All Pretty Vacant, Down by the Riverside

[Arthur Crabtree]

And an opener?

And a spinner?

[captaincolly]

And an opener?

And a spinner?

Hopefully Lees and Bancroft will take care of the opening partnership.
May be some hope for Whitehead/Trevaskis as spinners...but if a good wicketkeeper batsman wouldn't go amiss! We've got at least 3 options and none of them seem up to it.
Need a captain too if Colly goes!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Forgot about Bancroft.

[westoelad]

Unless the current rules on the toss are amended and the Riverside pitches improved it'll be virtually impossible to either develop home grown batsmen or sign established batsmen.

[westoelad]

Alistair Cook has just announced his retirement fromInternational cricket. Wonder if he fancies a final domestic challenge in the NE

[captaincolly]

Unless the current rules on the toss are amended and the Riverside pitches improved it'll be virtually impossible to either develop home grown batsmen or sign established batsmen.

Yeah. Conditions are a nightmare.

Alistair Cook has just announced his retirement fromInternational cricket. Wonder if he fancies a final domestic challenge in the NE

Unfortunately he says he is looking forward to 2019 with Essex!

[captaincolly]

Raine with a FC batting average of 21 (344 runs this year @ 23 ) and 8 half centuries in 62 games. Martin Emmerson says he'll be a useful number 7, I'm not sure about that - he should improve that average but is he not more of a number 8/9 unless the top 6 is exceptionally strong?
He certainly can't come in at 7 if it means moving Poynter to 6.

[westoelad]

Raine with a FC batting average of 21 (344 runs this year @ 23 ) and 8 half centuries in 62 games. Martin Emmerson says he'll be a useful number 7, I'm not sure about that - he should improve that average but is he not more of a number 8/9 unless the top 6 is exceptionally strong?
He certainly can't come in at 7 if it means moving Poynter to 6.

Yes but remember Raine was an opening bat in his formative years so is probably more technically correct than Poytner although Poytner's batting improved measurably in the last year. The pair will be a good 7/8 combo either way.

[captaincolly]

Raine with a FC batting average of 21 (344 runs this year @ 23 ) and 8 half centuries in 62 games. Martin Emmerson says he'll be a useful number 7, I'm not sure about that - he should improve that average but is he not more of a number 8/9 unless the top 6 is exceptionally strong?
He certainly can't come in at 7 if it means moving Poynter to 6.

Yes but remember Raine was an opening bat in his formative years so is probably more technically correct than Poytner although Poytner's batting improved measurably in the last year. The pair will be a good 7/8 combo either way.

Yeah. Hopefully they'll combine well.

[Durhamfootman]

I had no idea why you were talking about Ben Raine, until I checked on the club website

I just hope he can replicate his form from the last 5 years with Leicestershire over the next 3 years for us

good signing..... and a genuine surprise to me. I didn't see that coming at all..... someone at the club has been busy

are these signings an indication of the reversal of the reduced salary cap?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Alistair Cook has just announced his retirement fromInternational cricket. Wonder if he fancies a final domestic challenge in the NE :hide

Durham already have shirts with Cook and 1 on them so it would be a shame to waste them.

[Durhamfootman]

assuming Colly does retire get Ramps job

Lees
SteelBancroft
BurnhamSteel
Clark
Richardson/Harte
Smith
Davies (wk)Raine
WoodPoynter/Davies (wk)
Weighell
Salisbury
Rushworth

Insert big snarling early season overseas fast bowler into that bowling line up where appropriate and replace him with a prolific late season overseas spin bowler where appropriate

taking shape

Adil Rashid would look good in that line up too

[captaincolly]

Three year contract extension for Brydon Carse despite him having what appears to be a chronic knee injury!
Earlier on in the season one of the regulars at the ground who watches a lot of club cricket and often is ' in the know' told me that the injury was such a concern it could even be career threatening.

i

[westoelad]

Three year contract extension for Brydon Carse despite him having what appears to be a chronic knee injury!
Earlier on in the season one of the regulars at the ground who watches a lot of club cricket and often is ' in the know' told me that the injury was such a concern it could even be career threatening.

i

What would be know.?Wor Nige has given him a clean bill of health
He's just had further surgery recently apparently so it does look a bit risky giving him a long contact without proving his fitness.

[captaincolly]

Three year contract extension for Brydon Carse despite him having what appears to be a chronic knee injury!
Earlier on in the season one of the regulars at the ground who watches a lot of club cricket and often is ' in the know' told me that the injury was such a concern it could even be career threatening.

i

What would be know.?Wor Nige has given him a clean bill of health
He's just had further surgery recently apparently so it does look a bit risky giving him a long contact without proving his fitness.

I wonder if they're looking to play him as a middle order batsman , possibly instead of Colly? Perhaps there are get out clauses in his contract but if not it's certainly a risky decision. Barry McCarthy tweeted a congratulations to him referring to " this great club " so that suggests he'll still be here next year too.
If our unique salary cap was set when Jennings, Coughlin and Onions were on the books we must have been way beneath it this year so that perhaps explains the recent signings. One other thing that crossed my mind is could there have been an option in the 2 year deal for Rimmungton to cancel after a year if things didn't work out? Think that's what they wanted to do with Onions.