Monday 11 July 2011

Derbyshire v Glamorgan day 1

If you thought we'd post 360 this afternoon when at one point we were 130-7 you're a better man than I.

I got back home with my family this afternoon to a text that read 160-7 and I thought we'd scrape 200. 360 was a fine recovery, courtesy of another fine effort from Dan Redfern - agonisingly one run short of that century so richly deserved  - and Jon Clare.

Clare has had a tough press in recent weeks from a few supposed fans and I was delighted that the lad answered his critics in the best possible way today. His second first class century was also a new career-best and he followed it with the early wicket of Glamorgan skipper Alviro Petersen as the visitors stumbled to 39-2 in reply. Big first session again tomorrow and if we see the usual first session movement for the seamers it could be an interesting one.

Tomorrow, all being well, I hope to do a piece on our T20 campaign, but I'd have to say that some recent comments about players on here and the Falcons Forum have been pretty poor. C'mon guys, whether they are having a bad run or not, they should get our support. Do you think they go out there to deliberately do badly?

There were comments on the Falcons Forum and on here in recent days about Luke Sutton that have been grossly unfair for a bloke who is working his socks off for the club. Yes, he's had a bad trot in the T20 with the bat, but his wicket-keeping is still largely impressive, much more so than anything we saw last year. I agree that consideration needs to be given to the role next year (more in my T20 piece) but I'd be interested to know how many of those critics have ever kept wicket or captained a side, let alone trying to do both? They are roles that require 100% concentration and, having captained a club side, let alone a county one, in many T20 games, I know how demanding that alone is. I don't know how Sutton has done as well as he has, quite frankly.

If he has made errors, then it is human. Was bowling Mark Turner against Leiestershire a mistake? Is bowling your opening bowler ever a mistake? Last year the lad was a star performer in limited overs cricket for Somerset, bowling key overs at the death. His bowling is erratic, for sure, but I think he was pretty much left to get on with things at Somerset and needs bowling in matches to augment his coaching and net work. You learn by mistakes. Yes, we should have won from the position we were in from five overs out against the Foxes, but poor bowling and inspired batting combined to take it away from us. It happens, it's cricket, move on.

Finally, for now, any comments about Morris, Brown and Chris Grant will be removed from now on. There may be legal issues to consider and I am not planning to be cited, especially when a comment comes from someone unwilling to put a name to their post.

Sorry, but that's the way it has to be. Constructive comment and expressions of disappointment are one thing. Personal suggestions of how things might be improved are fine. But no personal attacks guys - its not nice and its not clever.

See you tomorrow.

3 comments:

  1. A great shame Redfern couldn,t get that final run,but a good effort nevertheless. Clare did really well. It shows he is capable and something i hope we see more often.

    Like you say peakfan, we need a good first session tomorrow and we are in the driving seat. Lets hope it happens.

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  2. I was pleased for Mark Turner yesterday, he batted really well at No. 11, and with John Clare put on a record 10th wicket stand against Glamorgan! From staring down the barrel at 95/6 it ended up being a great day!!

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