Thursday 12 June 2008

What a difference a day makes...


Never has a song been more apt...

Last night we were edged out in a thriller by a powerful Durham side. Beaten, but by no means disgraced. It was great to see Greg Smith back and making a powerful 47, and to see Wavell Hinds making a few runs before the wheels came off the batting in time honoured fashion.

Nonetheless, we nearly pulled it off, and had it not been for an expensive over from Graeme Wagg we could have won. Nayan Doshi produced his golden 20/20 form of the past seasons to produce a sensational hat trick, but the Duckworth Lewis decision went Durham's way as Benkenstein and Pollock kept their cool.

Then came tonight. First off, sorry for not blogging last night as I was playing myself (we lost, boo-hoo). Tonight I'd to work late and followed the score on-line. It was good to see us make a solid start, ad when a wicket goes down in this game there's always the danger it could be the precursor of a collapse.

Not a chance tonight, as Greg Smith (pictured) and Wavell Hinds put on a quite superb partnership. A 50 stand in this game is good going, 100 quite astonishing and these guys added 149 before Wavell was run out. Four sixes and three fours for the Jamaican who hit 61 from just 43 balls, while Smith followed last night's good innings with the first 20-over ton by a Derbyshire player. His hundred took just 62 balls, even quicker than Pipey's innings against Worcestershire!

In these games 150 is a fair score and will win 60% of games I would reckon. 180 will probablywin 80-90% of matches if you bowl steadily. With Mr Langeveldt in the attack you pretty much have a guarantee of economy, but by any standards tonight was special. I cannot think that any bowler has been more economical than that in 20/20. 4-0-9-4 is extraordinary, but it appears that they all played their part.

I'm pleased that I got pretty close to the side picked for these games, especially in the selction of two spinners, both of whom are doing very well. There are no guarantees in cricket, especially in this format, but there are few teams after tonight that will take playing us for granted. If that is not progress after the shambles of last season then I don't know what is.

Well played guys. Colossal performance!

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