Musing on Ben Slater's maiden century for Derbyshire

Ben Slater of Derbyshire batting during the LV County Championship – Division One match between Derbyshire and Surrey at The County Ground

It was no real surprise to see Ben Slater made his first century for Derbyshire‘s first team today, as it is patently obvious that the lad can play.

He looks to score at every opportunity, plays the ball on its merits and doesn’t over-complicate things. It probably helped him to have Wes Durston in there at the start of his innings, but both he and Alex Hughes did their prospects no harm whatsoever. They will face tougher opposition in the years ahead, but at any one time you can only face the opposition in front of you.

Hughes is another busy cricketer who has a lot to offer. He is a bustling bowler who in the right conditions will cause problems and is a batsman with a good range of strokes. I suspect in time his batting will be his stronger suit and the bowling will be a useful asset, especially in one-day games, but he is a bubbly character with a very good attitude. I think he will go a long way when he gets greater opportunities.

Slater’s next goal will be a full contract with the county, but after good runs for Chesterfield and the Seconds this summer, one would hope that this is a formality. With Peter Burgoyne, they make up an impressive triumvirate of local talent.

There was less good news for others needing a score. Billy Godleman batted pretty well, but got out before reaching fifty, while Paul Borrington will be disappointed with his early dismissal. So too will Dan Redfern, who is out of sorts right now and some way from the player who made giant strides forward last summer. He is more than capable of coming back, but needs to be prepared to work at his game and reduce the loose shots that are costing him dearly at present. His way of playing, like David Gower a few years back, looks glorious when he is in full flight, but careless when he’s not and perhaps a little restraint is needed.

More tomorrow, when we should have had a pretty good day if today was anything to go by.