Durham in need of a Lightning strike
TURNER’S MEN LOOKING TO KEEP BLAST HOPES ALIVE WITH A WIN BY THE SEASIDE
We just cannot seem to string a full game together at the moment. We need to find a way to perform with bat and ball Andrew Tye
DURHAM hope to avoid being struck by Lightning for the second time in a fortnight as they resume their Vitality Blast campaign tonight.
Ashton Turner’s side faces a seaside rendezvous with Lancashire Lightning at Blackpool (6.30) knowing only a win will do to keep alive their hopes of a quarter-final place.
The Riversiders go into the game in eighth spot in the North Group with just three wins from their 10 games so far.
That leaves them on six points – six behind fourthplaced Birmingham Bears with just four games remaining.
Defeat tonight would therefore make it all but impossble for Durham to reach the last eight of the 20-over competition.
They face a tough test against the Lightning, who sit pretty at the top of the table with just one loss in their 10 outings to date.
That reverse, however, came at the Seat Unique Riverside earlier this month, when then acting skipper Liam Trevaskis produced late heroics to guide Durham to a final-over victory.
The home side appeared to be on the verge of their fourthstraight defeat in their chase of 131 amid outstanding bowling from Richard Gleeson, despite knocks of 46 from Ned Eckersely and 36 from Michael Jones. However, with the pressure on Trevaskis the skipper blasted 16 runs from seven balls to steer his side over the line with three balls to spare.
Aussie bowler Andrew Tye knows the importance of finding a winning formula in tonight’s clash – and tomorrow evening’s showdown with the Notts
Outlaws at Chester-leStreet.
He said:
“We just cannot seem to string a full game together at the moment.
“We need to find a way to perform with the bat and ball.
“We are not far away but if we want to play in the quarter-finals we have to be better than we were against Leicereshire Foxes on Sunday.
“We didn’t have anyone who went in and got set and adapted to the pitch.
“It has probably been our downfall – even when we have had set batters in they have found ways to get out before the job is done. As a group we need to be better.”
Durham conclude their Blast programme with trips to Notts Outlaws and Derbyshire Falcons on July 1 and 3 respectively.