Durham are in search of consecutive victories, taking on Somerset at the Cooper Associates County Ground as the final block of 2024 County Championship action continues.
Ryan Campbell has named a 14-man squad which includes Brydon Carse, James Minto and Michael Jones. Neil Wagner drops out due to the shoulder injury he sustained in last week’s dominant victory over Nottinghamshire and sees him ruled out for the remainder of the season, bringing his Durham stint to an early finish.
Brydon Carse returns to action following a three-month absence and is set to make his fourth appearance of the season. Minto appears in a Durham red ball squad for the first time and could be in line for his first-class debut.
Michael Jones comes into the squad as batting cover as Colin Ackermann remains unavailable as his wife is expecting twins. Both Daniel Hogg and Ben McKinney keep their places in the squad after fantastic performances in Durham’s victory over Nottinghamshire.
David Bedigham is now on South Africa A duty for their ODI series against Sri Lanka A, which begins on Saturday at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom.
Durham are searching for back-to-back Championship wins, sitting fifth in Division one and looking to close a gap of eight points to Hampshire in fourth. Somerset are second to Surrey, with 35 points separating the top two sides after their draw to Warwickshire, whilst Durham trail Somerset by 19 points.
Words from Ryan Campbell
I am so incredibly proud of the squad to dominate from the outset for three and a half days, we didn’t really put a foot wrong against Nottinghamshire.
When you have a 19-year-old opening the batting with his first ever (Championship) hundred, you throw in Ashton Turner scoring a hundred in his first (Championship) game for the club and then an 18-year-old bowler (Daniel Hogg) comes out and takes seven-for on debut as well; they are all exciting things for us.
It is a great opportunity for us to back up our work this week. Somerset are second on the ladder; we had a good win against them at home but we want to beat them at their place as well and we will do everything we can to make that happen.
Squad vs Somerset (29 August – 1 September)
Scott Borthwick*, Graham Clark, Brydon Carse, Bas de Leede, George Drissell, Daniel Hogg, Michael Jones, Alex Lees (vc), Ben McKinney, James Minto, Callum Parkinson, Ben Raine, Ollie Robinson+, Ashton Turner
Opposition Corner
Captain: Lewis Gregory
Head Coach: Jason Kerr
2023 finish: Seventh (Division One)
2023 highest run-scorer: James Rew (1,086)
2023 highest wicket-taker: Lewis Gregory (34)
The big question: Will the forthcoming return of former captain Jamie Cox as chief executive help create the environment for Somerset to repeat the success of the Australian’s spell as a player, which saw him lift the 2001 C&G Trophy while leading the team to runners-up spot in the Championship the same season.
What we’re looking forward to seeing: How the experienced Lewis Gregory will cope with replacing Tom Abell as skipper in four-day cricket. The all-rounder has set a tremendous example in overcoming a series of major back problems, but faces a tough task maintaining form as a key figure with bat and ball, while shouldering the responsibility of captaincy.
Final thought: Players and coaches alike are tired of being reminded about Somerset never having won the County Championship title, despite numerous near misses, and are desperate to make history. Last season began on a wave of optimism, but soon developed into a campaign of inconsistent performances without a victory until the sixth game. More top-order runs, particularly in the first innings, will be required to build winning positions this summer, while the return of the popular Steve Kirby as bowling coach will ensure a lively dressing room.
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 Somerset’s YouTube channel. Durham Cricket will have full coverage on social media, with a full match report at the close.