Leicestershire v Derbyshire preview

There has been a sense of panic among the ranks of Derbyshire supporters today, since the second team for the T20 game against Yorkshire today was announced and Brooke Guest was captain.

People have been putting two and two together and getting five, sensing Nye Donald was therefore set to be given the gloves for the tournament opener. 

I am not saying it won't happen, but I agree with everyone that it would be the wrong decision. Furthermore, looking at the 15-man squad announced for Leicester, I cannot see anyone outside of the obvious selections whose presence would otherwise strengthen the team. 

Nye Donald hasn't kept in a game this season and has just returned from a shoulder injury. Do you really want a key batter potentially hurting that again in diving around? Or a part time wicket keeper trying to read the variations of a mystery spinner? If I was Samit Patel, I would want my best gloveman and I expect to see Brooke in the side tomorrow. 

If he isn't, I would be very surprised.

It would leave the 'other' four overs between Andersson, Whiteley and Lloyd, possibly Madsen. Variations in pace and angle, that would work.

There is no Luis Reece, so one option is out of the window. My own thoughts, for what they are worth, is that Brooke wanted a hit ahead of the game and he has got that, making 44 while batting at three

The Derbyshire squad - my likeliest team first:

Jewell

Donald

Lloyd

Madsen

Andersson

Whiteley

Patel

Guest

Chappell

Ghazanfar 

Brown

Came, Thomson, Aitchison, Potts

The order can be fluid and depends on the circumstances. Brooke could easily bat three, as he did today and knock it around as sheet anchor, if not chasing a massive total. 

Leicestershire will pin their hopes on a big hitting top four of Sol Budinger, Rishi Patel, skipper Louis Kimber and former Derbyshire player Shan Masood. But they have lost several players - Josh Hull and Rehan Ahmed are with England Lions, Ben Green has gone back to Somerset, Ian Holland is in America for the MLC and Ben Mike has a hamstring strain.

Logan van Beek will be their other overseas player and is having a good season. Liam Trevaskis will likely come into the squad too, as will Sam Wood, both in good form for the second team in the past week.

As I write, there is no news on their squad, but I expect Derbyshire to get off to a winning start. The toss will be important with rain forecast, but as long as we keep that top four quiet, I think we can start the tournament in the very best style. 

What do you think? 

Postscript - Derbyshire ran out easy winners against Yorkshire. The home side was restricted to 134-5 in 20 overs, with Jack Morley taking 3-26.

Derbyshire knocked off the runs with 28 balls to spare. Amrit Basra, so impressive this summer, made an unbeaten 42 from 25 deliveries, to add to Guest's 44 from 33. George Lavelle contributed an unbeaten 16 to seal the win.

Scorecard and video clips here

Final words on the Blast

We are almost at the start of the Vitality Blast and I cannot think that Derbyshire have ever gone into this competition in such a rude state of health. 

Unbeaten, second place in the division in red ball cricket, with specialist big guns coming into the side for the new competition. As the club publicity has been telling us, we have three legends of the format in Wayne Madsen, Samit Patel and Ross Whiteley. An overseas bat who has been on fire, with a mystery overseas spinner who got into a World Best XI only a few months ago. Powerful and long batting, plenty of bowling options. 

To be honest, I don't think we will ever have a better chance of progressing to the knockout stage as we have this year. If we fail, I think it will be on one of two things. 

Can Allah Ghazanfar show the form here that he has abroad? Very few will have faced him, or even seen him, so his variations could be devastating. Of course, a bad ball is a bad ball and he hasn't played for a few months. We also need to remember, regardless of his talent, he is only eighteen. He could and may well be The Man.. but it might go the other way. We need to remember that there will be nights when people have a go at him and get lucky. He will be up against some very good cricketers and will be aware that they will be keen to assert themselves. 

Yet what I have read and seen of him suggests a young man with the world at his feet and the ability to take things in his stride. If he hits the ground running, the next few weeks will be spectacular. Good judges rate him extremely highly and good judges are rarely wrong. Just as Mickey Arthur was advised that Caleb Jewell was the real deal, so we have people doing the same with Ghazanfar. I think Brooke Guest will have a hectic time, keeping to this fella.

Then there is the fifth bowler. Logically that should be Harry Moore, good enough to be picked for the Hundred at 18. Yet there is a big difference between being fit, which I understand he is, and being match fit. He hasn't bowled in a competitive game since the start of the season and it is a big ask for anyone to come in with nothing in the tank. 

When he is match fit, he will play, but that might not be at the start of the competition. When he does, it would almost certainly make Derbyshire the only team in it with two 18-year-olds and two others over 40. 

So that fifth bowler is key. People know Zak Chappell and Pat Brown are fine bowlers, they know Samit, they have heard all about Ghazanfar. But they will almost certainly target the other four overs. Whether that is Lloyd, Moore, Reece, Aitchison or whoever, the other team will be coming at them. We could play a specialist bowler, or lengthen the batting further with an all rounder. Maybe Mitch Wagstaff could come into the equation as an extra spinner and they see what they can get from Martin Andersson, but he only bowled one over for Middlesex last year. The safe option may be Luis Reece, until Moore is deemed fit.

We go into the competition with three players having points to prove. Nye Donald could be a sensation at the top of the order and if he reins in his tendency to get carried away his partnership with Caleb Jewell could he special. Sometimes a tendency to overhit is his downfall (Leeds, last year?) but his talent is undeniable. If he and Jewell click, you would want to see it.

Meanwhile, both Samit Patel and Ross Whiteley will know that it is unlikely they will get another deal, certainly unless their figures improve from last season. But these things tend to focus minds and both will feel they still have fuel in the tank. If they both prove that, Derbyshire should be a real force to reckon with.

As I've said before, we need the breaks with the weather, we need to hold our catches and we cannot afford injuries. Our first choice side looks very strong, but if you take a couple of big names out of it, less so. 

Having said all that, in full knowledge of a team high in confidence, I am going to predict qualification from the group. With that talent at our disposal, we should be doing that.

What do you think? 

Under 18s doing well in County Cup

Derbyshire's under 18s are currently in action in the County T20 Cup at York and have been doing well.

Yesterday they beat Durham on the DLS method.  Durham made 174-9 in their 20 overs, with Jake Green taking 3-21. 

With their target reduced to 135 in 16.2 overs, Derbyshire made 154-4, with Rohan Vallabhaneni making a brilliant unbeaten 92 from 51 balls, with 13 fours and 3 sixes. He is currently studying at Denstone College and has already played for Staffordshire.

Highlights can be seen here

Today, they have played Nottinghamshire, who were bowled out for 102, with Charles taking 4-15, Green 3-22 and Karim 2-16. 

Derbyshire knocked off the runs for the loss of five wickets, with Joe Hawkins composed unbeaten 29 and Vallabhaneni, with the same score, leading the way.

Highlights can be seen here

It is all very impressive..

Good article on Mickey Arthur

This is an excellent article on Mickey Arthur and confirms what I have suspected, that he has reassessed his style for county cricket, having previously approached it as he has done international roles.

My gut feeling is that there have been lengthy chats with Tom Poynton, the 'cricket man' on the Board and someone whose recent experience of the county game will have been of considerable value to him. Perhaps Ben Smith, experienced as a domestic coach both here and in New Zealand, will have had input too. 

But it is encouraging, with all that is going on at the club, that Mickey has reaffirmed his desire to be at Derbyshire.

'I'm here until the club say to me, 'not any more'. That is how hellbent I am on achieving success' he said.

Good to see, as we approach the Blast!

Arthur getting it right at Derbyshire

Before the season started, I wrote a post that seemed out of step with most people at the time, suggesting that the club board was right to extend the deal of Mickey Arthur. It didn't meet with much support, nor did I expect it to, but I am pleased to see that there are few dissenting voices today. 

We haven't won anything yet, but to be second in the table - and unbeaten - as we enter June makes this a giddy time to be a Derbyshire supporter. The team is playing as a unit, not a group of individuals and it is so refreshing. Some of the credit has to go to Wayne Madsen, who has lead the side with flair and by setting an example, but only the real curmudgeons will dispute that Arthur has done a fine job, along with his coaching team.

He seems a changed man this year. His interviews are less bullish, less full of 'spicy' rhetoric about performance and individuals. He is letting his team do the talking and they are responding to a man. It's not 'sexy cricket', they're not 'entertainment machines', they are a squad of players working with and for one another. 

Let's be honest, his recruitment has been spot on so far. Caleb Jewell, Martin Andersson, Jack Morley, Blair Tickner - they have all come in and produced fine form, enhancing the side with bat and ball. Jewell and Andersson have also taken their places in a much-improved close catching unit, all of them into double figures already. 

Watching him today as the players came off the field, all of them receiving handshakes and hugs, suggested that he has a better handle on how to work with the group. Equally, it is fair to say that they better understand their roles within the team and they are delivering to a man. 

It is not just the first team. The second eleven is playing some excellent cricket, players are emerging through the pathway and everyone who gets into a team at any level is making a strong case to preserve their position. 

It has been a number of years since we could last enjoy a domestic summer as we have the first two months of this one. It is unrealistic to expect it to continue without a defeat or two along the way, but if they continue to show the fighting qualities that have been so evident during the first half of the red ball season, they will continue to surpass expectations. 

So it is only fair to say well done to Mickey for his efforts this year. It was also right to be critical of last year especially and to my last breath I will contend that a mistake was made when he was allowed to take on the Pakistan role, which sent completely the wrong message at the time. Now, fully-focused on Derbyshire, the dividends are starting to be reaped. There is a swagger in the demeanour of the players, a willingness to fight for the win, and even greater one to battle against defeat. That Jewell, Madsen and Reece are averaging over 50 maybe isn't even as surprising as Tickner averaging 34, Chappell 22 and Morley 28 with the bat. Kudos to batting coach Ben Smith in this too, while five players already in double figures of wickets suggests Ajmal Shahzad is earning his corn, too.

The renaissance in the career of Luis Reece is a clear example of improved man management. Given a development plan and a defined role in the side as middle order bat and opening bowler, he has responded with arguably the form of his life. At the start of the summer I feared that this might be his last year, unless something special happened. With a batting average of 71 and 23 wickets at 21 he is again a key man in a side that bats long and often has seven bowling options.

I am sure Arthur is already looking at options to take the squad on again. There is the much-anticipated arrival of Allah Ghazanfar to enjoy and the knowledge that we have a vested interest in the second half of the red ball season since the last time I had hair. The signing of the young Afghan hero made the cricket world sit up. A player from the ICC white ball team of the year coming to Derbyshire? Who else knew he was available? Definitely one from the contact book, that close connection with Mahela Jayawardene bearing fruit. 

Were you a betting man, the odds on Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Glamorgan being one, two, three at half way would have been long. Just as with Kent and Lancashire being two of the bottom three, but those positions are on merit and performance, or lack of it.

If we get to the end of September still in the top two, this will be a season that lives long in the memory.

If it isn't already.

Derbyshire v Kent day four

Derbyshire 587-5

Kent 326 and 247 (Stewart 49, Reece 3-21, Brown 2-53, Chappell 2-58)

Derbyshire won by an innings and 14 runs

Another magnificent effort by Derbyshire saw them wrap up victory over Kent before lunch at Derby today, winning by an innings and 14 runs. 

I wrote at the start of the season that a major factor for Derbyshire this season would be luck with the weather and holding their catches. Today the threatened rain failed to arrive, while some excellent catches were held, two of them by substitute fielder Nick Potts.

It was a strange morning, for all that. Muyeye was given out caught behind to the first ball of the day and it looked to come off his shoulder. Yet two other strong appeals were given not out, even though nothing other than the bat was near the ball. Very odd.

Derbyshire came out this morning with a pack mentality that was a joy to see. The fielding was sharp and after the early Muyeye dismissal, a fine catch by Guest, standing up to Reece, dismissed Benjamin. Leaning drove too soon at the same bowler and was well held by a tumbling Potts at mid off, while Finch was bowled by Dal off his thigh pad. When Parkinson, who can resist with the best of tail enders, was quickly trapped leg before by Morley, the end appeared to be nigh.

Yet Stewart, who displayed greater fight than most of his teammates, struck hard for 49 runs in a last wicket partnership of 64, taking on Brown and three times hitting him over the ropes. 

Would Derbyshire need to bat again? Would the game extend to lunch and perhaps the victory quest be ruined by rain? No, because Brown induced a top edge and Potts, again making good ground and holding on as he dived, held a fine catch at third man and victory was completed, with Ball never likely to bat again with his injury. 

So now we pause a heady red ball campaign for The Blast. Second in the league and still unbeaten as we enter June. Whatever happens from here, the Derbyshire players have given supporters a reason to be proud again. To take 20 wickets on a pitch that wasn't unduly difficult was a fine effort. Yet then again, so too was scoring 587 runs with the bat.

Again, without claiming psychic powers, I suggested that at the start of the season that only a team effort would bring Derbyshire success. Well, six of the seven bowlers used took wickets in this match. Of the others, Jewell scored a double century, Madsen a century, Came 89, Lloyd 50 and Guest set a standard in the field. 

With such things, good seasons and great memories are made. Last year we could have been sponsored by Teflon. This year? Gorilla Glue..

Bring on the Blast. Ghazanfar is here, Samit's Falcons are set to fly...if he can do as well as Wayne's Wonders, we will be alright, eh? 

Book Review: Ten Drunks and a Parson: The Life and Times of Ted Peate by Ian Lockwood

I'm always a sucker for books on Golden Age and Victorian cricket and the people who played it. So when Ian Lockwood's book on Yorkshire spinner Ted Peate came in the post, it had a good chance of meeting with my approval.

It does not disappoint.

Admirably researched, it tells the tale of a man who emerged from the ninteenth century phenomenon of 'clown cricket' to become the country's pre-eminent left arm spinner - indeed, one described by WG Grace as the best in the world. He played in the first Test match, took over a thousand wickets in his ten first-class summers, yet was sacked by Yorkshire at the age of 35, dead ten years later.

Peate's problem, as the author explains in detail, was that he liked a drink. His many admirers wanted to buy him one and he found it hard to say no. Yet in that he was no different to most of his teammates. The book's title comes from how Lord Hawke was supposed to have described the under-performing Yorkshire side when he took charge in 1883. It was he who sacked Peate, yet it seems he was by no means the biggest problem in the side.

Peate's almost meteoric rise to fame and his slow fall to penury and premature death are very well captured by the author, whose research is as impressive as his writing. The book beautifully captures the age and the role of cricket, as well as painting vivid portraits of the incredible characters within it.

Peate was the first of a long line of outstanding left arm spinners in Yorkshire and can count himself unlucky that, although he lived a far from blameless life, he was the example that was made to 'encourage' the others. Bobby Peel, who replaced him in the Yorkshire side, gave far greater problems yet was tolerated for much longer by the man who released his predecessor. 

So why was he sacked, missing out on a benefit that would have made his retirement secure, even for a man not known for fiscal propriety? Perhaps Lord Hawke wanted an example made, his decision made easier by the presence of the younger Peel, a better bat and his supposed equal with the ball. That the latter was given far greater leeway adds fuel to that argument, but it did little for Peate and his wellbeing.

His remaining life was one of declining health and eyesight, still playing with success in club cricket, despite a widening girth, but aware that his plan for after the game, a sports shop in Leeds, was failing, with declining profits after his retirement. He died of pneumonia, a few days after being soaked on a trip to the theatre, in March 1900.

He lies in an unmarked grave in Yeadon cemetery, to the left of the runway at Leeds-Bradford airport. He is not alone in his last resting place being unmarked, as Derbyshire greats George Davidson and Bill Bestwick, among others, lie similarly unrecognised.

There's a worthy job to be done there, for all three. 

Speaking of worthy jobs, Ian Lockwood has done a fine one here, in a book that I heartily recommend. Likewise, Pitch Publishing have delivered another worthy title to their outstanding catalogue.

Ten Drunks and a Parson: The Life and Times of Ted Peate is written by Ian Lockwood and published by Pitch Publishing 

Derbyshire v Kent day three

Derbyshire 587-5 

Kent 326 (Compton 156, Dal 4-50, Chappell 2-72) and 157-3 (Muyeye 55*, Compton 49)

Derbyshire lead by 104 runs

Derbyshire did remarkably well to take nine Kent wickets today, over two innings. It enabled them to enforce the follow-on and give themselves a reasonable shout of victory on the final day. 

The question mark surrounds the weather, which is set to take time out of the final day's play. With Tawanda Muyeye and Jack Leaning entrenched, they will need to work hard and will almost certainly face a final innings run chase against the clock.

But it has been an excellent effort. The pitch has not yet deteriorated to any great degree and neither spinners nor seamers can simply sit back and wait for things to happen. When edges have been found, the catches have been taken and Caleb Jewell again showed himself to have a safe pair of hands today.

Ben Compton has played two fine hands for the visitors, with over 200 runs from his two innings, but when Pat Brown forced him into gloving to Jewell at short leg, the door appeared to be open for Derbyshire. Whatever his record and merits in red ball cricket, Brown's pace here disconcerted the visitors. I think he overdid the short stuff a little, but there was a clear tactic to induce the top edged pull or hook to earn the wicket 

But Muyeye and Leaning stood firm and a huge effort is needed to seal the win tomorrow. But Anuj Dal, who has bowled very well so far, might well be the man with a plan on the final day.

One assumes Derbyshire needs six more wickets, as it was painful to watch Jake Ball's attempt to bat with what looks like a severe abdominal strain. Unless the situation was really critical, surely he wouldn't be asked to try and bat again?

A late opportunity to run out Muyeye was missed, the ball missing the stumps when he was well short of his ground, after a mix up with Leaning

But Derbyshire will hope to take these half chances tomorrow.

Derbyshire v Kent day two

Derbyshire 587-5 (Jewell 232, Madsen 100, Came 89, Reece 50*, Leaning 2-85)

Kent 210-3 (Compton 105*, Dal 2-34)

Derbyshire lead by 377 runs

Derbyshire did brilliantly to compile a mammoth first innings total of 587-5 declared today, largely on the back of a career-best 232 by Caleb Jewell and a century by Wayne Madsen. 

They then chipped away at the Kent innings, taking three wickets by the close of play. 

Yet I cannot see a positive result in this game, on a pitch that remains a very good one for batting. Ben Compton looked in fine fettle for the visitors and reached an excellent century by the close and his wicket will be the crucial one in determining whether Derbyshire can enforce the follow-on. Jack Leaning is another, a player with what my memory suggests is a good record against us, for first Yorkshire and now Kent. It will be an important first session tomorrow, weather permitting.

Earlier today, Jewell and Madsen added 176 for the third wicket, both batting beautifully and enjoying the conditions and a limited Kent attack after Jake Ball limped off with what looked like an abdominal injury. Wayne was at his imperious best and the century never seemed in doubt after he overcame a little early innings sketchiness.

As for Jewell, he went on to his highest-ever score and looked a player of the highest class in doing so. He carried out his role to perfection and could hardly have played better than this. After Madsen holed out to long on, Luis Reece played a breezy innings on his return to the side, while Martin Andersson hit four sixes in his unbeaten 31 from just 17 deliveries. 

Anuj Dal took two quick wickets in an inspired late spell, but digging out another seventeen looks like a tall order, especially with interruptions likely on the final day.

Perhaps they should cling to the words of Kent coach Adam Hollioake, speaking on his club's feed earlier. He felt it was a very good toss to win and that the pitch was likely to deteriorate. If the worst happened and the game ends in a draw, the points would almost certainly keep Derbyshire in second place, going into the mid-season red ball break.

But early wickets tomorrow could change the complexion of things.

We live in hope.

Postscript: in closing, KJB Loyal asked earlier if I thought the record innings of 274 by George Davidson would ever be broken. There was an opportunity today, but it didn't happen. 

I think it will take a lot of doing. It was a different game then and the Derbyshire innings of 577 in 1896 took 271 five-ball overs. There was not enough time for Lancashire to be bowled out twice, even though they faced 187 overs themselves over two innings in a three-day match...

It will take some beating and I would be surprised if it happened in my lifetime. Given modern over rates, it would need someone in prime form to do it, or a match situation where a draw was the best and only outcome.

Derbyshire v Kent day one

Derbyshire 351-2 (Jewell 152*, Came 89, Lloyd 50, Madsen 30*)

v Kent 

Wayne Madsen won the toss at Derby this morning, then sat with his pads on until the evening session, as his top order made hay while the sun shone.

David Lloyd and Caleb Jewell led off with a stand of 99 runs, which was followed by one of 196 by Jewell and Harry Came, as the visiting bowlers were put to the sword. It was a good toss to win, as little happened with the ball until the evening session and the second new one. Came was especially unlucky to be dismissed, run out at the non-striker's end as Jake Ball got a fingertip to a straight drive from Jewell.

Lloyd looked in very good touch and a leg side pickup for six was probably the shot of the day. He is always very easy on the eye and it is just a shame that sometimes the scorebook doesn't reflect the way he plays. What he and Jewell do, in this mode, is put the opposition under pressure and this was maintained throughout the day.

Came batted beautifully and it was nice to see the rhythm back in his batting, no doubt given  confidence after his second innings effort at Old Trafford. His feet moved well and he was looking set for a century when he was so cruelly dismissed. 

Yet today was really all about Caleb Jewell. Regardless of the numbers, this was his best innings, so far, for Derbyshire. It was the sort of knock that Chris Rogers, Michael di Venuto or Simon Katich might once have played, largely playing straight, secure in defence, assaying nothing overly ambitious but severe on any lapses of line and length. 

There were a few of them and 31 extras tells a tale of an untidy effort by the visitors, but Jewell batted beautifully throughout and crucially kept going. He might have gone in the afternoon session, when Matt Parkinson, who I felt bowled well in his early spell, thought he had him caught at short leg. There was a somewhat unedifying scene, as Parkinson made his feelings known to the umpire, which seemed to earn a rebuke to his captain and he wasn't quite so effective afterwards. 

I thought the Zimbabwe-born Nathan Gilchrist was the pick of the visiting bowlers and produced some of the day's best deliveries, but it cannot be a lot of fun, at 295-2, to see Wayne Madsen walking out to bat.

The skipper looked a little sketchy at the start, but was quickly into one-day mode as the score mounted against an understandably tired attack. He kept Jewell company as the Australian took his score to 150 and his season tally past 600 runs, a fine effort in his first county summer.

This was what I wanted to see from Caleb. We all knew he could bat, had wonderful timing and real power. What we learnt today was that he can harness those assets to considerable concentration. Ahead of the T20, where we all know he will excite if he gets going, he has shown county supporters why very good judges back home still feel he could be the answer to Australia's opening problem, especially when Usman Khawaja retires.

A few more innings like today will see people sitting up and taking notice.

An excellent effort by Derbyshire, with power to add more tomorrow. It doesn't, to be fair, look like the sort of pitch where we can blow Kent away after racking up 600, but tiredness and pressure can do funny things.Madsen will be able to set aggressive fields and it would seem, at the end of day one, that it would be difficult to lose this one. 

For a Derbyshire side to reach the halfway point of the red ball season, still unbeaten, would be quite remarkable.

Great stuff, lads!

Derbyshire v Kent preview

There will be a different look to Derbyshire's attack for the game against Kent, that starts at the County Ground tomorrow.

Blair Tickner has failed a fitness test on his injured hamstring, while Ben Aitchison is rested with side stiffness, after his successful return at Old Trafford last weekend.

But Luis Reece is back and will likely take the new ball with Zak Chappell, with either Pat Brown or Nick Potts coming into the side as third seamer. That is unless Neil Godrich has been shaving the pitch to make it something akin to the sub-continent and we go with an attack akin to the great Indian one of the 70s..

A fourteen-man squad has been announced and I expect the line up to be as follows:

Jewell

Lloyd

Came

Madsen

Guest

Reece

Andersson

Dal

Chappell

Morley

Brown/Potts

Thomson

Wagstaff

I can't see a way back for Alex Thomson after Jack Morley bowled so well at Old Trafford, although a dry pitch might see both main spinners play and we omit the third seamer and go with Anuj Dal and Martin Andersson as support.

Kent’s squad: Daniel Bell-Drummond (Captain), Jake Ball, Chris Benjamin, Ben Compton, Harry Finch, George Garrett, Nathan Gilchrist, Kashif Ali (Overseas player), Jack Leaning, Tawanda Muyeye, Alfie Ogborne, Matt Parkinson, Grant Stewart

They have a lot of injuries, with Joe and Jaydn Denly, Joey Evison, Ekansh Singh, Mikey Cohen, Jas Singh and Matt Quinn all out. Zak Crawley is with England and Jake Ball and Alfie Ogborne may feature in the last match of their current loan deals.

I full fully expected Kent to challenge for promotion, after coming down last year, but they have never got going and the loss of overseas seamer Keith Dudgeon through injury seems to have affected them.

If the weather allows sufficient time, I feel that this is a game that Derbyshire can win. If they can end the first half of the red ball season unbeaten, it would be an even greater boost before we head into the Blast.

What do you think?

My forthcoming trip to Derby

I have had several messages and emails from people asking if or when I will be down in God's Own County for a chat/beer/coffee (insert as appropriate!)

I'm always happy to meet people and chat face to face and I will be down on June 4 for the first home T20 against Northamptonshire, followed by the local derby against Nottinghamshire on June 6.

I am catching up with some old friends while down there but, staying at the hotel at the ground, I will have some down time too. 

Please drop me a DM through X or send me an email if you would like a catch up and I will do what I can to oblige.

It does look like my only trip this summer, however. My wife is currently not in the best of health and that, understandably, is taking priority for me. I had hoped to be at Chesterfield, but that won't happen this year, sadly.

I just hope we fare better than last year, on the stunning little outground! 

Injuries hit ahead of Kent game

According to Nick Howson of The Cricketer, Derbyshire are 'sweating' on the fitness of both Blair Tickner and Luis Reece, ahead of the game with Kent on Friday.

Both have hamstring injuries, as does Pat Brown, his sustained in the second team win last week. 

It leaves Mickey Arthur with limited options, but Harry Moore is back training with the first team squad, ahead of his exams. The good news is that all are expected to be available for the start of The Blast, as is Alex Thomson, who suffered a reaction to a cortisone injection in his hand.

I guess it means that Zak Chappell won't be getting a rest for the Kent game and that the seam attack will be led by he and Ben Aitchison. Nick Potts might come into contention, but it might be that we need to enter the loan market - time will tell on that one.

Thoughts on a T20 lineup

With two weeks to go until the start of the Blast 2025, I think I can name ten of the first choice Derbyshire eleven.

Logically,  Nye Donald will open with Caleb Jewell, and my guess would be, after he did so well opening for Middlesex last year, that Martin Andersson will bat three. Madsen, Patel and Whiteley make up the middle order, with Guest at seven.

Chappell, Ghazanfar and Brown will be nine to eleven, which just leaves eight, where I suspect we will choose a horse for the course.

David Lloyd? Scores quickly and offers a bowling option. I guess it depends on whether Andersson and Whiteley are deemed viable bowling options for this format. If he was fit, there is a strong case for Harry Moore, who lengthens the batting and will get steepling bounce from his height. But would they throw him back into the physically demanding T20 immediately? You could also argue a case for Ben Aitchison, although he has played little T20 and the same rationale applies. 

Alex Thomson is another option, as would be Mitch Wagstaff and the extra player will depend on the pitch in question. You could go with three spinners, or get through the other four overs  (after Brown, Chappell, Ghazanfar and Patel) with two or three options. But the opposition will undoubtedly target those four overs and they would be seen as our potential weakness.

Perhaps best of all might be Luis Reece, if fit. Lengthens the batting and has been back to his best with the ball this season. I don't see him as a top order 'biffer' in this format, but the variety he offers with the ball and experience with the bat would be useful.

One thing is for sure. While Jewell and Ghazanfar will be first pick overseas, Blair Tickner will need to play at least one game to qualify for the rest of the competition, should we make it to the knockouts. That will be selected carefully, but it is fair to say few opponents will prepare spinning tracks to play us on their own patch. It would make sense at Derby, however, which of course brings Lloyd and Thomson into contention as a third option, as well as Mitch Wagstaff.

Some may consider Nye Donald as wicket keeper, but he doesn't do it often enough to keep to a 'mystery' spinner and it could prove horribly expensive. I know Peter Bowler took on the role when we won the Sunday League, but it was a seam attack and he was able to stand back, a relatively easier gig. Equally, I wouldn't want Nye diving around and potentially doing damage to his shoulder again, so soon after injury.

After considerable thought, assuming everyone is fit, my side would read  as follows, with number eight depending on the pitch:

1 Jewell

2 Donald

3 Andersson

4 Madsen

5 Patel

6 Whiteley

7 Guest

8 Reece/Lloyd/Moore/Aitchison/Thomson/

Wagstaff

9 Chappell

10 Ghazanfar

11 Brown

What about you?  

All I can say is that if that side plays at peak potential, we *should* chalk up some wins. 

If they don't..well, that's another story.

Lancashire v Derbyshire day four

Lancashire 458 and 184-7d

Derbyshire 314 and 220-8 (Came 63, Andersson 43)

Match drawn

It was a fascinating final day at Old Trafford, with a generous Lancashire declaration giving Derbyshire a sniff of a victory. Even if, as I wrote the previous evening, the pitch wasn't really conducive to an aggressive run chase. Both sides knew that and the home side gave themselves every chance of a win with an early closure to their innings.

For Derbyshire to get those runs, one of the top five had to score a century. When that didn't happen, the only alternative was to shut up shop, which they did admirably once Harry Came's fine knock ended. The battling of Anuj Dal, Ben Aitchison and Jack Morley was a joy to behold, from someone who has witnessed more than enough capitulations over many years. Nuj faced 114 balls for his 13 runs, Aitchison 21 for none, Morley 36 for the same. It would never have won an award for brighter cricket, but it was crucial. Those draw points kept us ten points clear of third place, a position we would never have imagined at the start of the summer. It was also one in the eye for someone on social media who asked 'How do you want to go about the win?' to home supporters..too much chicken counting, methinks...

I think Hartley missed a trick in the final innings, bowling over the wicket and allowing far too many deliveries to be padded away when they pitched outside leg. In my opinion, he was outbowled by Jack Morley in this game and the Derbyshire man impresses me more with every game.

It is nice to write these words from a position of strength, sitting where we are, but it is clear where we need to strengthen. There is a long way to go, but if we were to go up, it would be a huge ask for the current squad to stay there. 

We need a top bat. We have five players who average over 40, which is good, but there have only been three centuries so far, only one of them - Madsen of course - from the top five, the others from Martin Andersson. To chase those runs down yesterday, we needed a Chris Rogers, Simon Katich, Marcus North or Dean Jones. Caleb Jewell may yet go on to score big, but that is the role and responsibility of the overseas bat. Are such players still available? Would they come to Derbyshire? The relative failings of the top order are being masked by the battling qualities of those lower down, but we need to post bigger first innings totals and the top five have the key role there.

We also need something different in the bowling. Watching closely over the last two days, in the absence of Luis Reece there was no variety to the Derbyshire attack. Tickner is by a distance the quickest, but a good bat could pretty much line up the rest, right arm medium fast. Jack Morley bowled very well, but the need for someone with an X factor was clear. Does Mickey's contact book have an Aussie or South African with a UK passport? Or can he successfully utilise the loan market?

Look at Leicestershire. They are running away with the division at the moment and you wouldn't say their team was much stronger than ours. But Ian Holland and Ben Green have come in on loan and given something to the attack, 48 wickets between them. There will be similar players out there, worthy of consideration, craving opportunity.

I am a little concerned at the form of Anuj Dal and Zak Chappell. Nuj is averaging 19 with the bat and over 40 with the ball, Zak's twelve wickets are costing 52. Both are some way from their best and perhaps Zak might benefit from a break before the T20, as he has bowled more overs than anyone this year apart from Jack Morley. Whether we have enough fit men for that is a moot point, of course.

But this is hopefully construed as constructive criticism. The team is doing well and I feel supporters are more behind them, as a consequence, than in many years. The T20 is coming, which will give a breather to a few people, but a good performance against Kent, starting on Friday, would see our team get to the halfway point of the four-day season daring to dream.

I can't thank anyone is disappointed in that.

Delay in the blog

Apologies for those who have been checking in for the blog. At the end of today's play, I decided to drive back home immediately, rather than spend an extra night in Manchester. 

After three and a half hours, I am back, but my blog will need to wait until tomorrow. 

Hopefully it is worth it! Thanks for your patience

Lancashire v Derbyshire day three

Lancashire 458 and 141-6 (Wells 50, Hurst 42*, Morley 3-32)

Derbyshire 314 (Guest 77, Aitchison 45, Morley 41, Anderson 3-53, Hartley 3-68)

Lancashire lead by 285 runs

My 5.30am departure from home should have got me to Old Trafford soon after nine today. Yet thanks to the Great Manchester Run and road closures with no suggestion of how to circumvent them, it was nearer ten before I pulled in to the car park. It was perversely reassuring to find many others had faced similar frustrations, from their accents more conversant with the locale than I...

Old Trafford is much changed from the last time I saw a game here, which was 1980, the Barlow era, Peakfan in his student days with shoulder-length hair and plenty on the top. Changed days indeed and the square is turned around too, just to further boggle my brain after driving around half the local streets with even Google Maps struggling to compute.

The ground is an impressive sight and a walk around it showed the view to be excellent from pretty much anywhere. The press box is also very good, as one might expect for an international ground, pleasantly cool and with a marvellous view behind the bowler's arm. Only the lack of sound from the middle detracted from perfection, but only the churlish would insist that fine work hasn't been done here.

Morley and Guest did well for an hour and a half, two men with points to prove around these parts. Morley's battle with Hartley was enjoyable, the former adhering to the Denis Smith school of thought, as told to Edwin Smith when he faced other off spinners - 'You bowl it, you should be able to play it'. 

Jack did well and played some good strokes amid resolute defence, before being dismissed by the lively Balderson, the best of the home bowlers. The fielders were chirpy and not reluctant to appeal, yet often with little reason. Andersson, after a golden run with the bat, departed quickly for a duck and Derbyshire were in trouble.

Guest remained resolute, sound in technique and with a fine range of strokes when opportunity presented itself. A hooked six, just over the head of long leg, was his closest call but while he remained there was hope of avoiding the follow on. Dal's innings promised much but came to a tame end with a mistimed cut against Hartley and when Guest's vigil finally ended on 77 to Bohannon' occasional and gentle off spin, the follow on writing appeared to be on the wall.

And yet once again the tail wagged for Derbyshire. Chappell and Aitchison added 68 runs for the ninth wicket, despite being liberally peppered with short stuff from Phillip and Anderson. Chappell was struck on the helmet as the follow on target drew ever nearer, before Aitchison, with two sixes and a four from Wells, took them to within touching distance. 

Then Chappell lobbed another short delivery to short leg and Tickner, 'The Man for the Crisis', came in with five needed. He too was struck by Anderson, but an edged four and a spanking cover drive, advancing down the pitch, took his side past the follow on and his season average to 34, before Aitchison holed out on the boundary. It  was a top effort by Ben and he has enjoyed a memorable return. It is worthy of note that the major runs today all came from Lancastrians...

Wells and Jennings set off aggressively, as was expected, as the home side really needs to be bowling again before lunch tomorrow. There were some stylish strokes before Jennings upper cut Tickner straight to the safe hands of Andersson at third man. The Derbyshire field was set deep to slow the run rate and it was stifled with the advent of Bohannon, who lost patience and was very well held by Chappell from the bowling of Morley, who has had a good match here. When the prolific Harris had his average slashed, courtesy of a fine ball by Aitchison and even better catch by Guest, Lancashire had to regroup. 

Wells led this, as he did in the first innings and made an excellent fifty before being bowled by Morley. This heralded a late flurry of wickets, Morley taking a routine caught and bowled before Lloyd held a 'worldie' to dismiss the bemused Hartley off his own bowling.

All results are possible going into tomorrow, but I struggle to see a Derbyshire win here. There would be no shame in going home with a draw and while it is possible to bat here, problems tend to come when forcing the run rate. 

Much will depend on the last four home wickets. I suspect they would ideally want to set 360-plus and may or may not get there.

Intriguing stuff and tomorrow should be worth a watch.

Lancashire v Derbyshire day two

Lancashire 458 (Balderson 73, Bell 57, Hartley 42, Aitchison 3-87)

Derbyshire 112-4 (Came 31, Anderson 2-24)

Derbyshire trail by 346 runs

Derbyshire found themselves in a spot of bother at the end of day two of this game, four wickets down and 346 runs behind on first innings.

Lancashire continue to accumulate throughout the day at a steady scoring rate that remained below three an over for the whole innings. There didn't appear a great deal in the pitch, although the bowlers chipped away. 

458 all out by tea on the second day shouldn't have been too great a concern and it didn't appear that way when Lloyd and Jewell set off at a rate of knots. Jewell played four delightful boundary strokes and looked in good touch before being bowled by Anderson, from around the wicket. I think it straightened a little, but he also played down the wrong line, which didn't help. He earlier took a blinding catch at short extra, but it wasn't his day with the bat.

Lloyd was discomforted by several short balls by Anderson, but was given out caught behind from one that appeared to brush his chest, rather than anything important. The fact that the video didn't subsequently appear on the Lancashire X feed suggests that it was a decision made on the volume of appeal, rather than with eyes and common sense. He got a rough deal, in my opinion.

Nor did Madsen last long, well caught off a thin edge by Hurst when attempting to cut Hartley. Derbyshire were being assertive, certainly more so than their hosts, yet they were losing wickets, which as Bazball has more recently showed us, isn't always the best of tactics.

Came and Guest restored a semblance of normality to proceedings, before the advent of the centurion, Wells saw the former bowled by a googly that he left, clearly not reading it. 

Thankfully Guest remained until the close and Morley, the night watchman, lent stoic support.

Much more will be required and the fighting spirit that has typified the season will be needed tomorrow.

Speaking of which, I will be making an early morning drive down to Manchester to see see the remainder of this game. If any regular readers are down there, please let me know and it would be lovely to meet up.

Lancashire v Derbyshire day one

Lancashire 250-5 (Wells 141, Hurst 51, Harris 45, Aitchison 3-51, Tickner 2-59)

v Derbyshire

Wayne Madsen won the toss this morning and saw his bowlers take two early wickets at Old Trafford. Thereafter it was a day of toil and sweat, as Luke Wells made a grafting century for the hosts.

I suppose it was hard luck for Derbyshire that Lancashire finally realised that a man who had spent a good part of his career opening the batting might be the best bet for the role in their  current challenges. He was lucky early on, put down by David Lloyd at third slip, from the bowling of Blair Tickner. It wasn't an easy chance, but at this level was certainly catchable. Did Derbyshire miss a trick by having Lloyd there and not Ben Aitchison? For me, Jewell, Madsen and Aitchison should be our first choice slip cordon, but there were few opportunities for them as the day went on. 

There was very little in the pitch and perhaps the decision to bowl had one eye on the return of Jimmy Anderson to the Lancashire ranks. Yet it would have asked a lot of the England legend to get anything more from this surface than the Derbyshire bowlers managed.

It was so good to see Ben Aitchison back in the side and he was excellent. It is always a pleasure to see a bowler attacking the top of off stump and giving the batters very little loose stuff to get into a rhythm. The ball to dismiss Hurst was a beauty, while the short one that surprised and dismissed the dogged Wells was possibly his first of the day. He will rightly be a happy man tonight, his first and third spells especially the work of a high-class operator.

Everyone bowled tidily, Tickner probably the pick of the rest of the bowlers, although Lancashire were in dogged mode, eschewing risk in the quest for better results after a poor start to the match and the summer. Even the usually fluent Harris took 90 deliveries over his 45, before being well pouched by Madsen, who earlier took an even better one to dismiss Jennings.

The home side will be reasonably happy with the close of play score after being put in, although they never really got on top of the bowling and asserted a position of dominance. Wells played an excellent innings, more fluent after reaching three figures, but hanging in there as someone had to do. Hurst lent gritty support and home supporters at least saw their side fight today, welcome after the game at Northampton.

As for Derbyshire, if you opt to bowl you would probably want more than five wickets by the close. But they stuck to their task well and the fielding was on point for most of the day, well led by Brooke Guest behind the stumps. Only three extras were conceded all day, a good effort.

The late injury to David Lloyd will be a concern, but hopefully he will be able to bat when Derbyshire's turn comes.

In closing, a word for the TV coverage, which was excellent. Pictures and commentary worked well together and Lancashire deserve credit for an excellent customer offer.

Quick reminder

Just to remind everyone to please add your name - or a name - to posts. It is a courtesy to all the users and enables us to get to see who is who, which is always useful. 

That is especially important for any posts in the future that may be critical - as we cannot win every game! 

I will reserve the right not to publish any post - especially critical - that does not have a name appended, to maintain the reputation of the blog.

I know it is easy to forget, if you don't use a Google account, but please send a second post with your name if you happen to do so. 

It would be very much appreciated. 

Many thanks to everyone!