Durham Match Thread 2026

[Durhamfootman]

I didn't know this about health concerns for Will Rhodes (end of the article)

https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/cou ... 1506460393

[captaincolly]

I remember something about him being withdrawn from the squad for the opening game and thought it was odd because there was no mention of an injury. Just described as on medical advice.

[Durhamfootman]

I'll be going tomorrow for a couple of hours. I'll probably go for the batting half. It will be interesting to see if there are any extra chuck wagons. I think Gosforth got a bumper crowd, Darlo has sold out and it seemed busy to me for the Sussex game. I imagine the Gosforth crowd were a bit disappointed to see BS get a duck

[captaincolly]

Hopefully it will be another sizeable crowd. It's almost as if the actual spectators value the 50 over game - unlike the ECB!

[Durhamfootman]

Oi!

that's commie talk, mister

[Durhamfootman]

Looks like just Lees for Clark in the lineup today

we've been asked to bat first, so I'd better head down

[Durhamfootman]

Gay has had to go off for some physio. I thought he was holding his shoulder a lot

[captaincolly]

Just made it down for the last part of the innings. 300 always keeps you in the game but ,with some inexperienced bowlers in our attack, I was hoping for another 50. Yet another century for Lees and Rhodes excellent again. Excellent cameo at the end from Minto.

[Durhamfootman]

I got a couple of hours in earlier. Pitch looked green to me and batting looked like hard work, except for Robbo when he replaced Gay, so good to see that we got 300. Middlesex are having a good campaign, so we'll need every single run if we want to win today.

Stokes looked a bit out of sorts. Took him a long time to get to 19, then just as he was starting to get going and threatening to motor, he got a rank full toss from Hollman which he crunched straight to the diving Geddes at short mid wicket. It was a good catch, which came at him like a tracer bullet and it would have been very easy to drop, but he made no mistake, prompting a big groan from another sizeable looking crowd

[captaincolly]

Yes, excellent crowd again.

[captaincolly]

Minto and Robinson erratic again with the new ball. Some good delivers but too many loose ones. And it looked like a dropped catch from Robinson.

[captaincolly]

Brilliant catch from Lees to get the breakthrough. 31/1.

[Durhamfootman]

300 always keeps you in the game but ,with some inexperienced bowlers in our attack, I was hoping for another 50.

turns out another 20 would have done

I clocked the score on 46 overs and saw that Middlesex needed another 35, so I figured it would be tight, but a couple of wickets might see us home. We got the wickets, but three late sixes did for us

pity, that. A win would have set us up nicely. Good chase from Middlesex

[captaincolly]

Yes, we really should have won after pulling things back in the second half of their innings. Penultimate over probably sealed our fate but Stokes seemed to favour short pitched bowling this evening, not sure why.

[Durhamfootman]

suddenly the last 2 matches have become 'must win'