It surprised a few people that Durham put in such a strong bid for one of the Tier One spots, especially their former Northern Diamonds partners, Yorkshire. It is a vision that has led to some wise recruitment and with a big name like Suzie Bates on board, it is a bold one.
With Chester-le-Street not one of the venues for The Hundred, Durham arguably had more to gain than lose by committing to a bold bid involving England men’s captain Ben Stokes. The ECB then muddied the water shortly after by changing the goalposts slightly and announcing that Yorkshire would be promoted to the top tier in 2026 and Glamorgan following suit a year later. That put some players in an unenviable position of where they would be for the coming season. Some were still studying near Leeds, and if an England call-up was on the cards, moving away from a home where players had started settling or lived most of their lives would be a difficult choice.
Hollie Armitage moves from Diamonds and will be the first captain of the new Durham side. She is an all-rounder who leads from the front with the bat, offering power and the ability to bat far into the innings if needed. Her runs will be essential, and having captained the England A side for their 50-over series against Australia A, shows that England are still looking at her despite limited exposure to the full international scene with an ODI and T20I series against Ireland and a T20I game against New Zealand.
Recruitment would be key for Durham, and the signings of Bates, Lauren Filer, Mady Villiers, and Emily Windsor have shown their intent. They also convinced many of the Northern Diamonds squad, who played some home games at the Banks Homes Riverside to join them. They secured the coaching services of Dani Hazell, a native of the northeast, which would have helped attract players to follow her. Only a few, such as Lauren Winfield-Hill, Sterre Kallis, and Beth Langston, did not make the journey north.
Bess Heath is another player heading north. As Amy Jones’ understudy in the England setup, she knows how vital a strong summer with both bat and gloves could be to her chances if she is going to dislodge Jones from that coveted position in the England team. She may need to find some resilience to build longer innings, especially as Edwards is looking for smart cricketers for her new-look England side.
Filer, who moves from Western Storm, has established herself as one of England’s premier pace bowlers since making her international debut in 2023. An attacking bowler who generates pace and bounce, she could make an early impact, with Edwards asking players to prove they are good enough.
Another of the new signings, Villiers has also represented England internationally. An integral part of the Sunrisers during the regional setup, Villiers brings experience and reliability and should also contribute useful runs with the bat. An England recall might be a step too far, but at just 26, there could be time yet.
Windsor is the most interesting of the signings. While never one of the superstars at Southern Vipers, she became an essential part of their winning mentality. Her calmness under pressure helped Vipers over the line in numerous run chases. That is one aspect a relatively young Durham team could have lacked had they put their faith entirely in the players that represented Northern Diamonds.
One player crucial to Durham that they have signed is the leg-spinner Katie Levick, who could have been forgiven for staying at Yorkshire with her deep connections to the club. Levick is a bowler who takes regular wickets and who many feel has been unlucky not to have been closer to England selection in the past.
Levick wasn’t Northern Diamonds leading wicket-taker in last year’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. That honour went to Phoebe Turner, an all-rounder who is improving all the time. Pre-season runs, with an unbeaten 102 against a Zimbabwe Women’s High Performance XI showed that as well as taking regular wickets, she can perform with the bat.
Durham has a selection of young pace bowlers, including Abi Glenn, Sophia Tuner and Lizzie Scott, who was born in Hexham, give Durham options. They all who offer different skills in different formats.
Key Player
Suzie Bates has signed up for Durham for the whole summer and her wealth of experience will be significant both on and off the pitch. Bates is no stranger to women’s county cricket, having played for Kent and Hampshire, but her role will be different here. She still has plenty of runs, and her off-spin bowling will sometimes come in useful.
Player to watch
Leah Dobson is a batter who seems to be growing more into her role as the seasons go on. With backing, she should start to turn well-scored 30s into fifties and bigger. The numbers so far don’t tell the whole story, and with the help of someone like Bates, Dobson could become a player Durham rely on in the future.
How will they fare
It depends on many factors: will they have enough in their batting to consistently score the runs they need to win games and how will their bowling attack perform under pressure. They have made some good singings that should see them being competitive, but it’s maybe a year or two too soon to consistently fight for honours.
Opening fixture: Metro Bank One Day Cup: 23 April 2024 v Essex at Banks Home Riverside, Chester-le-Street
