Durham Match Thread 2026

[captaincolly]

93 run win

Middlesex put up a fight, but in the end we didn't need the new ball. I was beginning to think that we would as that 9th wicket partnership grew

Yes, never really in doubt but fair play to Middlesex for toughing it out. Super innings from Duke and I thought it was nice that our players applauded him at the end.

[Durhamfootman]

maiden hundred for him.... of course!

he had to get the long handle out to do it, but Carse gave him almost every boundary he needed to score those last 30 or 40 runs with a rabbit at the other end

it might secure him a better contract with somebody else away from Yorks. Somewhere where he isn't always going to sit behind Jonny Blameless..... not his fault

[Durhamfootman]

A good game for Carse, though. Match 9fer.... fair enough. It'll get his name mentioned again for the right reasons

Campo confirmed that Stokes and Potts will be back next week

Aldridge dropped a catch today we don't see that very often. Regulation slip catch too. He's an excellent slipper. 22 catches this season, I think

nope.... 23.
30 wickets at 28 and 275 runs at 27. Decent enough season. Could do with scoring more runs if he's going to bat at 8, but I'm being picky. He's conceded the same number of runs as BR, but in 90 fewer overs. That seems to be progressing though. It feels as though he's been less profligate in the second half of the season compared to the first and I suspect that he's probably taken more wickets in the second half too..... work in progress

[Durhamfootman]

Harry Duke?

spends a lot of time shaking his long hair about like a shampoo ad

not for me

774 runs at 22, SR 40, 1 century, 2 fifties, 87 dismissals

not an upgrade on Robbo, 5268 runs at 35's SR 67, 10 centuries, 28 fifties, 331 dismissals

Robbo is only 2 years older than Duke (27/25)

surprisingly, still only 29 Bracey has 7200 runs at 38's, SR 53, 21 centuries, 29 fifties, 304 dismissals. I reckon that dismissal rate would go much higher if he was keeping to our attack than that boasted by Gloucs

[Durhamfootman]

feels unlikely though

[captaincolly]

Bracey an excellent cricketer. I think Robbo will regain his mojo but it has been a prolonged slump. Although I think Bracey had a bit of a lean run after he played those games for England. Chances are that OR will find a way to get back to his best.

[Arthur Crabtree]

and we are champions. I was pretty confident we would be

From the start?

Congrats Durham CCC and illustrious supporters.

[Durhamfootman]

and we are champions. I was pretty confident we would be

From the start?

From day 2 of the Middlesex game. I knew that if we won we'd be promoted, but I had a fancy that the others would fall away and we'd finish the round as champs

Given how poor we were last season, I was by no means certain that we'd bounce straight back at the start of the season. Fortunately we were spared many of the issues that dogged our 2025 campaign. Having Pottsy back for the whole season was not a given back in April. Stokes was an enjoyable bonus that probably changed nothing, as was the late appearance of Carse, but it did mean that we were able to rotate bowlers and not have to bowl Ben Raine into the ground this year, so he got back to somewhere near his best prior to the centiball. Bedders was available until the job was pretty much done, Gay's England pursuit got us off to a flying start and McKinney continued to progress, so runs were there more often than not.

Many of those things won't apply next year, so it's important that we don't repeat the mistakes of last season...... Proper pre season training, a spinner in every XI, no signings of ageing overseas bowlers who break down quickly and no sitting on our laurels player wise. There are players who have struggled for form this year.... 3 of them in the top 7. I'm not sure we can afford to hope that they recover their form in div 1. A wise side, even when at its most dominant, strengthens for the season ahead. I hope we do. Who can say whether Potts will be available all season in 2027, or McKinney, or Bedingham? We can be pretty sure that Stokes won't be around until the end of the IPL, assuming he doesn't come back injured. Somerset, Warwickshire and Notts probably won't collapse in a heap after having the upper hand for 3 days of a CC game. I can see the 2027 predictions being Durham to finish 2nd in div 1, but they predicted that last year and we were awful all season. It would be very easy for that to happen again if we ignore our processes.... the right preparation, the right training, keeping the players fit, the right pitches, the right selections, effective signings....... these were the things we let slip last year and it brought decisions steeped in desperation and ultimately relegation.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Good post. Thanks!

[Durhamfootman]

a welcome return to winning ways for the women

coinciding with the return of Villiers

3-53 for Filer and a ton for the skip

[Durhamfootman]

7th placed finish in the league. Not great, but for half a season we were in the mix at the top. It was those 4 defeats in a row after the centiball break that did for us

We could do worse than re-sign Graham next season and try and get her for the whole season. We missed her over those 4 games and we could have used her at the very start of the season

[captaincolly]

and we are champions. I was pretty confident we would be

From the start?

Congrats Durham CCC and illustrious supporters.

Thank you!

[Durhamfootman]

I've not seen any mention of when (or if) the trophy will appear this week.

[captaincolly]

and we are champions. I was pretty confident we would be

From the start?

From day 2 of the Middlesex game. I knew that if we won we'd be promoted, but I had a fancy that the others would fall away and we'd finish the round as champs

Given how poor we were last season, I was by no means certain that we'd bounce straight back at the start of the season. Fortunately we were spared many of the issues that dogged our 2025 campaign. Having Pottsy back for the whole season was not a given back in April. Stokes was an enjoyable bonus that probably changed nothing, as was the late appearance of Carse, but it did mean that we were able to rotate bowlers and not have to bowl Ben Raine into the ground this year, so he got back to somewhere near his best prior to the centiball. Bedders was available until the job was pretty much done, Gay's England pursuit got us off to a flying start and McKinney continued to progress, so runs were there more often than not.

Many of those things won't apply next year, so it's important that we don't repeat the mistakes of last season...... Proper pre season training, a spinner in every XI, no signings of ageing overseas bowlers who break down quickly and no sitting on our laurels player wise. There are players who have struggled for form this year.... 3 of them in the top 7. I'm not sure we can afford to hope that they recover their form in div 1. A wise side, even when at its most dominant, strengthens for the season ahead. I hope we do. Who can say whether Potts will be available all season in 2027, or McKinney, or Bedingham? We can be pretty sure that Stokes won't be around until the end of the IPL, assuming he doesn't come back injured. Somerset, Warwickshire and Notts probably won't collapse in a heap after having the upper hand for 3 days of a CC game. I can see the 2027 predictions being Durham to finish 2nd in div 1, but they predicted that last year and we were awful all season. It would be very easy for that to happen again if we ignore our processes.... the right preparation, the right training, keeping the players fit, the right pitches, the right selections, effective signings....... these were the things we let slip last year and it brought decisions steeped in desperation and ultimately relegation.

Completely agree. We won games this year from seemingly hopeless positions- that won't happen in div 1 . The batting as a unit didn't really fire so that needs to improve - of course the final thing that sealed our fate last year was a catastrophic collapse, but there were orher games where we made errors and lost from a position of strength. Notts away, Warwickshire & Somerset at home.

[Durhamfootman]

Will you be attending the last home game of 2026? I'm hoping to pop in tomorrow afternoon once I've finished work (so probably sometime after 2pm). Tomorrow seems to be the best weather day.