Durham Match Thread 2018

[captaincolly]

51-5 and just under 30 overs left so Markram might be on course for another 'pair in a day' and with the way things are going I think it's a highly likely scenario.

[captaincolly]

What's the record for most number of ducks in a FC innings?The autocorrect nearly changed ducks to a more apt word!
Martin Emmerson says Leicestershire haven't won any of their last 17 CC games!!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Fifty partnership. Weighell seems to hang around regularly for Durham.

[captaincolly]

Fifty partnership. Weighell seems to hang around regularly for Durham.

Maybe he should open the batting.

[captaincolly]

Fifty partnership. Weighell seems to hang around regularly for Durham.

Maybe he should open the batting.

And of course he's out now!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Second highest scorer though. And he's scoring to his potential, which the top order aren't managing.

[captaincolly]

Second highest scorer though. And he's scoring to his potential, which the top order aren't managing.

Yep. I'm back home now but batting seemed to be getting a bit easier after about the 15th over ( as you'd expect ) the problem is if the top 3 get shot out every time it pretty much guarantees the middle order will fold and that's what has happened in all 3 innings so far. Maybe lack of preparation is an excuse but the main issue is a really poor recruitment 'strategy'.

[captaincolly]

A half century for Clark. Well done to him and his efforts alongside Weighell means Markram will have to wait until tomorrow morning for his next duck.

[westoelad]

Well at least we now know why we put Leics in-it's the only way to take the game into the 3rd day.
Just waiting to see if either Lewis or Colly have the balls to front up to the media to explain this debacle.

[captaincolly]

Well at least we now know why we put Leics in-it's the only way to take the game into the 3rd day.
Just waiting to see if either Lewis or Colly have the balls to front up to the media to explain this debacle.

It'll probably be the usual platitudes if they do. There's a slight chance that the washout pre-season is the reason for these disastrous batting displays and three ducks in a row for someone who dominated the Aussie attack is almost unbelievable bad luck but even if misfortune is a factor we don't seem to have a squad remotely strong enough and the bowlers have had plenty of practice and were hopeless against Scotland A and Durham MCCU!
It'll take a miracle to save this game and maybe the only realistic hope is for the batsmen to find some form when they follow on. Another shambolic collapse is more likely though ...probably started with another duck for Markram!

[wearside willow]

A couple of observations about Durham today. The seam attack all look like they would be handy first or second change bowlers behind two decent opening bowlers. Not sure what is up with Rushy he pretty much looks the same bowler of old but he just does not look the threat he once did.
As far as the batting goes we are crying out for at least a couple of left handers in that top 7 even if it is just to break up the bowlers line and length. I was quite hopeful a couple of months ago that we could have an ok season but unless the so called better players start to produce this could be a long season.
I don't want to have a go at Markram because Iam sure the lad is desperate to do well but these locum overseas players rarely work out at Durham. I would like to know when they found out that Latham was not going to be here for the majority of the season. I would much prefer they went for a player who is committed for the entire season but who may not be a current international.

[captaincolly]

A couple of observations about Durham today. The seam attack all look like they would be handy first or second change bowlers behind two decent opening bowlers. Not sure what is up with Rushy he pretty much looks the same bowler of old but he just does not look the threat he once did.
As far as the batting goes we are crying out for at least a couple of left handers in that top 7 even if it is just to break up the bowlers line and length. I was quite hopeful a couple of months ago that we could have an ok season but unless the so called better players start to produce this could be a long season.
I don't want to have a go at Markram because Iam sure the lad is desperate to do well but these locum overseas players rarely work out at Durham. I would like to know when they found out that Latham was not going to be here for the majority of the season. I would much prefer they went for a player who is committed for the entire season but who may not be a current international.

I suspect Latham's lack of availability only became apparent shortly before the start but if they did know about it earlier then they should have made other plans. Desperately bad luck for Markram who is obviously a top class player.
I totally agree about those bowlers looking like handy change ones, it has been apparent for a few seasons now that we don't have a proper strike bowler.
Astonishing thing for me is the mass exodus of players left us desperately short of proven players with bat and ball - Smith and Rinmington are good cricketers who bring much needed experience but Will has never been someone who scores a lot of runs year in year out and Nathan isn't a strike bowler. The only realistic way of adding real depth was to look for a couple of Kolpaks in addition to those two and if they didn't want to or couldn't do it why not retain Onions.

[wearside willow]

Personally I was ok with Onions leaving. Durham offered him a contract and he got offered a better one by another county. Provided the offer was a genuine offer and not just a token gesture then fair enough.At the end of the day he is 35 and has not been considered a one day bowler for a good few seasons and we do have a tight squad. Although signing Rimmington as a replacement is slightly baffling.
I know he is an unproven rookie but its a pity Carse broke down again, to me he looks the pick of the young bowlers with that extra pace.

[captaincolly]

Yes, very unfortunate to lose Carse ( don't know what the injury is but his tweet before the season implied he was going to be out for a considerable time,)
I can see both sides of the debate about Onions, my view was that unless they were sure they could sign a couple of bowlers who would really strengthen the attack they should have come to an agreement with him. At the same time I think he could have been a bit more flexible. Tricky situation.
Durham must also be the only team where they have two wicket keepers - one is a pretty decent county batter but probably best suited to batting 7 ( Richo) and the other one seems to be a number 8 or 9 ...and play both of them at 6 and 7.

[KingOttis]

A couple of observations about Durham today. The seam attack all look like they would be handy first or second change bowlers behind two decent opening bowlers. Not sure what is up with Rushy he pretty much looks the same bowler of old but he just does not look the threat he once did.
As far as the batting goes we are crying out for at least a couple of left handers in that top 7 even if it is just to break up the bowlers line and length. I was quite hopeful a couple of months ago that we could have an ok season but unless the so called better players start to produce this could be a long season.
I don't want to have a go at Markram because Iam sure the lad is desperate to do well but these locum overseas players rarely work out at Durham. I would like to know when they found out that Latham was not going to be here for the majority of the season. I would much prefer they went for a player who is committed for the entire season but who may not be a current international.

I suspect Latham's lack of availability only became apparent shortly before the start but if they did know about it earlier then they should have made other plans. Desperately bad luck for Markram who is obviously a top class player.
I totally agree about those bowlers looking like handy change ones, it has been apparent for a few seasons now that we don't have a proper strike bowler.
Astonishing thing for me is the mass exodus of players left us desperately short of proven players with bat and ball - Smith and Rinmington are good cricketers who bring much needed experience but Will has never been someone who scores a lot of runs year in year out and Nathan isn't a strike bowler. The only realistic way of adding real depth was to look for a couple of Kolpaks in addition to those two and if they didn't want to or couldn't do it why not retain Onions.

Totally agree with this post - Smith and Rimmington would have been decent signings if Jennings/Coughlin/Onions hadn't left, and they were signed to augment what was already a wafer thin squad. As it is, we lost more players than we brought in (again) - a situation which has left us with a laughably threadbare squad.
In the meantime, well played Clark and Weighell for giving the scorecard a vestige of respectability.