Derbyshire update: The return of the all-rounder

Chesney Hughes

More good news for Derbyshire today, with the return of a very useful all-rounder for next season.

Yes. Chesney Hughes has successfully come through an operation on his shoulder and should be fit in time to play a full part in next season with bat and ball. We missed Chesney’s left arm ‘darts’ this year, especially in one-day cricket, when he often brings an element of control with balls fired in at the batsman’s feet, as well as greater variation than some might give him credit for.

I expect to see him drop down the order next summer and he would be a good asset to us at five or six, able to offer useful variety with the ball, alongside whoever is selected as first-choice spinner. Slowly but surely the squad is being tweaked and a team for next summer is taking shape.

I’ve seen a few comments and had several mails about the Ben Slater ‘situation’ and most are critical about the decision. On first hearing of the situation, I was inclined to agree, but after due consideration I don’t think that it’s necessarily as clear cut as that. I think Slater is a talented prospect who may yet end up signed for 2014, but as I wrote last night we may be erring on the side of caution to see what other options are out there.

Few fans would argue that an experienced opening batsman would be of immense value to our side next summer, nor disagree that such a player would not come cheap. As Karl Krikken said last night, sometimes tough decisions have to be made.

At the same time, it would be patently unfair to assume that such professional people as Krikken and Chris Grant, both of who want Derbyshire success with even greater passion than we do, would willingly let first Ross Whiteley, then Dan Redfern and now Slater leave in a period of three months.

Other factors must be coming into play. We know that Whiteley’s desire to go to Australia this winter and the club’s reluctance to allow him to do so led to the impasse that saw his departure. For all his talent, the club’s hand was forced and for me, the right decision was made.

I’m not going into the realm of supposition over Redfern’s release, but logic suggests that the club again had little choice, for whatever reason. Why else would they allow a player with two years remaining on a contract, one in who they had invested perhaps ten years of time and money, to leave? He had a disappointing summer for sure, but only last year looked on top of his game.

Which brings us to Slater. A player out of contract, who 90% of supporters probably expected to see signed. We know that the playing budget is tight and that we need another opening batsman of greater experience – is the player’s agent perhaps placing an unrealistic value on his services? I assume that Slater, like most players, has one and, if nothing else, it has to be considered a possibility.

I’m a firm believer in common sense and logic. These tell me that laying the blame squarely at the feet of club officials may not simply be unfair. It could be wrong.

I could be wrong too, but there are always two sides to every story – including this one.