County Cricket: Day 2 beckons

Not long now until day 2 of the game begins and I hope that the BBC website is in better fettle than yesterday. I actually went onto their site last night and complained about it, and also the digital text scorecards on TV. For older people – my Dad being a classic example – the text on TV is the only way to keep up to date with scores as they happen.

At 85, he has no interest in learning about computers and for him, Twitter is something that birds do. His bemused call last night about the scores prompted my complaint and I’d urge anyone else to do so until they sort it. ‘Madsen c Chopra’ and so on down the order, with no bowler name and no individual score is hopeless.

Speaking of which, I awoke this morning to more mails and comments regarding our local radio station’s resident cricket analyst (ahem…). None were in favour, some patently vitriolic. I think Radio Derby really needs to rethink its strategy, because, if he can’t cope with the action in a more sedate county game, he’s going to struggle in the one-day stuff. To be honest – and I say this as the most passionate Derbyshire fan you could ever meet – I won’t listen to the commentaries when he’s on. I’m on the late shift this week at work, so thankfully missed it, but if you can confuse Tom Poynton and Chesney Hughes, which I’m told happened yesterday, then it’s not an encouraging sign.

I’m not going to labour the point over Charles Collins, but suffice to say that I’ll get more from following scores on Cricinfo than listening in, which is about the worst indictment I can think of.

In closing, BBC Breakfast name-checked Derbyshire yesterday and wished us luck – on national TV, no less – and showed a ball from the game today! Sadly, ’twas a ball that Billy Godleman let go through to the wicket-keeper, not the greatest advert for the start of another season. Viewers were then teased with the news that legendary cricket ‘commentator’ Dickie Bird is on tomorrow.

Are they deliberately trying to upset us?

More later. Work beckons.