Confident and laughing, Steffan Jones presents the new smiling face of Derbyshire. Last season Jones prised nine Championship wickets from Northampton�..s benign pitches in six games. Halfway through this one he had more Division Two victims �.. 32 �.. than any homegrown player. What went right? �..Everything really,�.� he says. �..I�..m bowling for a start. Last half of last season I didn�..t play. And Dave Houghton is the best coach I�..ve had. He really rates me, which makes a difference to my confidence. They just told me to go out and bowl quickly, which I�..m doing: I�..m bowling quicker than I�..ve ever done. Dave Houghton gave me a goal. I�..m just really, really happy in myself. I�..ve had my first baby, so that�..s given me an extra incentive �.� I�..ve got to perform, take wickets, win a contract.�.� Although June brought two Championship defeats, dampening the wilder talk about blazing to promotion, some things really have changed at Derby �.. including the traditional greentops. �..It�..s very like what I was bowling on at Somerset,�.� says a surprised Jones.
Paul Coupar, The Wisden Cricketer