Durham Match Thread 2024

[captaincolly]

I also thought the picture and sound were poor. Did you read the email from The Cricketer suggesting it's only a matter of time before counties start charging to watch? Apparently Leicestershire are experimenting with paid match packages later in the season.
I would have thought the relatively low audiences would mean such a thing wouldn't generate much income but that seems to be the direction of travel.

Other thing I read was the story in The Telegraph about Matt Fisher joining Surrey. Article said that there were relatively few high profile signings this year due to a combination of tightened finances aayers signed up to long term contracts. Durham were mentioned as an exception with the signings of Gay and Rhodes ( although don't think the latter signing has been confirmed yet.)

[Durhamfootman]

Frankly, I'm amazed that anyone can watch for free. I'd understand it being free to members, indeed it would make a nice selling point for membership, but free to all gives no incentive for people to go to games or become a member

[Durhamfootman]

I suppose the counter argument is that if people can watch for free, they might and that might then lead to them becoming members or going to games

The counter-counter argument might also be that if more matches were played at weekends, then more people might go anyway, live feed or not

I've always believed that a big chunk of the scheduling issues would be solved by playing T20 friday night throughout the season and then starting the CC match against the same team on Saturday morning. That can be simply achieved by making the T20 groups mirror the CC divisions. I know the ECB prefer a T20 block to make it easier for counties to bring top mercenaries in, but surely if there is a point to the hundred and franchises.... bringing the top stars into the country at the same time is it. The ECB won't have even considered this, but I'll bet if you asked ordinary punters if they'd rather pay three times go to see Rashid Khan on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in the same week or pay 3 times to see Kemar Roach every other Friday for 6 weeks, I'll bet they'd go for the latter

[captaincolly]

That's an excellent idea about the schedule. It'd make things much more straightforward for all competitions.
And that counter argument about paid streaming was mentioned- some counties feel there are benefits in making the game freely available. I suppose it's similar to the argument about free to air TV coverage vs selling the rights off to subscription TV.

[Durhamfootman]

That's an excellent idea about the schedule. It'd make things much more straightforward for all competitions.

everybody complains about the incessant travel for the Blast and how non-conducive it is to player welfare and elite performance. Solves it in an instant

[captaincolly]

That's an excellent idea about the schedule. It'd make things much more straightforward for all competitions.

everybody complains about the incessant travel for the Blast and how non-conducive it is to player welfare and elite performance. Solves it in an instant

Much too sensible a suggestion for the ECB to countenance!

[Durhamfootman]

Derbys decide that they fancy a chase

[Durhamfootman]

Ben Raine is playing. First time in this comp, I think. He replaces Glover

maybe it's a warm up for when the CC re-starts

[Durhamfootman]

End of jones, who struggled today. The only balls he could hit were juicy full tosses. It often you see someone caught behind off a forward defensive. Dal is causing us problems, beating the bat a lot.

[Durhamfootman]

150 is up into 30th over, so 300 from here would be more than useful

Dal bowled out and bowled well Borthwick couldn’t lay a bat on anything he bowled, but at least kept his back foot planted so although Guest whipped his nails off any number of times, it didn’t matter. Borthwick has played pretty well today

[Durhamfootman]

Bas has come in looking like a walking wicket, so he needs to calm himself down a bit.

[Durhamfootman]

200 up. 39 overs

Wickets are slowing scoring right down. We are becoming ever more reliant on Borthwick, but he’s struggling to get much of the strike

202-6 now and it’s becoming a bit of a procession at the other end from Borthwick

[Durhamfootman]

Borthwick out. The pressure of no help from the other end, finally got him out

I don’t think we’re going get remotely enough runs

[Durhamfootman]

We’re into the final 10 overs and we are literally just trying to scramble a couple of runs in each over. Mustard 4 from 17 balls at the business end of the innings says it all

Maybe it’s a tricky pitch, but Borthwick and Ackerman fairly bombed along when they were together

[Durhamfootman]

Well, there we go. First I thought we had the chance of 300, then I feared we weren’t going to get anywhere 250 and in the end we did….. just about.

Parky is playing and I’ve seen Potts around the ground in his flip flops, so now I’m wondering if Raine’s absence was in some linked to the Nonsense

We’re going to have take early wickets, I think

No McKinney today, I’ve just realised