Three Durham players have gone Down Under to play Australian first grade cricket throughout the winter.
Graham Clark, Cameron Steel & Liam Trevaskis will pit themselves against some of Australia’s best talents as they aim to improve their skills ahead of the 2018 English domestic season.
New signing Nathan Rimmington is also competing in the grade system as he prepares for his first season at Emirates Riverside next year.
Grade cricket is one step below the first-class game & has proved a successful learning ground for many young English cricketers over the years.
Steel has returned to his home club, Claremont-Nedlands Cricket Club in Perth, where he played throughout his teenage years before moving back to England.
Currently under the stewardship of Jim Allenby, the ex-Glamorgan & Somerset all-rounder, the ‘Tigers’ finished top of the Western Australia Cricket Association First Grade ladder last year & have started this season positively with five wins from five.
They were also One-Day Cup winners in 2016/17 & have an unbeaten record through four games in this year’s competition.
Steel struck 64 off 49 balls, including 7x4s & 2x6s, in the T20 win over Country XI & scored 12 this weekend in the two-day win over Rockingham-Mandurah.
Over in Geelong, Clark is following in the footsteps of brother Jordan by playing for Newtown & Chilwell Cricket Club in the Geelong Cricket Association First Grade.
The right-hander is looking to continue his impressive form from the English domestic season & has played in two victories since arriving.
‘Two Blues’ beat Lara on Clark’s debut, with the Cumbrian scoring an assured 28 before taking a magnificent 4/25 with the ball, at one point having figures of 4/4.
In the next match he returned figures of 2/10, including a brilliant return catch, in the T20 victory over Grovedale, & he has current figures of 2/10 against the same team in the ongoing two-day fixture.
All-rounder Trevaskis will be plying his trade with North Canberra Gunghalin Cricket Club in Australia’s capital, Canberra.
Despite taking 2/37 & scoring 22, the left-hander’s debut ended in defeat to Australian National University CC. He has since managed four more wickets in two one-day defeats, the second going down to the wire in a one-wicket loss.
Recent signing Rimmington has made a blistering start for Sandgate-Redcliffe District in Queensland’s First Grade competition.
He has taken 29 wickets across nine matches in all competitions, including a best of 5/70 against Toombul as he looks to impress ahead of Australia’s T20 tournament, the Big Bash League, starting in December.
Check back on the Club’s website & social media feeds as we follow their progress across the winter!