Durham return to Rothesay County Championship action tomorrow [10:30am] taking on Essex at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground in Chelmsford as a big month of first-class cricket begins.
After six weeks of white ball cricket, Durham will be looking to secure a much-needed victory in CM2 as Campbell’s side fight to secure their Division One status for 2026.
Campbell has named a 14 player-squad in contention to take on Essex as David Bedingham returns to the County Championship side for just the fourth time this season – having been on international duty throughout the summer.
Shafiqullah Ghafari is in line to his Durham first-class debut, with the Afghan leg spinner joining Durham for the remainder of the 2025 domestic season.
Archie Bailey is also in contention to make his Durham first-class debut having joined the Club on loan for the remainder of the season. Having joined on loan for the Metro Bank One Day Cup, Bailey will now link back up with the squad ahead of his permanent move from Gloucestershire this winter.
Durham sit ninth in the Rothesay County Championship Division One with 114 points and face an Essex side just one place above them with 126 points. Both sides have two wins to their name going into round 12.
Alex Lees is Durham’s leading run scorer with 822 runs while Ben Raine’s is the leading wicket taker with 35 poles to his name.
Words from Ryan Campbell
This month is going to be a big challenge for us, everyone in the group knows that. We are going to have to play well and I think that the guys are set to play well.
The County Championship hasn’t gone as well as we’d hoped this year but we are going to fight really hard in September. We’re playing against three teams that are around us.
I’m really excited for the last month, and I have no doubt we can not only survive but win all three games.
We might make some changes [for the Essex game], we will have to have a look at that, but I think we are going to have a squad that goes with our foot to the floor and see how we go.
Squad v Essex (8-11 September)
Colin Ackermann, Archie Bailey, David Bedingham, Graham Clark, Sam Conners, Shafiqullah Ghafari, Emilio Gay, Alex Lees*, Ben McKinney, Callum Parkinson, Matthew Potts, Ben Raine, Will Rhodes, Ollie Robinson+.
Opposition Corner
Captain: Tom Westley
Director of cricket: Chris Silverwood
2024 finish: Fourth
2024 highest run-scorer: Dean Elgar (1,144)
2024 highest wicket-taker: Jamie Porter (56)
Key winter moves: Essex plans were thrown into disarray when Indian Shardul Thaker pulled out of his intended seven-match arrangement at late notice when called up as an IPL replacement. Unless Essex can unearth another available overseas bowler to ease the burden on the pace attack, returning director of cricket Chris Silverwood will have to revive his Midas touch of yore and bring out the best from the existing squad.
What we’re looking forward to seeing: By his own extraordinary standards, Simon Harmer had a distinctly below-par campaign in 2024. For the first time in eight seasons at Chelmsford he failed to add to his tally of 35 five-fers and ten 10-wicket hauls achieved in Essex colours. He still took 45 Championship wickets with his off-spin, but at an uncharacteristically high cost and strike-rate. We’re looking forward to seeing a revitalised Harmy.
Player to watch: Jordan Cox’s summer was dogged by injury, yet he still topped the Essex averages with 918 runs at 65.57. It earned him a call to arms from England and he was all set to make his Test debut in New Zealand in the autumn before suffering another setback. Another flying start this time around would keep him firmly on the selectors’ radar – and bolster Essex’s middle-order.
Final thought: It may be seven-and-a-half years since Silverwood left Essex for England, but there could be as many as half-a-dozen familiar names in the first XI he selects on April 4. Promising opener Charlie Allison was 12 back in 2017, but such has been his rapid rise that his should be a name on Silverwood’s team sheet for the next decade and more.
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 Essex YouTube channel. Durham Cricket will have full coverage on social media, with a full match report at the close.