Durham will host the two-time defending champions Essex in a return fixture in the next Group 1 round of the ongoing County Championship season at Emirates Riverside Ground from Thursday, May 27.
The contest between Durham and Essex could prove to be very crucial in regards to Group 1 standings of the 2021 County Championship season, with the two currently separated by only three points.
Durham, who were at the second spot in the Group 1 points table before the last round, have slipped to third place. They’re currently on 85 points from their six games with two wins and three draws. Essex, on the other hand, have gained one spot from the last round. Essex have 88 points from their seven games with two victories and three draws.
The two teams will lock horns in an all-important clash as the race for the top 2 positions in the group heats up. Teams will look to reduce the gap between themselves and the table toppers, Nottinghamshire, who are currently on 97 points. A win here could take Durham a long way and give them some breathing space, having one more game in the bank than Essex.
Essex have played one more game than the other two Top 2 contenders and will need a victory here to buy them some security going forward. Tom Westley’s men will head into the contest with confidence as they had defeated Durham in the previous Group 1 clash by 44 runs last month.
Key Players
David Bedingham has been in a phenomenal patch with the bat in the 2021 County Championship. He’s currently leading the tournament batting charts with 624 runs from six games at an exceptional average of 78. He also holds the highest individual score of the season with his outstanding knock of 257 against Derbyshire. The right-hand batter has scored two hundreds and as many fifties in the competition so far. Bedingham has over 3000 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 48. He will be looking to get back among the runs after being dismissed for a duck against Derbyshire.
Ned Eckersley has provided a valuable contribution from the lower middle order this season. The 31-year old batter has scored 377 runs from 9 innings at an average of 47.12. Eckersley has scored one hundred and two fifties so far, with the highest score of unbeaten 113. He is coming into the match on the back of an extraordinary effort in the previous game. Eckersley scored 82 off 96 after coming in at a dire situation of 57-5 against Derbyshire.
Tom Westley, who averaged 17 in his first season as the Essex captain last year, has turned things around in a big way. Westley is the highest run-getter for Essex in the 2021 County Championship, with 501 runs in seven matches at an average of 50.10. The 32-year old right-hand batter has a doubleton under his belt this season, scoring 213 against Worcestershire. Westley has amassed over 10000 runs in first-class cricket and would look to put his experience to use in a much-important clash against Durham.
Samuel Cook has been an integral part of Essex’s success in recent years. The right-arm medium pacer has picked 25 wickets in the County Championship 2021 season while maintaining an incredible average of 18.16. Cook’s best bowling figures of an innings came against Worcestershire when he picked 4 wickets for 60. In his first-class career, the 23-year old pacer has taken 129 scalps in 40 matches at an impressive average of 22.59. Samuel Cook had returned with the figures of 3/57 & 3/17 in the previous fixture against Durham.
Simon Harmer, the bowling all-rounder, has been one of the biggest reasons for Essex’s dominance over the County Championship in the last few years. It’s no surprise that he has continued to make a huge impact for Essex this season too. The off-spinner has picked 34 wickets in seven games so far at an average of 24.74, with best figures of 9/80 against Derbyshire. Harmer has also made some important contributions with the bat, scoring 194 runs at an average of 32.33 and the highest score of 82*. Essex will be hoping that Harmer, who picked a twin five-wicket haul against Durham last time, produces another match-winning performance here.
Prediction
Durham and Essex have only faced each other once in the last one decade in the County Championship when Essex defeated Durham earlier this season. Both the teams are in good form, and this Group 1 clash has an added importance with the top 2 positions up for grabs.
Durham will miss Mark Wood’s services, while Essex won’t have Dan Lawrence for the game due to international duties. The batting department of both the teams look equally matched, but Essex hold the edge in the bowling department with a significantly better attack. The two-time defending champions, Essex are in a better position to claim a victory in Chester-le-Street.
