| Player: | NEL Gunter |
It was ironic that Neil Gunter proved to be an excellent Twenty20 bowler, as in both the totesport league and the Championship his bowling frequently haemorrhaged runs. The 2003 campaign saw Gunter bowl his overs for just 5.08 in the shortest form of the game, a performance which put him in the higher echelons of bowlers in this competition. This was a welcome surprise, as Gunters limited-overs debut for Derbyshire had seen Gloucestershire take 80 runs from his nine overs. Of Gunters seven First-class matches, five of them were in non championship fixtures, which demonstrates the Peakites unwillingness to risk him in the Championship, despite them hardly enjoying stellar seasons without him. When Gunter did appear in this competition, his overs went for 5.63, which was a long way short of acceptable. That was a shame, as his First-class debut had seen him take 4-14 (6-53 in the match) against West Indies A as the tourists tumbled to defeat. Gunter was released near to the end of the 2004 season, a near inevitable decision, as even in the second team his bowling was frequently expensive, although the lower standard of that level did at least allow his batting to show the ability which had marketed him as an all-rounder when he first arrived at Derby. Gunter has returned to play for Berkshire in Minor Counties cricket, as he did before his time with Derbyshire.
(November 2005)
(Article: Copyright © 2005 Matthew Reed)