My biggest wish, ahead of this game, is that the real Derbyshire turn up.
We didn't for the T20 game at Derby a few weeks back and produced one of our more limp efforts of an increasingly encouraging season. A good barometer of the side's form is the interest in this blog and yesterday saw 2,500 visits to it. So...
We did well last night against a good Worcestershire side that play excellent one-day cricket. With the right winter recruitment we can push on next year and if we can emerge from two tough groups to the knock out stages of either one-day trophy we will have done very well indeed.
Tomorrow's game is one I would have loved to attend but domestic needs dictate otherwise, so I must follow from afar. While Derby is more intimate than most, there is something cosy, fun and typically English about a game at an out ground and the Welbeck Colliery venue looks quite splendid, from what I have seen.
There will be some tough decisions in the selection, with Ben Slater's form, with centuries in the last two List A matches he has played, pushing him for a recall. Were he to come in to the side, it would have to be at the expense of Neil Broom on current form, but the Kiwi's record suggests that when he strikes top nick he could be a destructive asset. Do you pick a young lad in good touch or an experienced player who might only be an innings away from it?
For what its worth, I would reward Slater and go with:
Slater
Godleman
Rutherford
Hughes (C)
Madsen
Thakor
Hughes (A)
Critchley
Hosein
Palladino
Cotton
Mind you, if Wes Durston is fit to play, the selection process gets ever more complicated! Another sign of a side playing good cricket...
Nottinghamshire have a strong side and will start favourites in a competition where they racked up 400 in the first half of the season. Dan Christian has proved a solid overseas player for them and their side needs no introduction, whichever eleven takes the field. Our best chance will still be in chasing a total, despite last night's excellent effort.
Two wins from our last four games should take us through to the knock out stage of the competition and there is talent enough in this squad to do that.
Tomorrow will be the toughest of those games, but we have shown we can match some very good sides this season.
I hope tomorrow is no exception.
Just on last night, I was impressed all round. Great to see Matt Critchley get the two key wickets in his 4th over, he's a great asset with a white ball in his hand.
ReplyDeleteAs he will be against Notts in my opinion. If we're to beat them, I don't think we can afford to play safe. 50 over cricket is sufficiently close to t20 cricket that I think we can only afford one of Slater and Godleman, so for me Durston would replace Billy, and Will Davis for Palladino as a strike bowler is vital in this format. I've seen a fair bit of Notts this year, and they don't play as a team, merely 11 (admittedly very good) individuals. If we get on top, our TEAM can beat them