Durham will need to bounce back quickly if they want to remain in contention for the knockout stages of the Metro Bank One Day Cup, when they host Northamptonshire Steelbacks tomorrow at 11am.
Ryan Campbell has named an unchanged squad of 15 for Durham’s second game at home in the Metro Bank One Day Cup – as the day will celebrate the work the club and its partners are doing in the community and the community work which is being delivered every season from the cricket network in Durham.
Durham suffered a heavy defeat to Somerset on Wednesday and slipped to sixth in Group A – with one win from three games, Durham have just 2 points, but remain just 2 points off third place and the qualification spots.
Ben Raine remains rested for this game as the Club manage his workload following a busy season in the County Championship and T20 Blast – while Neil Wagner has arrived in the North East and will be available for selection next week.
Tomorrow’s opponents Northamptonshire Steelbacks are yet to win in this competition and are 8th in Group A with three defeats from three. The Steelbacks have lost to Derbyshire, Hampshire and Middlesex so far in the group.
Northamptonshire have lost just Ravi Bopara and David Willey to the Hundred, as they’re one of the counties which hasn’t been hugely affected by the ECB franchise tournament.
Squad v Northamptonshire [2 August]
Colin Ackermann, Scott Borthwick, Jonathan Bushnell, Paul Coughlin, Bas de Leede, George Drissell, Ollie Gibson, Daniel Hogg, Michael Jones, Mitchell Killeen, Alex Lees, Stanley McAlindon, Ben McKinney, James Minto. Haydon Mustard+
Words from Alex Lees
I thought we bowled really nicely against Somerset. There were no real complaints from the bowling point of view, we felt 240 was a gettable total but it was very tricky in the second innings.
Daniel Hogg’s spell was solid, and this competition gives us a chance to have a look at some of those guys.
But we’ve been outplayed. Leach is a high-quality Test bowler and if we are being really honest, it was a big toss. Whoever won the toss, won the game. That’s not where we want to be, but it is what it is.
Leach bowled beautifully and showed what a high-quality bowler he is. Some of our decision-making needs to be sharper and a couple of judgement calls were not ideal.
But regardless of the conditions on Friday, we’ll give it our best efforts and we just need to put in some performances.
Opposition Corner
Captain: Lewis McManus
Overseas player: Prithvi Shaw (India)
2023 finish: Sixth (Group B)
2023 leading run scorer: Prithvi Shaw (429)
2023 leading wicket taker: Rob Keogh (12)
Key player: Shaw vowed to return after a knee injury cut short an incredible maiden stint for the Steelbacks last year, which included a record-breaking 244 against Somerset – the sixth highest individual score in List A history. If he gets remotely close to that form this year, Northamptonshire will be strong challengers.
Keep an eye on: At 19, Raphy Weatherall broke into Northamptonshire’s first team this season, making his first-class and T20 debuts. Able to bowl with real pace, his grit and maturity were evident when he was trusted with key overs in this year’s Vitality Blast. The Metro Bank One-Day Cup offers him another opportunity to impress.
Final thought: Northamptonshire carry momentum from a successful Vitality Blast campaign into the Metro-Bank One-Day Cup and, with almost a full squad available, should be favourites to reach the knockout stages. Saif Zaib is in the form of his life and will play a key role until Caribbean League commitments in mid-August.
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 Cricket YouTube channel.