All Pretty Vacant, Down by the Riverside

[Durhamfootman]

The questions he needs to answer are - is our uniwue salary cap still in place next year and, if it is , why?

also FTECB have already saved a stinking fortune by not having to pay us £500,000 a year for not making a fuss about the Test scheduling. Perhaps they want more than their pound of flesh.... they always were a bunch of greedy bastards, more interested in lining their coffers than preserving their game, so we shouldn't be surprised if it turns out they want another slice of ham off the Durham arse

[captaincolly]

Yep, a despicable and incompetent organisation ( FTECB that is !) Annoying that Martin Emmerson didn't elaborate on his tweet - if the salary cap we assumed would be lifted after this season is still in place then someone must have told him why.

[Durhamfootman]

perhaps they spotted the bucket of water in the trapdoor stand and wanted to make an example of us to stop other counties from trying to catch them out with other school boy pranks?

[captaincolly]

Imran Tahir signed for the T20...but just the first 9 matches! A pointless signing imo.
Although Martin says we might be adding another player in the coming days. I hope it's not another T20 signing - if we're getting Kolpak types in it should be quality FC cricketers for next season and not T20 journeymen.

[Durhamfootman]

I was going to say that it can't be a T20 signing because Tahir would make 2, but I was forgetting that there are about 150 T20 matches in the competition, so it will be.

Tahir might help us if we can learn to score some runs.

I wonder if Colly will come in high up the order as he ended up doing last year? A decent run for him might improve his CC fortunes at the back end of the season

[captaincolly]

I was going to say that it can't be a T20 signing because Tahir would make 2, but I was forgetting that there are about 150 T20 matches in the competition, so it will be.

Tahir might help us if we can learn to score some runs.

I wonder if Colly will come in high up the order as he ended up doing last year? A decent run for him might improve his CC fortunes at the back end of the season

Might be worth a try - he can't get any worse so the freedom to hit out might do the trick.
I wouldn't have bothered with another T20 signing unless someone exceptional was available and even then I probably wouldn't have done it as they'd be unlikely to singlehandedly transform our fortunes.
Don't know much about Tahir's recent exploits but I can't believe he's at the top of his game.

[Durhamfootman]

Don't know much about Tahir's recent exploits but I can't believe he's at the top of his game.

long way off his best, I think. just a bit of easy money to him... which is fair enough, it is his livelihood after all.... got to take the easy money when it's on offer

[captaincolly]

Is Brad Hogg still playing?

[Durhamfootman]

he played a few games for Chennai at the start of their IPL campaign. PSL before that. Takes the odd wicket, but seems to go for over 8 an over these days. Rarely goes for over 10 which might be better than anything else we've got

[Durhamfootman]

Tahir... not Hogg, that is

[Alviro Patterson]

Durham have made a good acquisition in Imran Tahir, very decent spin bowlers are worth their weight in gold in The Blast. Looking forward to him taking 4-20 off his allocation at Headingley

[captaincolly]

he played a few games for Chennai at the start of their IPL campaign. PSL before that. Takes the odd wicket, but seems to go for over 8 an over these days. Rarely goes for over 10 which might be better than anything else we've got

That'll do! He might be able to keep the opposition under 200.

[Durhamfootman]

I can only dream of restricting the opposition to under 200

[captaincolly]

I can only dream of restricting the opposition to under 200

If we bat first it'll stop them getting 200- they'll only need about 140.

[Durhamfootman]

excellent point