Not long ago the county�..s youth policy was Ian Blackwell �.. soon lured to Somerset �.. and a handful of not quite good enough club players.

But this year has seen an impressive flowering. Four players made England�..s three age-group sides, about twice the national average and a club record. In late July Jake Needham became the club�..s first England Under-19 Test player since Dominic Cork. A batting offspinner with a head for pressure situations, he has already bowled tidily in nine 1st XI one-dayers. Needham is being pushed by fellow offspinner Chris Paget, already Derbyshire�..s youngest first-class player.

In England�..s Under-17 side Tom Poynton is a batting wicketkeeper and Dan Redfern a left-handed strokeplayer with 2nd XI centuries behind him. Both were selected a year early. Gary Ballance (see Rising Star, TWC September), the coach David Houghton�..s 16-year old Zimbabwean nephew, made 73 in his second Pro40 game. He has temporarily overtaken a local right-hander Paul Borrington �.. a former England Under-17 man who builds big gritty innings according to the academy director Karl Krikken. And playing as an allrounder in the national Under- 15s is Michael Hill, already batting at No. 4 in the Birmingham League and pinched from under the nose of Warwickshire.

Krikken is unsure who will make the grade �.. �..It depends on temperament�.� �.. but is quietly confident. �..It�..s going really well. With the lack of money Derbyshire�..s had, we�..ve got to
produce our own.�.� And it could get better yet, with the club now running an academy in Staffordshire, home of two half decent former players �.. Kim Barnett and Cork.

Paul Coupar, The Wisden Cricketer