Durham Match Thread 2019

[Durhamfootman]

3 home games in the next 4 weeks. All Monday starts, which is less than ideal for me, so it looks as though I will only be making fleeting visits.

I should, in theory be able to get down on Wednesday for an hour and a half of the morning session. Any likelihood that the match will still be on by Wed?

[captaincolly]

3 home games in the next 4 weeks. All Monday starts, which is less than ideal for me, so it looks as though I will only be making fleeting visits.

I should, in theory be able to get down on Wednesday for an hour and a half of the morning session. Any likelihood that the match will still be on by Wed?

Depends how long Gloucs bat in their first innings!

[Durhamfootman]

precisely

I'm not holding out much hope.

Hey... at some stage we are going to get a decent start with the bat.... law of averages and all that. Once that happens, something might click. Up to now panic sets in with the fall of a couple of early wickets. I hope it's just a question of confidence, but then I thought the one day cup campaign might have helped with that, so perhaps it isn't.

I'd like to see Bangers opening. I just feel it might help

[captaincolly]

precisely

I'm not holding out much hope.

Hey... at some stage we are going to get a decent start with the bat.... law of averages and all that. Once that happens, something might click. Up to now panic sets in with the fall of a couple of early wickets. I hope it's just a question of confidence, but then I thought the one day cup campaign might have helped with that, so perhaps it isn't.

I'd like to see Bangers opening. I just feel it might help

Yep, he could hopefully set the right tone from the very start.
It all reminds me of those early years where we had a lineup that was a mixture of inexperienced youngsters and ones let go by other counties. And in the first year we had one top class batsman - another Aussie in Dean Jones.
That combination didn't work then and won't work now imo.

[captaincolly]

I suppose one difference is it was all one division then so even more tough games. In theory it should be easier in div 2 but I still don't believe a batting line-up where all but one are either inexperienced or have very modest averages will do anything other than collapse.
Giving it time won't change much - they'll just have more experience of collapsing and lose all confidence.
One of the reasons given for Colly taking a long time to prosper was because he started out in a poor side.
Or Rocky, it took him years to establish himself and he was playing in a strong side.

[westoelad]

Squad vs Gloucestershire (20-23 May)
Cameron Bancroft (c), Alex Lees, Gareth Harte, Graham Clark, Jack Burnham, Ned Eckersley (wk), Liam Trevaskis, Ben Raine, Brydon Carse, Ryan Pringle, James Weighell, Matt Salisbury, Chris Rushworth

Where's Scott Steele?
Pringle got a ton for the 2nds!- Against 2nd team declaration bowling.Carse's bowling is nowhere near 1st team sta ndard.

[captaincolly]

Squad vs Gloucestershire (20-23 May)
Cameron Bancroft (c), Alex Lees, Gareth Harte, Graham Clark, Jack Burnham, Ned Eckersley (wk), Liam Trevaskis, Ben Raine, Brydon Carse, Ryan Pringle, James Weighell, Matt Salisbury, Chris Rushworth

Where's Scott Steele?
Pringle got a ton for the 2nds!- Against 2nd team declaration bowling.Carse's bowling is nowhere near 1st team sta ndard.a

I wonder if Scott is injured ? Don't think he played in the 2nd team last week - if he is fit to play it's a mystery why he's not selected.
I was amazed Pringle scored that hundred but didn't realise it was declaration bowling - that explains it!

It's the same issue - that squad has one international batsman and one with a reasonable record ( Eckersley) but all of the other batsmen are either very or fairly inexperienced or, in the case of Lees, trying to resurrect a career.
I just think it almost guarantees the kind of collapses we have seen in literally every innings in the Championship.
Franklin & North must have more confidence so I suppose we'll have to trust their judgement but if that judgement turns out to be wrong then they will have questions to answer!

And the bowling is very raw too - apart from Rushy, how many others have a career record and/or fitness record that inspires confidence? That bowling unit has to take a good deal of the blame, the hapless batting is one thing but in every game we would have been ahead after the first innings had the bowlers not let the opposition off the hook. I think Derbyshire were about 60/4, Sussex around 80/7 and last week Worcs were 3 down early on and made almost 400.

[Durhamfootman]

Can Steel dropped?

If he is dropped, does the introduction of Clark help matters?

If he is dropped, does this mean Bangers is going to open after all?

[westoelad]

Can Steel dropped?

If he is dropped, does the introduction of Clark help matters?

If he is dropped, does this mean Bangers is going to open after all?

Yes

No

No- I reckon Harte will open. Bangers can do whatever he likes regardless of what's best for the team.

[captaincolly]

The inclusion of Pringle in the squad seems strange, of all the candidates to come in he would be near the bottom of my list.
Unless there's another 2nd team game and the other fringe players are better off playing in it. It would not be a surprise if the result against Gloucs means further changes will be required for the next one!

[westoelad]

The inclusion of Pringle in the squad seems strange, of all the candidates to come in he would be near the bottom of my list.
Unless there's another 2nd team game and the other fringe players are better off playing in it. It would not be a surprise if the result against Gloucs means further changes will be required for the next one!

2nds are playing Notts 2nd in white and red ball games this week. Be interesting to see both selection and performance in these games.

[captaincolly]

The inclusion of Pringle in the squad seems strange, of all the candidates to come in he would be near the bottom of my list.
Unless there's another 2nd team game and the other fringe players are better off playing in it. It would not be a surprise if the result against Gloucs means further changes will be required for the next one!

2nds are playing Notts 2nd in white and red ball games this week. Be interesting to see both selection and performance in these games.

Yep. 2nds games are important given the various issues with the first team.
Forecast tomorrow suggests there may be showers in the final session.

[Durhamfootman]

Forecast tomorrow suggests there may be showers in the final session.

oh good. that might help get the match to Wednesday morning

[SixSixEight]

Forecast tomorrow suggests there may be showers in the final session.

oh good. that might help get the match to Wednesday morning

OOOh I wouldn't bet on it, I'm up for all 4 days of this match. A bit of rain about and it could all be done and dusted in 2..... unless Rushy can do his thing of course.

Pringle has done well in the 2nds in a few matches, but so did Scott against some first teams. What has happened to Richo he also scored some runs recently? I presume Brydon is on the list on account of his batting rather than bowling. We seem to be becoming a team of bowling allrounders who can't take wickets, with Rushy or Sainsbury being effective [sometimes] but never at the same time.

[captaincolly]

Forecast tomorrow suggests there may be showers in the final session.

oh good. that might help get the match to Wednesday morning

OOOh I wouldn't bet on it, I'm up for all 4 days of this match. A bit of rain about and it could all be done and dusted in 2..... unless Rushy can do his thing of course.

Pringle has done well in the 2nds in a few matches, but so did Scott against some first teams. What has happened to Richo he also scored some runs recently? I presume Brydon is on the list on account of his batting rather than bowling. We seem to be becoming a team of bowling allrounders who can't take wickets, with Rushy or Sainsbury being effective [sometimes] but never at the same time.

Yep. There's Bancroft who is a quality batsman and no other batsmen of proven quality - Harte looks as if he might be very good and Lees' form in the RL50 was very encouraging but the jury is still out. Rushy isn't quite aa good as he once was imo but still a class act. The rest of the bowlers are mainly promising but still fairly raw/inexperienced. Raine has been decent so far but no game changing performances. Seems to be a handy bowler but not likely to run through sides and has played a few cameo innings.
Salisbury has been poor imo, has spells where he looks very good and others where he looks ordinary and I wonder if the ultra bowler friendly conditions last year made him seem better than he is.