Wayne Madsen gave an honest assessment of the 2015 campaign and says next season is the time for the players to turn their potential into match-winning performances.
The Club Captain, who passed 1,000 first-class runs for the third consecutive year in 2015, admitted it had been a disappointing campaign in terms of results with a number of match-winning situations slipping through their grasp.
Madsen is now calling on his side to fightback next season and believes the disappointments of this summer will spur the squad on for the exciting challenges that await in 2016.
“We have a lot of talent and potential but next season is the time to stop talking about our players, it is time for this team to deliver,” said Madsen.
“It has been disappointing from a results point of a view to finish where we have this season. We expected a lot better and I think supporters’ expectations will have dropped a little bit with what has happened in 2015.
“That will spur us on during the winter and as a team we will come back fighting. Some people’s perception may have dropped and it is up to us to give our supporters something to shout about next season.
“It hasn’t gone to plan in 2015 in terms of results. I have been reflecting on a few things over the last couple of weeks and I think over the season there have been a few times where we haven’t put our foot on the gas and taken control of matches.”
Derbyshire have strengthened their options ahead of next season with the signings of New Zealand international duo Hamish Rutherford and Neil Broom, along with all-rounder Tom Milnes from Warwickshire and pace bowler Andy Carter from Nottinghamshire.
Madsen insists that the experience acquired will benefit the Club’s younger players and believes that many of them will flourish in 2016.
“The young players here have a lot of promise and now a lot of them are going into their third year, we need them to step up for us.
“The signings of Rutherford and Broom will take the pressure of everybody because hopefully it will enable us to have more runs on the board in matches.
“We still have a group of young bowlers, the likes of Ben Cotton, Tom Taylor, Shiv Thakor and Greg Cork are all developing and they still have a bit to learn. Looking forward it is exciting, the younger members of the side are really going to blossom for us next season.
“We will all be working very hard over the winter on a few areas where we need to improve but come next April this team will be ready to go.”
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