Durham Match Thread 2019

[Arthur Crabtree]

Pretty annoying for Worcs supporters. It's not as if he needs a rest from the volume of cricket he has played.

[Durhamfootman]

got to look after mental health these days

especially if it means a quality player with a point to prove is not playing us

[Durhamfootman]

very important

[Arthur Crabtree]

Fair enough, if he's a burned out case.

[westoelad]

Far more likely,week off then play in CC v Northants commencing next Sunday.

[captaincolly]

Far more likely,week off then play in CC v Northants commencing next Sunday.

That sounds logical. Think you'll be right.

[westoelad]

Yorkies got stuffed off Derbyshire. Fancy getting best off Derbyshire

[Durhamfootman]

ah but, the non winning Warks easily beat the unbeatable Lancs.

I had them chalked up as a probable win for us

[westoelad]

Pretty annoying for Worcs supporters. It's not as if he needs a rest from the volume of cricket he has played.

More annoying for the opposition if he was playing. He's not a Worcestershire player,he's an England player.

[westoelad]

T20 and you have to improvise so, at times, when it doesn't come off, you look a little foolish. He's got to have developed by partnering Short. Also think we should show more faith in his bowling.

all true, but improvisation should be used when batting is getting bogged down, not after two dot balls or when your gun player has just gotten out after a century opening partnership and the team is in a position of strength. Steel should have anchored everything and tried to bat through to the end, letting the new batsmen risk their wickets trying to up the run rate.

I am, of course, being particularly harsh on him, but that's because I think he could be a really good player for us over the coming years, assuming Lancs/Notts/Surrey (delete as appropriate) don't lure him away.

Working with the Dame will be very worthwhile for his development.

I think he will play in the CC match with Leics, but I'm certain he'll be asked to open with Lees. His approach to opening in the one day cup, suggests he may have the temperament to tough it out in the first 20 overs.... as long as T20 mode doesn't kick in and he remembers he doesn't have to reverse sweep or helicopter/ramp/spoon if he doesn't score in an over

Well we'll certainly have some(much needed) steel opening the batting whether it be Cameron or Scott. Generally I'm against a debutant opening at the Riverside, I think initially they should be in the middle order but Scott should have enough white ball opening experience to be able to adapt.

[Durhamfootman]

I agree

although he's been batting 5 for the seconds, so perhaps they have a new name to partner Lees. I noted form the DBTR thread that Angus Robson was playing.... I'd forgotten about him. Is he on trial?

I presume Handscomb will bat 4 or perhaps 5.... probably 4 if I was a betting man.

I suppose that if Steel was to bat 5, rather than open then we'd still need an opener and so we'd have to drop at least 2 and possibly 3 players from a recently very successful side in order to accomodate the loss of Bangers

[Durhamfootman]

Although, of course, Pringle has left since the last CC game, and Clark hasn't contributed massively against the red ball

[Durhamfootman]

Another opener, plus Steel, plus Handscomb would mean leaving Trevaskis out and so Steel would have to bowl, which feels like asking a lot. Steel opening would, I suppose, give us a team of

Lees
Steel
Harte
Handscomb
Burnham
Trevaskis
Eckersley
Raine
A.N. Other
Rimmington
Rushworth

which doesn't look like the worst side in the world, tbh

[Durhamfootman]

If we were looking to test Robson, or rehabilitate Cam Steel I suppose we could, in theory drop the 4th seamer and include both Steel at 5 and Trevaskis at 9,

Lees
Robson/Steel C
Harte
Handscomb
Steel S
Burnham
Eckersley
Raine
Trevaskis
Rimmington
Rushworth

but whether we would want to do that in a pretty wet summer is open to question........ and given that we have bowled our way to an unbeaten 6 match run, that looks a weaker side to me

[Durhamfootman]

funny that Rimmer has suddenly become an un-dropable team member

I wouldn't have predicted that at the start of the season