Durham Dynamos eye Emirates T20

DUBAI — The Durham Dynamos are intent upon claiming next month’s Emirates Twenty20 (ET20) crown here as the perfect preparation to their forthcoming English county cricket campaign.

Published: Fri 18 Mar 2011, 1:04 AM

Last updated: Tue 7 Apr 2015, 7:27 AM

Head coach Geoff Cook’s squad, who won back-to-back Division One titles in 2008 and 2009, shall be a mixture of youth and experience, with both former internationals and blossoming cricketers looking to catch the eye on this pre-season outing.

Ex-England players Ian Blackwell, Stephen Harmison and Phil Mustard will spearhead the Dynamos’ charge, while Dale Benkenstein, Gareth Breese, Kyle Coetzer and Michael Di Venuto have all featured at the highest level of the game.

With that type of artillery at Cook’s disposal, it’s little wonder that his impressive batting and bowling personnel have high hopes of going all the way at 7he Sevens cricket ground on April 1.

“The lads always go in to every competition wanting to win and this tournament is no different,” Harmison said.

“Winning is a habit and one we want to get in to straight away. We’re going to be up against tough opposition, but we’ll be putting in every effort to bring the trophy back to the North East.”

Durham will come up against the club that dethroned them as kings of the domestic four-day format back in England, Nottinghamshire, along with Sussex, defending ET20 champions Fly Emirates XI and a star-studded Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) team, who shall have former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly in their ranks.

They’ll also play a series of warm-up games ahead of the contest prior to their County Championship (CC) opening fixture at Hampshire on April 8. “The trip allows us to have a significant amount of outdoor practice, which is vital because of the early start to the domestic season,” Cook explained.

“It also gives us a chance to finalise our preparations and planning for the forthcoming season, especially as we look to maximize the potential of the dual captaincy (Mustard shall take charge of CC games, while Benkenstein will oversee the limited-overs action).”

Tournament director, Matthew Jackson, added: “Durham have an extremely talented side and it is a great pleasure to have them taking part in the Emirates Airline Twenty20.

“They are likely to provide a tough challenge to the other teams in the competition and a fantastic spectacle for Dubai’s cricket fans.

“With tickets on sale for just Dh25 and U12 children being granted free entry (provided they are accompanied by a parent or guardian), April 1 promises to be a great day out for the whole family.” An U11 Kwik Cricket competition shall run alongside the Emirates Airline Twenty20, allowing families and friends of the participating schoolchildren to come along, cheer them on and add to the festival atmosphere.

Tickets will be available from the gate at 7he Sevens ground, which is located on the Dubai-Al Ain Road, just beyond Exit 29/30.

More details can be had by calling Promoseven Sports Marketing offices on: 04-3210008.

The travelling Durham squad consists of: Dale Benkenstein, Ian Blackwell, Scott Borthwick, Ruel Brathwaite, Gareth Breese, Mitchell Claydon, Kyle Coetzer, Mark Davies, Michael Di Venuto, Ben Harmison, Stephen Harmison, Gordon Muchall, Philip Mustard, Graham Onions, Liam Plunkett, Michael Richardson, Christopher Rushworth, William Smith, Mark Stoneman and Callum Thorp.