CC :: Durham v Sussex

The home opener, which despite the fact we beat them in September and despite the fact they lost to Leicestershire at home last week - I’m not too hopeful that we’ll do the business this week.

We should have a much changed lineup, Bancroft and Wood (England permitting) should play, Steel if he has recovered from his concussion should be recalled too.

I’d like to think that those who played at Derby will bat with far more application and sheer bloody-mindedness in this one, traditionally pitches at Riverside dictate a need for improved concentration anyway. I would hope that an attack of Rushworth, Salisbury, Wood and Raine will put us in a position to win the game, but as ever I have absolutely zero faith in the batsmen doing their jobs anyway.

The long term forecast looks dry, but very cold :eek:.

In terms of a lineup, after abstaining from any prediction or suggestion last week my two penn'orth here is:

Bancroft
Lees
Steel
Harte
Burnham
Eckersley
Poynter (+)
Raine
Wood
Salisbury
Rushworth

6 and 7 could be any two of the three wicketkeepers really.

I’m having Steel back in if fit for Smith but if he isn’t Smith can have another go there in my opinion.

Harte occupies 4 based on how well he fought at Derby and because it seems like Burnham will be 5 for the time being.

I’d be tempted to stick Trevaskis or even Pringle in at 7 in place of one of the keepers so we’ve got a spin option. Both can hold a bat.

As always Ha’way Durham!
 


The home opener, which despite the fact we beat them in September and despite the fact they lost to Leicestershire at home last week - I’m not too hopeful that we’ll do the business this week.

We should have a much changed lineup, Bancroft and Wood (England permitting) should play, Steel if he has recovered from his concussion should be recalled too.

I’d like to think that those who played at Derby will bat with far more application and sheer bloody-mindedness in this one, traditionally pitches at Riverside dictate a need for improved concentration anyway. I would hope that an attack of Rushworth, Salisbury, Wood and Raine will put us in a position to win the game, but as ever I have absolutely zero faith in the batsmen doing their jobs anyway.

The long term forecast looks dry, but very cold :eek:.

In terms of a lineup, after abstaining from any prediction or suggestion last week my two penn'orth here is:

Bancroft
Lees
Steel
Harte
Burnham
Eckersley
Poynter (+)
Raine
Wood
Salisbury
Rushworth

6 and 7 could be any two of the three wicketkeepers really.

I’m having Steel back in if fit for Smith but if he isn’t Smith can have another go there in my opinion.

Harte occupies 4 based on how well he fought at Derby and because it seems like Burnham will be 5 for the time being.

I’d be tempted to stick Trevaskis or even Pringle in at 7 in place of one of the keepers so we’ve got a spin option. Both can hold a bat.

As always Ha’way Durham!
Clark in for Poynter, and that's our strongest XI.
 
Aye.
Drop Poynter or Richardson (more likely Poynter imo as I feel Richardson adds a bit more clout with the bat especially when the going gets tough) and Smith for Bancroft and Steel.
Weighell out and Woody in then for me.

I think although it’s not going to be a spinners paradise it’s always useful to still have one in.
 
Definitely need a lot more application with the bat against Sussex; they're a canny team, despite losing their first game. If Bancroft has ever wondered what playing in England is like, C-L-S in April with an easterly wind blowing will sharp let him know :)
 
I like your team Brandon but still no need to play to wicket keepers. People talking up Eckersley but he did get released by Leicester. He can't be that good.

That was exactly my first thought when I saw we were trialling him - how can anyone released by Leicester be of any use to us? His FC record however is more than acceptable, he’s flexible in terms of moving around the order and he’ll have to be given a chance at some point.

Plus, Leicestershire have a young local lad (20 year old) backing up Lewis Hill - who they seem to have settled on as their number one keeper. It could very well be that they got rid of Eckersley more for the financial benefit of not having two keepers on decent wages. Especially now there’s a minimum wage that rises with age.

Time will tell I suppose, but we’ve signed him, so he might aswell play and right now in my view, his stock is higher than that of both Poynter and Richardson. It isn’t a case of us playing two wicket keepers, we’ll be playing one, with the other a batsman only and seeing how we have very little in the way of talented batsmen, we’ll take all the help we can get.

Definitely need a lot more application with the bat against Sussex; they're a canny team, despite losing their first game. If Bancroft has ever wondered what playing in England is like, C-L-S in April with an easterly wind blowing will sharp let him know :)

I’ll be honest, I’m not expecting much from him this week. He’ll have two innings to get a look at it before we play white ball cricket for the next month. Hopefully by mid-May the temperature will rise into double figures :lol:.
 
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Richardson 103 FC games @ 29.26 7 100's
Poynter 39 FC games @ 22.98 2 100's
Eckersley 108 FC games @ 31.92 14 100's
I know which i would be picking.
 
I mentioned Scott Steel a coupl eo f times last season and he's already made a good score this season.

I wonder when they'll blood him?
 
Squad vs Sussex (11-14 April)
Cameron Bancroft (c), Alex Lees, Cameron Steel, Gareth Harte, Jack Burnham, Graham Clark, Ned Eckersley (wk), Liam Trevaskis, Ben Raine, James Weighell, Matt Salisbury, Chris Rushworth, Oliver Gibson

Richardson, Smith & Poynter dropped.
 
Squad vs Sussex (11-14 April)
Cameron Bancroft (c), Alex Lees, Cameron Steel, Gareth Harte, Jack Burnham, Graham Clark, Ned Eckersley (wk), Liam Trevaskis, Ben Raine, James Weighell, Matt Salisbury, Chris Rushworth, Oliver Gibson

Richardson, Smith & Poynter dropped.
Hallelujah one wicket keeper.
 

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