Durham’s overseas star D’Arcy Short hailed the no-nonsense style of his 20-year-old opening partner Scott Steel after the two put on 133 for the first wicket in a nine-wicket win over Leicestershire Foxes.
“Scott gives the ball a hefty whack and the way he played allowed me to work my way into the innings, which was good for me,” said Aussie D’Arcy, who finished with an unbeaten 77.
“He doesn’t think too much, he just goes out and hits the ball and does plenty of damage.
“My own form has been a little bit scratchy so far, so it was good to get into a bit of form and it was obviously a great partnership for us.”
D’Arcy, who took one for 29 with his left-arm chinamen, also praised his fellow bowlers.
“They got off to a bit of a flyer when they batted but we didn’t panic, we stuck to our plans and that made the difference. We were able to keep things tight in the middle overs and stop them getting away.”
He hopes the manner of his side’s victory will inject some momentum into Durham’s season.
“We didn’t play so well in our first game and still won, so that was a bonus, and I think this win will give the boys confidence going into what will be a tough game at Worcester on Sunday.
“It was great to bounce back from losing to Lancashire the other day and to chase down a decent total in the way we did.”