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Search forNeedham is so delighted to get chance to lead way for Derbyshire
Monday, July 14, 2008, 07:30
With Dan Birch on his sick bed since Saturday morning and unable to take his place alongside Chris Rogers to face the new ball in the second innings, few would have put money on the 21-year-old off-spinner to step in.
But Needham accepted the task straight away and defied Leicestershire for 48 overs for his 36 runs.
“John (Morris) put his hand on my shoulders in the morning and said 'do you fancy a job?' and told me what it was and I said 'too right',” Needham explained.
“I've opened for my club side once or twice and maybe for Derbyshire Under-16s but this was certainly something new for me.
“The bowlers seem to raise it 10 per cent when they think they've got a cheap wicket, so you've got to be on your mettle a bit, but it was nice to have Chris with his experience to talk me through it.
“Although I went out there with not too high expectations, you've got to believe in yourself and it was good to hit a few off the middle of the bat and get some time in the middle.”
Head of cricket Morris praised his young player for the job he did and said it may prove an especially valuable effort if Derbyshire could go on to win the match today.
“Jake did put his hand up to do night watchman duties at the start of the year and I think he has a good technique,” Morris said.
“He's got the talent and he wants to do well.
“I asked him to go in and see the new ball off and get himself a score and he's done exactly that.
“In the context of the game, that's a big performance because if we'd have lost Buck and Jake early doors, we'd have been under a lot of pressure.
“He has worn the bowlers down and put us in a position where we can still control the game and hopefully he will take a lot of confidence from that.”
Morris was also delighted with an excellent first innings bowling display from his side.
Charl Langeveldt and Graham Wagg took four wickets each but Morris said that the role of Jon Clare, with 2-62, should not go unnoticed.
“He'll bowl a damn sight worse than that and walk off with a five-for,” he added.
“I thought his spell yesterday was exceptional.
“He's an exciting talent who is learning as he goes along and it's great a young cricketer is taking that mantle on.
“We stuck at our tasks with the ball.
“It was quality cricket from us because we were beating the bat and wickets weren't falling but we didn't lose our disciplines and in the past we have done.
“I was delighted we kept our cool, kept bouncing the ball in the right areas and backed it up in the field.
“It was a proper performance with the ball and as a bowling unit, I thought we did excellently.”
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