Day 2: Glos 343 v Derbyshire 157 & 28-0 (f/o)

Same old same old. Gloucestershire's powerful seam attack overcame some pretty feeble division 2 batting. A strapping ginger haired lad ran through the Derbyshire lower order and ended up with 6 for 46. Accept this wasn't the same old Gloucestershire attack. This was a new, feisty, young and dynamic attack...something emphasised by the fact that David Payne was reported to be bowling in sun glasses!

Judging from the highlights there was a large degree of fortune in some of the wickets and a lot of the bowling seems to have been youthful spraying. Quite how Chesney Hughes managed to hoick Ian Saxelby's leg side full toss loosener to mid off is anyones guess.

Obviously it is still very early days, and lets not foget that Derbyshire did finish bottom last year and have since lost their best player in Chris Rodgers. But Liam Norwell taking 6 wickets on debut at the age of 19 is not to be sneezed at and helps to ease some of the fears that these kids were being played because they are the cheapest option. There clearly is some talent there.

God bless Glos cricket radio who described Liam Norwell as being 'another one off the Gloucestershire conveyor belt'. Exactly what else has come of this conveyor belt in the last 10 years I'm not so sure. But hey, let's not dampen their enthusiasm. David Payne was also described as, 'having something of the Jimmy Anderson's about him'. I bet Jimmy has never bowled in sunglasses though.

Just as encouraging as the bowling was the fact that the tail wagged significantly and Payne and Norwell were involved in addin 76 for the final wicket.

So surely we can't lose from here. But we did lose against this lot at Bristol last year having bowled them out for 44 first time around (those of a nervous disposition don't click here). Lets just hope that we don't need to chase more than 70 in the final innings.