| Player: | KM Krikken |
DateLine: 19th October 2005
Following his retirement from playing in 2003, Derbyshire’s County Ground always seemed a quieter place without Karl Krikken’s broad Lancashire vowels echoing around the ground. With relentless enthusiasm (both unplayable jaffas and rank long hops were likely to be met with the cry of “great bowling”), a fidgety nature and a capable and nurdling presence with the bat at no 7 or 8, Krikken did undoubtedly follow in the tradition of the idiosyncratic keeper. His finest hour arguably came in the 1993 B & H Cup Final, when Krikken hit a vital (and undefeated) 37, and then chatted and chirruped the Lancashire batsmen to distraction as Derbyshire pulled off a shock victory, and Krikken proved that beneath the eccentricities was a player of genuine guts and guile. For such a Derbyshire man through and through, it is often overlooked that his First-class debut actually came as a specialist batsman for Griqualand West in 1988-9, when then county colleague John Morris was captain. His service to the Peakite county continues with his role as the Director of the Derbyshire Academy and Coach of the 2nd XI, where his ECB level 4 coaching qualification makes him one of the highest qualified coaches in the country.
(October 2005)
(Article: Copyright © 2005 Matthew Reed)