Dream Team
Welcome to our expanded, illustrated presentation with statistical summaries of the selected players
Durham’s Ryan Pringle looks at the men he has played with
1. Keaton Jennings
I played with Keaton the year he got 1600-odd runs and it was freakish to watch, he broke the record at Durham that year. Playing in the side you knew he was going to get a century every time he went out!
2. Mark Stoneman
I was breaking into the white-ball side as he was cementing his place and he played every single format the same way – he just goes out and smacks it! There’s every chance he’ll get a run-aball hundred in the Ashes I reckon! Hopefully it happens!
3. Kumar Sangakkara
I don’t need to say much do I? His stats up until he retired are pretty phenomenal in every single format, it’s a bit of a shame to see him retire really. I only played with him once, he played a couple of games for Durham a few years ago.
4. Paul Collingwood
When he got the double-hundred in the Ashes a few years ago I remember watching that on TV and then having the opportunity to play with him – he’s different class in all formats. Last year he got a hundred in all three formats at 41 so he’s still improving!
5. Ben Stokes
He’ll do something freakish most games he plays, whether it’s a catch, a spell, a 60-ball hundred, he’s the X-factor. I hope he gets out to the Ashes, I think there’s a small chance he’ll fly across at some point.
6. Gareth Breese
He’s a run scorer and a phenomenal bowler – He was at Durham from when I was pretty young and I really looked up to him so getting to play with him was amazing. He’s a very selfless person and when he was transitioning his career away from Durham he was still willing to help out all us younger guys and it was brilliant to play with him and learn in that environment. He was almost a specialist white-ball finisher with the bat and he played some very important innings for Durham, 20s and 30s off not many balls at the end.
7. Phil Mustard
If not for his batting and his wicketkeeping just for how funny he is in the dressing room. He’s a brilliant man, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him upset or down and he kind of just lifts the spirit no matter what the situation is. He’s another one who’s quite selfless and it didn’t matter whether he was out first ball or got a hundred – he’d still have the same outlook on the game.
8. John Hastings
He’s another one who plays his cricket the same way regardless of the situation, he’s always 100 per cent or nothing and he’s excellent to play with. He’s very aggressive with bat or ball and if there was nothing happening in a game he’d be willing to run in for six, seven overs and bowl his heart out, leave it all out there.
9. Mark Wood
Anyone who bowls 92mph is very useful to have in your side! Very nice guy as well, bit of a joker and I think he’s got four or five first class 50s so quite useful with the bat as well.
10. Steve Harmison
Another one who, when he was in his pomp, if you’ve got someone who’s 6ft plenty running in at 90 miles an hour I’d rather play with him than against him!
11. Paul Coughlin
He’s just left to go to Notts but I’d predict within the next year or two he’ll be playing for England. He’s similar to Stokes where he’s prone to doing something special on the field, he’s pretty explosive with bat or ball.