Andrew Gale: Liability!

A big congratulations is extended to Derbyshire for a thoroughly-deserved victory against their northern neighbours. Wes Durston in particular merits a "mention in dispatches" on account of his excellent bowling figures which I feel are sadly becoming an increasing rarity in these slogfest times. Durston then got the Falcons' reply off to a blitzkrieg start, courtesy of a six off the second ball of the innings.

As for the hapless Vikings, defeat against the northern group's bottom team is a stark reminder of just how good the Vikings truly are. Admittedly, Finch was injured and three other squad players were in the bosom of the Ashes squad. However the Vikings will remain inadequate as long as they stubbornly persist with the futile policy of allowing weak link Andrew Gale to foolishly open the batting. To make matters worse, James Middlebrook gets overlooked even though he is one of the few players capable of avoiding a scalping from opposition batsmen. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of young Josh Shaw who has been an unmitigated liability in his two outings. The Vikings now need to win their three remaining fixtures and hope that other results go in their favour. I think that they are firmly in 'clutching at straws' territory. It's perhaps cruel to scapegoat one individual, but as long as Andrew Gale bats higher up the order than the dynamic Bairstow and the consistent Leaning, then the Vikings are doomed to failure. To repeat this selection mistake time and again is the very embodiment of Einstein's definition of madness.

Derbyshire Falcons versus YORKSHIRE VIKINGS; at Chesterfield; Sunday July the twelfth. Derbyshire Falcons won the toss.

YORKSHIRE VIKINGS: 146 for nine (off twenty overs)

Rashid st Poynton b Durston 7 (10-1)

Gale b Durston 5 (16-3)

Lees b Durston 1 (12-2)

Bairstow c Rimmington b Cork 22 (80-4)

Maxwell b Thakor 45 (88-5)

Leaning lbw b Thakor 37 (140-7)

Bresnan c Knight b Rimmington 4 (103-6)

Plunkett c substitute fielder b Thakor 17 (146-9)

Rhodes run out (Thakor) 0 (140-8)

Shaw not out 0

Extras: 8

Durston 4-0-14-3; Thakor 4-0-34-3

Derbyshire Falcons: 150 for six (off 18.5 overs)

Durston b Fisher 11 (17-1)

Rutherford c and b Plunkett 40 (72-3)

C.Hughes lbw b Maxwell 8 (40-2)

Thakor run out (Fisher) 10 (89-4)

Madsen c Bairstow b Bresnan 41 (130-5)

Godleman run out (Bresnan) 14 (130-6)

A. Hughes not out 19

Poynton not out 0

Extras: 7

Derbyshire Falcons win by four wickets. Derbyshire Falcons two points, YORKSHIRE VIKINGS no points.