County cricket preview 2019: Durham
How will Durham fare without the highly influential Paul Collingwood during the county cricket 2019 campaign?
Durham County Cricket Club
Captain: Cameron Bancroft (Championship, 50 over), TBC (T20)
Last season: CC2: 8/10; RL50: 9/9 North Group; T20: QF
Transfers in: Alex Lees (Yorkshire), Ben Raine (Leics), Cameron Bancroft (Aus)
Transfers out: Paul Collingwood (retired), Ryan Davies, Barry McCarthy (both released)
Stick on: Chris Rushworth
Chris Rushworth was outstanding in the County Championship last year
Following Paul Collingwood’s retirement Durham look desperately short on experience but they can still rely on their warhorse seamer, who went past 600 wickets for the county last season. The 32-year-old took 60 Championship wickets at 20 in 2018.
Wildcard: Alex Lees
Alex Lees, then of Yorkshire, batting against Durham in 2016
Touted by Geoffrey Boycott as a future England opener after his breakthrough with Yorkshire in 2013, the 25-year-old has had an awful time of it in recent seasons and averaged just 16 from 19 knocks last year. Can a fresh start reinvigorate his career?
Prediction
CC2: 7/10; RL50: 7/9 North Group; T20: 6/9 North Group
Paul Collingwood leaves the field during his final game for Durham
The re-signing of all- rounder Ben Raine and addition of Cameron Bancroft look shrewd moves, and Marcus North and James Franklin head up a new coaching team which has been further boosted by the addition of former players Steven Chapman and Will Gidman, but the absence of Collingwood will cast a long shadow over Chester-le-Street. Promotion looks beyond them as the next batch from the club’s lauded academy continue to find their feet.
This county cricket 2019 preview was first published in issue 18 of Wisden Cricket Monthly. Subscribe here.
