Ryan Campbell has named an unchanged 14 player squad as Durham look to make it back-to-back home wins when they take on Leicestershire Foxes tomorrow at Seat Unique Riverside.
Durham enjoyed a convincing win over one of the tournaments favourites Lancashire Lightning on Friday night and attention now turns to Sunday where Durham go up against the Foxes.
Campbell’s side have won three out of four in the North group sitting in third place with 6 points and face a Leicestershire side who are winless so far from 5 games and sit in bottom spot.
Words from Michael Jones
Squad v Leicestershire Foxes [4th June]
Jonathan Bushnell, Graham Clark, Bas de Leede, Luke Doneathy, Brandon Glover, Michael Jones, Alex Lees, Wayne Parnell, Ben Raine, Luke Robinson, Ollie Robinson +, Nathan Sowter, Liam Trevaskis, Ashton Turner
Opposition Corner
Captain: Colin Ackermann
Overseas players: Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan), Wiaan Mulder (South Africa)
Finals Day appearances: 5 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011)
Titles: 3 (2004, 2006, 2011)
2022 finish: Sixth (North Group)
2022 leading runscorer: Colin Ackermann (367)
2022 leading wicket taker: Naveen-ul-Haq (24)
Key winter moves: The Foxes have lost all-rounder Ben Mike to Yorkshire but former Nottinghamshire batter Sol Budinger will bring explosive qualities to the power play, while the retention of Naveen-ul-Haq after 50 wickets in two seasons is a coup in itself. New batting coach James Taylor, meanwhile, knows what it takes to win the competition, having been part of the Foxes team that triumphed in 2011.
The big question: Can the Foxes overcome their habit of making stuttering starts and turn a decent, competitive Blast side on paper into one that can mount a proper tilt at the silverware? The Foxes were the dominant side in the early days of T20, taking to the format from the start and lifting the trophy twice in the first four years. Can they reach those heights again?
Wildcard watch: Naveen-ul-Haq – With 50 wickets in two Blast seasons his unorthodox but highly effective bowling, packed with devilishly hard-to-pick slower balls, even in high-pressure situations, has been a huge asset for the Foxes. He has yet to play in The Hundred, having turned down an opportunity last year because of international commitments. If he is available this year, a chance will surely come again.
Final thought: In left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson, leg-spinning all-rounder Rehan Ahmed and prolific wicket-taker Naveen-ul-Haq, the Foxes have three bowlers who would arguably walk into any other Blast side, with the potential for big runs from the likes of Colin Ackermann, Arron Lilley, Wiann Mulder and Rishi Patel. The time to realise their potential as a team is overdue.
Match Centre
The Club’s match centre will be in operation for the fixture with live scorecards, statistics & video highlights as they happen. You can watch the game live via Durham’s match centre and Durham YouTube channel. Durham Cricket will have full coverage on social media, with a full match report at the close.