v Derbyshire TSL2 @ Derby Wednesday 3 August 2005

Scorecard

Because we couldn't keep up the 20/20 momentum against Sussex on Monday, the Derbyshire games become very important if our TSL plans are not to founder.  We need points to keep in touch with the third placed side.  We especially need to put the 'weaker' sides in the league down heavily and take the maximum from them.  In the case of Derbyshire, we play them twice - the second game is the last match of this season at Taunton.  They need to come into that game remembering the defeat today so that, if wee need the points, they are already at a disadvantage.  Nice theory - but we've yet to prove that we can even consider that scenario!

Mark G has kept the same side for the encounter but he may alter the batting line-up and use different bowlers within it.  Richard Johnson has probably analysed the severe tonking he got in Brighton and it is to be hoped that he will not make the same mistakes in the Midlands tonight.  Andy Caddick and Charl Langeveldt need to provide more solid performances if the runs start to flow than they did.  Whether Garaway will suggest the consideration of Hildreth in a bwling capacity after his heroics with the ball in the regional rounds of the 20/20 has been an issue for debate since Monday - let's hope we don't need to consider it.

The use of Arul Suppiah as the number 3 batsman may also be something that changes.  It is our vulnerable position and has been for a considerable time but surely, if Carl Gazzard is to be used in his pinch-hitter role again, you need a stable and experienced backup should that fail and one of the openers go early?  John Francis would be the choice wouldn't he?  He seems to have lost a little bit of confidence since the smack on the head from Matt Wood but he is the man for the top five, not for the second half of the order surely.

Derbyshire will not be a pushover but we have to put them away hard.  Or concentrate on the four day campaign solely because if we drop another four points here we can't really expect to be taken seriously as promotion contenders in the one day stuff in 2005.  Baptism of Fire number 2 for you Mr Blackwell!

The Game

Another toss lost under lights and another first half in the field.  The sides we play seem to know something we don't!  54 runs in half an hour for the first wicket suggests that we let them out of the traps too fast.  Caddick seems to have held them with 16 off his first 6 but unfortunately, one again, Richard J couldn't do the same at the other end.  Charl L coming on first change didn't do a lot better and although we got Stubbings at 54 when Caddy skittled him and Moss at 82 to the same man, we allowed Adnan and that man DiVenuto get away.  They made a quick  67 before Adnan was run out and then Sutton supported the danger man as he cemented the innings.  By the time he finally fell at 169 to Langeveldt, the Derbyshire tails were up and Sutton held the base together while adding 56 with Friend to take the score to a very respectable 225 (wickt to Johnson) before he followed that up with Welch to add another 52 before the end of the innings.  277 to score under lights.  The bowlers had left the batting line-up another tall order to fill.  It is getting too monotonous and the pressure on the batsmen is too much too often in the one day format.

We didn't solve this in the regional matches of the 20/20, we thought we might have with the return of Johnno in the finals...it seems that was a false dawn.  Tonight, the middle men, the slows and the bit bowlers, didn't do their job of clawing it back and Derbyshire got away and free.  Only Caddick really kept it in checkl with 9 for 41 and 2 wickets.  We may have been missing a pace allrounder and it suggests that we need a replacement for the role provided by Gareth Andrew which now that Aaron Laraman does not seem to be an option the selectors will consider.  Arul Suppiah seems to be playing as a batsman and we need an alternative to strike bowlers other than the slows on a pitch which might not suit them.  Having said that, the ever reliable KP went for some tonight.

So 277?  Well it didn't look hopeful at 1 for 1 when Matt Wood was out after 9 balls.  Arul Suppiah was still favoured at the number 3 spot and he and Carl Gazzard looked to reset the batting position.  That meant we lost some of the emphasis in the first important overs but the boys did  their job and both passed 50 putting on a very commendable 125 for the second wicket before Gazzard went to Moss (bowled).  Blackwell came in to push the score along but his luck seems to have run out at the moment and that is exactly how he ended up...run out for 1 after facing only 3 balls.  Parsons didn't seem to come in and push the score along as he usually does before he lost Suppiah at 180 caught off Gray for a good 79, still loads short.  Lots of batsmen nearly in but not staying around Parsons went 7 runs later and we were chasing the game. Hildreth who took 19 off 18 balls didn't stay in long enough to really start a revival.

We were getting into the back end of the middle order and didn't seem to be making progress. John Francis (20) and Wes Durston (24) tried to push it along, both scoring at more than a run a ball, but the pressure was on and we were losing too many wickets for too few runs.  Francis' wicket brought in the bowlers still needing 48 and Johnno completed a poor week up to now with a one run contribution when we needed a lot more.

Wes tried to marshall what forcdes we had left but Langeveldt only stayed around for 5 and although Caddick was with him at the end, the total was too much to ask of a number 8 and 11 and we fell agonisingly close just 15 short.  A re-run of the Sussex game in a lot of ways.  Poor bowling and some batting contributions but not a consistent performance to allow one pair to get a base for a real partnership after the second wicket went down.  Good work from Gazzard and Suppiah with some spirit at the end but the lack of a contribution by key figures like Blackwell and Wood left us short and wanting.

We are not going forward in this competition, we are going backwards and our attempt at one day promotion is all but finished by this performance.  Let us hope that the four day games coming up are something we can work on or this season is going to still be a very poor one with one day of glory to balance an awful lot of poor work.

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