Chris Rushworth is desperate to get back out in the middle against Leicestershire after a frustrating start to Durham’s Specsavers County Championship Division Two campaign.
Durham were denied the opportunity to bounce back from their defeat to Kent as the clash with Northamptonshire was washed out completely without a ball being bowled at Wantage Road.
Rushworth and his team-mates were hampered by the weather in the build-up to the campaign, which has been exacerbated by their lack of game time to start the new term.
He said: “It was very frustrating. When you get beat as badly as we did against Kent you want to rectify it as quickly as possible. We were meant to be playing a Northants side that were struggling so we felt as though as we had a good chance to get a positive result.
“Going down there and never looking like bowling a ball was hard work and very frustrating. It’s a long four days when you’re in a small town like Northampton.
“You want to bowl and get into a rhythm as quickly as possible. When you start bowling you want to keep your overs up and your workload high you get through it a lot better. When you’re stopping and starting you never feel in a rhythm. As a bowler you want to feel comfortable and that four days of not being able to bowl and getting through things is frustrating.”
Leicestershire have drawn against Sussex and Derbyshire in their two contests – but have a new look and fresh optimism this season following the appointment of Carlisle-born wicketkeeper Paul Nixon as coach, with former England opener Michael Carberry as captain.
Rushworth has insisted that Durham cannot place further pressure on themselves to climb the table to get back into contention, especially against an experienced outfit.
“The guys really want to do well and win matches”, he added. “However, we cannot put too much pressure on ourselves to do something remarkable. It’s still a long season ahead. We’ve just to try and improve from the Kent game, which to be honest does not take an awful lot.
“Guys are desperate to try and spend time in the middle and score runs, equally with the ball we’re aiming to try and take wickets as quickly as possible.
“It will be a tough game. They’ve recruited well over the winter. Varun Aaron’s been brought into their bowling attack which has no doubt strengthened them. It may not be the Leicestershire of the last few years. They’ve got a lot of new personnel and a lot of experienced players in there.
“When you’ve got a top order like they have early wickets will be crucial as it is in most games. You can’t win games of cricket when you score 90 runs in the first innings. I’d be hugely surprised if Leicester don’t bowl first, but the lads are keen and hungry to put things right. It’s going to be a challenge, but in home conditions I fancy us to get over the line.”