If today was a pivotal one in the 2012 county season, then from a Derbyshire perspective tomorrow is the Champions League, World Cup and FA Cup final in one.
If we can clinch a win tomorrow they will move to a 26 point lead with four games to play. While those commenting on yesterday were unimpressed by the day's events, today the team buckled down and showed just why they are top of the table.
Of course, we still need 127 runs tomorrow and the loss of a couple of early wickets might set nerves jangling. Yet today the side turned around a game that seemed beyond them at the close on Friday and they may yet achieve one of the more remarkable wins in our history. It reminded me of a similar win over Lancashire in the Barlow era and the way that the batsmen knuckled down in our second innings suggested that some harsh words had been spoken and a greater application of common sense was being applied.
I'll count no chickens till we get to that target tomorrow, but despite resolute batting in the second innings it was a day for Tony Palladino, who pulled us back into the game with a performance worthy of an Olympic gold medal. As someone commented below yesterday's piece, there's little wrong with our seam bowling and we just need greater consistency from the batsmen to take us across the finishing line of the season. Palladino is a gem and the merits of saving his legs in the T20 was evident today. Career-best figures and a fine display has to be seen as an Eddie Barlow moment...
It's funny, yesterday we were all hoping for rain to save us in this one. Now we're all hoping for three hours or so of dry weather to perhaps force a win. All eyes will be on Derby tomorrow and let's just hope for more of the same. Durston and Khawaja have done well so far and need to take us closer to the target as the senior batsman and overseas player. With a longer tail than usual, there is still a lot to do.
Just as long as Tom Holdcroft says nothing about us going fine in his excellent Twitter feed...he's been responsible for more wickets this summer than Tony Palladino...
I'm commenting very late tonight due to a combination of celebrating great Olympics achievements after a day at Derby and chewing on a mouthful of my own words from last night.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to believe that the team I saw today could possibly have been responsible for the second day debacle. It was a great performance, and what stood out for me was batting that was prepared to work with the conditions and respect the bowling, rather than trying to dominate them, as seems to have been the case on day 2. One phrase that came back to me was the Twitter comment back in May by Benny Howells of Gloucestershire to the effect that "I'm not sure that Derbyshire are good enough to be so arrogant" immediately before they bowled us out for 95. Perhaps this, rather than the quality of players, has been the key to our recent poor batting, and today, there was a greater degree of humility that made sure we played within our limitations.
Even so, 127 is still a long way off tomorrow, not least because more than half the wickets in the match have fallen in the pre-lunch sessions, (18 against 14 after lunch) at an average of 14 per wicket compared to 30 after lunch. Apply the averages and we're going to be 252-8 at lunch tomorrow, so there still needs to be something very special to win this.
My highlight of the day, however, was Johnson's catch to dismiss Key, standing up to Palladino. I think Bob Taylor would have been purring at the sharpness and purity of the take, and for me it put an end to any question about Johnson's value to us.
Have to say I knocked the lads after day 2, asking whether promotion this year would be too much too soon.
ReplyDeleteWhat a difference a day makes. If the lads can finish it off today then who knows - I for one am unsure what to make of it all!!!
I said i wasn,t going yesterday,but once we started to get amongst them I couldn,t resist,in spite of having no car and an £9 taxi fee. Money well spent though.
ReplyDeleteNot for the first time the bowlers have worked a bit of magic and pulled us back from the brink. For the first time in a while,the batsmen seem to have decided to give them a helping hand.
Palladino bowled an excellent spell and whilst Kent certainly contributed to their own downfall,take nothing away from the lad. He was superb. As much as I dislike him,Key batted very well and proved what could be achieved with a little application.
We should reach our target before lunch,all things being equal,but the chickens are still under lock and key at the moment. The forecast is not great so we must try and get the job done as quickly as possible without being reckless.
It was important to start well and pleasing we managed to do just that. It was a shame Lineker couldn,t have bagged a few more,but his engine is beginning to fire after a spluttering start. When he gets in he looks as good as anyone and if he can now turn some promising starts into something more tangible I think we may have a very good player on our hands.
Durston and Khawaja kept things ticking over nicely and made batting look quite easy. If they can both double their scores we are home and dry. Let us hope it stays dry long enough to complete the task.
I must also mention Johnson,s catch which got rid of Key. Stunning is not an adequate word.
ReplyDeleteSuperb comeback from the boys. Don't think anyone would have believed it after the second day and to chase that target on the 4th day is no mean feat. Hopefully that gives us the momentum to keep on going to the end of the season - Well done Derbyshire!
ReplyDeleteLike others, I have to eat my words!
ReplyDeleteAn amazing victory! Well done, lads!
Let's keep on the same track for the rest of the season,
A penny for Mr Key's thoughts this afternoon!
rev keith
Kent must also be kicking themselves after their last two matches. They've dropped 29 points in their last two matches, by failing to finish off Hampshire when they couldn't taake the last wicket, and now allowing Derbyshire to take this one from under their noses. If they'd won both games, they would have been first on 144 points, 14 ahead of us and 24 ahead of Yorkshire.
ReplyDeleteGood for our chances to note that both Yorkshire and Kent, whatever their other strengths, seem to struggle to finish off games they've dominated, and if it continues the same way, one more win will seal promotion for us. But please, no more frights like the second day.