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Wayne Madsen made his debut for Derbyshire against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham in 2009, scoring 170 not out, the highest debut score in the county’s history. Since then, Madsen has scored 16,604 runs with 35 hundreds and 89 fifties for Derbyshire.
Heritage Officer, David Griffin, has seen all of those runs over the course of Madsen’s 366 matches for the county, and in this interview, they look back over the highlights of a fine career to date.
As an experienced player who is used to a return to red ball cricket in April, how are you dealing with the current Coronavirus lockdown?
The lockdown is foreign to everyone so I’m taking it day by day with my young family – I can assure you that the kids are keeping me occupied and there’s never a dull moment and I’m learning new teaching skills! We’ve got some routine at home now and from a training perspective, I’ve got a fitness plan subject to current limitations but otherwise, as a family we’re trying to make the most of the situation. I’m in touch with the squad via apps and messaging and we’re trying to keep each other motivated that way.
On your first appearance for Derbyshire at Cheltenham in 2009 you scored a record-breaking 170 not out in a fine Derbyshire win. What do you remember about that game and innings?
The thing that will always stick in my mind was going into the game with a niggle – I’d played a club game the day before and I scored a hundred – as did Daryn Smit for the opposition – and felt a twinge in my hamstring while I was batting. I sneaked into goal during the pre-match warm-up at Cheltenham to avoid racing around and Dave Beakley, the Physio, strapped me up and I managed to get myself onto the field. I got out cheaply in the first innings, but Smudge [Greg Smith] got a good hundred and we scored a lot of runs. Our bowlers did well and in that second innings I played with more freedom and just tried to prove what I could do. It felt pressured but I decided to enjoy it. That attitude stood me in good stead for that knock.
You followed your debut century with two more in quick succession at Whitgift School and Uxbridge – did that weight of runs help to make you feel settled in the side even after such a short period in the team?
Definitely. To score those runs and to prove to both myself and others than I could do it at that level was hugely important. That half a season in 2009 was a huge confidence boost and gave me the momentum going forward. I actually should have got another hundred but threw it away, caught at cow corner.
Over the course of the 2010 and 2011 seasons you made six more centuries, and then you became captain ahead of the 2012 season. How did you feel your personal development was progressing both as a batsman and team member?
I still felt I was establishing myself in 2010 and 2011 and getting to know the guys in the side. I’d had captaincy experience previously, but it came to me earlier than I thought with Sutts [Luke Sutton] retiring, and when Krikk [Krikken] offered me the role I was surprised but delighted to accept it. I was actually due to play for Italy in a T20 World Cup qualifying game in March 2012, but I pulled out of that and accepted the captaincy. Actually, I’d had a poor run with the bat in 2011, my form dipped and I was left out of the team for a period and got three noughts in the second team. But I then worked really well with Houghts [David Houghton] to organise my technique and going into 2012 I was confident about my batting once more.
In 2012 you captained the side to promotion in the county championship. What was that summer like for you as captain?
It was a roller-coaster year from both a personal and team perspective, but what an amazing season. We’d lost our baby so from a personal perspective it was tough, and nobody outside of Derbyshire gave us much chance of promotion, never mind winning the title. We had little experience, plenty of youngsters, and even the overseas players were young. But that first win against Northants gave us a great start with Wainers [David Wainwright] and Wes [Durston] getting wickets on the last day with the lights on. In fact, even with the lights on it was too dark really to play cricket. Then we won at Essex which was a huge one momentum-wise, and we kept our noses in front with important draws and crucial wins at the end. And as I say, having had recent personal and emotional tragedy in our lives, and then winning the title, made for a real roller-coaster ride of a year.
Aside from the win in the final match against Hampshire at Derby, what was your favourite game from that season?
That Hampshire game will remain as one of the great cricketing memories for me, but Kent at home was vital, my runs at Northants and the partnership with Tom Poynton (TP) were really important and those wins I mentioned earlier were vital too. Northants were in the mix for promotion when we played them at Northampton, and we were close to having to follow on when TP joined me. That was a pretty special game even though we didn’t get the win. But if we’d lost that drawn game at Northants, that might have put paid to our chances of going up.
Division One cricket brought a new challenge in 2013, and Derbyshire – despite a battling second half of the summer – were relegated. But you scored hundreds against the strong attacks of Middlesex, Surrey and Yorkshire. Did you feel that your batting was being tested more at that higher level and how rewarding was it to succeed in Division One?
It was a tough season for us, we didn’t start well and early in the season we lost a few too many games on green decks against some top-class bowlers. We won at Sussex though with a young team and we got close to staying up. I relished the challenge of playing against decent attacks and scoring a lot of runs. We did get close to staying up, and had we beaten Surrey at The Oval – and we should have really – we’d probably have stayed up. But from a personal perspective I was delighted to be able to score 1,000 runs in Division One and it was rewarding to do it as captain in a side which was struggling for much of the season. The disappointing thing was not being able to stay up because I do think we had the capability, but perhaps lacked the experience on occasions.
In 2014 you scored two List A hundreds on consecutive days and by 2017 you were dominating the batting charts in T20 cricket. How did that outwardly obdurate and patient young opening batsman of 2009 become this fast-scoring, dynamic and inventive batsman?
Certainly, I was always seen as a red ball cricketer in South Africa and to start with at Derbyshire. I felt I had the skills to achieve in white ball cricket, but you also need the experience of actually doing it in white ball games and I lacked that experience. As a youngster, I never practiced boundary hitting, or clearing the ropes by hitting straight down the ground. Once I got those strokes in my locker, I knew I could score all around the wicket. So, in the winter of 2015-16, I spent so much time learning how to hit sixes and how to hit the bowler back over his head. I then realised that I had the confidence to put them into practice – hitting over the keeper’s head, back over the bowler’s head, square of the wicket – and that transformed my game. I don’t have to hit the ball too hard; I know that if I get my technique right, the ball will go for six.
In 2016, you scored six first-class centuries and you now have 29 – Barnett’s 53 may be out of reach, but only John Morris and Denis Smith with 33 and 30 respectively are ahead of you – do you set yourself targets in terms of overall runs and centuries?
I do that season by season, nothing further ahead than that. My goals are what I want to achieve in each coming season. I know that if I achieve those goals, that should contribute to winning games and trying to score big hundreds when it counts is important. Saving a game with a crucial innings can be so rewarding too, but the main objective is to score match-winning runs.
In 2019, Derbyshire reached Vitality Blast Finals Day and while it wasn’t a cricketing success on the day, for the club, players and spectators, it was nonetheless a real achievement to qualify. What was the day like for you?
I tried to soak it all up and the buzz from first thing in the morning was amazing all around the ground. That was different for us not having been to Finals Day before. The atmosphere appears amazing on television, but in person it’s even better. The vibe and atmosphere were pretty special, and it lifted me as a player even though we didn’t play as well as we had wanted to. Next time when we get there, we will know what to expect – having the Mascot Race going on while practicing fielding was a first! But to see so many Derbyshire supporters in the ground was very uplifting and their support was wonderful, and we all appreciated it. It was a pretty special day.
You and Tony Palladino are the grand old men of the side now; what are your future ambitions as a player?
There’s a lot I still want to achieve, especially winning trophies and I think we’re getting closer to that in white ball cricket. I naturally want to perform well and while I continue to love playing I want to keep playing and at the same time nurture the next generation of players coming though. We have some seriously talented players at Derbyshire and supporting them at the crease and in the nets is a huge driver for me. Other competitions abroad are great to experience and playing in those is helping me as I look to my future as a coach, listening, watching and seeing how others do things. I’ve been selected for The Hundred too, and that will also offer me the chance to play at a higher level.
You’re often mentioned in that group of county cricketers who didn’t get the call for England, but should have; while it’s probably for others to suggest that you should have played for England, was there a time in your career when you thought you might be close to an international call?
I think had I been English-qualified in 2013, I might have had a chance. In 2016 I had a really good year and I thought I might have a chance, but I guess they were looking at the younger generation by then. The next best thing for me is to play in franchise competitions which gives me a chance to play against the best players in the world. I would have liked the opportunity to show what I could do in international cricket though, although I think it’s probably not going to happen now.
Lastly, you’ve batted 484 times for Derbyshire, scoring 35 hundreds and 89 fifties – do you consider any one of your innings to be the one which stands above all the others?
The 141 at Chesterfield against Yorkshire in 2013 was pretty special. It was against a strong Yorkshire attack and I was under pressure because I knew I’d gloved it in the first innings and walked. The hundred at Worcester against Ajmal in 2014 was another favourite – I managed to pick what he was doing most of the time and if I didn’t pick it, I swept it! The one against Hampshire in the one-dayer at Derby in 2014 was very enjoyable. But it’s so hard to choose, so many have significance and importance. But if you’re pushing me to pick one…I’ll go with the 170 not out at Cheltenham on my debut. Thankfully, there are a lot to look back on fondly!
Wayne Madsen – Career Statistics (Derbyshire-only)
First Class Matches – 160
First Class Runs – 10,656
First Class Hundreds – 29
First Class Fifties – 52
List A Matches – 93
List A Runs – 3,142
List A Centuries – 6
List A Fifties – 18
T20 Matches – 113
T20 Runs – 2,806
T20 Fifties – 19
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