Jon Lewis believes the upcoming clash with Surrey is the perfect chance to kick-start the Specsavers County Championship season after two heavily rain-affected games at Emirates Riverside.
The elements have denied Durham’s in both games so far, with just 14 balls possible in the final two days against Middlesex spoling what promised to be a close encounter.
The frustration for Lewis is his side have been in positive positions on both occasions, not least in the opener against Somerset.
Rain also prevented outdoor practice yesterday and Lewis praised both the performance against Middlesex and application in dealing with little match action, ahead of facing a county they have not lost to in the last six meetings.
“The first two days we were very good. We played some good stuff and fancied ourselves going into Day Three. Mark Stoneman was playing very well, Michael Richardson looked good as well,” he said.
“To have got up to speed before the Somerset game and get the standards high was a pretty good effort, but then it feels like we’ve had to do it again, and it feels like we’ll have to do that again going into the Oval.
“It is difficult and at times it doesn’t feel like the season has started, even though we’re now approaching our third Championship game, it’s been stop-start and hard to find rhythm.
“Credit to the players that they have managed to maintain pretty high standards but we need to do it again going into this weekend.”
Recently promoted Surrey started their campaign with a loss at Nottinghamshire before running Somerset close this week, only thwarted by unseasonal snow in the capital.
Ex-Durham man Kumar Sangakkara is likely to line up for the hosts and has started the season in fine form, with two half centuries and a ton making him the division’s second-highest run-scorer thus far.
Lewis admits the Sri Lankan’s presence is a tough challenge for his side but is confident of their plans to stifle his influence.
“We know plenty about him and that’s he’s not very easy to stop, that’s what we know so far!” Lewis said. “We’ve had one or two thoughts about how we might go about it but we also know he’s played a lot of cricket at a very high level for a long time.
“He started the season well and that’s no surprise because he’s a fine player and a great guy too, it’ll be a challenge.”
Lewis once again has Ben Stokes to call up and believes his talisman is like having an extra man, while believing his versatile squad are prepared to adapt to whatever surface is thrown up.
“We’re fortunate that our squad allows us to have most bases covered without altering the XI too much,” he said. “Having Stokes is a bonus, it’s almost like playing 12 when you have him – a top order batsman and a front line seamer all in the same package is a real bonus and helps the balance.
“The Oval is traditionally a decent cricket pitch, usually offers something for the batters to make decent scores, but there’s usually enough pace and bounce to keep the fast bowlers interested and generally it does turn.
“Having two of our top seven as front line spinners also helps so if it’s a dry pitch, but we have a settled team and have most bases covered.”
Second team captain James Weighell is the new addition to the 12-man squad travelling to the capital.
Durham fans will be able to stay tuned via our Twitter page and a match report following the close of play on the official website. Ball-by-ball commentary is also available here via the BBC.
Squad vs Surrey (1-4 May): Paul Collingwood (c), Mark Stoneman, Keaton Jennings, Scott Borthwick, Jack Burnham, Ben Stokes, Michael Richardson (wk), Ryan Pringle, Brydon Carse, Chris Rushworth, Graham Onions, James Weighell