Head coach Jon Lewis believes that Cameron Steel and Matthew Potts have a “massive” season ahead of them in their bid to become an established part of the team.
The duo were afforded opportunities in the Specsavers County Championship in the 2017 campaign due to departures, international call-ups and injuries that hit the club.
Steel was thrust into the line-up at the top of the order to fill the void left by Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick. Potts was brought into the fold later in the summer – making his debut against Kent – as Paul Coughlin and Graham Onions were both sidelined.
Lewis said: “Although Stoneman and Borthwick left, how much cricket would Cameron Steel have played if they had been here? How much of an opportunity would Graham Clark have had? Would Potts have made his debut?
“It’s easy to see the downside and there is a downside – no doubt about it. But there are people who benefit from that and it’s good for us that we’ve had them. Cameron particularly took his chance last season.
“I did not know an awful lot about Pottsy at the start of 2017, but by the end of the season he would have been a first pick had he been fit. Those things happen because spaces open up.”
Steel scored 899 runs in first-class cricket last season, notching two centuries, which included a brilliant innings of 224 against Leicestershire. Potts displayed promise with the ball, taking 14 wickets in five matches, before injury brought a premature end to his term.
Lewis has acknowledged that the two players now have the bigger challenge of building on their breakout campaigns and become mainstays of Durham’s line-up.
He added: “You have to be impressed by how they seized the opportunity. Professional sport is unforgiving at times. It is often about timing. Can you be in good enough form to grab the opportunity or can you be good enough for long periods whether or not an opportunity is coming up?
“Gareth Harte was our second team player of the year last season, but he never really had a crack in the first team. You wonder how that has happened. The timing was an issue whereas it worked for Potts and Cameron.
“The huge challenge for them now is becoming consistent players. That’s the difference between talent and potential then going on to becoming an established part of the team. For a few guys this year will be key for that. The first step is big, but the next one is massive.”