Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Poytner took a hell of a catch
http://www.durhamccc.co.uk/news-and-med ... ndly-2018/

westoelad wrote:Poytner took a hell of a catch
http://www.durhamccc.co.uk/news-and-med ... ndly-2018/

That was a great one! He has certainly had his moments behind the stumps, I think my unease about him being in the Championship side is as much about frailties in the rest of the lineup than his own game - if the bowling attack can keep opposition teams to manageable totals we might be ok.

westoelad wrote:MC Carthy played for Ireland v Somerset(3-66) so has had some recent red ball practise so that's maybe why he was omitted. Harte at 3 could be to have kept the rest of the batting order as it's intended to be v Kent.

Markram
Steel
Smith
Clark
Richardson
Colly
Harte
Rimmington
Potts
McCarthy
Rushworth

Temperature forecast to be 20°C on Friday

This looks about the best team we can field - I would definitely give Harte a go to give us some batting depth, and consign Poynter and Pringle to "squad players" for now. That this is our strongest team, with virtually everyone fit does worry me slightly - I did think we'd strengthen the squad a little bit more, but hopefully we'll defy expectations! Anyway, hope everyone enjoys the season, and that Colly isn't our leading wicket taker at the end of it....

KingOttis wrote:

westoelad wrote:MC Carthy played for Ireland v Somerset(3-66) so has had some recent red ball practise so that's maybe why he was omitted. Harte at 3 could be to have kept the rest of the batting order as it's intended to be v Kent.

Markram
Steel
Smith
Clark
Richardson
Colly
Harte
Rimmington
Potts
McCarthy
Rushworth

Temperature forecast to be 20°C on Friday

This looks about the best team we can field - I would definitely give Harte a go to give us some batting depth, and consign Poynter and Pringle to "squad players" for now. That this is our strongest team, with virtually everyone fit does worry me slightly - I did think we'd strengthen the squad a little bit more, but hopefully we'll defy expectations! Anyway, hope everyone enjoys the season, and that Colly isn't our leading wicket taker at the end of it....

I agree!
Pleased as I am to see Smith back we relying on him and Rimmington to comfortably better their career stats this season and then have Clark & Steel at the very least match last seasons displays , Colly to continue his remarkable late career form, the younger bowlers staying fit and fulfilling their potential , Rushy to return to something like his best form and the overseas players to show their international class.

If one or two of those things don't happen it could be a long season - and I think it'll be a minor miracle if everything comes together. The fitness history of those bowlers does not inspire confidence for starters and this ridiculous uncontested toss rule is sure to throw a spanner in the works.
Still, we have defied expectations so many times before!

I'd forgot about the toss rule. The signing of a spinner makes a lot more sense now.

[quote="westoelad"]MC Carthy played for Ireland v Somerset(3-66) so has had some recent red ball practise so that's maybe why he was omitted. Harte at 3 could be to have kept the rest of the batting order as it's intended to be v Kent.

Markram
Steel
Smith
Clark
Richardson
Colly
Harte
Rimmington
Potts
McCarthy
Rushworth
Thats pretty much the line up I was thinking off. Markram Smith and even Steele to do any slow bowling that maybe needed and you have still got 4 seamers and Colly to bowl as well.The one worry with the bowling is it looks a bit pedestrian and lacks variety.
The worry with the batting for me is will they score enough 100s through the season to put big scores on the board. But would love to see Steele and Clark kick on again from last season.

wearside willow wrote:

westoelad wrote:MC Carthy played for Ireland v Somerset(3-66) so has had some recent red ball practise so that's maybe why he was omitted. Harte at 3 could be to have kept the rest of the batting order as it's intended to be v Kent.

Markram
Steel
Smith
Clark
Richardson
Colly
Harte
Rimmington
Potts
McCarthy
Rushworth
Thats pretty much the line up I was thinking off. Markram Smith and even Steele to do any slow bowling that maybe needed and you have still got 4 seamers and Colly to bowl as well.The one worry with the bowling is it looks a bit pedestrian and lacks variety.
The worry with the batting for me is will they score enough 100s through the season to put big scores on the board. But would love to see Steele and Clark kick on again from last season.

That's my worry too - the batting does not look exceptional and the bowling not strong enough to compensate. It's why I was amazed the only addition to the fast bowlers was a 35 year old medium pacer - we should have brought in a genuine strike bowler as well.

Weather forecast for Friday looks surprisingly good and the good conditions this week should mean the field has fully recovered from the damp weather.

If the sun is out it might make Kent think about not automatically choosing to bowl or , if they do , it might not be quite as tricky as usual. Against that is our lack of preparation and the near certainty of something going wrong!
Let's hope that dreadfully unproductive bowling performance on Sunday was a fluke but I have a feeling it might not have been. We'll find out on Friday because I'm sure we will be bowling at some stage during the day even if we do bat first.

rain forecast on Sunday

might be all over by then. Kent will opt to bowl, skittle us early afternoon, lose 5 cheap wickets themselves before going on to bat until tea on Sat, have us 7 or 8 down by COP, then the rain won't matter on Sunday because they'll find the half hour needed to complete an innings defeat

welcome to the new season

Durhamfootman wrote:rain forecast on Sunday

might be all over by then. Kent will opt to bowl, skittle us early afternoon, lose 5 cheap wickets themselves before going on to bat until tea on Sat, have us 7 or 8 down by COP, then the rain won't matter on Sunday because they'll find the half hour needed to complete an innings defeat

welcome to the new season

Yes, that scenario has a familiar ring to it! Presumably Matt Henry will be playing - I see his FC highest score is 75 not out so in addition to causing carnage with the ball he'll probably score his maiden century!

I see Aiden Markram has said Benks and Ottis Gibson were big influences in his decision to come to Durham. I wonder what exactly they've been telling him about batting at the Riverside because in the same interview he was talking about always being there as a shoulder to cry on and the importance of compassion when cricketers are struggling!
To be fair he was responding to a question about captaincy/leadership roles at a young age...or has he been chatting to poor Stephen Cook?!

Durhamfootman wrote:rain forecast on Sunday

might be all over by then. Kent will opt to bowl, skittle us early afternoon, lose 5 cheap wickets themselves before going on to bat until tea on Sat, have us 7 or 8 down by COP, then the rain won't matter on Sunday because they'll find the half hour needed to complete an innings defeat

welcome to the new season

You're not predicting a dibbly-dobbly 40something year old bowler from Kent is going to skittle our batting order? It's not as if we've got previous

westoelad wrote:

Durhamfootman wrote:rain forecast on Sunday

might be all over by then. Kent will opt to bowl, skittle us early afternoon, lose 5 cheap wickets themselves before going on to bat until tea on Sat, have us 7 or 8 down by COP, then the rain won't matter on Sunday because they'll find the half hour needed to complete an innings defeat

welcome to the new season

You're not predicting a dibbly-dobbly 40something year old bowler from Kent is going to skittle our batting order? It's not as if we've got previous

Squad for tomorrow :

Paul Collingwood (c), Cameron Steel, Aiden Markram, Will Smith, Gareth Harte, Graham Clark, Michael Richardson, Stuart Poynter, Matthew Potts, Nathan Rimmington, Barry McCarthy, James Weighell, Chris Rushworth

I'd leave out Poynter and either Weighell or Potts. The article on the website says Poynter and Richardson shared the keeping role on Sunday. Richo must have started and then Poynter took over.

It was Poytner who took the wonder catch but I'd agree on that final XI.