KingOttis wrote:captaincolly wrote:wearside willow wrote: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.
Agreed!
