Derbyshire v Leicestershire day one

Leicestershire 168-2 (Harris 77*, Hill 34*)

v Derbyshire

I don't know about anyone else, but I found it all a little underwhelming today. 

David Lloyd did the first thing a good captain should do and won the toss under cloudy skies -  and with the expectation of some early movement. 

It was there but three dropped catches before lunch saw Leicestershire eat in better fettle than Derbyshire. Then came the rain and although they returned for eighteen overs late in the day, everything suggested that the pitch had already flattened out and the next three days will offer little different to the usual 4-day game. 

You shouldn't have to rely on a generous declaration on the last day to win a game, but unless something radical happens tomorrow morning, or the opposition bowlers are more effective than ours, that looks like what will be required for a positive result here. 

Blair Tickner again, bowled well, with considerable heart and skill, but three chances were put down, one by Madsen, two (one very difficult) by Donald and the window of opportunity had been closed and firmly nailed shut.

Sam Conners also bowled well from the City End, but there were few alarms after the first hour or so and Marcus Harris batted steadily for the visitors.

Hopefully tomorrow brings more to get excited about. All around the country wickets are tumbling, but game after game sees high scores at Derby. It will all be fine for one day cricket, but despite a little more pace and greater carry, I saw nothing today to suggest we will force results on home turf in this format.

Derbyshire v Leicestershire preview

Derbyshire return to the Incora County Ground tomorrow, with a local derby against Leicestershire.

It is again, on paper, a winnable fixture for us and the game would appear to be blessed by four days of dry weather. All we need now is for good Derbyshire to turn up and the pitch not to be one where a squillion plays a trillion in the first innings. If we can get something similar to Cardiff last week, that would do me fine, with the eleven  tweaked to enhance our chances.

Leicestershire are missing several bowlers, including Josh Hull, Roman Walker, Chris Wright, Rehan Ahmed and Wiaan Mulder and today have dipped into the loan market to recruit Somerset all-rounder Ben Green for three games. He takes his place In the following squad:

Budinger, Cox, Currie, Green, Handscomb, Harris, Hill, Kimber, Mike, Patel, Salisbury, Scriven, Trevaskis, Wood.

They have a good batting lineup with the Australians Ryan Harris and Peter Handscomb, while Rishi Patel has had a fine start to the summer after his breakout season last time around. Derbyshire will need to bowl with discipline to work their way through a long batting order, while the attack cannot be underestimated. 

Mickey Arthur has named a squad of fourteen and with no knowledge of anything different to the usual Derby wicket, I would be surprised if there was any change to the side that played at Cardiff last week. As I wrote the other day, there may be consideration to playing two spinners, but we will need to see. 

Likely side:

Came, Reece, Lloyd, Madsen, Guest, Donald, Dal, Thomson, Chappell, Conners, Tickner (Brown, Morley and Lamb also in the squad).

It should be a good game and I hope that plenty of people manage down to watch it live. I wish I was there myself, but must content myself, for now, with the excellent live stream.

I think there's enough in the Derbyshire side to win this one, but to do so will need a big effort and certainly a reversal of home fortune in recent seasons. 

What do you think?

Closing tonight, if you were interested in hearing my thoughts on the game and on the match at Cardiff, I will be on the North Derbyshire radio sports programme tomorrow evening at 6:30 p.m. 

Download the app to listen, or you can get it on catch up for 7 days afterwards. Here is the link 

https://northderbyshireradio.com/radioplayer/index.html

Book Review: Lost Cricket Stickers - In Search of 1983's World of Cricket Sticker Album Heroes by Matthew Appleby

I was always likely to enjoy Matthew Appleby's second cricket book. I enjoyed his first, about his father, his love for cricket and the literature of the game. He has a style of writing that is enjoyable and the theme of this one was very much up my street. 

There are similarities with my own second book, In Their Own Words, In that the author has sought out heroes of yesteryear who in some cases have disappeared from the public conscious. 

Others are better known, such as Mike Selvey and John Barclay, while the pieces on Chris Cowdrey and Geoffrey Boycott are enjoyable.

Yet for me, the strength of this book is in those those who now go below the radar. 

I was always going to enjoy the piece on Ole Mortensen, having been approached, and kindly name-checked by the author for a contact. Like all of the others in the book, 1983 was a fine year for 'Stan' and the interview is a good one. 

So too are those on John Holder, Kevin Emery and Nigel  Popplewell, but there are anecdotes galore in a book that clearly required a lot of travel and work and is hugely enjoyable. 

It was a more simple age, when everyone played for their county and tolerated the challenges of travel that the game brought. Yet everyone seems to have enjoyed it and a recurring theme is that to they wouldn't have swapped their experiences for anything else. 

It is nice to find out more about some of the journeymen of the game, not just during their careers, but since they disappeared from the public eye. Some of my favourites are in here, with every county represented and each of them giving a unique take on the game then and now. 

Based on the only cricket sticker album of the era, this book is a safe purchase. Another worthy publication from Pitch Publishing.

Lost Cricket Stickers: The Search for 1983's World of Cricket Sticker Heroes is written by Matthew Appleby and published by Pitch Publishing

Glamorgan v. Derbyshire day 4

Glamorgan 237 and 361-7

Derbyshire 198 and 225-3 (Reece 91*, Guest 72* Harris 2-24)

Match drawn

There may be those who are thinking tonight that Derbyshire should have had a go at the run chase at Cardiff.

It was never on. The loss of overs in the morning and a further stoppage after lunch meant that the run rate had climbed and, having lost the wickets of David Lloyd and Wayne Madsen before lunch, it would have been very easy for the side to have capitulated. 

That they didn't was due to fine innings from Brooke Guest and Luis Reece. Both are players of high quality and I never felt a defeat was an option once their stand got going. Brooke is a real all round talent who I love to watch in full flow, while Luis continued his love affair with Glamorgan bowling, after the brief falling out in the first innings.

Lloyd rather gave his wicket away in a mix up with Reece over a quick single, his cause not helped by having to run wide of the bowler, Harris, who was trying to get to the stumps for the throw. Crane hit them from side on and the skipper had to go. 

Madsen played a few pleasing strokes, but a good ball from Harris did for him. After that it was the Reece and Guest show, which allowed Derbyshire to save the game with relative ease. 

My opinion of the Kookaburra ball is not a positive one after the first two rounds of the County Championship season. As Darren Stevens said today, it does something for about five overs and then you know you are chasing it. The scores have confirmed this and I honestly feel that had the game played out today at Cardiff, there was only going to be one winner. 

With the pitch carrying fewer terrors and the ball turning only occasionally and much more slowly, it was easier to bat. 

That should not take away from the excellent discipline of the Derbyshire batters. 

Thank goodness we return to the regular Dukes ball for the next few games. 

I do think consideration needs to be made for the next game to playing two spinners. Having three genuine seam bowling all-rounders in the side for me allows the selection of either a second spinner or another bat. I cannot see why we would need six seam bowlers, five of them right arm, in a match situation, unless one or two have niggles and cannot carry heavy workloads.

What do you think?

Book Review: Batting For Time- The Fight To Keep English Cricket Alive

This book is a terrific read, but it is a shame that it has to be written at all. 

It is effectively a 'state of the nation' address about English cricket in 2024. It is an elegy to days gone by, as well as being a warning to what may happen in the future and indeed is happening right now.

But as well as recognising the challenges faced by those who play the game, and the concerns of those who have watched it for decades, the author also recognises that the game has had to change and diversify. 

Indeed, as Derbyshire's CEO Ryan Duckett says within its pages, in the 2022/23 financial year Derbyshire raised half a million through membership and ticket sales but a further million through conferences and events.

Whether the average supporter likes the idea of concerts on their county ground or not, they are here to stay. The improvements in playing staff that Derbyshire has seen this winter is largely attributable to the excellent work done off the field, filing function suites, hosting fireworks extravaganzas and more.

This book looks at the development of One Day cricket in this country, up to and including The Hundred, while also bemoaning how the showpiece climax of the summer, the one-day final, is now a much less grand affair, having more recently been contested by what in some cases are second teams from the county circuit. 

It is a fascinating read and the author has done an excellent job in speaking to relevant people within the game, players, administrators and supporters. 

It is another outstanding book from Pitch Publishing and they are to be commended forgetting this 'out there'.

As for the author, Ben Bloom, I hope the book does well. It is well worth the money and will occupy you through the usual down time of the English summer. 

Batting for time - The fight to keep English cricket alive is written by Ben Bloom and published by Pitch Publishing

Glamorgan v. Derbyshire day 3

I think it is fair to say that the wicket changed a little on day three of this match. 

There was still turn, but not as sharp as it had been on the first two days. The ball still nipped off the seam, but really only when it was new and the old Kookaburra ball didn't do that much. 

There are some good bowlers in this Derbyshire side and that leads me to be hopeful that we can, at the very least, hold out for a draw tomorrow. 

We could have done without losing the wicket of Harry Came before the close, but Lloyd and Reece took it to that point without any further loss.

Earlier Alex Thomson completed a magnificent match with another five wickets, making twelve in the season opener. Had Jack Morley played too, I suspect we would be in the driving seat at this point. 

For me, there needs to be a rethink. We could easily go in with two seamers, with Dal, Reece and Lloyd to back them up. I'm not sure whether a variety in attack may be more beneficial, but even on a green top I think it unlikely we would ever need six seam bowlers in the eleven. So you could either lengthen the batting or play two spinners. 

Cooke and Harris batted splendidly for the home side and with few alarms. It would be unrealistic to suggest Derbyshire can go for a winning total in excess of 400, especially when one considers the forecast tomorrow, which suggests rain at times In as yet unknown quantities. 

But I think it is for to assume we should be able to put up a decent fist on an improved pitch. The bowling of Mason Crane will be key, but if the ball is damp from a wet outfield, it won't be so easy for him to land it with consistency. 

I would like to think that Derbyshire's battling approach should see them head home with a draw, but you never can tell. 

Where is your money lying tonight?

Glamorgan v Derbyshire day 2

Glamorgan 237 and 74-4 (Thomson 3-35)

Derbyshire 198 (Madsen 63, Lloyd 60, Crane 4-60)

Glamorgan lead by 113 runs

An intriguing match is well balanced at the end of day two, with day three looking likely to be the final one at this stage. 

I cannot help feeling that Derbyshire let themselves down a little today, with a lack of assertion with the bat. With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps more aggressive intent towards Mason Crane may have brought dividends. Then again, an extra spinner in the side for this one would probably have seen us on the way home by lunch time tomorrow. 

With the exception of David Lloyd, who batted very well and carried the attack to Glamorgan, and the evergreen Wayne Madsen, our batters were content to merely occupy the crease. That's fine and dandy, but on a pitch where the ball is going to do something on a regular basis, perhaps a more assertive approach might have been more effective? Easy to say when you aren't in the middle, of course, but someone needs to play a match-winning knock second time around. 

Harry Came lasted until just before lunch, but only added 14 runs to his overnight score in that time. It took over out of the legs of bowlers, but perhaps also allowed them to settle into a rhythm. Then again, Harry was third top scorer, so he did a job. Had the middle order after Madsen replicated that, we would have had a lead..

Neither Brooke Guest nor Nye Donald looked comfortable and until a late cameo from Zak Chappell it was all rather pedestrian and tentative. Crane is a decent bowler, but I think we gave him too much respect today.

It's interesting though. I spoke to a former county professional who said that the best way to play on such pitches is YOUR way. Not to change it for conditions, just do what comes naturally. Maybe that's a Baldrick-style 'cunning plan' for the second innings..

A first innings deficit of 39 runs was conceded, although Derbyshire fought back well In the final session. Alex Thomson took three more wickets for his first ten wicket haul in a match, while Sam Conners produced a beauty to remove Billy Root. Sam Northeast got a first baller, coming back down to earth, as I had predicted, after his triple century against Middlesex. 

At the close, with 74-4 the score, the home side are 113 runs ahead. IF Derbyshire can limit the chase to under 200 - and bigger IF they collectively bat better than they did today - a win is still possible.

For supporters, the wait to see if we can be consistent in both disciplines of four day cricket goes on.

Maybe tomorrow?

Glamorgan v Derbyshire day 1

Glamorgan 237 (Carlson 74, Thomson 7-65, Tickner 2-57, Conners 1-51)

Derbyshire 46-1 (Lloyd 35*, Came 11*)

Derbyshire trail by 191 runs

Career best bowling figures of 7-56 by Alex Thomson put Derbyshire into a strong position at the end of the first innings of this game. An off spinner. In April...

Thomson bowled superbly, flighting the ball beautifully and getting significant turn from the start of his spell. Perhaps the only concern was that Derbyshire, having won the toss, had opted to bat last on this pitch and omitted Jack Morley the second spinner. Whether Mason Crane and Kiran Carlson cause similar issues remains to be seen, but they will struggle to better the bowling of the tall Derbyshire man today. 

It was perhaps the best spell of bowlng I have seen by a Derbyshire spinner in years. He kept an excellent line and length throughout, keeping the short leg cordon both safe and prepared for things to happen. 

Edwin Smith once told me that the hardest part of being a bowler was bowling when conditions were in your favour and the expectation was that you would bowl them out. Alex did that admirably today. 

The first sighting of Blair Tickner was very positive. An all-action bowler, functional rather than aesthetically pleasing, he got considerable movement and also bounce. He plays with a smile on his face, yet an obviously combative attitude. I like him, a lot. I think he will prove a very astute signing.

Zak Chappell bowled with good control but no luck, and after reaching a good position in early afternoon, thanks to Carlson, Glamorgan collapsed thereafter as Thomson worked his way through the batting. David Lloyd held a fine catch at leg slip and captained the side astutely, while Brooke Guest was excellent behind the stumps. Indeed, Derbyshire conceded only six extras in 78 overs, a very good, disciplined effort. 

When it came our time to bat, things were far from easy. Luis Reece played too soon at Harris and pulled onto his stumps, while I couldn't see how Harry Came survived a strong appeal for lbw. David Lloyd also survived as Hamza and pretty much everyone else went up for a catch behind.

But both men were still there at the close, the skipper, on his return to Cardiff, having played some very pleasing strokes.

Hopefully the team can bat a long time tomorrow.

But that was a good day's work and excellent to watch.

Glamorgan v. Derbyshire preview

Whisper it quietly, but it looks like we will get some cricket over the next four days at Cardiff...

The forecast doesn't look too bad at all, so a prompt start will depend on how well the ground recovers from the recent rain that has covered the country. 

Derbyshire will travel with a squad of thirteen and unless the pitch suggests turn, which would be unfeasible at most places this early, I don't see many changes to the likely side at Derby. One spinner, and/or a choice between Matt Lamb and Nye Donald - unless we decide to pack the batting, of course. 

Squad:

Lloyd, Reece, Came, Madsen, Guest, Lamb, Donald, Dal, Thomson, Morley, Chappell, Conners, Tickner

Glamorgan scored 620-3 last time out at Lord's, with Sam Northeast registering 335*, the highest score made at the ground. That being the case - and cricket being the leveller that it is - he is due a duck here...

Squad:

Northeast, Carlson, Cook, Crane, ul Hasan, Root, Ingram, Douthwaite, Harris, Gorvin, Hamza, McIlroy, Tribe

They are missing Podmore, Byrom and van der Gugten, while Craig Miles has been recalled from his loan by Warwickshire. Hamza will be a danger with the new ball, but Blair Tickner will hope to be equally influential for us.

It is a hard game to call, because after registering such a high score, Glamorgan conceded first innings lead to Middlesex on a batting paradise. So it is hard to judge the respective merits of the two sides, especially when Derbyshire have yet to get onto the hallowed turf this summer.

Yet again, this is the sort of game we need to be winning and I am hopeful that we can put out a side that can win this one - especially if everyone hits their stride early. 

One to look forward to - and like you I will be glued to my TV tomorrow! 

Derbyshire sign Dupavillon

So we now know the identity of Derbyshire's second overseas player, South African quick bowler Daryn Dupavillon. It will certainly be a fine signing for lovers of alliteration...

I have seen him bowl and he has looked impressive, an arms pumping, all-action, somewhat open-chested quick. To be honest I had discounted him, as he often seems involved in the Caribbean Premier League where he has done well, but  his first-class record is excellent, well over 200 wickets at mid-twenties average, while he goes for less than eight an over in T20, which is impressive for one who bowls at the 'bookends' of the innings. Capable of bowling around the 90mph mark, he will keep opposition batters on their toes.

He isn't really a batter, nor would you say he was a lithe, natural fielder, but hopefully he will do his main job to a standard where his lesser talents are not an issue. Neither Devon Malcolm nor Ole Mortensen were brilliant in the field, but we'd take the prime of either of them again! 

There have been a few injury issues too, but he has done well in the second half of the South African summer and should come to us in good form.

He has played alongside Samit Patel in the CPL, so the T20 skipper will know what he can do, while he has two T20 appearances for his country, against Australia and Pakistan.

We have him until the penultimate game in September too, so that works very well for me. 

Excellent work by Mickey Arthur, in a summer where overseas recruitment has been a challenge. This gives the bowling an extra dimension, a bowler who hits the deck hard, but also a player who, like Blair Tickner, is somewhat under the radar as far as opponents go.

Good to see! 

Welcome to Derbyshire, Daryn

Postscript - so we now have a Kiwi and a Saffer. 

Good things happened for Derbyshire before, when we had that in the line up...

Sunday thoughts

I enjoyed a lovely chat with a friend last night, who suggested another name that might be of interest to Derbyshire for that second overseas role. 

Duane Jansen, anyone? Younger brother of South African international bowler Marco, bowls left arm around 90mph and from a height of 6 feet 8 inches. Also a very handy batter and I could see him very much an option for a discerning county before too long. 

I suspect it won't be too long before he achieves international recognition and very much in his favour from a Derbyshire perspective is that he would give a different angle, as well as the steep bounce and pace.

So yes, I would add him to Pretorius and Bosch as good options for Mickey Arthur.

I don't think there will be any play to report on later and I suspect we must wait for the Glamorgan game for Derbyshire's first cricket of the summer. Conditions are simply too wet and with more rain forecast I cannot see that changing in the next 24 hours.

Enjoy your Sunday anyway!

Please note - I removed a comment last night that I hadn't read carefully before publishing. It was not appropriate and I will not publish any critical - especially unfounded - comments where the person concerned has failed to use a name. 

Please remember to use a consistent name when commenting, your own preferably or a nom de plume if you must. But I will decline to post comments I feel are inappropriate

Derbyshire v Gloucestershire - washout looming..

There is not a great deal that anyone could do about the lack of cricket at Derby in the last two days.

Storm Kathleen has caused considerable damage across the whole of the UK, but especially in the Midlands and North. On top of what had already been a March and April of ridiculous volumes of water, it was very much the straw that broke the camel's back.

Derby has very good protection of the square, but the reality is that the outfield resembles a paddy field and it has not been of sufficient standard for first class cricket. You and I may have risked it for our weekend game, but we are not professional sports people, risking injury and potential loss of earnings and career. 

Equally, it is not fair to point out that Nottinghamshire are playing, because the standards at the two grounds are considerably different. Trent Bridge is an international ground with commensurate levels of drainage and equipment, just as Derby is better than Chesterfield and so on.

Nor do I think it is fair to criticise updates or the 'lack of them' from the club. I had no expectation of any play yesterday and when I saw the forecast for last night I didn't even bother checking for any updates, because I knew there was no chance of play. 

With the forecast for the next two days some way removed from good, I suspect that this is going to be a washout. Hardly the ideal start to the season, but such is life. Meanwhile, Glamorgan are racking up 620-3 at Lord's, on what appears to be an early season road.

I will be back soon, but I don't expect to be reporting on any play at that point.

Derbyshire v Gloucestershire preview

For those who are statistically minded, the 2024 summer will be the 58th season in which I have followed Derbyshire. Which makes me sound like a weird kind of stalker, truth be told.

It is also the sixteenth season in which I have written this blog. Having done a deep dive into the statistics, during that time I have written 4441 posts and there have been nearly sixteen thousand comments. I was astonished today to see that there were 60,000 views last month and already 14,000 views this month, after three days. Sometime during the first game, with a nice degree of symmetry, the blog will go past four million views.

So it is fair to say that interest in county cricket is high and I am grateful to everyone who logs in on a regular basis to see what I have to say. That followers of other counties do so is incredibly flattering, so too that cricket fans from different parts of the world get in touch.

Every one of those people, like me, will feel the excitement of a new summer. This is going to be the one, regardless of who you support. The night before the season starts, you are convinced that this is your year. Perhaps, by the time tomorrow evening comes, reality has hit and acceptance begins that maybe, just maybe, it isn't...

But let us all enjoy tonight, quite likely listening to the sound of the rain from Storm Kathleen. It looks like there will be a fair amount of rain around Derby tonight, so the likelihood of a prompt start tomorrow appears slim. Having said that, the forecast for the rest of the game isn't too bad, so we will see cricket, though whether enough to get a result is another question.

Mickey Arthur has named a squad of fourteen for the game which is as follows:

Lloyd (captain)

Came

Reece

Madsen

Guest

Lamb

Donald

Dal

Chappell

Conners

Brown

Tickner

Thomson

Morley

I think one spinner will play now,  unless the players turn up tomorrow to the sound of Mickey Arthur singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home', while pointing to the pitch with a wink. My guess would be that Brown, Morley and either Lamb or Donald miss out, but I don't know any more than you.

As for our first opponents, Gloucestershire will be skippered by Graeme van Buuren and will have Aussie Cameron Bancroft to lead their batting for the summer. Their squad:

Van Buuren, Bancroft, Shaw, Dent, Hammond, Akhter, Phillips, Bracey, Singh Dale, Middleton, Charlesworth, Price, Goodman, de Lange

Last night on Radio Derby, Mickey Arthur revealed that our second overseas player is signed and will be with us from the end of April until September. He also said that he would like our overseas players to become 'our' players, ideally returning summer after summer like in the good old days.

That being the case, I am still very much of the opinion that it will be Migael Pretorius, who has the skill set and experience to play all formats with success. I might be wrong, but he would give us depth to the batting and an extra, very good seam bowler in all formats. 

For now, all eyes will be on the class of '24 and especially seeing how Blair Tickner fares. For what it is worth, I think we will do okay in four  day cricket, but I expect us to make a very good fist of both one day competitions.

Maybe that is my perennial optimism speaking. But I applaud the efforts to recruit some very good cricketers over the winter. If Mickey Arthur can get them all to produce their best form on a regular basis, I expect this to be a memorable six months.

By the end of the season, that will either come back to bite me, or I will be getting offered gigs at the end of Blackpool Pier, reading fortunes...

Derbyshire v Leeds/Bradford UCCE day 3

Derbyshire 256-9

Leeds/Bradford UCCE 226-2 (Moulton 104*, Lloyd 80*)

Match drawn

It would be very easy, after the day of cricket that many of us have watched, to prophesy doom and gloom in the season ahead. After all, 256-9 doesn't look overly good, against the 226-2 of a university side.

Yet there are mitigating circumstances.

Derbyshire batted first on a pitch that had been covered for several days, which was always likely to be a challenge. It wasn't an especially impressive display by the top order, but such is the way of things at this time of year.

Today's play, after the washout of yesterday, was not an advert for brighter cricket and there was a  point at which the run rate was less than two runs an over. But Staffordshire's Tom Moulton batted very well to get through the day and register an excellent hundred, while Tim Lloyd, who has played for Surrey's second eleven, kept him company for a good part of it. Maybe we will have a look at Moulton in the second team during the summer, as he looked a disciplined, organised player to me.

I don't think for a minute that Derbyshire's bowlers were anywhere close to flat out, however. Indeed, as one one sage former county professional once said to me, 'only fools bust a gut in pre-season and second team games.'

They are all about finding rhythm, getting the run up and action grooved and being ready for the serious stuff. Most of the frontline Derbyshire bowlers had a spell or two, but truth be told there wasn't a great deal of movement for any of them, regardless of bowling style, or the effort put into them. 

My criticism would be that the attack is very repetitive - right arm seamer after right arm seamer. Perhaps Blair Tickner, who arrived today, will be the missing piece of the jigsaw, but I was minded of Mike Hendrick, who once labelled a pitch as being 'as flat as a fart'. Probably not live on Sky...

I really do hope that we are prepared to be more adventurous in our pitch preparation this year. This isn't a criticism of Neil Godrich, who is excellent, but he prepares what he is asked to do and to be fair, opportunity to do much hasn't exactly knocked, with the awful early Spring weather.

In my season preview I suggested that Derbyshire **might** challenge for promotion if the pitches offered more to bowling. On the basis of what I saw today - and I profess to having been working and not seen every ball - we won't.

There is a fine line between a helpful pitch for bowlers and one that goes too far. I would like to think we have the skills in pitch preparation to get that side of things correct. I also hope that we trust the respective skills of the batters and bowlers to win games in a range of conditions.

My opinion, of course, but as another equally sage former pro said to me, 'everyone has opinions, but usually only one is right.' That may or may not be me, but time will tell.

We will see how we are shaping up when the business proper starts, this weekend.

Thoughts on the side v Gloucestershire

I can't think of the last time when competition for places in a Derbyshire side has been so intense. As the photos of the Incora County Ground suggest there will be little play today, this is a good time to see what everyone's thoughts might be.

April is usually a time when wickets tumble and depth of batting is important. We saw that yesterday, Derbyshire collapsing against a keen but still modest attack. Batters across the country will have spent the last few months playing in nets or on hard pitches overseas and April comes as a rude awakening.

So there are talking points. Mickey, Arthur is likely to go with Harry Came and Luis Reece up top and it appears that David Lloyd is going to bat at three. Wayne Madsen will be at four and Brooke Guest - another candidate for three, will likely come in at five. Lloyd could open, as he has done many times for Glamorgan, but I would be surprised if the partnership that flourished so well last year was broken up.

Both Matt Lamb and Nye Donald have batted well so far, both playing good innings. But can a first choice eleven accommodate both? Maybe, at this stage of the summer it can, especially with the all rounders in the side, all bona fide options with the ball. Lamb also offers useful leg spin, Donald a back up keeping option, .

I would assume Anuj Dal is a certainty for the balance he offers, as well as being the bowler for the 'hard' overs when things aren't going to plan. Blair Tickner should be here so will play, as almost certainly will Zak Chappell and Sam Conners, both seeming to be bowling with good rhythm.

So the decision appears to be whether you play Alex Thomson as a spin option OR both Lamb and Donald, with Dal at eight. Omission would be tough on Thomson, who has worked hard down the order with good runs in the two games so far. I am also a fan of a balanced attack, but we saw yesterday the value of having a quality bat lower down, who can capitalise when the ball gets older and the bowlers tire. The turnaround from 117-7 to our final score was enabled by putting more overs in legs and more 'damage' to the ball, allowing Zak Chappell to come in and hit powerfully, which is his best game.

Is it likely to turn much in April? I would be surprised, but sometimes the change of pace can be effective. Then again, if we lost the toss against Glamorgan and had to bat on a green wicket, isn't the extra batter greater value? 

If you think that is a tough decision, wait until our second overseas arrives and also needs to be fitted into the side...

For what it is worth, at this stage, with no knowledge of the pitch, my side for the Glamorgan game would be:

Came

Reece

Lloyd

Madsen

Guest

Lamb

Donald

Dal

Chappell

Tickner

Conners

There will be plenty of times this summer when Thomson will be a certainty to play and I have no doubt he will offer good value. Yet after due consideration I just feel that the extra batter at this stage offers greater security. It might be, of course, that Wayne Madsen is a bowling option this year, after not doing so in 2023, but I don't know about that.

So that is my preference, although I accept others would go a different way. 

What are your thoughts? 

Derbyshire v Leeds/Bradford UCCE day one

Derbyshire 256-9d (Chappell 67, Donald 62)

Leeds/Bradford UCCE 9-1

Derbyshire lead by 247 runs

If today is anything to go by, cricket at the County Ground this year will be pretty exciting and eventful.

Derbyshire had to work hard to get to a presentable first innings total and were in big trouble in the early afternoon at 117-7. Yet they recovered to post 256-9 by tea, when they declared. The turnaround came from a classy knock by Nye Donald and a bucolic and enterprising one from Zak Chappell, in which he cleared the boundary three times. 

They were lent good support by Alex Thomson and by the close Chappell had removed one of the openers.

It was good to see movement for pretty much all of the day and there was further strength to the argument I made two or three weeks back that am extra batter may be useful in the early matches. 

With Blair Tickner to come in, there will be a decision to make. Does Lloyd open at the expense of Came? Or does Reece drop down? Or is Thomson omitted? 

It will have done them all good, after a winter indoors, to get back on 'sporting' grass that I hope continues.

The students stuck well to their task and bowled and fielded sharply. Hopefully we can match their efforts tomorrow.

Assorted news

In the current climate that surrounds the sport, the news that Derbyshire has registered their tenth profit in eleven seasons is little short of a miracle.

That the profit was £105k pre-tax, after a winter where it has been clear, at least to me, that we were investing more on the cricket side, is quite remarkable.

Everyone involved deserves great credit for the work that they do, on and off the pitch. Our club is debt-free and there are very few sports clubs at this level that are able to say such a thing. 

It is heartening news ahead of the season, with the final pre-season fixture starting tomorrow at the County Ground.

Further, good news came with Alan Hill continuing as club president. He is a man who has served Derbyshire well over many years, as player, coach and administrator. He has always been very approachable and courteous towards me and I look forward to meeting him again over the summer months.

I was also pleased to hear that Tom Poynton has joined the board, replacing the outgoing Colin Tunicliffe. The latter is another who has given sterling service to the county, on and off the pitch, but it is necessary for a younger man, someone closer to the modern game, to be involved at this level. 

Tom is an excellent choice and knows cricket very well. He will be an excellent addition to the board, asking the right questions of the head of cricket and enabling the correct paths to be taken. I wish him well.

Moving to on-field matters, the Telegraph today says that Lancashire's Tom Hartley looks set to go to the World Cup with England. With Cricket Australia already truncating the stay of Nathan Lyon, it looks unlikely that Jack Morley's stay with Derbyshire will be a long one. Lancashire's problem is similar to that faced by Derbyshire with Mohammad Amir and they have quickly gone from three spinners, going into the season, to only one. I would be surprised if we didn't hear something about that this week.

Staying on the subject of overseas players, if Derbyshire are using the excellent resources of South Africa for the replacement of Amir, then that player may well not be with us until the end of April. The CSA T20 Challenge continues until then and so we should not expect the imminent arrival of anyone from the Cape.

Having looked at a few options, accepting there is no real 'like for like' with Amir, I think the best alternative might be Migael Pretorius. His record suggests a good bowler, while his batting is powerful. His experience with Durham last year would stand him in good stead and he is perhaps the player best suited for four day and T20 cricket, as well as to the balance of the side. 

Others that may come into play might be Eathan Bosch, a fast bowler and big hitter, while as I wrote recently, Hardus Viljoen and Duane Olivier could be options if their demands were realistic. So too Wayne Parnell, who has been around the world and back on various deals.

For me, Pretorius would be the man, with Parnell and outside bet, but we must await developments and see if Mickey Arthur agrees.

Finally today, Glamorgan already have injury problems ahead of their first championship match. Eddie Byrom dislocated a shoulder in training, while Tim Van Der Gugten has a calf injury. Two big injuries to have so early on, hoping neither are too serious for both players.

More from me over the weekend, perhaps before and certainly during the match against Leeds/Bradford UCCE.

Derbyshire v SACA day one

Derbyshire 293-6d (Lamb 90, Dal 43*, Donald 38, Came 37)

SACA 53-2 (Perera 25*, Chappell 1-6, Dal 1-15)

Derbyshire lead by 240 runs

The first day of cricket of 2024 was overcast and grey, probably not especially warm for the hardy souls who opted to be there rather than in front of the television. But it was a good workout for Derbyshire, against a competitive South Asian Cricket Academy side.

Most of the batters got time in the middle. i especially enjoyed the assertive manner of David Lloyd, before he edged behind to a ball that would likely have dismissed him In prime, mid-season form. Harry Came continued as he left off last season, while Brooke Guest also had the opportunity for time in the middle.

The best batting of the day came from Matt Lamb. He batted splendidly for a run a ball 90, before playinBlairvg around a straight one. He was circumspect at the start, then opened out to show a full range of delightful strokes.

At the other end Nye Donald looked imperious and had taken 20 from the first four balls of an over before getting carried away and lobbing a catch to cover, who made good ground to hold it. He probably felt he had what he needed from the day, but when one considers that Madsen will need to come into this side, he and Lamb appear to be fighting for one place. 

Later, Anuj Dal Did precisely what we have become used to, as Derbyshire reached tea and declared on 293 -6. Alex Thomson also played some pleasing strokes in an entertaining partnership.

When it came SACA's turn to bat, the SIX Derbyshire seamers bowled very well. Chappell took the first wicket of the summer with one that broke back like a brisk off break to be caught by Guest, while Dal completed a professional day's work to bowl Malik for the second.

Interestingly, Savin Pereira, the left-handed opener, made half centuries both for and against Derbyshire's second team last season. He looks a compact, well organised player who knows his game, as one might expect from someone who played alongside Harry Brook and Tom Banton for England under 19s. It shows the talent just outside the professional game and Perera, formerly on the staff at Middlesex, has scored heavily in second team and Minor Counties cricket. A little limited in his strokes, perhaps, but plenty of similar players have enjoyed long county careers and he may find an opportunity somewhere if he continues to rack up the runs.

Finally, a special mention for the pitch. It was on the slow side, like the outfield, which is hardly surprising after the rain of recent weeks. Yet there was movement for bowlers all day and that was a welcome sight, especially for overseas bowlers who will be joining us in the coming weeks.

Play ended slightly early for bad light, allowing the players to retreat to the pavilion, likely for intravenous Bovril. It had been a good workout and they will all be quite pleased with the opportunity. 

Credit to Neil Godrich and his staff for getting it playable for the start of the day.

South Africa the source of the Amir replacement

I have already been asked my thoughts on who might be in the frame from South Africa, as the replacement for Mohammad Amir. 

Mickey Arthur said in an interview this afternoon that talks were at an 'embryonic stage' because the domestic season is 'just finishing in South Africa'.

I think we can discount the big name fast bowlers from that part of the world. Ngidi is injured, Coetzee just returning from a stress fracture, Rabada, Maphaka, Burger and Jansen are all at the IPL.

It will depend on the makeup of their 15-man World Cup squad, where in addition to those names above, Andile Phehlukwayo and Lizaad Williams are also in the mix. So too Ottniel Baartman, who has had two terrific domestic seasons running over there, producing very good spells in all formats. I'd be happy with any of those options.

If you want a left-field pick, how about Hardus Viljoen? He has had a good winter over there and he would be available, even replying to a club post about Amir on X yesterday with 'call me' emojis. For me, his stellar game at Hove apart, the jury was out on his time here before, but he has kept taking wickets, hits a long ball and usually stays fit.

Or for that matter Duane Olivier, who was back in national colours this winter? He did better for us than Yorkshire, where he took a memorable pasting from Leus du Plooy in one game, but he is a very good bowler in peak form - though T20 is not really his format.

It will be interesting to see which way Mickey Arthur has gone. Perhaps Miguel Pretorius, who had a short stint at Durham last season, could be another option, again coming off the back of an excellent domestic season

But there are plenty of very good options in those parts. It just depends on how quickly someone can get over here.

Further thoughts on Amir

From the speed and quantity of responses, it is clear that yesterday's news regarding Mohammad Amir has hit a nerve among a few people.

While respecting and understanding that everyone has to make personal and individual decisions in life, I think that the player has done himself - certainly Derbyshire - a disservice here. 

I would not be surprised if he didn't appear at all, because he will be playing a lot of intensive cricket in the next few weeks and months. He may not come through it unscathed and may feel that he needs a break after the World Cup. 

I think a lot depends now on whose services Derbyshire manage to secure to replace him. I would be surprised if we could find someone to play both four day and T20 cricket, or indeed found someone who especially wanted that workload.

I am sure Mickey Arthur will move quickly to ensure he has his overseas players in place as soon as possible. Maybe one from under the radar, like Tickner.

Certainly one for the county championship is essential as soon as possible.

We await developments...

PS PLEASE remember to append a name at the end of a comment. I will reserve the right not to publish any comment, especially of a critical nature, where no name has been added.

UPDATE: Apparently someone from South Africa...