Young Durham cricketer you thought would make it.

W

wayne entwhistle no9

Winger
Just thinking of all the promising sometimes outstanding young cricketers Durham have produced who you thought would make it at first team level.
One that springs to mind to me is Gary Scott. I remember watching him at academy and 2nd team level at 16 or 17 and thinking he could be a really handy all-rounder but never really kicked on and completely lost his way when he swapped his off spin for medium pace before he was released.
 


Agreed he never set the world on fire, but I think Jimmy Daley did well enough to say he made it at first team level. And Peng to an extent probably.
 
Carteron said:
Agreed he never set the world on fire, but I think Jimmy Daley did well enough to say he made it at first team level. And Peng to an extent probably.
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certainly agree about Jimmy but a question mark about Peng's attitude when he was released from 2 counties.
Nice piece from Stephen Brenkley about Durham cricketers. Russel Inglis would certainly fit into the category of could have made it.
www.espncricinfo.com

County Cult Heroes - Durham

Stephen Brenkley chooses his cult heroes from Durham
www.espncricinfo.com www.espncricinfo.com
 
Nicky Peng occasionally looked special, particularly in the one day game. I recall Graham Gooch selecting him as part of his touring squad for the 01/02 trip to New Zealand IIRC, such was the regard he was held in certain quarters.

At one point, Ian Hunter looked as if he might kick on and be a genuinely quick bowler.
 
The Breen Machine said:
Nicky Peng occasionally looked special, particularly in the one day game. I recall Graham Gooch selecting him as part of his touring squad for the 01/02 trip to New Zealand IIRC, such was the regard he was held in certain quarters.

At one point, Ian Hunter looked as if he might kick on and be a genuinely quick bowler.
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Hunter was genuinely quick. Saw him play for South North as a young Durham player. Their pro, Reon King, West Indian quick, was bowling downhill with the wind and looked sharp. Hunter came on at the other end, clearly uphill and against the wind, and he was even quicker ! King ended up as Durham's "overseas" player for one season.
Another genuinely quick bowler was Stephen Lugsden. Saw him open for Durham first team, at the Racecourse against Leicestershire, alongside Anderson Cummins, Durham's overseas player that season. Lugsden was clearly quicker than Cummins.
A string of injuries hindered his progress and ended up leaving the pro game.
 
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badger55 said:
Hunter was genuinely quick. Saw him play for South North as a young Durham player. Their pro, Reon King, West Indian quick, was bowling downhill with the wind and looked sharp. Hunter came on at the other end, clearly uphill and against the wind, and he was even quicker ! King ended up as Durham's "overseas" player for one season.
Another genuinely quick bowler was Stephen Lugsden. Saw him open for Durham first team, at the Racecourse against Leicestershire, alongside Anderson Cummins, Durham's overseas player that season. Lugsden was clearly quicker than Cummins.
A string of injuries hindered his progress and ended up leaving the pro game.
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I remember a Pro40 game which was televised and Bumble was raving about Hunter and the speed he was bowling.

Gordon Muchall really looked the part in his early games for Durham. I recall a Middlesex fan I used to have contact with tip him for England honours after a century at Lords when he was only about 19.
 
The standard of the academy team in the late 90s was outstanding. I remember watching them when it was Gough, Bridge Symington and Hunter who all played England u19s together. Then the next crop where even better with Pratt, Peng,Muchall,Pattison,Mustard top 5 in the batting order and Onions and Davies opening the bowling.
I reckon from about 1998 to 2001 Durham must have had a dozen players represent England at U19 level.
 
wayne entwhistle no9 said:
The standard of the academy team in the late 90s was outstanding. I remember watching them when it was Gough, Bridge Symington and Hunter who all played England u19s together. Then the next crop where even better with Pratt, Peng,Muchall,Pattison,Mustard top 5 in the batting order and Onions and Davies opening the bowling.
I reckon from about 1998 to 2001 Durham must have had a dozen players represent England at U19 level.
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Used to regularly see Graeme Bridge at SAFC away games, plenty of pints in hand :lol:
 
Parkside said:
certainly agree about Jimmy but a question mark about Peng's attitude when he was released from 2 counties.
Nice piece from Stephen Brenkley about Durham cricketers. Russel Inglis would certainly fit into the category of could have made it.
www.espncricinfo.com

County Cult Heroes - Durham

Stephen Brenkley chooses his cult heroes from Durham
www.espncricinfo.com www.espncricinfo.com
Click to expand...

I was laughing regarding the piece on David Graveney and the "C'mon Davey son" shouts...more like "Haway Davey son!" "Good Arrers Davey lad" and "Haway Davey son stand yer ground!" - all coming from the late Gilly from Stanley.:lol:
badger55 said:
Hunter was genuinely quick. Saw him play for South North as a young Durham player. Their pro, Reon King, West Indian quick, was bowling downhill with the wind and looked sharp. Hunter came on at the other end, clearly uphill and against the wind, and he was even quicker ! King ended up as Durham's "overseas" player for one season.
Another genuinely quick bowler was Stephen Lugsden. Saw him open for Durham first team, at the Racecourse against Leicestershire, alongside Anderson Cummins, Durham's overseas player that season. Lugsden was clearly quicker than Cummins.
A string of injuries hindered his progress and ended up leaving the pro game.
Click to expand...

When we played the Aussies in 1993 at the Racecourse, Lugsden was bowling in the nets at a fair old pace and Merv Hughes told Cook that he should have been in the starting line up.
 
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I used to play at Whickham with a lad called Michael Urwin. Really good club cricketer but an exceptional junior and at that age tall and fairly rapid for his age. He played for the north v south under 19s in a test match format and it was being used as a trial to select and England under 19 team at the back end of the 70s. He had an outstanding match taking 11 wickets in the game and getting the man of the match award. However when the England team was selected he didn't make the cut with 10 of the 11 being picked from the beaten south side. Made a good club cricketer but could have been much better than he was if he had been with an academy and managed properly as a youngun.
 
Parkside said:
certainly agree about Jimmy but a question mark about Peng's attitude when he was released from 2 counties.
Nice piece from Stephen Brenkley about Durham cricketers. Russel Inglis would certainly fit into the category of could have made it.
www.espncricinfo.com

County Cult Heroes - Durham

Stephen Brenkley chooses his cult heroes from Durham
www.espncricinfo.com www.espncricinfo.com
Click to expand...
I heard a couple of stories about Peng. One was his debut for an adult team when he was 14 or something, still a kid. He came out to the bat and the guy already out there went up to him and said "Just take your time, there's no rush, give yourself time to get used to the pace of the game". He hit the rest of the over for boundaries so the guy went back up to him between overs and said "Just carry on what you're doing".

And he went to Australia when England used to send promising players to train with Rod Marsh. His feedback was that he had all the talent in the world but didn't want it and wouldn't amount to anything.

I remember him playing against Worcestershire I think it was in a one day and he scored 100. He played some fantastic drives off the back foot and looked superb, I remember Bumble getting really excited. It was probably the only time I ever saw him do anything.
 
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