The Derbyshire CCC Story by GarethYorks

[GarethYorks]

This is my first time doing something like this so hopefully all goes well!

As Derbyshire are the lowest rated team on the English Domestic circuit, I decided to give them a try and see what I could accomplish.

After reviewing the squad and the team’s past performances, the 2016 season could be a tough one. Nevertheless, I feel a mid-table position in the Specsavers County Championship could be achievable. The Royal London One Day Cup and Natwest T20 Blast however will be a different story. Making the knockout stages of either one would be classed as a success given that they’ve made the quarter-finals just once in 6 years.

[GarethYorks]

The Squad

Derbyshire’s overseas player for the 2016 season is Hamish Rutherford, providing firepower to the top of the batting order. Jimmy Neesham comes in for the Natwest T20 Blast, with the Kiwi adding much-needed experience with bat and ball. During pre-season, I acquired the services of Ireland spinner George Dockrell which will be a huge boost to the bowling department as currently, there is a lack of a viable spin option.


Full Derbyshire Squad

Opening Batsmen

Hamish Rutherford (Full season)
Billy Godleman
Ben Slater

Batsmen

Neil Broom
Wayne Madsen
Wes Durston
Chesney Hughes
Scott Elstone
Tom Poynton (Keeper)
Harvey Hosein (Keeper)

All-Rounders

Matt Critchley
Jimmy Neesham (T20)
Shiv Thakor
Alex Hughes
Tom Knight

Bowlers

Tom Milnes
Tony Palladino
George Dockrell
Ben Cotton
Tom Taylor
Andy Carter
Will Davis
Harry White

[Simon]

Have they really rated Derbyshire the lowest rated team?
What about Leicestershire and Glamorgan?

[GarethYorks]

Well they're rated 1 star for batting and about 2 1/2 for bowling so not great!

[GarethYorks]

April Update

The first game of the season was a County Championship match away at Gloucestershire. Wayne Madsen would be missing the first 4 weeks of the season due to a broken finger, while new signing George Dockrell went straight into the starting XI. After winning the toss, we decided to bat first on an already worn pitch with the hope of getting a decent first innings score. Unfortunately, we fell to 174 all out with Neil Broom top scoring with 50. Gloucestershire then piled on the runs, declaring on 501/7 with Andy Carter picking up 4-112. Our second innings wasn’t much better, being dismissed for 201 and falling to an innings and 126 run defeat. Both Chesney Hughes (85 from 166) and Tom Poynton (51 from 172) offered some resistance with the bat but it wasn’t going to be enough.

Glamorgan were the visitors for the next County Championship game and after winning the toss once more, the decision to bowl first under overcast conditions was a simple one. Tom Taylor replaced George Dockrell in the starting XI and the seam bowlers got to work, dismissing Glamorgan for 205 with the evergreen Tony Palladino taking 4-44. Once again, the batting let us down and we were dismissed for 191 which could have been worse if it hadn’t been for Billy Godleman’s patient 62. The bowlers, and Palladino (5-39) in particular, then carried on their good work from the first innings restricting Glamorgan to 134/9. Due to rain and bad light throughout the match however, the only result possible was a draw.

[GarethYorks]

Apologies for the lack of updates, work gets in the way of playing!

May Update

May begins with us visiting Northamptonshire for our third County Championship match. George Dockrell returns into the starting XI at the expense of Ben Cotton who had struggled in his first couple of matches. Northants were eventually dismissed for 497 with Tony Palladino yet again proving his importance with 5-101. A theme is slowly beginning to become apparent with bad batting leaving us 225 all out, and Shiv Thakor’s 59 the only innings of note. Following on, we made a better effort with the bat and although we were bowled out for 276, the likes of Godleman, Durston, Thakor and Poynton all batted for long periods in the hope of an unlikely draw. Northants won the match by 9 wickets, and the 3 matches so far have shown how reliant we are on Palladino (14 wickets @ 18.43).

Sussex came to Derby for game 4 of the County Championship and the only change made was Cotton for Dockrell. Winning the toss and batting first, we made a great start but collapsed to 244 all out including Shiv Thakor retiring hurt. The loss of Thakor as a fifth bowler hindered us and Sussex racked up the runs, declaring on 504/7 before another poor batting display resulted in us losing by an innings and 88 runs.

An away trip to a struggling Essex was next on the schedule and we’d be depleted with the losses of Shiv Thakor and Ben Cotton to injuries but the return of Wayne Madsen was a big boost for the batting line-up. However, a 10 wicket loss was the result after a couple of batting collapses meaning some places will be up for grabs for the next game.

A quick break from the County Championship means the Natwest T20 Blast has arrived and our first game is a visit to Lancashire. A below par 118 by us was easily chased down by Lancashire, who won by 8 wickets. Seems to be a theme of our season so far with the batsmen letting us down.

We were back to County Championship action and Kent were the visitors. After batting out the final 2 and a half sessions, we were able to come out with a hard-earned draw despite always being second best to Kent.

We visited Northamptonshire for our second Natwest T20 Blast game, and we finally chalk up a win! Northants batting first, they made 150/8 after some good middle overs bowling from George Dockrell (1-17 from 4 overs) and Jimmy Neesham (3-22 from 4 overs). After losing three early wickets in the chase, Chesney Hughes (67 from 48) and Wes Durston (51 not out from 36) took us home to get our first points on the board.

The final match in May sees us visit Sussex in the County Championship. Two decent first innings scores by both teams, including hundreds for Wayne Madsen and Chesney Hughes, sees us both earn a draw.

[GarethYorks]

June Update

We start the month of June by hosting Leicestershire in the Natwest T20 Blast. Unfortunately, our batsmen struggle and despite Chesney Hughes top scoring with 46, we are all out for only 119. We started well with the ball, but ultimately fall to a 6 wicket defeat.

We begin the Royal London One Day Cup with a visit to Worcestershire. After electing to bat first, we posted 246 with Wayne Madsen top scoring with 71. Then with our bowlers taking regular wickets and Tom Milnes picking up 4-44, we claim a 15 run victory.

Our second game in the Royal London One Day Cup ends in a 6 wicket defeat at the hands of Durham, who successfully chased their target of 238.

We then go back to the Natwest T20 Blast to face Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. After restricting them to a below par 127, our batsmen decide to implode during the chase and agonisingly we fall 2 runs short.

Moving back to the Royal London One Day Cup, we hosted Yorkshire and after bowling first, we bowl them out for 182 thanks to Tom Milne’s career best 6-29. However, once again our batting fell short and we are dismissed for 173.

Edgbaston was the venue for our next game, and Warwickshire racked up the runs after electing to bat first, finishing on 321/4. We were never in the chase, and after losing regular wickets, we were all out for 186.

We played Warwickshire again but at home, this time in the Natwest T20 Blast. Once again they ease to victory after chasing 133 in 16 overs.

Headingley was where we visited next to meet Yorkshire in the Natwest T20 Blast, and a below par batting performance meant we were restricted to 126/7. Yorkshire were always in control and they knocked it off for a 7 wicket victory.

We returned to the County Championship action and hosted Worcestershire. Billy Godleman top scored with 92 as we made 356 in our first innings. Worcestershire then reached 476/8 before declaring as George Dockrell on his return to red ball cricket picked up figures of 4-119. We then collapsed to 208 all out on the final day, leaving Worcestershire a target of 91. While the bowlers, and Andy Carter (4-23) in particular, pushed them hard, they eventually reached the target to win by 4 wickets.

A Natwest T20 Blast fixture against Nottinghamshire quickly followed, as did a return to winning ways. From the first over, our bowlers were on top as we kept them to 116/9 with the wickets shared around. The batsmen then got to work, with a fifty from Hamish Rutherford ensuring an 8 wicket victory.

Back to the County Championship, we visited Canterbury to face Kent. We kept them to 295, with Ben Cotton (4-67) and Shiv Thakor (3-71) the chief destroyers. Our batsmen finally fired in our first innings as Wayne Madsen (170) and Wes Durston (101) both made centuries as we declare on 501/5. Even with Durston picking up 5-93 in Kent’s second innings, we were unable to force a result as they bat out the final day for a draw.

[GarethYorks]

July Update

The Natwest T20 Blast is first up in July, and a visit to Worcestershire. They bat first, and despite them getting off to a good start, some excellent bowling from Andy Carter (3-28) and Jimmy Neesham (2-16) keeps them to 128/7. Plenty of people make starts during the chase, but Tom Poynton is dismissed off the final ball needing only 1 run to win so the match ends in a tie.

Bottom side Northamptonshire were the visitors in this Natwest T20 Blast fixture and we came out on top. Batting first, we posted 138/4 thanks to Wes Durston’s 61 not out. Superb bowling up front from Andy Carter (3-25) and Ben Cotton (2-27) reduced them to 52/5 after 8 overs. Jimmy Neesham (3-36) continued their fine work and Northamptonshire were eventually dismissed for 120, an 18 run victory.

We then faced Northamptonshire in the County Championship, and we made 338 during our first innings. Northamptonshire were then dismissed for 294 with Tony Palladino coming back into form with 5-46. In an attempt to set up a result, we declared on 130/7, leaving Northamptonshire a target of 175 from around 40 overs. Despite us picking up regular wickets, a fantastic run-a-ball hundred from Rob Keogh saw them home with 2 overs to spare.

We were back to Natwest T20 Blast action, visiting Leicestershire. A poor batting display left us 108/7 with 41 from Wes Durston the only innings of note. The bowlers tried valiantly but in the end, it wasn’t enough and we fell to a 5 wicket loss.

Yorkshire were our next opponents in the Natwest T20 Blast, and after electing to bowl first, Yorkshire put up 186/7. We gave it a good go, but ultimately fell 9 runs short despite Shiv Thakor’s 43 not out from 27 ball, and Jimmy Neesham’s 38 from 19 balls.

We hosted Lancashire as we continued in the Natwest T20 Blast, and we ended up losing by 5 wickets. Batting first, we made a below par 123/9 which Lancashire were able to knock off with ease.

County Championship action returned and saw us travel to Glamorgan. A shambolic first innings batting display saw us crumble to 132 all out, and put us on the back foot for the rest of the match. After we dismissed Glamorgan for 343, we attempted to bat for time in the hope for an unlikely draw. We managed 155 overs in total but after having a small target of 69 to chase down, we succumbed to a 7 wicket defeat.

With no chance of making the knockout stages of the Natwest T20 Blast, we went with a change in personnel in the hope of a change in fortunes. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case as we suffered a 6 wicket loss at the hands of Worcestershire.

We returned to the Royal London One Day Cup by visiting Trent Bridge to face a strong Nottinghamshire outfit. Losing wickets at regular times meant we were only able to make 208/7, thanks in part to an unbeaten half century from Tom Poynton (51 not out from 50 balls). Despite Shiv Thakor picking up 3-39, Nottinghamshire cruised to a 4 wicket victory.

Then we hosted Lancashire with our chances of progressing slowly fading away. Yet again, we fell to another defeat as Lancashire made 279/8 and bowled us out for 190.

We finished our Natwest T20 Blast campaign with a visit to Chester-le-Street. Durham posted 165/8 with Ben Cotton taking a hat-trick during the final over of their innings. Hamish Rutherford (64 from 39 balls) gave us a chance of chasing it down but no-one else played any notable knocks and we registered a 7 run defeat.

To finish off July, we faced Northamptonshire in the Royal London One Day Cup and suffered a heavy loss. Northants racked up 349/5 in their 50 overs, while we could only muster 216 in reply.

[GarethYorks]

August Update

We began August by playing our final fixture in the Royal London One Day Cup, and we definitely saved our best performance until last! Batting first, we made 264/5 with Hamish Rutherford top scoring with 80. Then Tom Taylor (4-23) and 3 run outs meant a crushing 158 run victory.

We then returned to County Championship action, and saw us come up against Leicestershire. After winning the toss and batting first, Leicestershire piled on the runs declaring on 603/4. Our aim was simple, bat the 2 remaining days and achieve a hard earned draw. We were dismissed for 346 in our first innings with Leicestershire enforcing the follow on, before we finished on 224/3 and the draw was ours.

Our next County Championship game saw us host Essex. We won the toss and batted first, making 431 thanks to Chesney Hughes’ fantastic innings of 116. Tom Taylor (5-49) and Tony Palladino (4-41) then got to work as we dismissed Essex for just 185. We decided that on a deteriorating pitch, runs would be easier to make on day 3 rather than day 4 so we batted again and declared on 216/5, setting Essex an unlikely target of 462. Shiv Thakor (4-43) was the chief destroyer this time as they were all out for 263, giving us a 199 run victory.

After a fantastic victory, we were then brought back down to earth with an innings and 17 runs defeat to Gloucestershire. Hamish Rutherford’s unbeaten 177 was the backbone to our 311, but Gloucestershire got themselves a healthy lead after making 484. We were then bundled out for a poultry 156.

[GarethYorks]

September Update

Our penultimate match in the County Championship sees us host Leicestershire on what would prove to be a pretty wet match that would see both teams play for bonus points. Leicestershire declared their first innings on 350/6 while we declared ours on 401/6, with the game ending in a draw.

The final game of the season ends in a draw against Worcestershire. After both our first innings, we gave ourselves a lead of 142 thanks to 184 made by Hamish Rutherford. Worcestershire were able to bat out the last couple of sessions to finish the season with a draw.

[GarethYorks]

End of Season Update

The season has been a pretty disappointing one. Finishing either bottom or second from bottom in each of the competitions was far from expected at the start of the season so the post season would be crucial for us, strengthening the squad and releasing players that aren’t needed.

Competition Leaders:

Leading run-scorer (Specsavers County Championship): Billy Godleman (1,102 runs @ 39.36)
Leading wicket-taker (Specsavers County Championship): Tony Palladino (47 wickets @ 28.91)

Leading run-scorer (Royal London One Day Cup): Wayne Madsen (300 runs @ 37.5)
Leading wicket-taker (Royal London One Day Cup): Tom Milnes (14 wickets @ 20.07)

Leading run-scorer (Natwest T20 Blast): Chesney Hughes (330 runs @ 23.57)
Leading wicket-taker (Natwest T20 Blast): Andy Carter (22 wickets @ 12.73)


Retained Players:

Tony Palladino, Tom Taylor

Released Players:

Hamish Rutherford (Season), Jimmy Neesham (T20 Blast), Tom Poynton, Greg Cork, Alex Hughes, Harry White, Scott Elstone, Tom Knight, Will Davis, Rob Hemmings, Ben Slater

Newly Signed Players:

Chris Rushworth, Shane Dowrich (Season), Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Jake Libby, Sean Williams (T20 Blast)

Players such as Ben Slater and Tom Poynton had disappointing seasons, and Hamish Rutherford only came into form towards the end of the season so this was the reasoning behind their contracts being terminated. Our overseas signing of Shane Dowrich will see him take the gloves, while the international experience of Sean Williams could prove crucial during our Natwest T20 Blast campaign. Retaining Tony Palladino was a no-brainer, while the acquisition of Chris Rushworth is a major coup for the club.