The season in review, from a players perspective

So here it is, my new life as a blogger.

To be fair that statement couldnt be further from the truth. As it turns out, part of my marketing assignment this year requires me to create a blog which is supposed to be business related, however, due to my incredible lack of creativity I have decided to ignore that and write about what I know best.

A little bit of background on myself, I have represented both Durham and Scotland at senior level, making my first class debut for Durham in 2014 against Nottinghamshire, managing a further two games since then (impressive..I know), as well as making my Scotland debut in 2014. Although I have not quite made the progression that I'd hoped through various injuries (holding that back for a later invigorating post), I still feel quite lucky to have had as many experiences as I have thus far. The T20 World Cup in India 2016 was a particular highlight, taking a wicket with my first ball in the tournament...and then proceeding to get smacked for thirteen from the remaining five balls of the over (pretty much somes up my bowling to date). But on the bright side, my figures looked good in the match overview which didnt show that I had only bowled the solitary over.

Handsome if not tired looking chap

But I digress. Enough about me and on to the topic at hand.

With the club hitting the news quite a lot over the last couple of weeks, not always in a positive light with a few of the key players moving on etc, I thought this might be a good opportunity for my first post to give a look into 2017 from inside the changing room. And by inside the dressing room I mean my opinion, so take from that what you like.

If you look at what we achieved in the one day competition, its quite impressive. Keets and Richo leading from the front with the bat, with over 400 runs in the tournament each, Coggers and Wheely also standing out with the ball. We also showed that the North East production line is still in full flow, with George and Cam coming in and holding their own. There were a few performances which showed that despite the setback of the points deduction (which proved costly), there was still that Durham grit and determination there to get over the line, the match against Notts being case in point.
We had a difficult start the championship, but in hindsight, in my opinion it looked worse than it was. In our situation with the points reduction, we chased a few matches for a result in which we ended up on the wrong side, where as other teams would have perhaps settled for cementing the draw. It was well documented that this would be a "rebuilding" year, and it has been exactly that. Starting out with a young inexperienced squad, the performances towards the end of the season showed just how quickly players learn and adjust. Going back to Cam, a 21 year old in his first professional season scoring 899 runs which included a double hundred...speaks for itself. On a sidenote, I lived with him this year along with Barry. A scotsman, irishman and an ozzy under one roof..what could possibly go wrong?

The Recent Departures...

As it has been well documented, we will be saying goodbye to three Durham legends, Keats, Coggers and Bunny. Everybody will have a different view on the matter but I personally completely respect their decisions. After all, cricket is no different from the business world, and sometimes tough decisions have to be made in order to progress your career.

Never mind on the field, all three will be sorely missed in the changing room. I spent the summer living with Keats in 2013, which for a rough around the edges 18 year old was great for me (probably not so much for him), as he is just about as professional as they come. Bunny has given so much to the county and has been invaluable to the younger bowlers in the squad, offering advice and encouragement with a smile on his face (upside down or not). I look forward to seeing how many batsmen in division one next year try to steal a run to Coggers, one of the most ridiculously athletic cricketers I have ever seen who's allround ability will be a tough gap to fill. However, it does mean any flat surface in the changing room long enough to lie down on will be vacant and up for grabs now! But in all seriousness, I wish them all the best for the next couple of years, and with a bit of luck we will be playing against them all in a couple of seasons time!