Three new faces in Durham squad to take on Tykes
DURHAM’S Lead High Performance Coach James Franklin has named his first 13-man squad of the season for the opening Bob Willis Trophy match against Yorkshire which started behind closed doors today.
Ned Eckersley leads Durham out at Emirates Riverside for the first time since being named the newred ball captain, while batsmen Sean Dickson and David Bedingham are set to make their first appearances for the club in firstclass cricket.
All-rounder Paul Coughlin is also named in the 13 and if selected will return to the field at Emirates Riverside for the first time since August 28 2017 against Derbyshire.
Brydon Carse has returned from the England one-day training bubble in Southampton, but his workload means he is not available to play four-day cricket and therefore will not be available to play against Yorkshire.
However, Carse will be a strong candidate to feature in the Lancashire game next weekend.
This is the first time Durham have faced Yorkshire in first-class cricket at Emirates Riverside since 2016, when they scored 507- in their second innings – its highest home total against Yorkshire, as the match ended a draw.
Feanklin said: “Cricket seamed a long way away back in the spring, so to now find ourselves here on the eve of a shortened season is hugely exciting.
“The Yorkshire friendly this week was a really good hit-out.
“All our seamers had a good run out, taking 12 wickets, and the batters had meaningful time in the middle - so as far as the warm-up went I could not be happier.
“We have new faces in the squad and an old one in Paul Coughlin.
“We are extremely excited by the new additions and hopefully they can add more quality and depth to the squad and build on the competitiveness within in the group.” DURHAM: Alex Lees, Sean Dickson, Cameron Steel, David Bedingham, Gareth Harte, Stuart Poynter, Jack Burnham, Ned Eckersley (c,wk), Paul Coughlin, Ben Raine, Matthew Potts, Matthew Salisbury, Chris Rushworth.
With the first half of the campaign wiped out due to the coronavirus pandemic, a shortened and improvised alternative has been finalised to the usual County Championship.
All 18 clubs will battle for the inaugural Bob Willis Trophy, with the winners of this year’s regionalised red-ball competition receiving a piece of silverware based on a painting by the wife of the late Bob Willis, who died in December.
The England great’s widow Lauren Clark reconnected with her artistic side to help combat the loneliness of lockdown.
Willis’ two former clubs Warwickshire and Surrey will be in the central and south groups respectively, with the other category a north group.
Derbyshire, Durham, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire will do battle in the North group.
2019 County Championship winners Essex and Surrey, who clinched the title in 2018, are in the South section alongside Hampshire, Kent, Middlesex and Sussex.
Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, Warwickshire and Worcestershire make up the central division.
All 18 clubs will play once against their group rivals and the two group winners with the most points will make it through to a deciding final.