Pressure is on Durham’s Steel as he looks to build on debut form
Durham opener Scott Steel has admitted that he faces a challenge to build on his impressive debut campaign in the Vitality Blast, especially in the absence of former opening partner D’Arcy Short.
The 21-year-old was outstanding at the top of the innings alongside the Australian, with the duo sharing stands of over 56 times in 11 matches.
Steel held his own next to the experienced left-hander, scoring 369 runs with a top score of 70. He watched a dominant Short from the non-strikers’ end, with the Aussie finishing as the PCA’s MVP for the competition due to his exploits with bat and ball.
Short departed the club at the end of the Vitality Blast and signed for Surrey for the new campaign before the pandemic disrupted the cricket schedule. Steel was already preparing for the task of replacing the Aussie’s impact at the top of the order, and is aware that his breakout season will have alerted the opposition to his strengths and weaknesses. He said: “There’s a little bit more pressure on me, but whoever I open the innings with might also get off to a flier so I might not have to! I think it will be fun no matter what.
“This year is going to be a lot harder to back up that first season. The games are recorded and all the teams have access to that information. They will be analysing where I like to hit the ball and they’ll be out to target my weaknesses. I’ve been working hard in the off-season against spin bowling and trying to rotate the strike more to try to make those strengths of mine.”
Steel has revealed that he learned a great deal from Short his debut campaign in the Durham ranks about his composure at the crease at the top of the innings.
However, even the brilliance of the two openers could not secure a quarterfinal berth for James Franklin's men, who fell narrowly short in the North Group due to costly defeats to Yorkshire and Worcestershire on home soil. Durham begin their Vitality
Blast campaign against Lancashire tomorrow at Emirates Riverside.
*Durham’s Bob Willis Trophy against Derbyshire at Emirates Riverside was yesterday abandoned as a draw.
*England's James Anderson celebrated his 600th wicket during day five of the third Test match against Pakistan yesterday, as the game was declared a draw, but England win series 1-0.