The Derbyshire way: A bumpy ride ahead

Mark Footitt (C) of Derbyshire celebrates with team mates after taking the wicket of Durham’s Will Smith

Safely ensconced in the bosom of my family, I settled down last night to read a few comments from supporters regarding recent events and came across one that I’ve seen used before but realised, for the first time, that it really annoys me.

“This will be a test of our ambition”, wrote a correspondent on the Forum, referring to the news of Mark Footitt wishing to speak to other counties. That comment always hacks me off and if you stick with me and settle down I will tell you why.

Chris Grant and Simon Storey are men who have made a massive success of their careers elsewhere and have been rewarded for their talents and success accordingly. Both are working tirelessly on our behalf, one without remuneration and the other for considerably less than he would get in the industry where he made a name for himself.

Why are they doing it? Because they care, because the want to make something special at the county and because they want to ‘give back’. I’m grateful to both that they expend such energy on the behalf of a club that is far from affluent, is one of the smallest in the country and has a small  – but let’s say fairly vocal fan base.

The latter is fine. Opinions are great. They make the world an interesting place, they get us talking and they open up communication with people who you previously never knew existed. Yet opinions should always be backed up by fact, which is the crux of today’s little piece.

To suggest that the gentlemen named above are not ambitious is insulting. You could add the name of Karl Krikken in there too. All of them want to see Derbyshire taking a regular place at the game’s top table, not just visiting it to take a few things home in a goodie bag, as we may end up doing this season.

In a brief tenure they have done remarkably well. Promotion in a first full season, fighting to the very last game to avoid a heavily predicted drop the next. The wider cricket world is now aware that something special is happening at Derbyshire. Early on in the season we were overawed and outclassed too regularly for comfort and condescending comments showered on to us like confetti at a County Ground marquee wedding. We were upstarts and should know our place.

The last few weeks we have given good teams a bloody nose and changed perceptions. We have won three games, two against very good sides and have seen some young lads with very bright futures emerge. Sure, there have been disappointments too. There have been team selections that some of us have disagreed with, albeit without being in full possession of the facts from a fitness/availability standpoint.

We’re entitled to make such comments, while acknowledging that the one man, who is paid to get them right, has made his decision based on the facts and full knowledge of them, not just supposition and personal preference.

Mistakes have been made. Karl Krikken might well agree that he got an occasional team selection wrong (be honest, who doesn’t?) We have dropped crucial catches and missed out on bonus points by a couple of runs when a little more savvy wouldn’t have gone amiss. I think we also made a mistake in giving three-year contracts to players in the euphoria of the championship win that were a season too long in most cases.

Why? Because most were unproven at top level and some have been found wanting. Some may come back stronger, but for those who can’t, we still have them for two more years, unless we pay them off, which costs money. Realistically, as the case of Ross Whiteley proves, they’re of dubious merit anyway, if someone can walk away mid-season because he doesn’t get his own way.For the record, the club’s action in that instance was 100% correct in my opinion.

Of course, Derbyshire are ambitious. That’s why we secured the services of those championship-winning players last year. Yet a cursory glance at the staff tells you that Clare, Redfern, Durston and Godleman are currently out of the picture on senior player contracts. A club with our size of playing budget can ill-afford this, especially when the likes of Slater and Higginbottom need to have their contract situation addressed this winter and we all know that there are areas need strengthening.