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We decided to make Will Smith one to watch this season in August last year. That was before he was made Durham captain. Don’t know whether that will affect him.
We’d been keeping an eye on him anyway, but the match that decided it was against Hampshire at Basingstoke. The wicket flattened out later on to allow Hampshire to chase 240 in the fourth innings, but 16 wickets fell on the first day and 19 on the second. The only batsman to score more than 28 in that time was Will Smith, who hit 70.
He also scored 201 not out against Surrey and averaged 51 over the course of the season. That average is all the more impressive when you consider he plays half his cricket at Chester-le-Street. For county champions, Durham’s batting averages aren’t good. If you’re going to play for Durham, be a bowler.
Will Smith’s average was the highest for Durham bar Gareth Breese’s freakish average of 184 from two innings.
Michael Di Venuto averaged 46. Di Venuto’s hit 47 first-class hundreds. He’s an okay bat. Dale Benkenstein averaged 43. He’s an okay bat. The only other batsman to average over 30 was Shivnarine Chanderpaul. He’s most definitely an okay bat.
Smith topped them all and batted at three.
FEC
He’ll be an EC if Harmison gets dropped for the Ashes, weirdly. Harmy will make him look good. A bit like how Mushie ruined English cricket by making Peter Moores look good.
Ged Ladd – if you are watching – i’ve tried to plug your hole in my match report below…
Many thanks, DC, for answering my incisive questions about the Arctic Circle so comprehensively and convincingly.
My only remaining question, “is it cold up there?” lacks that incisiveness and also lacks originality IMHO.
Well done dude, you managed to avoid the obvious. Respect due. Sadly the ECB didn’t. http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/domestic/counties/durham/smith-targets-universal-domination,304882,EN.html
Not fully. There’s the caption.
That’s pretty low key by the ECB’s ‘lyrics, photos and repeated references’ standards though.
That is horrendous, Spigot. Great spot. That is so bad that has hurt my eyes.
Yes. It is cold in Arctic Circle – but dry and not windy – so actually surprisingly pleasant – despite being minus 15.
(They don’t actually use the word ‘minus’ when talking weather – “What do you think it is today? 8, 10?” Minus is not needed.)
I’m far far too busy to hover over an image… You escaped that one.
Right… off to be important somewhere.
Thanks again DC.
If you’all think this Will Smith business is bad, just wait until Robbie Williams gets going properly for Middlesex:
http://www.cricketnetwork.co.uk/boards/read/s66.htm?67,10375546
http://www.cricketnetwork.co.uk/boards/read/s66.htm?67,8170803,page=1
I know, I know, but we’ll be 1st Division by then.
“Why should I change my name? He’s the one who sucks.”
The character Michael Bolton in the film Office Space.