Dani Hazell has named a squad of 13 as Durham open their T20 Blast campaign against Hampshire Hawks at 11:30am tomorrow at Banks Homes Riverside.
Hazell’s side will take on the Hawks in the first of two matches being held on Sunday as Ryan Campbell’s men take on Leicestershire Foxes in the afternoon.
Australian overseas Heather Graham has touched down in Chester le Street and will make her Durham T20 debut on Sunday becoming the third overseas player to feature for Durham.
Phoebe Turner remains ruled out with injury whilst Lauren Filer is away on international duty with England.
Words from Dani Hazell
We’ve had some really good team performances over the last two games and we’re really looking forward to heading into the T20s. Momentum in cricket is really important, and also individual confidence and team confidence so hopefully we’ve put ourselves in a good position going into that. We’re looking forward to getting going and playing a few double headers at Banks Homes Riverside.
I think Final’s Day is where we want to be and once you get yourself into that position then anything can happen. We probably didn’t start the competition particularly well last year. We finished it really well. This time it’s about making sure we can hit the ground running a little bit better and give ourselves an opportunity towards the back end to get through to Final’s Day.
There’s obviously a number in mind in terms of how many games you’re probably going to need to win to qualify but we obviously go into every game trying to win it. If we can get ourselves off and running on Sunday against Hampshire and then the games come thick and fast after that with some 50-over games in between. It’s a really exciting period and we’ve got to keep that winning momentum. Winning momentum is massive in T20 cricket.
Heather Graham is a brilliant player. She’s really experienced and gives us an option with both bat and ball. She’s obviously got caps for Australia and anyone who’s been in that sort of team will bring that drive to win and that competitiveness. Her success in T20 cricket is huge. Winning is a habit and she’s won franchise competitions so she brings that history of winning for us.
Squad v Hampshire Hawks (24 May)
Hollie Armitage*, Katherine Fraser, Abi Glen, Heather Graham, Bess Heath, Trudy Johnson, Katie Levick, Emma Marlow, Mia Rogers, Grace Thompson, Sophia Turner, Mady Villiers.
Opposition Corner
Captain: Georgia Adams
Overseas players: Amanda-Jade Wellington (Australia, all)
2025 finish: 6th
2025 leading run-scorer: Ella McCaughan (327)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Bex Tyson (16 wickets)
Key winter moves: Ellyse Perry might have brought star power last year, but her overseas replacement, Amanda-Jade Wellington, offers almost guaranteed game-changing moments. Freya Davies retired, and Mary Taylor decamped to Warwickshire, so there is more fast bowling pressure on Daisy Gibb and Poppy Tulloch to step up.
The big question: Can Ella McCaughan restart from where she left off? The opening batter was on course for an all-timer campaign by beginning with three fifties in a row before striking the women’s competition’s maiden century. A season-ending injury stopped the run-fest in its tracks. A full campaign of that quality will only increase talk of higher honours.
Wildcard watch: Francesca Sweet. When she signed in the winter, the hope was that all-rounder Sweet would fill a hole in the depleted bowling ranks. In the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, it has turned out that batting is her stronger suit. She has all the attributes to be a powerful finisher, which could turn matches in Hampshire’s favour and earn the attention of The Hundred recruiters.
Final thought: This year’s Blast is a difficult one to predict, with it coinciding with the T20 World Cup. The Hawks’ non-internationals look in a far better position than a year ago to compete at this level, especially with Naomi Dattani now fit, and youngsters becoming more consistent. Bettering their disappointing sixth-place finish shouldn’t be difficult, and they should be in the mix for a Finals Day place.
Match Centre
The Club’s match centre will be in operation for the fixture with live scorecards, statistics & video highlights as they happen. You can watch the game live via Durham’s match centre and Durham Cricket YouTube channel. Durham Cricket will have full coverage on social media, with a full match report at the close.