The English domestic cricket season draws nearer as January draws out – & the form of Durham’s players abroad is giving our supporters plenty to be excited for in the upcoming 2018 season!
D’s Abroad has covered a number of success stories throughout the winter at both grade & international level and they continue with news of more promising performances this week.
Last week’s round-up included news of a 2-0 lead for England & Mark Wood helped them take an unassailable 3-0 lead over Australia at the SCG.
The paceman looked somewhere near his fearsome best once again, taking 2/46 including a maiden in England’s defence of 302/6 following Jos Buttler’s scintillating century.
Wood removed Cameron White before the big wicket of Australia skipper Steve Smith for 45, caught low down by Buttler after a long third umpire review. Make your own call on the dismissal…
After a long look at it Steve Smith is out, and he is furious ?
A fantastic grab from Jos Buttler sees the end of the Aussie captain.
This is going to cause a lot of debate… pic.twitter.com/o6qVl0Bqge
— Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) January 21, 2018
Wood was not the only player in ODI action as Senior Academy player Michael Jones played his third & fourth matches for Scotland against UAE.
Jones made an impressive start, marking his first two games with centuries, & added 15 in the first win over the hosts. Batting down the order, he made four as they were defeated in the final over second time around.
In grade cricket, Nathan Rimmington’s exceptional winter form continued with a ten-wicket haul against Ipswich/Logan, moving Sandgate-Redcliffe up to third in the Queensland First Grade competition.
After winning on first innings in which Rimmington struck a quickfire 32 off 26 balls, the right-arm seamer got to work quickly in the second innings & returned to take the final six wickets for figures of 7/33.
His two-day competition wicket haul now stands at 31 from just seven matches.
It wasn’t the only success for our latest signing as the Gators reached yet another final, the Kookaburra Limited Overs competition. They’ll rematch against Western Suburbs, who they defeated in the Twenty20 final, after beating University of Queensland by three wickets in a tight semi-final encounter.
Rimmington was inexpensive yet economical in his 0/35 from ten overs as UoQ made 209/9 from 50 overs, adding ten from 25 balls in the chase. The final takes place at Allan Border Field a week on Sunday.
He will be hoping for better final fortunes than Cameron Steel’s side, Claremont-Nedlands, who tasted defeat in the Western Australia T20 showpiece final against Wanneroo.
Steel made 3 as his side could only muster 136 in response to Wanneroo’s 164/6, & they look set for defeat in the two-day fixture against Perth after they closed on 121/2 in response to 192 all out.
Liam Trevaskis also continues to impress for North Canberra Gungahlin, top-scoring with 43 in a small total of 110 & taking three more wickets against Western District UC.