Derbyshire Challenge

[hammerbm]

yes cde i can understand how frustrating that would be and i just got the feeling i wouldnt have the time to develop derby as i have limited time on the game. plus it definitley helps if you feel some sort of connection to the team your playing with else it becomes a chore and its not supposed to be that imo

[Jobi1K]

From this season there is, for some reason, the 100.

A beautiful line, which I think captures perfectly how so many cricket fans feel!

[cde]

hammerbm I don't blame you for starting elsewhere. It is possible to build a strong team and compete in FC and T20 cricket but the squad is always going to be paper thin. A call-up or two compounded by an injury to a firat choice player can see the whole season derailed.

A further frustration is if you have a player who you have signed up from the youth squad on a 28k 3-year deal make it into the England squad in his 3rd year. If you were to re-sign him he would cost more like 60k but when he is England contracted you recieve just the 28k, which means you can only replace him with a 28k player. If you sign anothwr young player you can get to year three and find they want 60k and you can no longer afford to keep them on.

[hammerbm]

Thanks for the update.well having played nearly a season with them I take my hat off to you for doing so well.i gave up as I just knew the financial restraint was going to spoil my enjoyment so I started a game as notts.not a county I have any particular affection for but felt as a division 2 side there was great potential there to get up to division 1 and strongly challenge for all three tournaments

[cde]

hammerbm

A few things happened to halt progress! I was unable to keep updating the thread because of a lack of internet so kept it on a Word document to post later but...acidently deleted it. It was too much faff to rebuild it so just gave up.

Good luck with Derbyshire, I managed another five seasons before the loss. I found that budgetry restraints made it very very difficult to compete across all the formats. I managed to build a strong T20 side and won the cup one year, runner up the next, won then next, etc and also a FC side that was consistantly challenging but the OD cup was another matter altogether.

The issue, as feared, is that once you take on a core squad of good players there is little room in the budget for back-ups. If a player didn't get their international contract renewed, a 2nd choice player wanted a big raise or if I was knocked out early in the T20 or OD cup I would have to lose good players. I was almost always taking a punt on a young player then losing them once they wanted good money or being saddled with a second rate player.

As a compafison I went back to the team I support, Glamorgan, who have a disproportionatly large budget. There you can take punts on multiple players and take on older players who have no 100 contract but a good OD record on a year-to-year basis to have a strong squad for the OD matches. I prefer the challenge of a smaller budget but have an irrational investment in playing as Glamorgan!

[hammerbm]

any update on this as only came across this yesterday and think you have done very well so far. I started a derby game last week and its proving to be a tough job

[cde]

Lancashire v Derbyshire, Old Trafford

Lancashire
L. Livingstone, N. Gubbins, S. Croft, C. Green, J. Bohannon, A. Davies, D. Villas, L. Wood, M. Starc, S. Mohammod, T. Bailey

Derbyshire
G. Gow, B. Godleman, W. Madsen, L. du Plooy, T. Lingham, M. Critchley, F. Hudson-Prentice, H. Hosein, M. Cohen, T. Palladino, A. Sutherland


Derbyshire 185-3
B. Godleman 97, L. du Plooy 59 no
l. Wood 1-37, S. Mahmoud 1-42

Lancashire 186-6
L. Livingstone 97, N. Gubbins 54
M. Critchley 3-34, F. Hudson-Prentice 2-34

Lancashire win by 4 wickets


Nothing much to complain about, a good batting display though disappointing that Godleman didn’t get a century. It was Livingstone and Gubbins’ 146 run opening partnership that undone us. We tried every combination but they were on a roll and by the time we got them out the match was lost.

[cde]

Yorkshire v Derbyshire, Headingly

Yorkshire
T. Kohler-Cadmore, D. Malan, A. Lyth, G. Balance, H. Brooke, J. Tattersall, D. Willey, W. Parnell, A. Rashid, K. Barker, N. Paul

Derbyshire
J. Gow, S. Jayasuriya, W. Madsen, L. du Plooy, T. Lingham, M. Critchley, F. Hudson-Prentice, H. Hosein, M. Cohen, T. Palladino, A. Sutherland


Yorkshire 58-3
T. Koehler-Cadmore 32, D. Malan 23
F. Hudson-Prentice 2-1, M. Critchley 1-11

Derbyshire 61-4
W. Madsen 33, M. Critchley 10
W. Parnell 3-33, K. Barker 1-23

Derbyshire win by 6 wickets (DLS)


Reece, Savage and Shinwari are called up for the England v Pakistan OD series so Lingham, H-P and Palladino take their places.

Heavily rain affected match where we benefited from being able to just go flat out and disregard wickets.

[cde]

Northamptonshire v Derbyshire

Northamptonshire
A Rossington, P. Stirling, J. Cobb, R. Vasconcelos, R. Levi, M. Wall, D. Sole, D. Perera, G. White, J. Hazlewood, B. Glover

Derbyshire
L. Reece, J. Gow, S. Jayasuriya, W. Madsen, L. du Plooy, G. Savage, M. Critchley, H. Hosein, M. Cohen, U. Shinwari, A. Sutherland


Derbyshire 179-6
S. Jayasuriya 54, J. Gow 48
T. Sole 2-29, G. White 2-30

Northamptonshire 106 all out
A Rossington 54, J. Cob 25
S. Jayasuriya 3-10, M. Critchley 3-10

Derbyshire win by 73 runs


Too easy. Smashed them about again before the bowlers got to work. This time they had Shinwari and Reece under pressure so Jayasuriya and Critchley step in. The luxury of six bowlers.

[cde]

Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire, CC Ground

Derbyshire
L. Reece, J. Gow, G. Savage, W. Madsen, L. du Plooy, S. Jayasuriya, M. Critchley, H. Hosein, M. Cohen, U. Shinwari, A. Sutherland

Nottinghamshire
A Hales, B. Slater, T. Moores, B. Duckett, J. Clarke, H. Newlands, L. Pattinson-White, S. Broad, T. Fallon, L. Fletcher, M. Carter


Derbyshire 169-6
Jayasuriya 87, Savage 37
L. Pattinson-White 2-35, T. Fallon 2-36

Nottinghamshire 122 all out
A Hales 44, B. Duckett 24
L. Reece 3-17, M. Critchley 3-23

Derbyshire win by 47 runs


Asked to bat again Gow is run out early so I move Jayasuriya to three to avoid a collapse. He delivers and the bowlers do the job again, constricting and forcing them to chase harder and lose wickets.

[cde]

Derbyshire v Lancashire, CC Ground

Match abandoned

[cde]

We start into the T20s looking hot. I’d have happily played a few more FC games the way that was going but player’s form is generally on the up and I fancy a strong run in our first wad of games.

Derbyshire v Leicestershire, CC Ground

Derbyshire
L. Reece, J. Gow, G. Savage, W. Madsen, L. du Plooy, S. Jayasuriya, M. Critchley, H. Hosein, M. Cohen, U. Shinwari, A. Sutherland

Leicestershire
N. Welch, G. Delany, A. Supple, C. Ackermann, R. Wessels, H. Swindells, A. Travis, T. Taylor, C. Parkinson, O. Robinson, D. Klein


Derbyshire 181-4
J. Gow 86, W. Madsen 48
T. Taylor 2-25, O. Robinson 1-32

Leicestershire 125-7
C. Ackermann 50, A. Supple 32
L. Reece 4-19, U. Shinwari 2-20

Derbyshire win by 56 runs


This is Gow’s weakest format but at 100% form he has to start. I would like Jayasuriya at 3 but go for Savage to get him some experience up the order. Aitchison is injures so an in-form Sunderland gets his chance.

Gow delivers, smashing them from the outset while our bowlers constrict them so they hit out and lose wickets. Great start. I should note that I thought Shinwari was a RMF not a LMF and would prefer a right handed bowler to balance the attack. Not that it stops him taking wickets!

[cde]

Derbyshire v Gloucestershire, CC Ground

Derbyshire
B. Godleman, J. Gow, S. Jayasuriya, W. Madsen, G. Savage, L. Reece, H. Hosein, F. Hudson-Prentice, M. Cohen, T. Palladino, A. Sutherland

Gloucestershire
C. Dent, M. Hammond, J. Bracey, S. al Hassan, G. Roderick, N. Priestley, J. Bannister, G. van Buuren, T. Smith, D. Payne, R. Gleeson


Gloucestershire 242 & 249

Derbyshire 526

Derbyshire win by an innings and 25 runs


A commanding win but it feels a slight hollow. Mostly because on a pitch offering some bounce and a little spin Gloucestershire fielded 2 fast bowlers and THREE SLA all-rounders. Also because Priestley, who I let go because of a lack of versatility and runs last year hit 66no, 65 and took 1-9! Jayasuriya and Reece return, Palladino is finding form so also returns.

They opted to bat bat and made some swift runs but went from 40-1 to 58-3 at the drop of a hat. Al Hassan (50), Roderick (41) and especially Priestly (66 no) put up some resistance but we skittles the tail, Reece taking 5-40, and kept them to a satisfying 249. We lost Godleman cheaply and so brought in Reece but it was Gow (137 off 190) and Jayasuriya (94 off 110) who blazed away, treating SLA bowers like Competitive Dad playing a team of under 11s. Madsen came and went but Savage..er…savaged those SLAs again for 104 off 167. Hosein was c&b by Priestley. Nice one. Then just as I considered declaring I decide to let the tail swing their arms. Cohen hits a tidy 42 bit Alladini smashes 48no off 66 before getting stranded.

We go at them hard and for the most part they bat like they are chasing a of total until Priestley slams on the brakes. He drags it out but there is no doubt as Sunderland gets his maiden 5-for with 5-32.

A good performance but a shockingly useless selection for the Gloucestershire team.

It should be noted that Gow is in a purple patch of form. After scoring 8 and 29 in the warm-up match he followed with 6 and 24 in our first FC match. Moved to the 2nd team he put up 43no and 20, hardly impressive. He probably would have been left there to build form if it was not for Jayasuriya and Reece being called up, and so I had to use him to open for the first time. He scored a century. In his seven innings since his return he has scored that century, a 80, two 70s, a 50, 26 while batting full-on for runs against Durham and another century. Which tells you all I know about building form and experience before opening.

[cde]

Durham v Derbyshire, Riverside

Durham
A Lees, M. Jones, N. Eckersley, D. Bedingham, F. Behardien, S. Steel, S. Bell, B. Raine, S. Abbot, C. Rushworth, M. Salisbury

Derbyshire
B. Godleman, J. Gow, M. Hassan, W. Madsen, G. Savage, N. Hall, H. Hosein, F. Hudson-Prentice, M. Cohen, D. Melton, A. Sutherland


Derbyshire 371 & 163

Durham 125 & 178

Derbyshire win by 231 runs


Aitchison is out and Melton in. We put together a really good batting performance with half centuries for the top three to set the foundation for what feels like an above par score. Cohen and Sutherland take three in their opening spell with Melton and H-P backing them up with one each before a rear guard action from Bedingham and Steel. They then fold quickly.

Well in control we go out for a good thrash and then go at them hard. They fare better than last time but go from 86-2 to 103-7 as Cohen rips through them on his way to 6-37. They dig in deep but with the new ball we take the last two wickets in three balls for a comprehensive win.

The corner is turned. Which seems silly to say since we have won 4 and drawn 1 but it has felt like skin-of-our teeth stuff at times with keeping the batsmen in a real struggle.

[cde]

Worcestershire v Derbyshire, New Road

Worcestershire
T. Latham, J. Libby, S . Eskinazi, T. Fell, J. Dell. R. Whiteley, B. Cox, E. Barnard, J. Leach, J. Tongue, P. Brown

Derbyshire
B. Godleman, J. Gow, M. Hassan, W. Madsen, G. Savage, N. Hall, H. Hosein, F. Hudson-Prentice, M. Cohen, B. Aitchison, A. Sutherland


Derbyshire 419 & 250-7

Worcestershire 437 & 68-8

Match drawn


An unchanged side, we choose to bat first and it feels like we may have turned a corner with half centuries for Godleman, Gow, Madsen and Savage despite some rain delays. We attack them with some confidence feeling we are in a good position but a century for Whiteley with 50s for Latham, Dell and Cox draws them slightly ahead.

We bet well enough in the second innings, going at them hard but I declare a little later than I should have – the close call against Sussex was in mind – and they just block out for a draw despite some sharp bowling from Cohen and Sutherland.

A frustrating draw since it was through being over-cautious that I allowed a good position to be wasted.