Durham will be looking to get their One Day Cup campaign back on track when they host Northamptonshire Steelbacks tomorrow at Banks Homes Riverside starting at 11am.
Following defeat to Middlesex on Wednesday, Durham will looking to bounce back quickly as they look to reach the knockout stages of the competition.
Ryan Campbell has named a squad of 14 – which includes just one change to the 15 named to take on Middlesex.
Ollie Robinson is not available for this fixture having returned home to attend a family funeral with Robbie Bowman in contention to make his professional debut having signed a rookie contract earlier this week for the duration of the Metro Bank One Day Cup.
Durham face a Steelbacks side who are yet to win in Group B of the Metro Bank One Day Cup with defeats to Yorkshire and Warwickshire – while their clash with Lancashire at Sedbergh was rained off without a ball bowled.
Bas de Leede, Daniel Hogg, Haydon Mustard and Sam Conners remain unavailable for selection due to injury and continue to be monitored by Durham’s Science and Medicine department.
Campbell’s side currently sit in third place with 2 wins from 4 while the Steelbacks are eighth in the table with 2 points from their washout.
Northamptonshire are missing four players to the Hundred with David Willey, Ben Sanderson, Saif Zaib, George Scrimshaw on franchise duty and are one of the counties not to be hugely affected by the short format competition.
Squad v Northamptonshire Steelbacks (15 Aug)
Colin Ackermann, Archie Bailey, David Bedingham, Robbie Bowman+, Paul Coughlin, George Drissell, Emilio Gay, Mitchell Killeen, Alex Lees*, James Minto, Ben Raine, Will Rhodes, Luke Robinson, Codi Yusuf
Words from Robbie Bowman
It feels really good to sign this contract for the One Day Cup, the hard work almost pays off for this bit of the season, it feels really good.
It is really exciting to be offered this contract for the next month, and I am really looking forward to the opportunity and what lies ahead. It’s a surreal feeling being around the group and training with them today, they have been really welcoming.
I like to describe myself as a positive batter, I like to hit the ball hard and score lots of boundaries, then with my keeping I like to create special moments whether that be standing up or standing back.
I played through the Northumberland pathway and then with my club Tynemouth and John Windows called me in 2023 and offered me a chance to play for Durham EPP then that followed with an Academy contract two years ago.
If I get the opportunity to play for Durham, I will cherish it but just being around the squad is fantastic and the learnings I can take from it.”
Opposition Corner
Captain: Lewis McManus
2024 Position: Eighth (Group A)
2024 Most Runs: Prithvi Shaw (343)
2024 Most Wickets: Justin Broad (13)
Why they can win the competition: Despite losing more players to The Hundred than ever before, Northamptonshire boast a strong squad who mounted an impressive challenge in the Vitality Blast. They are boosted by Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who has been in devastating form in the Rothesay County Championship and Tim Robinson, fresh from New Zealand’s recent white-ball tour of Zimbabwe.
Player to watch: Last season’s leading wicket-taker, allrounder Justin Broad is firing with bat and ball, with back-to-back scores of 150 plus in the Championship during July.
Young gun: After impressing in the Second XI and Academy, 17-year-old spinner Nirvan Ramesh recently signed a two-month rookie contract and was named in the squad for the recent Championship game against Derbyshire to give him more experience. Highly rated by the coaching staff he looks set to feature during the Metro Bank One Day Cup.
Final thought: Northamptonshire need to channel the white-ball form that saw them open their T20 campaign with six straight wins. Even without key bowlers in Ben Sanderson and George Scrimshaw, Northamptonshire can call on a battery of seamers led by Broad and the experienced Luke Procter. The Steelbacks will also hope Kiwi international Robinson can help plug the run-scoring gap left by the prolific Saif Zaib on Hundred duty.
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’s YouTube channel. Durham Cricket will have full coverage on social media, with a full match report at the close.