Friday 9 April 2010

Buck off to a flyer


On my way home tonight I wondered whether it was worth starting a petition to the local MP in Derby, to see if legislation can be introduced that allows all professional cricketers with the initials "CJLR" to ply their trade without question in the UK for the next ten years…

OK, it's a little facetious, but on the evidence of today Chris Rogers is going to make this a season to remember for Derbyshire fans, while making us all wonder how on earth we can replace him in 2011 if the current regulations stay as they are. Top batsmen prepared to commit to a summer in England are getting to be a rare species. Those who will do it AND play well on a regular basis are getting to be endangered…

Chris Rogers has been a great servant to Derbyshire cricket and today made Surrey regret dropping him in the forties by going on to the first century of the domestic season, all compiled in the style that we have come to know and love.

He received good early support from Paul Borrington, before Greg Smith helped to turn a slightly wobbly 134-3 to a more reassuring total of 204-3 at tea. I may have missed an announcement and may be making summat out of nowt, but in the official picture on the club website Don Amott is flanked by Chris Rogers and Greg Smith, suggesting that the latter may be the vice-captain elect. I know that he impressed in Barbados and he has a lot to offer and he might well prove to be an inspired choice.

There's a good report on the first day on Cricinfo at

http://www.cricinfo.com/countycricket2010/content/current/story/455379.html

It is a sound report by a good writer, though I would take exception to his comment that for us to challenge Rogers will need to score 1500 runs plus. Our batting is better than it showed today but I am glad we played the extra batsman. There appears to be more in the wicket than our score might suggest and Robin Peterson will have watched their two spinners bag a brace with interest. If we can push on to 400-450 tomorrow, it gives us something to bowl at. With Goddard, Wagg and Groenewald still to bat there is potential for more runs, while Rogers and Peterson will hope to add to their totals.

Apparently the commentators were moaning that Derbyshire didn't "have a go" in the last session. While the merit of scoring against a tiring attack is clear, two experienced cricketers decided they would stay to fight another day. We're not playing T20 here, and I would back the collective nous of Rogers and Peterson against the casual observer any day.

Highlights of Championship matches can now be seen via all the club web sites, so tune in to ours or theirs when you can.

As a postscript, only Derbyshire's excellent statistician David Baggett would know if any other Derbyshire batsman has been the first to score the initial ton of the Championship season. I think I would be safe to say that none have scored the first double century in the first fixture. If he got there, it would be Rogers' fourth for Derbyshire, a tally matched only by Kim Barnett and exceeded by Peter Kirsten.

That's something to keep an eye on tomorrow. I hope it goes as well as today.

1 comment:

  1. I am suprised McGlashan actually managed to write a report about Derbyshire, since he was on the radio for a while most notably when Buck was on 99 and all he was doing was waffling on about England and his cricketers to follow in his public school voice.

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