Skipper puts Durham before rebel league
IF Durham skipper Dale Benkenstein
misses any cricket next season
it will be to attend the birth
of his third child in May, not because
of Indian Cricket League
commitments.
Benkenstein played in the
rebel Twenty20 leaguefs first
tournament recently and the success
of it has prompted them to
announce another one at the end
of March, which could spill over
into the English season.
gDale is under contract with
the ICL, but part of his arrangement
with them is that it wonft
impinge on his season with us,h
said Durhamfs Director of Cricket,
Geoff Cook.
gHefs hoping to join us at the
end of our ten-day pre-season
trip to Pretoria.
gWefre planning three one-day
games, but will be spending most
of the time practising at a cricket-
specific academy. We will also
be looking at our options in the
possible absence for part of the
season of Phil Mustard, and
working out how to overcome the
loss of Ottis Gibson.h
With Graham Onions and
Liam Plunkett currently with
England Lions in India, the first
match for which Durham could
lose players next season is the
championship game at Old Trafford
on May 7-10.
That clashes with England
Lions v New Zealand at the Rose
Bowl, and with the first Test at
Lordfs starting a week later
Durham will hope that Lancashirefs
Andrew Flintoff is
asked to prove his fitness with
the Lions.
If Mustard cements his place
in the England one-day team he
will miss the domestic Twenty20
competition, for which new sponsors
were unveiled yesterday in
Marstons Brewery.
That clashes with the five oneday
internationals against New
Zealand, then on August 20 there
is a Twenty20 match against
South Africa, followed by five
ODIs, finishing on September 3.
With Mustard expected to miss
two chunks of Durhamfs season,
the man in position to take over
behind the stumps is Lee Goddard.
Although Garry Park, who is
still on the staff, began last season
as the reserve wicketkeeper,
Dewsbury-born Goddard was
given a trial after playing a few
games for Derbyshire the previous
year. He impressed by making
the fastest first-class half-century
in Durhamfs history against
Sri Lanka A and was handed a
contract.
gLee still lives in Yorkshire,
but he has been coming up two or
three times a week and has impressed
in the indoor nets,h said
Cook. gHe has to work to fulfil his
potential with the bat, and if he
gets the chance he just has to be
himself and not be overawed by
deputising for Phil.h
Cook is delighted with the signings
of South Africans Neil
McKenzie and Albi Morkel, with
the latter coming in specifically
for the Twenty20, although he
may stay for the championship
game against Yorkshire at Headingley
starting on June 29 as
Shivnarine Chanderpaul does
not arrive until early July.
Durham spoke to McKenzie, 32,
when he first became a Test player
in 2000, but his commitments
in South Africa did not allow him
to come.
He played in three championship
matches at the end of last
season for Somerset, who were
interested in re-signing him for
their return to division one.
gIt fitted the bill better for him
to come to us for the first six or
seven weeks,h said Cook.
gHe still had aspirations to
play for South Africa and he got
back into their team for the final
Test against the West Indies this
month. His period with us has
been cleared by the South
African board.h
Morkel, 26, is best known for
his 43 off 20 balls against England
in the Twenty20 World Cup,
when he hit Chris Schofieldfs last
three balls for six.
He also recently secured victory
in the second Twenty20 match
against the West Indies, sharing
an unbroken stand of 57 with
Shaun Pollock after they came together
at 77 for six in Pollockfs
farewell appearance.
gAlbifs signing is very exciting,h
said Cook. gIt reflects our
determination to improve in
Twenty20, which is becoming a
force in world cricket.h
Michael Carberry narrowly
missed out on a century as England
Lions opened their tour of
India with an encouraging display
against a Mumbai XI.
The Hampshire left-hander hit
a measured 91 to help the Lions
reach 311 for eight by the close of
play on the first day of the threeday
tour match, their only fixture
before the Duleep Trophy gets
underway on Sunday.
Warwickshirefs Jonathan
Trott contributed 67 to a stand of
129 for the fifth wicket, while
James Foster and Yorkshirefs
Adil Rashid (54 not out) put on 91
for the seventh-wicket.
11:12am Wednesday 30th January 2008
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