Durham Match Thread 2020

[captaincolly]

says something when a score of 308 is good enough to complete an innings victory in August

Abject. And it's hard to see how it will get any better for the remainder of the competition. Still, we'll soon be playing our specialist format- T20.

[Durhamfootman]

woo hoo!

[Durhamfootman]

I suspect our poor batting may be down to the bat supplier we use. Most bats have 2 edges, an inside edge and an outside edge, but I think our bats must be octagonal in cross section, because they seem to have 8 edges, so it's not surprising we can't score any runs of the face of the bat.

[Durhamfootman]

well, this stand is worth 12, so a farcical run out must be due any minute now

[Durhamfootman]

Another humiliatingly incompetent defeat

hard to know what to say really.

Is it Grace Rd at the weekend? Surely there have to be some changes to the batting line up? One hundred, two fifties and nine blobs. Nine blobs.... that means that almost a quarter of the 40 wickets to fall, fell for nought.... and there are only 5 of the 13 players selected with a high score greater than 14

So far only Lees is worth his spot. Bedingham maybe... just about. Harte more for his stickability than his run making or his bowling.... it says something that he comes in at 5 and 50% of the time he's the last man standing without even scoring many runs
Rushy and Raine would make the team every day of the week, even if we were a better team. Salisbury would keep his place purely for his 4 wickets in the Lancs innings

Dickson will presumably be given all 5 matches, I should think, partly to both bed in and partly because all the other contenders are stuck in a different hemisphere
Capt Ned is the captain, so he'll stay, but he's gone from Captain Sensible last year to Capt Calamity this.

Steel averages 5.25 and by all accounts looks like getting out every ball. He can't stay, surely, so we may have to think about replacing the cold with the stainless.... unless he's being saved for the hit and giggle and they don't want to ruin his confidence before the comp even starts...... which might be a good idea
Burnham is one of those infuriating players who has all the skills and none of the application or concentration
Carse was absolutely hopeless in this game and it would be a huge leap of faith to keep him in the side after a performance as woeful as that. The only thing in his favour is that Matty Potts looked toothless against Yorks and Paul Coughlin is.... well, Paul Coughlin!

[Durhamfootman]

Over the 2 games

9 ducks
18 single figure scores
8 double figure scores under 20


In 35 out of 44 attempts our players don't get to 20

not surprising that we're losing matches is it?

[Durhamfootman]

and the batting cupboard looks bare too

options are Steel S, Clark and Jones

and Poynter

[captaincolly]

Another humiliatingly incompetent defeat

hard to know what to say really.

Is it Grace Rd at the weekend? Surely there have to be some changes to the batting line up? One hundred, two fifties and nine blobs. Nine blobs.... that means that almost a quarter of the 40 wickets to fall, fell for nought.... and there are only 5 of the 13 players selected with a high score greater than 14

So far only Lees is worth his spot. Bedingham maybe... just about. Harte more for his stickability than his run making or his bowling.... it says something that he comes in at 5 and 50% of the time he's the last man standing without even scoring many runs
Rushy and Raine would make the team every day of the week, even if we were a better team. Salisbury would keep his place purely for his 4 wickets in the Lancs innings

Dickson will presumably be given all 5 matches, I should think, partly to both bed in and partly because all the other contenders are stuck in a different hemisphere
Capt Ned is the captain, so he'll stay, but he's gone from Captain Sensible last year to Capt Calamity this.

Steel averages 5.25 and by all accounts looks like getting out every ball. He can't stay, surely, so we may have to think about replacing the cold with the stainless.... unless he's being saved for the hit and giggle and they don't want to ruin his confidence before the comp even starts...... which might be a good idea
Burnham is one of those infuriating players who has all the skills and none of the application or concentration
Carse was absolutely hopeless in this game and it would be a huge leap of faith to keep him in the side after a performance as woeful as that. The only thing in his favour is that Matty Potts looked toothless against Yorks and Paul Coughlin is.... well, Paul Coughlin!

Excellent summing up. The lineup looks almost certain to fail. Steel has never looked like replicating the form of his first year, Harte I think looks decent and would certainly do no worse at 3. Dickson is interesting, I agree about giving him the matches to try and settle in. He has decent stats but - together with sp's assessment- he doesn't seem to be someone who will make regular telling contributions.
Bedingham the other interesting one - apparently is ( or was!) highly thought of in SA so, given our lack of quality, I'd be keen to take a punt on him and extend the contract. If he wants to that is!
I wonder if Dickson was signed, at least in part, because they may feel unable to afford Bancroft or another top class player next season.
One thing I don't get about Weighell and Whitehead- they're obviously out of contract at the end of the season, but why would we choose not to offer extensions before the season started? Suggests to me that either the decisions were taken last year ( unlikely) or it's down to lack of cash thanks to covid. Now those two won't have been on big wages so if they're too expensive then it does not bode well in terms of strengthening for next season.

On an unrelated note I've just read something from Essex - they say they can't afford to refund memberships and anyone who wants to apply for a refund should fill out a forn and they'll consider each case individually!!

[captaincolly]

I suspect our poor batting may be down to the bat supplier we use. Most bats have 2 edges, an inside edge and an outside edge, but I think our bats must be octagonal in cross section, because they seem to have 8 edges, so it's not surprising we can't score any runs of the face of the bat.

[Durhamfootman]

One thing I don't get about Weighell and Whitehead- they're obviously out of contract at the end of the season, but why would we choose not to offer extensions before the season started? Suggests to me that either the decisions were taken last year ( unlikely) or it's down to lack of cash thanks to covid. Now those two won't have been on big wages so if they're too expensive then it does not bode well in terms of strengthening for next season.

I'd be surprised if finance was a factor, tbh. I think they've just decided that those 2 players aren't going to improve the squad next season. Now we decided something similar when Harry Podmore came on trial..... so off he went to Kent where he took 52 div 1 wickets last year at 26's.... and scored 265 runs at 17's too

265 runs at 17's?

sounds like a number 3 bat to me

[Durhamfootman]

we might have to play Trevaskis just so we can drop Burnham

He scored 400 and odd runs last year with 6 not outs

sounds like a number 5

If Harte and Trevaskis got together they could bat out the 120 overs between them.... alright we'd only score 250-4 in the 120 overs, but it would be a massive improvement on where we are now

[captaincolly]

One thing I don't get about Weighell and Whitehead- they're obviously out of contract at the end of the season, but why would we choose not to offer extensions before the season started? Suggests to me that either the decisions were taken last year ( unlikely) or it's down to lack of cash thanks to covid. Now those two won't have been on big wages so if they're too expensive then it does not bode well in terms of strengthening for next season.

I'd be surprised if finance was a factor, tbh. I think they've just decided that those 2 players aren't going to improve the squad next season. Now we decided something similar when Harry Podmore came on trial..... so off he went to Kent where he took 52 div 1 wickets last year at 26's.... and scored 265 runs at 17's too

265 runs at 17's?

sounds like a number 3 bat to me

Yes, he looked hopeless when he was here. Quite a turnaround for him.
Obviously the batting has been appalling but I'm not sure the bowlers have covered themselves in glory either. In both games they had opportunities to at least minimise the damage on first innings and when Yorkshire were 4/2 chasing a modest target , one more quick wicket could have derailed them. Of course dropped catches don't help!

[Durhamfootman]

Is Rimmo around or is he stuck in another hemisphere too?

[captaincolly]

Is Rimmo around or is he stuck in another hemisphere too?

He's here. Tweeted something the other day about being happy to be back in training. Don't know if Behardien is expected to make an appearance. Think he is still in South Africa because there are visa problems related to covid.

[westoelad]

Franklin hinting at change for next match(Leics(A)). I'd be inclined to continue unchanged,perhaps Trevaskis for Carse. I'm keeping the faith. Incidentally, I have just ate some mushrooms which sprouted in the garden after today's deluges.