Best overseas star - the result

So, narrowly shading the ebullient Eddie Barlow, Michael Di Venuto has been voted Derbyshire's greatest overseas player.
That is quite an accolade when on looks at the other names in the list, and warm congratulations go to the genial Tasmanian on his win.
Who did I vote for, and how did I rate them all? That's one for this weekend...
For now, here's another poll to get you divided. Check out the records and performances of these guys and vote for... Derbyshire's greatest seam bowler! There's plenty to choose from...

What a difference a day makes...

Never has a song been more apt...

Last night we were edged out in a thriller by a powerful Durham side. Beaten, but by no means disgraced. It was great to see Greg Smith back and making a powerful 47, and to see Wavell Hinds making a few runs before the wheels came off the batting in time honoured fashion.

Nonetheless, we nearly pulled it off, and had it not been for an expensive over from Graeme Wagg we could have won. Nayan Doshi produced his golden 20/20 form of the past seasons to produce a sensational hat trick, but the Duckworth Lewis decision went Durham's way as Benkenstein and Pollock kept their cool.

Then came tonight. First off, sorry for not blogging last night as I was playing myself (we lost, boo-hoo). Tonight I'd to work late and followed the score on-line. It was good to see us make a solid start, ad when a wicket goes down in this game there's always the danger it could be the precursor of a collapse.

Not a chance tonight, as Greg Smith (pictured) and Wavell Hinds put on a quite superb partnership. A 50 stand in this game is good going, 100 quite astonishing and these guys added 149 before Wavell was run out. Four sixes and three fours for the Jamaican who hit 61 from just 43 balls, while Smith followed last night's good innings with the first 20-over ton by a Derbyshire player. His hundred took just 62 balls, even quicker than Pipey's innings against Worcestershire!

In these games 150 is a fair score and will win 60% of games I would reckon. 180 will probablywin 80-90% of matches if you bowl steadily. With Mr Langeveldt in the attack you pretty much have a guarantee of economy, but by any standards tonight was special. I cannot think that any bowler has been more economical than that in 20/20. 4-0-9-4 is extraordinary, but it appears that they all played their part.

I'm pleased that I got pretty close to the side picked for these games, especially in the selction of two spinners, both of whom are doing very well. There are no guarantees in cricket, especially in this format, but there are few teams after tonight that will take playing us for granted. If that is not progress after the shambles of last season then I don't know what is.

Well played guys. Colossal performance!

D Day - 1

This time tomorrow night, we'll hopefully be celebrating a win against one of the country's better sides.

There's no news of fitness or team from the Derbyshire camp, but Durham have a very strong squad, namely:

Michael Di Venuto
Phil Mustard
Paul Collingwood
Will Smith
Dale Benkenstein
Albie Morkel
Shaun Pollock
Gareth Breese
Liam Plunkett
Paul Wiseman
Mitchell Claydon

So, no worries there then...
For me they will be the team to beat in the group if they stayed fit and all were available, but we have some fair players too and should remember that.
If Derbyshire play the side I mentioned yesterday, both sides would have eight bowlers, and it should be an exciting game. Durham will start favourites as the Division One outfit, but they will treat us lightly at their peril.
Good luck lads!

A quiet but satisfying day...

A good day to be a Derbyshire fan...

It is so nice to be able to pick up the papers or read the web sites and be - well, quite smug really.

Only the local media have picked up on the fact that we're not going to be rubbing rags for teams any more. Full marks to Charles Collins of Radio Derby for his regular piece on 606, which at least makes you feel that he is in touch with the fans. If only the football equivalents did that we'd be much better off.

Charles touches on a growing "killer instinct" and I know what he means. When we to some extent let Worcester off the hook by adding 50 for the last wicket then slipped to 157-7 I wasn't convinced, but Graham Wagg is playing with increasing maturity and his partnership with James Pipe, following on from a steady knock at Lords showcased an emerging talent. Again, as Charles says, he must be enjoying bowling with Langeveldt. I'm not denigrating anyone, but as the young Harold Rhodes benefitted from bowling opposite Les Jackson, and Colin Tunnicliffe did bowling at the other end to Mike Hendrick, so Waggy does by having Langeveldt keep it tight at one end, meaning the batsmen have to take risks. None of our young seamers can help but learn from the South African, who is showing a commitment to the cause that is one in the eye for those who say the Kolpaks are only here for a quick pay day.

Morris did his homework before signing Langeveldt and Hinds and knew what he was getting - experienced cricketers who will encourage by word, attitude and deed the emerging talent at the county. He will have got reports on the South African from numerous contacts out there, while he admitted to talking to Jimmy Adams and Devon Malcolm about Hinds. The do-gooders and hypocrites (Messrs Giles and Willis anyone?) can say what they like, but if all counties signed men of integrity and commitment like these fellas the Kolpaks would be positively encouraged into the English game.

Maybe tomorrow we'll find out more of Morris' plans for the 20/20. With an armoury of all-rounders that no county can match, they could be a surprise package - if the top order fires.

A decent chance?

Having given the matter some thought, I think that we could do well in the 20/20 this year.

We have powerful batsmen and importantly a number of all-rounders whose presence will ensure that we both bat long and have plenty of variety to keep changing the pace of the bowling.

Only John Morris knows the side that he will put out and who is fit or injured, but for what it is worth, I'd like to see us go with this side, now that we know Chris Rogers is having a well-earned break.

Dan Birch
Greg Smith
Wavell Hinds
Rikki Clarke
James Pipe
Graeme Wagg
Dominic Telo/John Sadler
Jon Clare
Jake Needham
Charl Langeveldt
Nayan Doshi

I'm assuming that Greg Smith is fit but think he and Dan Birch would make a powerful opening pair. I'm resting Stubbo because of his shoulder problem that prevents him throwing too easily and am including Dom Telo as he is such a brilliant fielder at point. In these games a few runs saved is worth a great deal, and he could come in and stabilise or accelerate as required. With Lasher Langeveldt at 10, there is plenty of batting and good totals are within our compass.

With Langeveldt, Clare, Wagg and Clarke to bowl fast medium and Smith together with Wavell Hinds to bowl medium pace, we could also afford to play both spinners. Varying the pace and taking the pace off the ball is crucial in these games and with eight bowlers we would be very well equipped for any surface. While Doshi has lost his place latterly to Jake Needham, he has the best record of any bowler in 20/20, while Langeveldt had an extraordinary tournament in South Africa prior to joining us, with hat tricks, four wicket overs and a remarkable average.

It will come down to the batting, without doubt. If this lot fire they could be awesome, but they could backfire badly and be 37-5 in seven overs. We just don't know, but I feel we are better equipped for the razamatazz than we have ever been. Although I'm not a huge fan of the tournament, I look forward to our performances and think we just might surprise a few people.

Derbyshire v Worcestershire 3rd (and final) day

There must be a few people feeling pretty sheepish today.

I'm talking about those who were on the BBC 606 page last week saying we were rubbish/not as good as last year/without direction. There were also those on the Worcestershire page who claimed that we were a second rate county.

Well, to cut a long(ish) story short, the so-called battle between the best seam attacks in the country ended with Worcestershire being well and truly stuffed, with 5 sessions, an innings an 95 runs to spare.

Though not someone who makes a habit of that sort of thing, I went onto the Worcester board on 606 to make my point a short while ago. So many silly, disrespectful comments were made last week that it was necessary to do so. I would never call any side second-rate, as the fact is that in playing first class cricket they are obviously not. When people stoop to personal attack on players it annoys me as they're unlikely to reply and are easy targets.

The fact is that Derbyshire outplayed one of the supposedly stronger teams in the country and the only downside, if there is one) is lost revenue over a day and 2/3. I'm sure that Tom Sears is not too concerned with that right now, after Derbyshire emphasised the progress being made this year.

Our attack is the best we have had in a while. Langeveldt is such a willing work horse and such a probing, accurate bowler that it creates pressure on the batsmen, while Wagg (pictured) is always likely to take wickets with his late swing. His batting is a great bonus too and at this rate he should be close to an England callup, even at A team level, this winter. Having said that, he and Clare are maybe too young - after all Richardson and Kirby went as "young lions" last winter. Good bowlers both, but young lions? Purleeese....

While the batting remains a cause for some concern, it is fair to point out that Hinds apparently got a very poor decision yesterday (caught off his sweater), as did Chris Rogers. My assertion last week that criticism of Rikki Clarke was unfair also was backed up by a wonderful 3-6 burst this morning. A big knock is around the corner for the captain, but he continues to lead the side with flair and panache and must be a happy man this afternoon.

Attention now turns to the 20/20 with Derbyshire in a solid position in the Championship and with some enviable decisions to make with regard to team selection. Remember, this win - sorry, demolition - was achieved without Tom Lungley. How are we going to get him back into the side?

Happy days! Now for the 20/20

Eh?

Anyone know what happened this afternoon with the updates from Chesterfield?

My thanks go to Chris for keeping me abreast of the real score. At one point we went from 151-7 to 270-7 in the time it took me to go through to the kitchen and do the dishes. I was quite excited until a quick bit of mental arithmetic showed James Pipe on 41 and Waggy on 18 had to have had a lot of help from extras for the score to be correct. Then it showed that Stubbo had scored 80-odd and Birt 72...

I switched to the other channel - same feed, same score - then checked the internet and it was the same. The score was wrong for a fair part of the day and without the text updates from the ground would have been oblivious to the true score.

Hopefully they have it sorted for tomorrow. I'm quite happy to see Worcestershire 76-8 at lunch tomorrow, as long as it is accurate...

Smokin'!

At 157-7 it looked like another case of deja-vu as the top order caved in once again.

By the close of play we are all sitting feeling rather smug having managed a first innings lead of 200, thanks largely to a 71-ball century from James Pipe (pictured) on his return from injury. He will have enjoyed that against his old county for whom he rarely batted higher than nine or ten.

The Yorkshireman is a key part of this side and has been badly missed over the past few weeks. He received valuable support from Graham Wagg, who is on fire at the moment and the tail, which once again wagged very well.

Rikki Clarke's lack of runs is a cause for some concern, but Wavell appears to have been unlucky today in being given out caught from a half-shouted appeal when it came off his sweater. There will be better days ahead for both, and if Wavell gets the sun on his back he will be good entertainment.

There is still a lot to do and Worcester surely cannot fold as easily again. If Solanki, Hick, Smith et al fire then we could still be left chasing an awkward 180-200 in the last innings, but we have done very well so far in this match. I suspect that Jake Needham may have a long bowl in the next innings but would be more than happy if the opening bowlers run through them tomorrow.

It's funny though. Last week after a poor result against Middlesex when missing players we were, according to some "fans" a worse side than ever and "rubbish". They're not making any noises tonight for some reason. I didn't join the chorus of condemnation last week and I'll not get carried away and claim we are world-beaters now. But I will reiterate that we are an embryonic side of some quality who will continue to mix good and bad days until John Morris gets the players that he wants. A few more days like this one though and they'll all want to join Animal's magic side!

Chesterfield's greatest match

Although I would love to persuade myself otherwise, it was not the Gillette Cup semi-final of 1969.

The honour has to go to the game played from July 18-20 in 1904, between Derbyshire and Essex. It was played from a Monday to Wednesday, so fixture planners made their mistakes at that time too...

Nonetheless, around 2,000 people were present at Chesterfield to see the first day against a strong batting side. None of them could have predicted what was about to unfold.

On a very hot and sunny day, Essex reached 179-3 at lunch. Remember, this was at a time when a six had to be hit out of the ground rather than just over the ropes. The prolific P.A. Perrin, a tall, elegant batsman was unbeaten on 79. In the afternoon he reached his century then cut loose until he was badly dropped by Bill Bestwick (a poor fielder) at mid-on. The unlucky bowler was Arnold Warren, but he then took two wickets in two balls to leave the visitors on 314-6. That was as good as it got though, as Perrin moved on from his good fortune and finished the first day unbeaten on 295 from a total of 524-8, having hit 58 boundaries. I'd like to see someone beat that today against Worcestershire...

Next morning the last two wickets added 73 as Essex were all out for 597, Perrin unbeaten on 343 with 68 fours. Avoiding the follow on was to be a huge task, with 448 required, but Derbyshire openers Levi Wright and Charles Ollivierre (pictured) put on a century stand in 55 minutes and at lunch were on 144 without being parted. The West Indian Ollivierre reached his century in 95 minutes and although Wright was out at 191, Bill Storer came in and added a further 128 in 75 minutes. Ollivierre reached his double century in 190 minute with a five and 33 fours, only the third Derbyshire batsman to do so, and a celebratory drink was taken out to him. he had originally come to England with the West Indies touring side of 1900, playing for his native St Vincent. Staying in England, he qualified for Derbyshire and played for Glossop until he qualified in 1902. His approach to the game brought more failures than success, but this was his greatest day.

He was eventually dismissed for 229 and had frequently hit fours from balls pulled round from off stump through mid-wicket, but he was what we would now call a typical, front of the wicket West Indian player. At the close Derbyshire had almost saved the follow on at 446-4, the day having been watched by around 3,000 fans who had their moneys worth!

The final day was cooler after the blistering heat of the earlier days and we were all out for 548. The game seemed a certain draw, but before lunch Essex collapsed against opening bowlers Bill Bestwick and Arnold Warren and were in disarray at 27-6, each having taken three wickets.

The crowd grew in the afternoon as word spread of a possible result, but Essex recovered to 80-6 before a double bowling change brought a breakthrough, the innings then subsiding to 97 all out with one player unable to bat. Warren was a tall and wiry bowler (see a future profile) reckoned to be one of the quickest in the country, and finished with 4-42.

Play was to continue until 6.15pm so Derbyshire had 125 minutes to score 147. It looked a tricky challenge in the light of the Essex collapse and when Wright went with 11 on the board Essex must have fancied their chances. The West Indian was again in prime form and reached a run-a-minute 50 with eight fours, the hundred coming up in an hour. Remember, this was an era before slow over rates and the spirit of the game was held in high esteem. When the last hour began, Derbyshire were 108-1 and needed only 39 to win, Ollivierre on 74.

Both the West Indian and Storer were keen to reach their milestones of a century and fifty respectively, the latter because he would then, as a professional, be entitled to a bonus. The remaining runs came in 15 minutes, with Ollivierre on 92 (15 fours) and Storer on 48 as the game ended with 45 minutes in hand.

Even at this distance the game was extraordinary, the run scoring aided by quick over rates and lightning fast outfield on a small ground. There have been many Derbyshire successes in the ensuing years, but none that were quite as spectacular as this.

Derbyshire v Worcestershire

This was always going to be a battle royal between two strong seam attacks and at this stage Derbyshire have the advantage.

We'll know by how much by lunchtime tomorrow, weather permitting. Once again though, Charl Langeveldt (pictured) led the atack with great accuracy, stamina and skill in another exemplary performance. He now has 17 Championship wickets at 21 and looks to have been an inspired (Chesterfield, spire - geddit?) signing.

He was ably supported by Graham Wagg, a player who brings so much to the side in batting and bowling, while John Clare removed Graeme Hick, so often the scourge of our bowlers. Perhaps Jake Needham could have come on a little sooner and limited the first innings still further, but it's easy to be wise after the event and to have a strong side out for 151 is a fine performance.

I am reassured by our longer looking batting line up in this match. With Sadler at six, Pipe a very welcome number seven and Wagg and Claire at eight and nine we have an enviable depth. On current form Langeveldt is the best number eleven in the country, but it all depends on the top order.

If Rogers and Stubbings can give us a start, Dan Birch may find conditions to his liking and he, Clarke and Hinds will appreciate the short boundaries at Chesterfield. I would love us to get to stumps tomorrow with around 350 on the board, but let's get through to lunch in a stable state first!

Interesting vote

The vote is shaping up nicely and Mike Di Venuto has an early lead in the poll.

Was he better than Peter Kirsten? Is his position down to people voting who didn't see the great South African as they were too young?

At this stage I'm saying nowt (rare, but true!) but will tell you what I think at the end of the poll. In between times, keep voting and tell all your Derbyshire pals to do so!

Top overseas star

Derbyshire have had many overseas players, with the first "official" one being Chris Wilkins in 1970.

Prior to that time there was Charles Ollivierre, a West Indian whose greatest game came in the same match at Chesterfield in which Essex batsman P.A. "Percy" Perrin scored a triple century and was still on the losing side! Ollivierre scored a double century and an unbeaten 92 to win the game for Derbyshire.

In the 1950's Laurie Johnson qualified for the county and entertained the crowds with an array of front of the wicket strokes seldom associated with county batsmen at that time. Many were deflectors, accumulators, grinders-out. Johnson, a white man, qualified and was a great servant over a number of years.

The names in the poll are, to me, what Miss Jean Brodie would have called the "creme de la creme". Men who made a great contribution, not just as players, but as team mates, influences and MEN. There have been many others, some of whom were worthy of inclusion, some of whom were patently not.

For one thing, inclusion required either sustained good service over a number of years or spectacular service over a single season - hence the inclusion of Dean Jones and Simon Katich.
I would hope there was no argument overthe names on the left, what about the ones who were nearly there?

Daryll Cullinan was a fine batsman, one who exploded into the side with three quick centuries in all cricket. The South African had a good technique but his contribution dwindled as the season progressed as murmurs of an unhappy dressing room abounded. Anyone who has read Dominic Cork's book "Uncorked" will know that Cullinan was apparently an awkward person to deal with (according to Cork) and didn't appreciate some of the horseplay that went on.

Michael Slater created a huge buzz of anticipation when he signed as perhaps the first opening batsman in the modern era who really went for it in Test matches. Some of his innings for Australia were brilliant and there were comparisons made with Victor Trumper, who many considered better than Bradman. Yet Slater of Derby was a major disappointment. There was the odd sparkling innings, with a brilliant partnership with Kim Barnett against Surrey a high point, but you always felt he could be out at any time, especially in the 20's and 30's.

I haven't included the name of Adrian Kuiper although he was a major factor in our Sunday League title. Kuiper the 3-day player was a pale shadow of the one-day beast. He would have been a huge star today with the advent of 20/20 cricket. His medium pace got more wickets than looked likely, while his hitting turned any target into a stroll when he had his range, but the long-form of the game saw Kuiper a modest performer for us, so not quite worthy of inclusion here.

Jon Moss and Travis Birt gave fair service, but only that. The former came on the back of a brilliant Aussie season and did OK with the bat and OK with the ball, but you never felt we had signed a world-beater. The latter had a good first season, although there were even then signs that his technique needed refined, and a second season that was a major disappointment. I have always maintained that any overseas player should average over 50 with the bat or under 25 with the ball and Birt didn't come close. In full flight he was an impressive sight, but his "days" became increasingly sporadic.

Ian Bishop could have been one of the very best. A brilliant fast bowler who got extravagant movement at great pace, the genial Bishop was recommended by Michael Holding and was also a potential all rounder, who scored an excellent century against Yorkshire. I remember seeing an Indian touring side very wary of getting in line against him at Chesterfield as he tore in from the pavilion end. His downfall was a series of back injuries, which required surgery, modification of his action and a reduction in effectiveness. For aesthetic cricket fans, Holding and Bishop opening the bowling would have been as good as it gets.

Mind you,we also had disasters. Chris Harris was signed for a very short term deal. Why? Shahid Afridi came at the start of the season and hadn't a clue on bowler-friendly tracks. Nor did he seem to want to learn, and apart from two or three little cameos was a huge disappointment. At that stage of the year, his leg spin was of negligible use too, and it was a bizarre signing.

Venkat was a fine bowler and a very nice man, but for a side crying out for runs represented some cock-eyed thinking. We had a decent bowling side but couldn't bat an eyelid. This was addressed by the signing of Lawrence Rowe, elegant, prolific (in the Caribbean), oozing talent.
He was also unlucky, injury-prone and a man with eye problems... I recall his good days with pleasure and have seldom seen a batsman with more time at the crease, but it never translated to major runs.

Finally there was Chris Wilkins, the man who started it all. Having lost the 1969 Gillette Cup Final, the feeling was that an overseas star might have made the difference. Wilkins never achieved the heights of a Barry Richards or Mike Procter, and was a pale shadow of the hoped for Eddie Barlow or Graeme Pollock, but was a wonderful entertainer. The way he played kept his average to around the 40 mark, so he was not in the very top class, but no one missed a Wilkins innings in the beer tent.

I may have missed someone in this quick run through, but this piece hopefully highlights what all counties have found - there are good and bad overseas signings. For me, Gloucestershire probably did the best overall. From the wonder that was Mike Procter, to Courtney Walsh then Ian Harvey they have had three fine cricketers and servants.

If Chris Rogers and our two Kolpaks, Charl Langeveldt and Wavell Hinds can emulate those guys there will be no complaints!

Thanks but no thanks...

That appears the message from the many people who voted in the poll that asked if you'd like to see Dominic Cork back in Derbyshire colours.
While some stories suggest he would welcome a return to the County Ground, others suggest that he may retire for a media career. Either would be possible for the 37 year old, but 75% of those who voted do not want to see him back at Derby.
As pointed out below, I promised to give my opinion and for what its worth I think we should pass on this one. For one thing there's a lot of baggage, for another his best days are behind him and for a third we don't need cast-offs any more. I've no doubt that he could still produce the occasional good spell, maybe a cameo innings. With Clarke, Smith, Wagg and Clare in the side we're not needing all-rounders and I'm not convinced he'd bring anything to the current seam strength better than is already in place. Unless his feet are in better nick than Tom Lungley's are at present...
This week it's an equally controversial one - who has been our best-ever overseas star? I've included quite a few options of the most likely candidates. Apologies to those who still (like me) think wistfully back to the powerful strokes of Chris Wilkins. Talent though he was, he couldn't be put in the class of these guys.
I REALLY look forward to seeing how this vote goes!

Derbyshire v Worcestershire preview

There is no better place on God's earth to watch a game of cricket than Chesterfield.

Plenty of grounds will stake a claim. New Road at Worcester, Canterbury, Arundel, Cape Town. None can surely have the charm of the ground overlooked by the most famous Church spire in the world. There's less of the spire visible these days, but the ground is a picture and from a viewing perspective it is superb.

The return of the Chesterfield festival is to be celebrated and I hope that the weather is kind, with a bumper crowd almost certain.

Its time for a big hello to new West Indian batsman Wavell Hinds, who should appreciate the pace and bounce that is usually a feature of the Chesterfield tracks. Welcome back also to James Pipe, who's effervescent qualities have been missed, irrespective of the commitment shown by Freddie Klokker. From the team named one would assume that Rikki Clarke is now fit to bowl, otherwise we're looking at Hinds also being the fifth bowler. Useful as he may be, I don't think he's quite that good with the ball. The team is

Stubbings
Rogers
Birch
Hinds
Clarke
Sadler
Pipe
Wagg
Clare
Needham
Langeveldt

Plenty of batting with John "Bradman" Clare at 9, although cynics will say that we need them the way that the top order have performed. As we all know, it's a funny old game and perhaps the Jamaican's arrival will galvanise the others.
As for the visitors, they travel with a 12-man squad that reads:

D K H Mitchell,
S C Moore,
V S Solanki
B Smith,
G A Hick,
S M Davies
G J Batty
K Ali
GM Andrew
S J Magoffin
S P Jones
M M Ali

I suspect Ali will be 12th man as Derbyshire face a talented line up and in Vikram Solanki someone who is regularly a thorn in our side. There will be great interest in the performance of Stephen Moore after our declared interest in him last week, while this may be the last chance to see Graeme Hick on a Derbyshire ground, with rumours of a retirement going the rounds. One thing for sure is that our top order will be tested by the rejuvenated Simon Jones, while Kabir Ali and Magoffin make up a strong pace attack.
Fingers crossed for good weather and for Derbyshire to return to form with a vengeance!

A little off subject but...

Normal service will resume tomorrow night, but I'm just in after an excellent 20/20 game in which my team was beaten, but which saw perhaps the best catch I've ever seen in any class of cricket.
We were bolstered tonight by Scots left arm spinner Glenn Rogers, who bowled a typically miserly four overs. To be honest, this guy would have been worth a county shot as he's seldom collared even against County sides and did well against us at the County Ground.
Anyway, he's also a fair batsman and hit 35 in no time at all as we chased 145. Having hit the off spinner for six over mid wicket and another over long on, he hit a flat "screamer" towards long on again. A young West Indian on a scholarship to this country ran 25 yards and threw himself full length to hold the ball inches from the ground with one hand. Fluke? Maybe, but what a fluke. Glenn actually walked off past the guy to congratulate him. Sadly, it cost us the game but I'd be astonished if I ever saw a catch in the same league. Those who might recall James Kirtley's for England a year or two back saw something similar, but not taken by a 15 year old who'd also hammered a breezy 40 with five sixes.
Should have taken his number....

The natives are getting restless...

A week ago we were all getting excited about a possible place in the FP Trophy quarter-finals. Now, all of a sudden we are seeing fans on BBC 606 complain about the standard of recruits and the team. Are their complaints justified?

Well, for those who thought we would sweep the board this year they probably are, but surely there were few who thought we would become world-beaters overnight? Yes, Dean Jones and Les Stillman turned things around dramatically in one winter, but they had a lot better material to work with than John Morris has at his disposal. Jones had Barnett, Cork, Malcolm, De Freitas, Colin Wells, Chris Adams - good players, very very good players all.

Morris has Chris Rogers, Charl Langeveldt and (now) Wavell Hinds. Don't get me wrong, Wagg, Lungley, Clare and others are decent players, but not in that league. Rikki Clarke is a player of great talent but has been hampered by injury and like many all-rounders has struggled when one of his talents has been taken away. Flintoff the all-rounder is a fine player. As a batsman? Hmmm. Likewise Botham, Hadlee, Kapil Dev. I'm not saying Clarke is in that class, but he should be judged on an all round contribution.

I am confident that the knives will at some point be out for Wavell Hinds. Make no mistake, he is a fine player, but he is no Lara, or Chanderpaul. He will average 35-40, not 50, and will make a contribution to some wins, but let's not expect him to transform the side.

Some posters have said we are not as strong as last season, which is nonsense. The side is far more competitive than last year and while individual performances could be better, we have turned a corner. We have swapped an overseas player who averaged 38 only because of one good match against Gloucestershire, for a thoroughly professional, decent and committed man in Chris Rogers. Indeed Travis Birt allegedly caused more grief to bouncers at a Derby nightspot than he did to opposition bowlers and often looked like he didn't want to know. We lost Katich, but in going down to one overseas player it was always likely and he came as a platform to the Australian side, nothing more. It would be churlish to say he was anything but a fine player, but his performances waned as the season progressed.

There will be much more change at Derby. Morris will be speaking to eight players, some of whom may sign, most of whom will be batsmen. I am quite happy with our bowling, especially the seamers who are the equal of any in the country. Nayan Doshi started steadily but has lost his place, although I expect to see him back in the side soon, especially for the 20/20 at which he excels. Who else could we have signed? The only other spinner on the market was Ray Price of Worcestershire, who hardly set the world on fire there.

Likewise John Sadler is no world-beater, but battles more than we ever saw Hassan Adnan do in his last year. He was arguably the worst runner between wickets I've seen in Derbyshire colours, absolutely shocking. Sadler will score runs, I have no doubt, but if we could secure the signature of David Sales or Alex Gidman in the winter - well, we wouldn't say no would we?

Of the players who left in the winter, I feel we will only miss one - Gary Ballance. I think he will be a fine player, but how could we compete with a county who will put him through University? Chris Taylor played some good innings when he first came, but left under a cloud. He has not yet made the Yorkshire team and may not do so. It may be that he is destined to follow the likes of Messrs Rollins, Weston (Rob) and Cassar in leaving for the green grass over the fence and finding that they weren't really up to it.

My message to Derbyshire fans is simple. Keep the peace, be realistic and understand that we have people in charge who are desperate to do well as they are Derby through and through. I'm a huge fan/devotee of the club and its history and there have been few times in the 130 + years when we have been a batting side. This side is Bradmanesque in comparison to others over the years and it will get better. We just need to give Morris time. He is affable, able and persuasive and sets his sights high. We are now able to compete with supposedly bigger names for top, out of contract players. That has NEVER been the case and for that alone I am convinced that good times - maybe even the best ever times - will be here before too long.

Middlesex v Derbyshire day 4

So the unbeaten run ends, which it had to do at some point.

There is no disgrace in this one and we were at least competitive to the end. I'm not sure if the wicket eased a little as the match progressed, if we bowled badly or if they batted well. What they have, of course, is something that Morris aspires to, in quality throughout the batting lineup.

We have Chris Rogers who is a very fine player and the skipper in full flow is a good player to watch. The rest of our batting, at least until the arrival of Wavell Hinds, is at best functional. Stubbings, Sadler, Klokker are journeymen professionals, rather than "stars". That is not meant as a criticism, merely an observation. Compared to Smith, Joyce and Shah - all international players - they don't come out too well. This is of course why John Morris is approaching other players on the 28 day notice. Hypothetically, if we signed Stephen Moore and David Sales/Alex Gidman, our batting takes on a completely different look.

Of course, salvation may lie within. Dan Redfern is as good a prospect as any in the country and should get his chance before the summer is out. Greg Smith is another who can only get better and we must not overlook the talents of Dominic Telo, who will undoubtedly come again once he is acclimatised.

We effectively lost this game in not posting a first innings total again. The bowlers pulled us back into it, but the batting failed again in the second innings. This time the tail "wagged" effectively, but another 100 runs would have made all the difference.

Until we are less reliant on Chris Rogers we will not win many Championship game. The Australian is an admirable professional but needs support. No one can fault Steve Stubbings as in most matches we have had a start. Thus far he and Rogers have posted 3, 31, 25, 78, 47, 41, 47, 33, 87 and 23. However, in each of these innings, our third wicket has been down by 62, 196 (an exception), 116, 108, 61, 58, 66, 78, 135 and 78.

Room for improvement? Yes. Confident that it will come around? Still yes - and hopefully soon.

Middlesex v Derbyshire day 3

Well, no play after tea so it's as you were with the earlier report.

Looking at reports (even those from the Middlesex end) it would appear that most see us as favourites in this game. Judging by the number of Derbyshire players who needed attention during the innings, there is plenty of help for our bowlers and worries ahead for their batsmen.

I have to say that I had no idea that Langeveldt was as useful with the bat as he has shown in his short time here. His cameos are very much in the vein of tail enders years ago - have a go at pretty much everything. We cannot expect it to happen all the time, but there is no doubt that fans will not want for entertainment when he bats!

Full credit to all the side for a battling display here. Sides of fairly recent vintage would have capitulated on a track like this. That we batted out the day was to the credit of all concerned and it has set up a fantastic final day, as long as the weather stays out of it.

Middlesex v Derbyshire day 3 - TEA

This is a game that has been a great advert for County cricket, played on what appears to be a very sporting wicket, with something for batsmen and bowlers alike.

Yesterday I wrote that I thought we could win with a lead of 250. Well, at tea we lead by 242 with one wicket in hand. The innings has been the result of an excellent team effort that shows a willingness to fight and for each man to do his bit for the cause. It would appear to be a track on which you are never truly "in", as evidenced by the number of dismissals on either side for 30+

Rikki Clarke led the way with 37, but when Fred Klokker was out cheaply and we slipped to 91-5 I felt that we were going to subside and lose the match.

Not so. John Sadler batted with admirable restraint and concentration for a crucial 37 in three hours of batting, while Graham Wagg batted for almost two hours for 41. The crucial partnership may yet turn out to be that between the highly talented Jon Clare (unbeaten at tea on 46) and Charl Langeveldt, who carved the bowling to all parts in he course of a typically cavalier 30 from just 17 balls. There is a big psychological difference between chasing 200 and 250 and the pair might have made all the difference to the result of this match.

After tea? Taking the lead over 250 would be great and it would be great to see young Clare make another 50 in what is turning out to be an excellent season for the young all rounder. Then its all up to the bowlers and if Charl and Dean (cue cinema tune!) have their radars right we could make early inroads into a talented if brittle Middlesex batting line-up. Much will depend on skipper Ed Smith and on Owais Shah, but this should be an excellent finish to a very good game of cricket. Hopefully the result goes the right way

Gillette Cup Final 1969

Once we'd recovered from the adrenalin rush that was the victory over Sussex, our attention turned to our opposition in the final.

It turned out to be Yorkshire, who clinically disposed of Nottinghamshire in the semi-final at Scarborough thanks to solid innings from Phil Sharpe and Doug Padgett taking them to 191. Garfield Sobers returned the astonishing figures of 12-8-12-1 but was not at his best with the bat, something Nottinghamshire needed if they were to post a challenging total. Although future Derbyshire skipper Brian Bolus and Cornishman Mike Harris gave them a solid start, they were always behind the rate and Sobers came in at 52-3 with a lot to do.

Although he pushed up the rate a little, Chris Old had him caught behind by Jimmy Binks and from then on the innings declined from 89-3 to 123 all out.

So Yorkshire it was, and sadly we couldn't go down for the final as Dad just couldn't get away from work. I was settled in my favourite seat in the house to watch the final, which was live on BBC (those were the days!) Admittedly, there was frustration later in the day as Grandstand took over coverage and the cricket switched with numerous other sports, with increasing attention being given to the football (the final took place on September 6th).

Yorkshire were put in to bat by Derek Morgan who won the toss and we sat back to watch the wickets tumble. After all, Geoff Boycott had been ruled out of the Yorkshire side and we weren't too worried by Barry Leadbetter and John Woodford. They put on 37 before Peter Eyre removed the latter, which brought in Brian Close. He and his younger partner built the score and the scoring rate until Close was very well caught by Mike Page as he was really opening up. Unfortunately, Page injured his shoulder in taking the catch and was pretty much a passenger for the rest of the game. Although Phil Sharpe, another future Derbyshire player went quickly, Padgett and Leadbetter raised the 150 and we saw the game slipping away. Although not a high score, 150 seemed a mountain for our batting and when the Yorkshire innings closed on 219-8, thanks to some late order hitting from Richard Hutton, we knew we were up against it. The bowlers stuck well to their task, although Peter Eyre followed his semi-final heroics with 1-53 as the most expensive bowler.

Maybe if Gibbs and Smith gave us a start we could still do it? They did, but against Chris Old and especially the underrated Tony Nicholson it was slow work. With the score on 37, the latter removed Peter Gibbs en route to figures of 1-14 in 12 overs. With Mike Page injured, Derek Morgan came in at 3 but, fine cricketer that he was, fast scoring was not his game and he was soon run out. According to Dad, the alarm bells were ringing when Alan Ward came in at four in an attempt to raise the scoring rate. David Smith went at 54, but Ward and Ian Buxton mounted a partnership and struck a few lusty blows. The scoring rate was still below par, however, and Ward went at 77. When John Harvey, another capable of some powerful shots, went at 83, we were resigned to defeat.

Page came in at number seven and did his best but was clearly incapacitated. Once Ian Buxton holed out to Brian Close off the bowling of Don Wilson we knew that the end was in sight, and the innings ended with five overs to spare, Close and Wilson taking three wickets each.

A 69-run defeat was not part of the script we had in our heads (it saw us bowling them out for 85 then knocking off the runs in the evening sunlight) but we had at least been there. What we didn't know was that it would be a number of years before we were next to compete in a big final at Lords.

And next time we would be there...