Durham are back in T20 Blast action tomorrow night when they take on Yorkshire Vikings at Headingley. [6:30pm]
Ryan Campbell has named a 14-player squad which includes one addition from the squad which travelled to Wantage Road on Sunday. George Drissell is added to the 14 – to an otherwise unchanged squad.
The Blast group stage is now reaching the conclusion as the race for a top four spot heats up – as both Durham and Yorkshire remain in the hunt to reach the quarter finals.
Durham are currently sitting in fourth place on 11 points with 5 wins and 4 defeats, while Yorkshire Vikings occupy 7th spot with 8 points from 4 wins.
Words from Colin Ackermann
Obviously losing early wickets set us back quite a bit against Northamptonshire. We didn’t really have a right to win the game to be honest, only getting 140 on the board. But it just shows the fight and the character we’ve got in the team and to take it all the way into the last overs is a credit to our squad.
It seems like [this season] if we get a good score on the board, we’ve got the confidence and the skillset to defend scores and I mean today, it was never going to be easy defending 140 but it was great to take it deep and into the last over.
It’s a massive week this week, with three games coming up in the space of four days. The spirits are still good in the group, we know we are a good T20 team, so now it is about going to Yorkshire on Thursday and putting on a good display.
Squad v Yorkshire Vikings (11 July)
Colin Ackermann, Graham Clark, Paul Coughlin, Bas de Leede, Ben Dwarshuis, George Drissell, Michael Jones, Alex Lees*, Ben McKinney, Callum Parkinson,Ben Raine, Ollie Robinson+, Nathan Sowter, Ashton Turner
Opposition Corner
Captain: Shan Masood
Overseas players: Donovan Ferreira (South Africa), Shan Masood (Pakistan)
Finals Day appearances: Three (2012, 2016, 2022)
Titles: None
2023 finish: Eighth (North Group)
2023 leading run-scorer: Dawid Malan (546)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Jordan Thompson (20)
Key winter moves: Yorkshire signed emerging South African international Donovan Ferreira to add power to their middle order. The 25-year-old will also take the wicketkeeping gloves. Left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty has arrived from Surrey, while Dawid Malan converted his contract at Headingley into a white-ball only deal.
The big question: Are Yorkshire going to have the bowling depth to make an impression? Seamers Mickey Edwards (foot) and Matt Milnes (back) have already been ruled out for the season with stress fractures, leaving little room for rest and rotation.
Wildcard watch: Eight Yorkshire players, including Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Donovan Ferreira, Adil Rashid and Joe Root, will be involved in this summer’s Hundred. Leg-spinner Jafer Chohan was on Southern Brave’s roster last year but didn’t play. He should be key for the Vikings, and good form can catch the eye again.
Final thought: Yorkshire could do with a Blast boost. They have been a long way short of their pre-season title favourites tag in the first half of the County Championship Division Two campaign. With their seam-bowling stocks depleted, it could be a case of spin it to win it, with Dom Bess, Dan Moriarty and Jafer Chohan all good to go.
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 Yorkshire YouTube channel. Durham Cricket will have full coverage on social media, with a full match report at the close.