Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

gosh there's a whole host of Durham players (or Durham bred players) that I'd like to nominate

Chris Rushworth 10fer and 8fer to obliterate... maybe even eviscerate.... 2 of the more fancied teams for the County Championship title

Ben Raine for the standout performance of the month imo in the CC. 7 wickets with the ball against Yorkshire followed by an unbeaten 50 which saw Durham win by 1 wicket a match where they were effectively 9 down with 73 runs still required. If that had been Stokes he'd have got an OBE for it

Matty Potts, 8fer and 6 fer in two consecutive wins and his 25 runs in the above last stand

.........but.....it has to be Shubman Gill doesn't it?

Shubman gets my vote.

depends whether you value quick cricket played on grounds with boundaries so small that edges fly for six to encourage big scoring, more highly than 4 day cricket on full sized pitches and where the fielding isn't manipulated to further encourage big scoring

Maybe that's why Shubman is a contender for his batting and my 3 for their bowling (Raine's heroics.... and heroics is exactly the right word... aside)

Any one of Rushworth, Potts and Raine, would have got Shubman nicking off dead early if he was playing county cricket over here

I'm just being deliberately contrary.

Shubman has had a fine month. I'm happy to concede

I just thought it was important that we look past the razzle dazzle from time to time

June's player of the month is going to come from the ashes, I'd imagine. Lets hope it's an England player

I also had:

Shahnawaz Dahani
Craig Ervine
George Hill
Liam Livingstone
SKY
Omair Youssef

on my longlist.

Has to be Gill , I think. But I totally agree with DFM's reservations about the relative weight of formats.

In summary

January - Shubman Gill
February - Ash Gardener
March - Temba Bavuma
April - Faf du Plessis
May - Shubman Gill

Durhamfootman wrote:depends whether you value quick cricket played on grounds with boundaries so small that edges fly for six to encourage big scoring, more highly than 4 day cricket on full sized pitches and where the fielding isn't manipulated to further encourage big scoring

I am not so sure of that. I said ages ago when he first emerged, he has a lovely technique, gets very set on his feet to transfer his weight back and forward..... maybe its a false dawn, but I think personally we are seeing the age of Gill starting.

I wasn't questioning that, SP. I was questioning why we automatically ended up with IPL players for 2 months without ever really considering performances in the county championship. It made me feel a little as though the CC was the cricket equivalent of non league football compared to the Premier League of T20 franchise cricket

To be fair.....Matt Potts was the cricketer of the month for May last year.....but 3 out of 4 IPL months has seen it go to Buttler, FDP or Gill.

James Vince has been in outstanding touch this month and must be a player who is catching the eye of the England regime. Has scored 3 half centuries in 7 innings and single handedly won Hampshire matches in the Blast. He's my (very unsexy) nomination for player of the month.

Durhamfootman wrote:June's player of the month is going to come from the ashes, I'd imagine. Lets hope it's an England player

not very likely, sadly

Bell-Drummond for me.... hands down

600 runs in the Dribble (more than Vince) and a 300 not out in the CC

I mean, howay.... 300 not out.... phoof!