it, because I didn't think it would be fair. I am not a gossip columnist (thankfully) and prefer to deal in facts. For that matter, I didn't know if there were options elsewhere that were potentially better. 

I have been unable to verify the 'Luke Procter to Derbyshire' story. That doesn't mean it won't happen, just that people whose knowledge I trust haven't confirmed it. The player's contract is up, he is 36 and presumably looking for another (somewhere) and we would be a good fit. A top order bat who averages top 30s and genuine all rounder who took 2-25 yesterday in ten overs, he will not lack suitors IF he leaves. He averages 56 this season with the bat and has 19 wickets at 28 with the ball, hardly indicative of powers on the wane. 

Anyone who suggests such statistics would not improve Derbyshire is having a laugh. So too, those who say he is too old. Eddie Barlow was 36 when he came to Derbyshire, Darren Stevens probably had his best years for Kent after that age. If you have looked after yourself, you likely have a few good years in store before you are seeking careers advice.

It might be that the signing of Martin Andersson knocks the possibility (IF there was one) on the head. But I could see the logic in a move for a proven 4 day and 50-over player IF the budget is in place. No one outside of the club knows that.

One that I can rule out is the frequently aired in comments 'Harry Moore is going to Nottinghamshire'. The ECB has processes whereby academy players at counties cannot be approached and poached by other clubs. Harry signed a 'rookie deal' that takes him to the end of 2025 only two months ago. Given his performances in the one-day cup, I suspect that the club will make an appropriate offer to him when the time is right.

Again though, we don't know what his plans are. He may decide on further education, which renders him part-time for several years. But he will be well aware, as will his parents, that his early career is best-served at Derbyshire. They have looked after him, coached him well, given support and opportunity.  Where would he be in the pecking order if he moved to Nottinghamshire? A much larger staff, plenty of seam options ahead of him and progress blocked. Playing regular senior cricket at his age is far better for him, but let's not forget he still has a year of schooling to finish!

Compare with someone like Toby Pettman, for me a bowler of some talent. He is 26 and barely gets a sniff down the road, nine years Moore's senior. Shouldn't he be looking elsewhere, at a similar age to Mark Footitt when he left Trent Bridge? 

At some point in the future, like any young player of talent, suitors will come knocking for Moore's services, offering untold riches and opportunities. Perhaps at that point, like Slater, Critchley, Qadri, Parkinson, Blackwell and many more before him, he will have a decision to make.

But not yet and not for a good while, in my humble opinion. Besides which, as many before him will verify, the grass isn't always greener over yonder fence. I could reel off a good few names who left for greater opportunity and/or more money, only to find that it never quite worked out that way.

Postscript: around a decade ago, I sat in the stand at Derby and listened to a conversation behind me. I know, it was rude, but it was loud enough to suggest an audience would be appreciated. The gist was 'he's leaving, it will be announced by the end of the week 'they' told me'.

Wayne Madsen never did leave, did he..?

Durham v Derbyshire Metro Bank One Day Cup game 8

Durham 253 (Borthwick 103, Ackermann 42, Moore 3-45, Chappell 2-56)

Derbyshire 256-6 (Lloyd 63, Came 45, Reece 37, Raine 4-30)

Derbyshire won by four wickets

Derbyshire fulfilled their side of the bargain today by beating Durham in an excellent game of cricket but, as I suggested last night, Hampshire were simply too strong for Middlesex. Derbyshire thus failed to qualify for the knockout stage, despite looking in control of the group at one stage. 

It is disappointing, yet there were signs to encourage today. Harry Moore continues to look like a star in the embryonic stage, while Zak Chappell confirmed that he is now a genuine all-rounder. There was a time when I thought he was a bowler who could merely give it a tonk, but Zak has shown enough this season to attain genuine all-round status. 

It is easy to be euphoric after a win over a good side, which this was, but we are not that far away from being a good team ourselves. If we can add a top overseas batter to the lineup next year, there is the talent to go further in every competition. Martin Andersson will offer middle order ballast and another bowling option, while the hopeful return of Ben Aitchison will be like a (very good) new player. If Moore continues to improve, we can retain Sam Conners and both Chappell and Brown continue in this year's form, we need a spinner  who can bat for the T20 and a quality bowler for four-day cricket, regardless of style. The talent is the thing, we need quality, someone who will always be in the team and setting standards. Just look again at Peter Handscomb today, leading from the front at Leicestershire and seeing his side home.

The early loss of Sam Conners through injury was a blow today, but the rest of the attack did well on an excellent pitch. Borthwick made a fine century for the hosts, but the dismissal of Ackermann saw a decline from 158-2 to 253 all out. Moore took another three wickets to complete an excellent competition, while Chappell added two. Wagstaff also played his part with the ball, in a decent team effort in which only twelve extras were conceded.

Came and Reece led off well, but as so often happens, one wicket becomes two and a rebuild was required. David Lloyd batted very well today and his anger at his eventual dismissal was obvious to all. It wouldn't be Derbyshire without a meal being made of the chase and wickets continued to fall as the game came to its conclusion, Ben Raine again confirming himself as one of county cricket's finest journeyman professionals.

Anuj Dal, whose return has been a highlight of this competition, batted with considerable common sense however and his trademark rapier cuts and lightning running, while Chappell struck some powerful blows, saw their side home.

It was a good win, though sadly not enough. Mickey Arthur and his team will rue the inconsistency that saw them lose to Kent and Worcestershire, two displays that were disappointingly poor and ultimately were the difference between qualification and the end of the white ball season. The win over Somerset and again today showed they can mix it with the best. An overseas player - again - would have made all the difference.

Back to red ball and hopefully something to encourage us further, before we head into the Autumn.

Durham v Derbyshire Metro Bank One Day cup game 8 preview

I am no mathematician, but Derbyshire's chances of progress in the One Day Cup tomorrow rest on them beating Durham while Hampshire don't beat Middlesex, or doing so by sufficient margin to overturn the net run rate deficit we currently have.

Logically, the easiest way to do that would be to score the required runs in a run chase in the least amount of time. So should Samit Patel win the toss tomorrow, I would expect him to bowl, because it would be much easier to control events knowing what is required, rather than trying to bowl out Durham in X overs in the second innings.

The good news is that Nye Donald has returned from that other competition to take his place in the squad. He didn't show his best form in that competition, nor have any of the Derbyshire players, to be honest. Harry Came is also in the squad, despite struggling through the game against Kent, while Daryn Dupavillon is rested after picking up a knock in that match.

In a squad of thirteen, I expect the following side:

Reece, Came, Guest, Lloyd, Donald, Dal, Patel, Wagstaff, Chappell, Moore, Conners

Naeem, Potts in reserve

Durham welcome back Paul Coughlin and Ben Raine, who will make up a potent new ball pairing with Kiwi, Neil Wagner. Meanwhile, Derbyshire will hope to dismiss Alex Lees early, as he has been a perennial thorn in our side since his Yorkshire days. 

Their squad:

Colin Ackermann, Scott Borthwick, Jonathan Bushnell, Paul Coughlin, Bas de Leede, George Drissell, Brandon Glover, Daniel Hogg, Michael Jones, Alex Lees, Haydon Mustard+, Stanley McAlindon, Ben Raine, Neil Wagner

It will be a tough game. Durham are a fine side and they continue to recruit well. On their own pitch they are especially impressive and the record of Derbyshire at Chester le Street is not a good one. We need to reverse that tomorrow, while keeping a wary eye on events at Merchant Taylor School. Perhaps Agent Andersson can do us a favour in that one...

Our inconsistency prevents me from declaring a Derbyshire win, though the talent is in the side in spades. Even if we do, I find it hard to believe the Hampshire side that played against us could lose to what I consider a very average Middlesex one, especially when they have been further strengthened by the return of Liam Dawson and Ali Orr. 

Consider me old-fashioned, but I reckon Middlesex would need prime time Compton, Edrich, Gatting, Daniel and van der Bijl to have a chance.

What do you think? 

The task ahead

After today's matches are completed, the sequence of events that would enable Derbyshire to progress in the One-Day Cup is clear.

The winner of each group progresses straight to the semi-finals, with the second and third placed teams playing a play-off match against a team from the other group. The winner of each play-off will then play one of the group winners in the semi-finals.

For Derbyshire to go through, we need to beat Durham at The Riverside, while Hampshire lose to Middlesex. I am not overly confident of our fulfilling our side of the bargain, but Middlesex appears woefully weak and I struggle to see any way in which they will beat Hampshire.

We will see..

Weekend thoughts on the overseas roles

When you come to think of it, in selecting a good county cricket team you start with your captain, follow up with your wicket keeper and then build the rest around your overseas players. The occasional star player will be an early name on the sheet, but the principle stands.

When October comes and it is time to reflect on the county season for Derbyshire, hand on heart, Mickey Arthur has to admit that he got it badly wrong this year. 

Derbyshire cricket has been blessed by numerous overseas players, since Chris Wilkins was the first in 1970. Chris was an entertainer, not totally reliable, certainly not a player you would want to bat for your life, but certainly one who you would want to see when he came off. You tended to hold off from the trip to the toilet and ignore your newspaper when Chris was at the crease. Adrian Kuiper was a later model, in the same vein. Both would have been multi-millionaires in the modern game.

Since then, our landscape has included genuine giants of the game. Barlow, Holding, Wright, Kirsten, Rogers, Azharuddin - it has been my very great pleasure to watch such players and enjoy the massive contribution that they made to the county success on a cricket field. 

They were the 'go-to' - if you needed some tight overs or a wicket, you could toss the ball to Michael Holding or Ian Bishop and to be confident you got them. If you needed a player for the rest to bat around to win or save a game, those named above were admirable role models. 

Even as recently as 2022, Shan Masood was the catalyst for a season of heightened optimism. You knew that he would sell his wicket dearly and his success bred success - it was no coincidence that Wayne Madsen and Brooke Guest enjoyed especially fine summers. Generally speaking, to win cricket matches, three of the top six need to make good runs. It is why we were a good side under Kim Barnett, because either he, John Morris, Chris Adams or Peter Bowler would score well on a regular basis. It is also why, despite the admirable talents of Les Jackson and Cliff Gladwin, we never won the county championship in the 1950s. Aside from Arnold Hamer, no one scored consistently in that period, but if the peaks of Donald Carr and Laurie Johnson had come sooner, the Surrey dominance of that decade might have been considerably lessened.

For Derbyshire to get back on track next year, we have to find two overseas players for each competition who can win games. I'm not too bothered if the roles are split, because the likelihood of finding someone who wants to play for the whole summer gets less by the year. But Gloucestershire managed it with Cameron Bancroft and Glamorgan with Marnus Labuschagne, so such players are out there.

We need to be on a level playing field. How many times have we gone into matches this season with only one overseas player, or none? As I have written before, the principle of signing two seam bowlers for the roles was flawed from the outset and was likely to be thus. Our strongest one day side was always going to include Zak Chappell and Pat Brown, so two additional seam bowlers was leaving a long tail and a one-dimensional attack. Our red ball side needed to be built around Chappell and Sam Conners, with support from Aitchison, Brown and Potts. The former hasn't played this season (and likely won't now, I assume) and the latter has largely been a drinks carrier. With Harry Moore coming through, the selection of Daryn Dupavillon and Blair Tickner was silly, akin to when we had Geoff Miller, Fred Swarbrook and Bob Swindell on the staff and signed Venkat. Who, incidentally, was at least better than all of them...

DD and Tickner have been nice, articulate guys who have given their all, but they have not been good enough - a glance at their figures confirms this. When your overseas selections don't make the team, or are only second or third change as bowlers, you have got it wrong and are admitting so, as has often happened this year.

For Derbyshire to go into many of their Vitality Blast games with only one overseas player was ridiculous. To not have brought in a batter to boost a line up of increasing frailty was a major oversight. When we did, he got injured but his bow's second string was wicket-keeping, where we were already well-covered. Even the belated arrival of Mohammad Amir (another, admittedly better seamer) was something of a damp squib and he appeared to be bowling well within himself in Derbyshire colours. Even if he offered welcome accuracy from what we had become used to. 

I think that the expectation of many supporters, when Mickey Arthur arrived at the county, was that he would have a contacts book akin to the old Yellow Pages directory, once a feature of our homes. Very little so far has suggested that book is more substantial than a pamphlet. I mean no disrespects to the players concerned, because they have been unfailingly pleasant and I don't doubt their effort. Yet they were not of sufficient fitness or quality, nor did they have the skill set that was required, with the exception of Masood and Zaman Khan, who was missed this year.

For 2025 we need a batter of class, someone who offers an oasis of calm in the innings, a Wright, Rogers, Di Venuto, Katich. Players like Bancroft, Pujara, Harris and Labuschagne have made a big difference for their clubs in division two and note that most of the above are Australian, who usually give good service. Leicestershire had Peter Handscomb as well as Ryan Harris, averaging 107 runs an innings between them. Giving your attack something to work with takes off a lot of pressure..

We also need a spinner, because Alex Thomson appears not to be trusted at Derby, which is where we play half of our matches. I understand Mickey Arthur was looking for one this year but couldn't find one, which I find hard to believe for someone who has coached in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Spinners on the sub-continent are as common as 'See You Jimmy' hats in Glasgow.  

While I accept spinners are not in their natural habitat in April and May, a decent one will always cause consternation - Jeevan Mendis did pretty well a few summers back, even if engaged for the 'wrong' end of the summer. The less known they are, the better, if they are of the requisite standard, of course. If they can bat, they offer much to love.

There is no point bringing in an overseas player who is not noticeably better, or bringing an alternate skill set, to what you already have. By the time salary, flights, accommodation and perhaps a car are added together, serious money is involved, perhaps better spent on a domestic player or maybe two.

I remain convinced that there is talent enough in the Derbyshire squad to do much better than they have shown this year. The greater need, for me, is having two overseas players from who they can learn. Kim Barnett felt that at this level the players didn't need too much coaching input, while John Wright famously said, in self-deprecating style, that the biggest challenge he faced as coach of India was ensuring all the balls were back after nets finished..

We have all focused on this year, because Mickey Arthur stressed that it was when he had HIS team. While I accept there have been highlights, including the win over Nottinghamshire and the recent one over Somerset, no one could claim that this has been a year of promise and/or fulfilment.

Next year could be a real watershed. It is the last one of Mickey Arthur's deal, while several players come to the end of contracts, including Wayne Madsen. It is also the last for Harry Came, Luis Reece, Brooke Guest, Aneurin Donald, Samit Patel, Alex Thomson and Ross Whiteley.

There is plenty to play for and I hope we get the replacement personnel right, this winter.

For what it is worth, I think we are off to a good start with Martin Andersson. 

But there is much to do in the coming months.