[JonB]

Bushy, on 17 June 2013 - 08:35 AM, said:

I'd be surprised if Ashover don't get promoted this season. I know nothing about Langley Mill 2nds, but I'd be surprised if they are any better than the side Ashover are turning out. Good seam bowling unit and probably the best batsman in the lower leagues. Just needs some inspired leadership from Parkin.

Langley Mill 2nds are going through one of those spells where a first team doing well is meaning the 2nds are quite strong. Noticed Tullett got some runs for them the other week. Think we play them a week on Saturday...could be a big game. Batsman you mention i assume is Russ, kept hearing about him but this season is first time i've actually seen him play. Certainly seems to be a very good player but at the same time there are two or three very good young lads in the batting line up as well that are capable of scoring runs. As for Parkin so far this season he has been an excellent ******...he's away next weekend but we plan to get him to make the call for the coin by phone to keep his run going.

Cartman, on 17 June 2013 - 08:39 AM, said:

never thought Denby was that great to be honest

plenty of places just as good if not better

For overall setup and facilities there isnt much that betters it. Yes there are arguably some nicer pavilions, some nicer grounds in terms of the surroundings but in terms of facilities its excellent. Good wicket and outfields on two senior grounds, a separate junior ground, quality practice nets, the pavilion is good with the bar area etc and one time we were there we found more stuff dumped in the hedge between the two grounds than we had at the Cross!! We found a scorebox, set of covers, netting and, randomly, two canoes!!

[Cartman]

Bushy, on 17 June 2013 - 08:56 AM, said:

I've never played at Lullington before, although I hear it's very good.

Some decent shouts there. I'm not much of a ground snob like some people seem to be, you struggle to be one when you play at Cutthorpe.

Still prefer Denby over most of those. The exception being the Notts sides actually. I'd forgotten about MHM, decent set up there as well.

I'm not a ground snob at all, which is why I don't understand why people get all worked up about how good places like Denby are

Playing for Holmewood, Bolsover and Clay Cross also means you can't be snobby about grounds

Although the setup we have at Holmewood now rivals most in the league (big pavilion, good changing rooms, outdoor nets, half decent pitch and playing area, bar etc etc) - far cry from when I first played for the club

[JonB]

Cartman, on 17 June 2013 - 08:46 AM, said:

they have 2 grounds but changing rooms not big enough for that (2nd pich changing rooms are a portacabin)

half decent bar area (not big enough for 4 teams to have tea in really)

just nothing special about it

better grounds: (in my opinion)

Ockbrook
Sandiacre
Chesterfield
Langley Mill
Welbeck
Mansfield Hoisery Mills
Cuckney
Lullington Park
Elvaston
Staveley
and several more

The playing areas have obviously progressed a lot quicker than the pavilion but plans, i believe, are in place for a new pavilion that would be for both grounds and obviously be bigger to do this.

Your list has some that are picked on what i mentioned above but none of them match Denby in terms of overall setup. From it only Welbeck, Cuckney and MHM come close to what Denby have and they've done it with massive help from either lottery funding or new grounds from building developments and possibly Lullington but i've not been there for years and when we played at Eckington the other week their first team got back and were slating the place...although they had been stuffed!!

[JonB]

Cartman, on 17 June 2013 - 09:00 AM, said:

I'm not a ground snob at all, which is why I don't understand why people get all worked up about how good places like Denby are

Playing for Holmewood, Bolsover and Clay Cross also means you can't be snobby about grounds

Although the setup we have at Holmewood now rivals most in the league (big pavilion, good changing rooms, outdoor nets, half decent pitch and playing area, bar etc etc) - far cry from when I first played for the club

I have grounds i dont enjoy visiting but it tends to be because of bad games there or like this weekend we are at Ambergate and its nothing about the facilities etc there but the fact every time i play there it seems to either rain so we're on and off or we play through rain. As you say with playing for Clay Cross for so long its hard to be a ground snob when all and sundry turn up and slag the place off.

Both the Cross and Holmewood made massive strides over the last 5/10 years with the new facilities at Holmewood whilst the cross got the main ground up to Grade A plus the second ground. In the 20 years i've been playing however grounds all round the league have got a lot better in the majority and the ground standards the league have in place, whilst ridiculed at times, have a lot to do with this.

The only downside to this is that younger players today are expecting more and like you used to find with the big clubs kids rolling up to play Spital at Hasland Park if they havent got 2 square acre dressing rooms and sightscreens like the great wall of china they think its crap. Think some of the Welbeck were being arses up at Ashover yesterday...i was only there for half hour and decided at least half the Welbeck side were complete prats!!

This post has been edited by JonB: 17 June 2013 - 09:12 AM

[Cartman]

JonB, on 17 June 2013 - 09:05 AM, said:

The playing areas have obviously progressed a lot quicker than the pavilion but plans, i believe, are in place for a new pavilion that would be for both grounds and obviously be bigger to do this.

Your list has some that are picked on what i mentioned above but none of them match Denby in terms of overall setup. From it only Welbeck, Cuckney and MHM come close to what Denby have and they've done it with massive help from either lottery funding or new grounds from building developments and possibly Lullington but i've not been there for years and when we played at Eckington the other week their first team got back and were slating the place...although they had been stuffed!!

don't agree at all - overall setup? you mean 2 pitches, some nets, a junior ground and a pavillion?

plenty of places have most of that (and the junior ground isn't really needed is it!)

and 2 pitches isn't that much of a big deal is it? and as you say, the changing facilities have not kept up with the building of 2 grounds and until they improve them I don't think you can claim the 'overall setup' is amazing

in fact, if you play on the second ground the setup is poor

[Cartman]

JonB, on 17 June 2013 - 09:10 AM, said:

I have grounds i dont enjoy visiting but it tends to be because of bad games there or like this weekend we are at Ambergate and its nothing about the facilities etc there but the fact every time i play there it seems to either rain so we're on and off or we play through rain. As you say with playing for Clay Cross for so long its hard to be a ground snob when all and sundry turn up and slag the place off.

Both the Cross and Holmewood made massive strides over the last 5/10 years with the new facilities at Holmewood whilst the cross got the main ground up to Grade A plus the second ground. In the 20 years i've been playing however grounds all round the league have got a lot better in the majority and the ground standards the league have in place, whilst ridiculed at times, have a lot to do with this.

The only downside to this is that younger players today are expecting more and like you used to find with the big clubs kids rolling up to play Spital at Hasland Park if they havent got 2 square acre dressing rooms and sightscreens like the great wall of china they think its crap. Think some of the Welbeck were being arses up at Ashover yesterday...i was only there for half hour and decided at least half the Welbeck side were complete prats!!

yep, playing for Spital at Hasland Park I always used to laugh when some kid from Welbeck/Edwinstowe/MHM etc used to walk into bat and ask for the non existent sight screens to be moved - very witty some of these youngsters!

kids are spoilt these days!

[Bushy]

Cartman, on 17 June 2013 - 09:14 AM, said:

don't agree at all - overall setup? you mean 2 pitches, some nets, a junior ground and a pavillion?

Who else has this? Of the Derbyshire based grounds you listed earlier I'd say, none. (Lullington may have as I've never been there)

[JonB]

Cartman, on 17 June 2013 - 09:14 AM, said:

don't agree at all - overall setup? you mean 2 pitches, some nets, a junior ground and a pavillion?

plenty of places have most of that (and the junior ground isn't really needed is it!)

and 2 pitches isn't that much of a big deal is it? and as you say, the changing facilities have not kept up with the building of 2 grounds and until they improve them I don't think you can claim the 'overall setup' is amazing

in fact, if you play on the second ground the setup is poor

If you have more than two teams then two grounds is a massive boost hence why a lot of clubs have done it recently. More folk at the ground meaning more money into the club and not having to pay out to other clubs\councils to hire grounds. Whilst you may think the junior ground isnt needed they still have it and means the other grounds are under less pressure. I suspect Denby have loads of junior teams that would place more pressure on the wickets on the two grounds.

Not sure that many have two grounds next to each other currently. I can think of :-

Denby
Ockbrook
Spondon
Clay Cross
Duffield
Lullington

Probably a few of the other southern clubs have it as well but not been to a lot of them. As you say there are probably a few nicer places to play than Denby when you think of nice pavilions, actual playing areas, ground surroundings etc...i just think that overall, everything taken into consideration there arent a lot that match Denby.

[Cartman]

Bushy, on 17 June 2013 - 09:17 AM, said:

Who else has this? Of the Derbyshire based grounds you listed earlier I'd say, none. (Lullington may have as I've never been there)

as I say, the junior pitch means nothing

2 grounds next to each other and decent facilities:

Derbyshire:
Ockbrook
Nutbrook

Notts:
Cuckney
Welbeck
Notts and Arnold Amateurs

and to be honest I don't see the great thing about 2 grounds next to each other, one pitch and good facilities means a good ground I reckon!

2 grounds and 3rd and 4th teams is what is helping kill the traditional clubs as players (especially juniors) are attracted to the bigger clubs

in 10 or 20 years time I wouldn't be surprised if the league is just made up of several massive clubs all with 8 or 9 teams each!

[JonB]

Cartman, on 17 June 2013 - 09:30 AM, said:

as I say, the junior pitch means nothing

2 grounds next to each other and decent facilities:

Derbyshire:
Ockbrook
Nutbrook

Notts:
Cuckney
Welbeck
Notts and Arnold Amateurs

and to be honest I don't see the great thing about 2 grounds next to each other, one pitch and good facilities means a good ground I reckon!

2 grounds and 3rd and 4th teams is what is helping kill the traditional clubs as players (especially juniors) are attracted to the bigger clubs

in 10 or 20 years time I wouldn't be surprised if the league is just made up of several massive clubs all with 8 or 9 teams each!

Never played at Nutbrook so not actually sure what its like there. Thing with two grounds next to each other is the buzz around a club when two clubs are at home, income to the club from 44 players plus umpires, spectators over the day. Also you've missed the point i've been making...i didnt say good ground but good facilities. There are numerous one ground places i probably prefer playing at to Denby but i was making a point about how the overall facilities there are up there as the best in Derbyshire.

Unfortunately these days kids will want to play at clubs where they can play in the top couple of divisions and this is going to mean the big clubs. As clubs grow from this better facilities are required and as such you see second grounds and alike. Other clubs need to build how they can or unfortunately they wont last. That said aside from a top few clubs the rest tend to go in cycles...Cross are an example of this as they built up over a number of years, facilities went with it, finished 4th in Div 1, unfortunately players packed up or got tempted away and now they are having to build again.

At the top level its not really local club cricket any more with high class overseas, county players, county academy players, folk on decent money etc and clubs need to do things to try and sustain this. Even get folk getting paid down in Divs 2, 3 and 4 which is just plain barmy!!

This post has been edited by JonB: 17 June 2013 - 09:45 AM

[HistoricWarwick]

This week's county champ game is a big one. A real opportunity playing Somerset at home considering their form is little better than ours. Hypothetically it is also possible to get off the bottom which would make a real difference.

[clarevoyant.]

JonB, on 10 June 2013 - 10:57 AM, said:

TO be honest i think whatever the league did it wasnt going to be the right decision in someones eyes. I think the league have to assume that all clubs are above that sort of thing and make decisions that gets folk out on the pitch where possible. I think with the majority of grounds in the DCCL these days a lack of work over a few days wouldnt lead to something which sounded like you got that day...thats down to a complete lack of work over a period of time.

To be honest with their history if anyone was going to try said trick it could well be them...this is the side that allegedly a bloke batted twice for wearing different kit and a helmet and started one season on -256 points after playing two overseas all the season before i think it was. They have been trying to clean up the club for a while now but the ringer stories surfaced again last season when some youth who had scored next to no runs all season suddenly whacked 100 off about 40 balls at Sandiacre!!

Interesting team Aston had a run in with them a few years ago in the cup they had players turning up in taxies from leicester on the day and they where not well known amongst their team mates (fellow nationals may be more accurate) However they beat us but the umpires weren't happy but nothing happened. In the next round they beat Langley Mill but this time the powers that be investigated and did the traditional County League thing and reinstated Langley Mill

[JonB]

Wasn't long back they were warned about their place in the league following numerous indiscretions! Players and their eligibility has always been a thorn in their side.

[clarevoyant.]

JonB, on 17 June 2013 - 04:12 PM, said:

Wasn't long back they were warned about their place in the league following numerous indiscretions! Players and their eligibility has always been a thorn in their side.

However when I think of Aston 2 things come to mind
1/ cracking a four which was instantaneously followed by a tremendous roar of appreciation, pity it was from a monsters of rock festival (possibly) at Donnington

2/ trying to defrost an onion bhaji over my cup of tea

[dalekpete]

JonB, on 17 June 2013 - 09:21 AM, said:

Not sure that many have two grounds next to each other currently. I can think of :-

Denby
Ockbrook
Spondon
Clay Cross
Duffield
Lullington

I've played at Caythorpe where I was astonished to find we were on the "posh side" rather than the pitch only considerably better than what we were used to...

[Westbars Spireite]

Walton Dam would be excellent if we ever get the grants we need for a new pavilion/bar.

[Cartman]

need the Convicts to score 60 odd more so we avoid India in the Semi finals

and more importantly so I can watch England all day on my day off on Wednesday

[JonB]

Westbars Spireite, on 17 June 2013 - 05:00 PM, said:

Walton Dam would be excellent if we ever get the grants we need for a new pavilion/bar.

Clay Cross in a similar position...if they could get the money for the pavilion between the two grounds then it would be a very good setting.

[JonB]

Tweet from the derbyshire chairman following on from one confirming chanderpaul won't be returning for the Caribbean premier league. Be interesting to see who this will be :-

@Studento11: @derbyshireccc We will also hopefully be announcing our second T20 overseas signing in the next day or so. Quality T20 specialist

[Westbars Spireite]

We need someone who can clear the ropes and bowl a few overs.