County Championship: Win over Sussex can provide end of season momentum for Derbyshire

Derbyshire’s Ben Slater (66*) scored a fine half-century in the chase against Sussex along with Wayne Madsen (62)

In the upcoming fixtures for Derbyshire, we have Middlesex to play at home, then massive games against Surrey and Somerset away, before finishing at the County Ground with games against Durham and Warwickshire.

With three home games you have three result pitches, and we have to prepare wickets that offer us a chance of the points, while not falling foul of pitch inspectors.

I’ll not suggest that we’re going to escape relegation at this stage, as seven defeats this summer tell a tale of a fragile underbelly to this side on far too many occasions for comfort.

Yet with the win over Sussex, and more importantly the manner in which it was achieved against a good side, suggests that our demotion need not be the foregone conclusion that it has appeared for the past few weeks. The manner in which the young players went out, playing without fear and with considerable pride, suggests that we could yet escape the end of season shake up.

The key? Keeping players fit, going out and playing purposeful cricket as we did last year and seeing what happens. We need continued good form from the skipper and for Shiv to reach his very best, at the same time as the youngsters go out and play their game.

I’d like to see Wes Durston get some form between times and swapping him in for Richard Johnson would be my only change for the next championship match. Unless Palladino, Clare and Turner regain form and/or fitness, Matt Higginbottom should also keep his place in a young side that bodes well for the future.

If the senior players produce the goods as they did here (take a bow, Timmy G), who knows?

Postscript – It was good to see Albie Morkel tweeting congratulations to Groenewald on his bowling today. With Martin Guptill also maintaining a close interest, the Derbyshire ‘family’ is alive and well. It should stand them in good stead in the coming weeks.