Derbyshire cricket: Of batsman's loss of runs and coach's gripe

There’s a couple of talking points around Derbyshire cricket tonight. One is the form of Billy Godleman, while the other is the possibility that the ECB could take action against Karl Krikken for comments made yesterday after the Surrey game.

Let’s start with that one. Krikk suggested that decisions were going against Derbyshire because we are a ‘small town club’ and cited a couple of ‘nailed on’ lbw shouts against Ricky Ponting soon after he completed a fifty. These were because of the latter’s standing in the game, according to the Derbyshire head coach and followed poor decisions at Headingley, when we lost to Yorkshire.

I can understand his frustration after a difficult start to the season when he will be feeling under pressure. He’s a good and able man who can only do so much, the rest being up to the players. That’s all any coach can do, provide some technical assistance, a shoulder to cry on when needed, a kick up the backside at times, words of encouragement at others and an environment in which a positive team mentality can flourish.

What he can’t do is go into the middle then bat and bowl for them. As Denis Smith, the old Derbyshire coach was fond of saying, you can’t hold their hand in the middle, where it is an unforgiving place. Weaknesses, both mental and technical, will be worked on by opponents and it is very much survival of the fittest. To a great extent Derbyshire’s players have been found wanting this summer.

It is not through lack of effort, nor poor attitude, but some of our players have had rude awakenings. Few of them have played at top level before, so can have had no real appreciation of what was waiting for them. I will admit to not fully appreciating the gulf between the two divisions and thought that we would handle the step up more easily than has been the case.

With limited resources we signed two available – note that word – players in the close season. One of them, Richard Johnson, has been a reasonable success, keeping well and batting steadily. He made a good fist of his last innings against Surrey, although it could equally be said that on that wicket Tom Poynton may have done as well with the opportunity.

Billy Godleman, however, has struggled. His run of scores this year goes 2, 55, 3, 31, 1, 2, 9, 26, 5, 17 and 28. I cautioned a few months back that he may not find northern tracks to his liking and he has struggled to adapt, the only fifty coming on his old ground at Lords, made while men grew beards and women weary. It gives me no pleasure to point this out, but the question remains that if one substituted his name for Paul Borrington, would people have been so understanding? Would he have remained in the side?

I don’t think so and Krikken has a tough call. On the one hand he wants to retain his winter signing, the best available, the one we could afford, but on the other, everything suggests he is pulled from the firing line to join Redfern, Whiteley and Poynton in rediscovering form in the Seconds.The difficulty is that there are so many guys out of nick that we’ve effectively run out of replacements. There’s Ben Slater, Alex Hughes and…er, that’s it, unless Dave Houghton is going to be registered as a player…

Slater deserves a run in the side and, based on his two composed knocks in the YB40, Borrington should perhaps get a chance too. That would leave a good middle order and allow Chesney Hughes the chance to drop down to a preferred role there. No doubt the cynics will be out in force at that comment, but Boz is unlikely to produce worse returns.

I really hope that Billy Godleman comes good. I would like nothing more than to see him go on a run spree in the second half of the championship summer and fully justify his signing. Right now though, I think the lad needs a spell in the seconds and a chance to get some form under his belt.

As for Karl Krikken, I hope that the ECB appreciate that this committed bloke is guilty of nothing more than wearing his heart on his sleeve. Poor decisions happen in cricket and over the piece tend to even out.

We’re owed one or two now. That’s all.