Hectic week ahead as spinner Hasan rejoins national squad
A hectic summer of cricket just got busier for Western Stars skipper Hasan Durham.
Over the next nine days the 34 year-old leg spinner will be heavily involved in the sport ? both on local and foreign clay.
Durham will see action today at White Hill Field as guest player for Western Counties Cup holders PHC who defend their crown against Willow Cuts, and then lead Stars tomorrow against Southampton Rangers at Southampton Oval in the Premier Division Knockout Cup semi-final before departing with Clay Smith?s ICC Intercontinental Cup squad on Monday for Toronto to take on hosts Canada and Cayman Islands in back-to-back three-day fixtures at the Toronto Cricket Club.
The first-year Stars skipper earned a recall to the national team late last year and remained on stand-by during Bermuda?s successful ICC Trophy campaign in Ireland last month.
Now the soft-spoken athlete, who prefers to let his work ethic on the field do all the talking, is about to make a first appearance at the national level since the disappointing 2002 Americas Championships in Argentina.
?I?m looking forward to the challenge on the back of the team?s (national team) successful World Cup qualification. Hopefully we can take this momentum into the three-day game and come away with positive results,? Durham told
?I?m just looking forward to contributing in any way I can, going out there (to Toronto) to try and do what I can and not put any pressure of myself and let the chips fall where they fall.?
Like his national team-mates, Durham is confident Bermuda can achieve their immediate goals ? qualifying for October?s Intercontinental Cup semi-finals in Namibia.
?I think the players are definitely looking to carry that (ICC Trophy) momentum into this tournament. As far as I can see guys are confident in their ability and I would like to think Canada are not, if at all, ahead of us in terms of ability.
?I think our guys have every confidence in their ability to go over there and get the job done,? he added.
One advantage Durham possesses is having already played cricket in Toronto both with Stars and Bermuda during the 2001 ICC Trophy campaign.
?The grounds are good out there and the outfield very conducive to good cricket,? he recalled. ?The grounds were immaculate and I don?t have any reason to think they would have changed since then.?
During the third round of the Western Counties, Durham and Stars team-mate Jekon Edness played an integral part in PHC?s successful defence against Somerset Bridge, starring in a 82-run fifth-wicket stand that put the match beyond the challengers? reach.
Though not as successful with the ball, Durham proved economical in giving up only 14 runs off eight overs of left-arm spin.
?I?m definitely looking forward to playing with PHC again. I grew up playing junior cricket with a lot of those guys in Warwick and so I always feel comfortable around those guys. They are a good bunch and hopefully we can come away with the title which would be good for the club,? he said.
Durham returned figures of four for 75 representing Cleveland in the Eastern Counties at Lords exactly seven days ago.
Looking ahead to tomorrow?s Premier KO Cup semi-final clash with Rangers, Durham stated: ?It would be great to win tomorrow. We?ve had some good results in the league (limited overs) this season but not too much to smile about.
?We lost our first two matches against Rangers and then St.David?s but then won our next five. So as far as the momentum is concerned we can say we ended the league season fairly successful. But we are used to winning trophies and it would be nice if we can pick up something before the end of the season.?
Tomorrow?s remaining Premier Division KO Cup semi-final sees Social Club taking on St.David?s at Devonshire Recreation Club.
Elsewhere, new national team additions Daniel Morgan and Graham Strange will be on opposing teams when Leg Trappers meet Warwick in the First Division KO Cup semi-final at Sea Breeze Oval while Somerset and Willow Cuts have been pitted together at Somerset Cricket Club in an West End derby.