Seam rich Durham’s focus on spin option

DURHAM are set to look at investing in an overseas batsman or spinner next season.

Head coach Jon Lewis feels that looking for another fast bowler would not make sense with the options that they already have available.

He said: “If we are to get the money for an overseas next season it’s probable we’ll look at another area of the team because we’ve got a good pack of up-andcoming fast bowling all-rounders.

“They’re not all going to be available at the same time but the pack’s quite big so we’ll be able to get a lot of cricket out of them, we hope.

“A bit of stability around the batting and support for the spinner might be better.

“If we were to have put a bowling all-rounder into the squad you would say it looked unbalanced.”

“I assume (Mark) Wood will get a central contract from England (keeping him off Durham’s stretched wage bill) – which is probably a bit stupid because you should never assume anything – but I’m hopeful we would be able to do something for him if they didn’t.

“But he’s done well since he’s been back in an England shirt.”

WORCESTERSHIRE’S Joe Clarke has been tipped to go considerably higher in the game by county captain Daryl Mitchell.

Clarke, 20, has scored five centuries this season and was the first Worcestershire batsman to complete 1,000 first-class runs this summer.

His 2016 exploits followed on from a stellar year with the 2nd XI last season, which propelled him into the first team and led to a place in England Lions’ squad for the tour of the UAE last winter.

And Clarke, who has been playing solely as a batsman but who can keep as well, has earned the plaudits from his captain.

Mitchell said: “I can guarantee this season won’t be the last time that Joe goes past 1,000 runs, that’s for sure.

“He is a fine talent. He has come into first-class cricket and really taken to it. He played well in Division One last year in the second half of the season.

“He has been our outstanding batsman this season, definitely, and he likes the pressure situations as well. He came in at 30-2 chasing 400 against Northants and scored an excellent century in what was our record run chase at New Road.

“Then previously he hit a magnificent hundred against Leicestershire in a high chase as well (366) when the pressure was on us. He has got all the attributes to go up to higher honours I would imagine.”