Story The Derbyshire Chronicals [C2005]

[Bala]

The Nets @ the practice grounds of the Phantoms.

Balaji is making the way towards the dressing room after another strenous session.

Charlie McKeown of SKY catches up with him.

CM: Hi Balaji!

RB: Hi Charlie! I still get stuck with you right! (feigns frustration!)

CM: Thats right! You dont send young women in mini skirts to interview a rookie (Laughs riotously)

RB: (laughing) Ok! lets get down to boring stuff!

CM: Yup! the main business I am here for! Right then! Good performance over the last season by the team.

RB: Good is probably an understatement! SUPER would suffice nicely

CM: Yeah! You had a couple of great games in the close season as well!

RB: Too right I did! I scored nearly 250 runs in that match. Hell it was more than the total runs I scored in my career before the match.

CM: Yeah! A previous best of 21

RB: I was relieved to cross that score. I was fearing a jinx in that number.

CM: Bowling's picked up!

RB: Yup! Now opening the bowling instead of the support stuff. Love that brand new cherry in the hand!

CM: a couple of 5-fors!

RB: Gunning for a couple of 10-fors in this season

CM: In an innings?

RB: I would love that! But we do have some real good attack force and the new kids on the block are good as well.

CM: Competition in the allrounder department!

RB: Loving it already! Briggsey(Shaun Briggs) will be a revelation this season. Mark my words

CM: Tossing a few tricks to him?

RB: Yeah! He is a brick when trying out new stuff! and gives the ball a good tonk with the bat as well.

CM: Lets get down to the big question, change of skipper?

RB: Rob did a great job last season, kept the wicket well and scored heavily. He literally burnt himself out and this I believe will merely be a sabbatical. He should come back by next season though!

CM: What?

RB: Yup! I am trying to change his mind over the retirement. but he's done a pretty job as a selector though!

CM: Last Q! Molloy as captain?

RB: Why not?

CM: I get the answer! So all the very best for the season

RB: Yup! we are all confident and confidence will work wonders!

CM: Thanks Balaji!

RB: Oh! and Charlie! I would appreciate if that young blonde, I saw the other day would do fine for the interviews. A rookie for a rookie seems just fine. (Mutters to himself: And this old geezer comes under my nose every time!)

CM: Whatever!

RB: Cheers!

 

[S_Harmison]

---------------

Mark Nicholas, obviously looking for more interviews, is hanging around outside Derbyshires new indoor nets facilities when he spots one of the players from last season and this years newly named captain Blaine Molloy comming out, he runs over for a quick chat;

MN: Blaine, are you okay?

BM: Yea, hows it going Mark?

MN: Good Thankyou, i hope you dont mind if i ask you a few questions, no? O.K. Firstly, do you think that your place as an opener is under threat because of the fact that there is so much young talent in the squad?

BM: Obviously there is talent there but i am confident in my own ability, i played pretty well pre-season, averaging 60.40 in which i top scored with 331no and last season i took 8 wickets for 143 runs from 191 balls after playing 4 matches. This year will be a big test for me as it is my first season as captain.

MN: Congratulations on that, it must be a dream come true for you?

BM: Obviously i was delighted, i got the call from Richie a week ago and it made me so proud to have been chosen as i am a local lad, born and bred in Derby, it means a lot to me to captain such a good team of lads.

MN: What are your asperations in terms of the teams promotion chances?

BM: Well with such a squad i think its hard to see us losing too many matches and we will definately be driving hard for the top spots in both the Frizzel County Championship and the Totesport league, we will also have one eye on the 20/20 and C&G Cups. A very hectic schedule but we can pull through, we have strength in depth and i think that we can go far.

MN: People are already talking about you being a prospect for a future England captain, and now that you have been given the Derbyshire armband and such an early stage in your career it must be a prmomising thought for you.

BM: They key word there is thought Mark, its obviously a big dream of mine to captain my country, as it is for every cricketer, but ive just got to take it one step at a time, anyway, its been nice talking to you but ive got to rush of, im having a meeting with my Sponsors Gun and Moore about an advertising campaign for my bat the GM Hero, bye! Oh yea, and tell Richie Benaud to get his ass over to SKY, hes my hero!

MN: Okay, ill pass the message on! Thanks for the interview, have a good season.

And with that Blaine and Mark go there different ways, Mark spots another fmiliar face comming out of the pavillion and runs over.....

-------------

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Dean Jones meets up with Derbyshire's strike bowler Nitesh Hemlani for a quick interview:

DJ: Good evening Nitesh
NH: Same to you
DJ: So, a new season, new players and a retirement to boot. First up, what are your goals this season?
NH: I hope to do well with the ball. I have picked up a bit more pace after re-modelling my action, and have been getting more prounounced seam movement both way with a little more bounce. My slow half trekker however will never leave me. I also hope to do better with the bat, was stuck as a lefty on a dare from Rob, showed him didn't I? Help win a match and scored a fifty.
DJ: Hehe. Now on the topic of Rob, his retirement will surely be a dissapointment?
NH:Yes, definately. We were good buds, always having a rib at each other. He was a...well...decent keeper and useful tailender but a nice fellow.
DJ: Heheheh. Won't be missing him in the dressing room though?
NH: Nah, he'll always be there.
DJ: Now the youths, fighting for a place will be tough.
NH: Yes, definatley, but hopefully my experience will keep me in. After all, I am only 14! Too young to end my career, and am probably not in a positon to pass advice...but I'll let the ball do the talking.
DJ:So, good luck. Will be interesting to see how you do.
NH: Thank you. And may I know who that blonde Mahesh is talking to is...

Mark Nicholas: Damn! I am too late! He was the best one...maybe that Blonde over there will do...

 

[Briggsey]

....and so with that Mark makes his way to Shaun Briggs...

MN:Hey Shaun how's everything?

SB:Top of the world mate, how about yourself? Still looking for a job? (laughs)

MN:(laughs)Yes im fine, okay for a quick interview? Good, so your first season as a pro for Derbyshire, how are you fitting in?

SB:Its great here, ive been welcomed in by this great set of lads, and with me not being the only new guy around, its helped me in that retrespect as im not the odd one out so to speak, so its all been great!

MN:So what are your first impressions of the squad?

SB:Oh there is a brilliant set of young lads here who have all come through the ranks. We've got a fantastic captain in Blaine and also my good mate and fellow all rounder Balaji has helped me fit in and also introduced me to some fine young women (laughs)

MN:Thats great! So realistically where do you see the team ending up this year?

SB:Well, I dont want to put the kiss of death on us, but we are a young, vibrant team who are really buzzing and bonding brilliantly at the moment. I mean, promotion in any form of the game would be amazing for me in my first season here, but being a Yorkshireman, I think when I walk out onto the middle on Friday, there will be huge mixed emotions playing against Yorkshire! But hopefully we can give it all we've got and go well this season and be near the top

MN:Finally, what do you see in the future for Shaun Briggs?

SB:Honestly at the moment I am content with just being a part of this fantastic set of lads, people have said a lot of us are the future of England, but to say that so early into someone's career puts pressure on them to perform which is something we dont really need at this stage. Its always nice to hear things like that but at the moment I am a Derbyshire player and will be for the forseable future!

MN:Well Shaun, good look on Friday and for the season

SB:Thanks mate, good look in finding a new job!

Mark Nicholas walks off laughing and see's yet ANOTHER! Derbyshire player hanging about.........

 

[joem87]

Mark approaches a figure padding up getting ready for a net session.
"Hello" he says to the player sitting on the grass with a helmet on. "Hello again" smiles Joe Martyn as Mark realises he has already interviewed the young left hander with an embarassed smirk. "Oops!" says Mark before trotting off in search of another Derbyshire player.....
Joe wonders why Mark is spending so much time looking for interviews when he doesn't have a job, before realising Mark's microphone isn't plugged in....
"Seem's he's taking this channel 4 stuff quite hard" Martyn mutters under his breathe.

 

[S_Harmison]

I think hes going to be co-hosting The Cricket Show on channel 4, maybee thats what the interviews are for, you know, gearing up for the new season.

 

[joem87]

oh are they still doing the cricket show? thats awesome, loved that show! i needs to be an hour long though.....

 

[brettLee]

great!!!
keep it up!!!!!!!!

 

[jhnnyby000]

oh are they still doing the cricket show? thats awesome, loved that show! i needs to be an hour long though.....

if your refering to the show on c4 they r not said on the last show

 

[S_Harmison]

Grrrrrrr, that show was class!

 

[Briggsey]

I was never awake to see it

 

[joem87]

poor old mark nicholas, he's even been dropped by the aussie tv company he was working for. such a great presenter/commentator as well....

 

[no_remorse28]

once again i choose to ignore all interviews as i feel i have nothing interesting to say :cool:

 

[S_Harmison]

I was never awake to see it

I only saw a few, and the ones that were on before the Ashes Tests!

 

[Briggsey]

Shaun Briggs is overheard having a discission with a local newspaper......

Interviewer: So who's the loud mouth of the team then!??

Briggs: Oh definately Shane Martin, he's always got something interesting to say even thought a lot of the time most of us choose to ignore him and simply nod our heads when he's done babbling on! (laughs)