Last year, less than 2 decades after joining First Class cricket, Durham completed their meteoric rise to the top of the domestic game by winning their first ever County Championship. The previous year, they won their first ever domestic trophy, claiming the Friends Provident Trophy. Last season, Durham produced their best ever performance in Twenty20 Cup, reaching the semi-finals and possibly should have gone further. This goes to show just how far Durham have come since joining the County game in 1992. The fantastic effort last season means that expectation is much higher this time around. Can Durham top the achievements of last season?

Having a successful side meant that Durham’s squad didn’t have to be tampered with during the off season. Former England all rounder Ian Blackwell joined from Somerset, the only permanent addition to the Durham ranks since last season. Blackwell possesses the explosive firepower which, at times Durham have lacked, particularly in the Twenty20 Cup. Blackwell showed his prowess during the recent, traditional season opening friendly against the MCC, scoring a quickfire century to suggest he could be a worthwhile addition to the Durham middle order. Unfortunately, there were 2 departures from the Riverside, with Garry Park, seeking regular first team action, joining Derbyshire, and Gary Scott also leaving. Overall though, there have been few arrivals or departures at the Riverside this season.

The quality of Durham’s overseas players for this season reflects just how far the side has come since first taking part in the County Championship in 1992. West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who spent February and March making England’s bowlers suffer in the Caribbean, will join in June, once the West Indies tour of England is over. Chanderpaul is widely regarded as one of the world’s best batsman, and has played for Durham over the past couple of seasons. Also arriving is talented Twenty20 specialist David Warner. The young Australian will join for the Twenty20 Cup, and has proven pedigree in the shortest form of cricket. Warner can bat either left or right handed, and also can be utilised as a spin bowler. He could be a key asset as Durham try to win the Twenty20 Cup for the 1st time.

The biggest change at the Riverside has been the change in captaincy. After guiding Durham to the County Championship, Dale Benkenstein stepped down is captain, handing the role over to batsman Will Smith. How Smith copes with the responsibility will be the key to whether Durham can emulate last season’s success.

One area in which Durham have proved consistently strong in is developing young, home-grown talent. Paul Collingwood, Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett have all risen through the ranks at Durham to go onto to play for England. Young emerging talents to watch out for this season are opener Mark Stoneman, all rounder Ben Harmison, younger brother of Steve, and wicketkeeper Phil Mustard, who has played for England’s One Day side previously.

Paul Collingwood will miss most of the season as he will be on England duty as they take on the West Indies and then try to reclaim the Ashes against Australia this summer. Steve Harmison may also be playing for England this summer, although doubts over his consistency may mean that he is left out, in which case he will play a large role for Durham this season.

The challenge facing Durham this season is completely different to ones faced in previous years. Having risen to the top of the 4 day game, and proving themselves to be regular contenders for One Day tournaments, they will enter this season under pressure to keep performing as well as they have been. They will be the targets for everyone else to case, a situation Durham have never been in before. In past seasons, Durham have come into a new season chasing down other counties. Now, they start as favourites and all eyes will be watching. However, Durham do possess the quality to be able to hold off the challenges of Nottinghamshire, Sussex etc, and bring home at least one out of a possible 4 trophies. With the quality of their squad, it would be disappointing if Durham didn’t have a trophy to celebrate at the end of the season.

By Chris Sykes