Jimbo Ram

More like a red alert in my house on Saturday.

Agree, that game was crying out for Hudds and some calmness and quality passing in midfield. Dire game, we were poor for a lot of it but we got the 3 points which is all that matters 😃

It was a wicket that was very hard to score quickly on. Derbyshire pressed early and were 3 down before the opening 10 overs were completed, then they learned from that. Godleman was struggling for any timing, but kept the scoreboard ticking with singles and twos. Critchley played a typical hard-hitting knock to lift Derbyshire to what I thought was a decent total, but by no means a decisive one, assuming that Northants played sensibly.
In short, they didn't. Almost a run a ball sounds great in the first 20 overs, but not when it leaves you 8 down. The four seamers all did pretty well to leave Northants in a deep hole, and 9 overs were shared by Matt Critchley and Mark Watt (the Scottish twirly who turned England over last year), making his debut. Both bowled tidily as Derbyshire took no liberties whatsoever. It could have been over sooner (I counted three chances which were put down with numbers 9, 10 and 11 at the wicket), but it was a case of making sure of the win, keeping control of the scoring rate etc. Besides, it was a gorgeous day, and I wouldn't have minded it going on a few more overs.
Northants tail-enders batted in circumspect fashion and had little trouble staying in, especially after the shine and hardness went off the balls. If the likes of Wakely, Newton, Rossington et al had done the same (rotate the strike, build your innings on ones and twos, put pressure one the bowler and put the bad balls away), they would have made a far better fist of things, especially as the outfield speeded up considerably as it baked in the sun.
A word about the new signing, Leus du Plooy (signed on a 2-year contract yesterday) - I'm betting this lad will have a sensational impact.

I'd settle for a super-scrappy 1-0 with Keogh slapping in the winner in off the end of his todger if it gets us 3 points 

Said we were a batsman light...hope he is the man to fill the void....

Bird and Evans as the central midfield? I struggle enough to sleep as it is...please no.....

As I said with my Boycott hat on, under most circumstances you would choose to bat - the exceptions usually prove to be weather-related (i.e. damp, humid conditions at the start but with a decent forecast for Day 2). Once Durham failed to gain a first-innings lead, the home side were in the driver's seat, and from lunch on Day 3, a Derbyshire win was always either the most likely or second-most likely outcome - with Durham needing to register the highest innings score batting last, for them to win would have been a tall ask.
The turning-point today came with Jack Burnham and Gareth Harte seemingly set and putting together a partnership that had me checking net run rates and overs remaining. Wayne Madsen was brought on to replace Matt Critchley and Logan van Beek pulled off an absolutely stunning one-handed catch at silly mid on to remove the dangerous Burnham - and then in the next two overs the New Zealander/Dutchman castled Harte before getting Stuart Poynter to edge one through to Harvey Hosein.
After that, it was a procession - although the last pair did survive a frustrating period of 10 overs before I 'took one for the team' by going for a wee and missed seeing the last wicket fall on what would have otherwise been the last ball before tea.

Frustrating final session yesterday, as Durham put up the shutters in the last hour.
Logic suggests a draw, but a couple of early wickets could let Derbyshire in. 
The weather forecast suggests that there will be a wet end to the day, so things need to happen quickly. Critchley could be a key player, and with a big lead, he could afford to give the Durham batsmen plenty of company.
My money's on a draw - it's also on a couple of nice tripels being sampled.

Let’s get it right, Brentford away is one of the toughest fixtures in the league. If their   away form was anything like their home form they would be well in the top 6. Don’t be drawn into the illusion we should beat them because they haven’t scored for 4 games. They had 60+ shots in those 4 games! At home they were playing well just not getting the results. We had a similar run under Mac a few seasons back, Forest came to PP with Derby having not scored in 4 matches, surely an away banker, Bryson hat trick said otherwise!!
Despite all this though, we should’ve have won yesterday. Created enough chances and with some better defending we would have done. What a far cry from a few weeks back when we couldn’t lay a glove on Millwall at home! Our attacking verve is back and with some better defending (of which we’re capable) then a decent haul of points is on the cards for the run in. Trouble is Villa keep winning and I think there is a stubbornness and a steel about Bristol this season that hasn’t been there before.
We can only worry about ourselves but we’re right in the mix! Tuesday is a big test, can we cope with physical sides as that has been our Achilles heel this season. With the other teams getting results, you have to say it’s a must win.

Derbyshire are in a strong position, but it is by no means decisive. A lead of 133 with 7 second innings wickets in hand is very useful in context of how things have gone so far, but Tom Lace has had very few problems in the second innings so far, surviving and at times flourishing, even as the light closed in towards the end of Day 2. It has been a game of very few partnerships of note, but significantly there have been three of 50 or more (56, 50 and 50) - all for Derbyshire.
I don't think the wicket is a minefield by any means, but it has proved to be helpful to the seamers from both teams, and even towards the end of the second day, the ball beat the bat or spent a lot of its time whistling down to third man. It's been damned cold watching this game, but it has been thoroughly enjoyable. No predictions from me, but so far, the decision to bat first by Billy Godleman has been vindicated - just. Let's hope that remains the case.

“Played the race card”? Will you listen to yourself?
Racism isn’t a game and isn’t to be taken lightly and passed off like nothing has happened.
I’m pretty sure that Duane, as a professional footballer, has been sworn at and called names before, but if he feels he’s been racially abused then he has every right to call out the abuser about it and an investigation needs to take place.
The evidence might not be very strong and it will probably be a case of one word against another, but to say that he’s ‘playing the race card’ because a friend of yours said he’s done it before when he was at school is insulting.
Also, what were the circumstances for him to ‘play the card’ at school? Just for a laugh to get some bigger boys in trouble? Probably not, but even so, he’s not a school boy any more so I’d expect he wouldn’t make a complaint without a cause.

Racists feel empowered.
Prediction: It will get far, far worse.

Don't know. The weather forecast yesterday (and I checked the radar) seemed to indicate that the cloud would lift after an hour or so - and it wasn't murky, there was no rain in the air - just a bit of cloud cover. The fact that Derbyshire's top order all went early belies the fact that after the first hour, the middle order were, by and large, able to perform reasonably.
It may well prove to be a mistake, but the old adage about not really knowing whether the decision was right until both sides have batted holds true here. If Durham are rolled for a similar total or less, then it will have been the right decision. If they make 250 plus, then it will have been the wrong decision. At the end of the day, unless it's a screaming green top, you should bat if you get the opportunity. Even if it's a screaming green top, you should think about it, consider all options - and then bat in most circumstances. I guess that's the Geoff Boycott in me talking there.

Bird and Evans as the central midfield? I struggle enough to sleep as it is...please no.....

I remain a happy clapper, but l now fear we aren’t quite good enough to make that final push.  14 points from 12 leagues games in 2019 is not a good stat, but perhaps one performance (today) will kickstart us. Mount and Lawrence need to bring something positive to the party.
l am going to try something different today.  Can’t remember when l last didn’t follow a game one way or another, but have decided today l am going to establish radio/internet silence, and simply turn on at 5 to 5 for the results. I am trying to eradicate the feelings of hope and despair that seem to have been impacting me year to date.

Playing Rotherham always reminds me of THAT night at the BBG, great night.
Im sure the game was played on a Friday night for some reason but I may be wrong.

Hendricks???

And tonic? - Yes please
(The guy played over 200 games for us and still there are Derby fans getting his name wrong - I'd understand opposition fans getting it wrong but our own fans?)

This one Jono? 
This was a great pass by Baird. 
 
 
 

Surely even now Brys is better than that...….

1997/98 season Everton away. Derby's second goal by Wanchope. Series of one touch passes. Beautiful football teetering on orgasmic. Plus a Ferguson sending off.
 

Johnny Russell to Derby's number 9. 2-1 win away at PNE in 2015, 30 secs in. 10/10 for the cross, touch and finish. Bliss. 
 

But his detractores said that he's a big fat wardrobe when he's stood up.