NZ all-rounder Neesham joins Durham for T20 Blast
Durham have signed New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham for this season's T20 Blast competition.The 34-year-old left-hander is a veteran of 83 T20 internationals and 76 ODI games for the Black Caps.Neesham, who also bowls right-arm seam, will play for his sixth county after previous stints with Derbyshire, Essex, Kent, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire as well as in The Hundred for Welsh Fire.A veteran of the T20 circuit, he has played in leagues in India, Pakistan, South Africa and West Indies."Jimmy's ability to influence games either with the bat or ball provides us with a proven match-winner," said Durham director of cricket Marcus North.
The north east county reached the quarter-finals of the T20 Blast in 2024 for the first time in six years.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Understated Dawson shows England magic they've been missing
Tall or short. Right-arm or left. Leg-spin, off-spin or Dan Mousley's men bowled spin for England between Liam Dawson's 20th and 21st international bowler Ollie Robinson has even turned his arm over with some offies during a miserable Ashes defeat in Adelaide since Dawson's last in taking 4-20 against West Indies in the hosts' 21-run win in the first T20, Dawson gave a hint at what England have been missing."I have not played international cricket for three-and-a-half years," the 35-year-old told BBC Test Match Special."To contribute to a win is a really special feeling." Even that sentence tells you had, in fact, been two years and six months since Dawson's last England appearance but he would be forgiven for thinking it had been an England squad was named - or they lost a Test - Dawson's absence was a hotly-contested times verging on culture-war status, county fans were dumfounded the leading English spinner in the County Championship in 2023 and 2024 was being consistently managing director Rob Key famously said Dawson was "not someone who wants to go around India as the 15th or 16th man" after leaving him out of a Test then, Dawson had accepted the call from England would never come again."Probably not," he said on Friday, when asked if he expected this international comeback to happen."For a couple of years I have not expected to play."I want to go out and enjoy my cricket, whoever I am playing for. To come back and do well, I am very proud and it is pleasing."Dawson has shown - from Lord's to Lahore, Dubai to Durban - he a dependable operator in his time away from international cricket. He has been a regular pick on the franchise circuit and was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in at the start of a new era under captain Harry Brook, in need of wins to halt a slide that has lasted 18 months, England finally realised that dependable was no longer a criticism but a strength."I have played against Daws quite a bit," said Brook. "I played with him for England a few times."He's such a good bowler. He's good bloke as well, which helps."Recalling Dawson was not solely Brook's decision, although it is significant the comeback came for the Yorkshireman's first T20 series in three poor white-ball tournaments in a row, Key said earlier this year England had to improve their bowling of left-arm spin in a hint at what was to come for an outfit that had previously packed their side with pace. Dawson, meanwhile, admits he does not try to do anything "flash".While Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley have their high release points and Rehan Ahmed his googly, Dawson is a throwback - the old-school magician who can still deceive you with two hands and a pack of cards, without the need for saws, fire and flashing Chester-le-Street, he outfoxed West Indies with that understated routine of conceding only four runs from the first over, Dawson struck in his extra loop, he dropped 10mph from his previous delivery and found the sharpest turn in the match. Johnson Charles charged towards him to be left stranded and there, after two opening overs that cost only seven, Dawson rested and West Indies returned, the dangerous Sherfane Rutherford on strike, and the spinner delivered for Brook as the left-hander hit to credit for that one would be generous, Dawson's next scalp - two balls later - came with another drop in pace and, crucially, a wider outside off stump Roston Chase gave Ben Duckett another catch in the deep to make England huge favourites once boundaries flowed at the other end - younger men Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks and Matthew Potts among those punished - Dawson was not hit to the rope until his fourth dangerous Rovman Powell struck him for four twice but a ball later Dawson changed and flatter he went, Powell was bowled and Dawson had his best T20 international 4-20 was also the best by a left-arm spinner for England in the format. Key could hardly have asked for backdrop to England's win is the T20 World Cup that looms next year. They have only 12 matches in this format before travelling to India and Sri Lanka, where spin is expected to be crucial."That's not even come into my thoughts," said Dawson, when asked if he had one eye on making that World Cup squad."I'm just happy to be back involved in this, take one game at a time and enjoy every time I play."Dawson was an unused squad member when England won the 50-over World Cup in years on, he may finally be the one they need.
The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
England T20 captain Harry Brook: I'm already preparing for 2026 World Cup
Harry Brook has been England's T20 captain for exactly one match but admitted he was already taking decisions with one eye on next year's World Cup. Friday's 21-run win over the West Indies in Durham was Brook's first outing as skipper in the format but he knows time is short to get his feet under the table. England have just 14 more games scheduled before the next global tournament in India and Sri Lanka in February, meaning the time is now when it comes to making plans. That meant lining up with just two seamers for the first ever time in home conditions, with 12 overs of spin giving a hint at the structure England are likely to lean on in the sub-continent. While Brook's predecessor Jos Buttler set things up with a dominant knock of 96, Liam Dawson walked away with the player-of-the-match award in his first international appearance in nearly three years. The 35-year-old Hampshire stalwart claimed career-best figures of four for 20, while there were also wickets for Adil Rashid and Jacob Bethell. 'We don't want to look too far ahead but we've got to trial some things like this,' said Brook. 'The next World Cup is going to be in Sri Lanka and India. We're not completely set on this structure for the team but it's worth a go and it worked this time. 'I just think that having two very good spinners – frontline spinners – makes a massive difference. 'As a batter, when you're facing two experienced spin bowlers, you have to decide which end you're going to attack. 'These two (Rashid and Dawson) have been playing the game for so long, they know T20 cricket, they know the grounds and they've played against so many of these boys, that having them both in the side will help us going forward.' Dawson, who has been overlooked consistently for a rotating cast of spinners with inferior records on the county circuit, was praised for an 'awesome' comeback performance that saw him get the best of Johnson Charles, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase and Rovman Powell. 'He bowled beautifully. He's got so many skills. He's been playing the game for pushing on 20 years and he's learned a lot of things along the way,' said Brook. The West Indies were frustrated to be missing one of their own left-arm spinners on a helpful pitch for the slower bowlers. Akeal Hosein has yet to make it to English soil after delays related a change in UK visa requirements for Trinidad and Tobago. Cricket West Indies said 'attempts to expedite the visa process' had been unsuccessful but a spokesperson confirmed on Friday that the 32-year-old could arrive ahead of Tuesday's series finale in Southampton. All-rounder Jason Holder said: 'He was missed, he's one of our frontline players. It's an unfortunate situation. 'We can't control that so we can only control what's in front of us. We've got players here who are willing and able to do a job for the West Indies. 'We had a team that was good enough to beat England but we fell a little short, particularly with the bat.'
BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
T20 Blast: Sanderson hat-trick seals Northants win
Ben Sanderson produced incredible figures of 6-8, including a hat-trick, as Northamptonshire made it four wins out of four in the T20 Blast by beating Worcestershire by 31 runs at New Vasconcelos hit 59 off 39 balls as they posted a total of 190-5 and after taking two wickets at the start of Worcestershire's reply, Sanderson claimed four in an over as the Steelbacks moved to the top of the North Evans (62 not out off 26 balls) and Ollie Pope (53) provided the fireworks as Surrey defeated Kent Spitfires by 42 runs, while Kiran Carlson hit 93 off 57 balls as a six-wicket loss to Glamorgan left Essex with a 0-3 record in the South Gloucestershire also remain winless after being bowled out for only 119 against Hampshire, while Notts beat Derbyshire in a game interrupted by a power cut, and elsewhere there were victories for Somerset, Leicestershire and Birmingham Bears. Match scorecards North group - Steelbacks extend 100% start A second-wicket stand of 74 between Vasconcelos and captain David Willey (32) laid the foundation for a decent total of 109-5 by Northamptonshire, the trophy winners in 2013 and hit a six and seven fours before Ravi Bopara contributed 36 off 30 balls, and when Worcestershire began their reply, Sanderson quickly nipped out Rapids skipper Brett D'Oliveira and Kashif Rapids needed 33 off the final two overs, but Sanderson had Tom Hinley caught at deep mid-wicket from a full toss in the 19th and then dismissed Ben Dwarshuis, Adam Finch and Jacob Duffy with the final three balls of the over as they were all out for gave the seamer a straightforward return catch, Finch was caught at long-off, and Duffy edged to wicketkeeper Lewis McManus attempting to swing the ball to mid-wicket, as Sanderson became only the second Northants bowler after Andrew Hall to take six wickets in a T20 innings. Yorkshire skipper Dawid Malan carried his bat through their innings against the Bears at Edgbaston, with three maximums in his unbeaten 69 off 48 balls, which led his side to 164-7 from their 20 was not enough, though, as Alex Davies and Tom Latham began the reply by adding 103 before Latham fell to the off-spin of Dom Bess for was caught off Matt Milnes (3-23) for 65, made off 45 balls, but Sam Hain's unbeaten 24 guided the home side to 168-4 and a six-wicket win - their first of the competition - from the final ball of the penultimate Outlaws were 108-3 in the 13th over, having just lost Lyndon James for 43, chasing 163 against neighbours Derbyshire, when the floodlights went out in their game at power was eventually restored in the area after an hour's delay, a revised target of 120 meant Notts had to score 12 off 15 balls, but they only needed 14 of them as they reached 120-3 to win by seven wickets via the DLS Aneurin Donald launched five sixes in his 50 off 22 balls for the Falcons, but was then caught off Liam Patterson-White, and their innings ended on 162-9 after three wickets from successive balls, two for Dillon Pennington (3-40) and a run out. Captain Louis Kimber hit 51 off 27 balls and took 2-14 as Leicestershire Foxes came out on top by six runs against Durham at Grace Foxes made 193-8 and appeared to be cruising when the visitors were 94-6 in the 12th over, but Kasey Aldridge (44 not out) and Will Rhodes (43) added 91 in eight needed 13 off the final over but could only manage six of them as Rhodes was run out by Logan van Beek coming back for a second run. South group - when is a hat-trick not a hat-trick? As in Notts game, there was also a hat-trick - of sorts - at Canterbury where Surrey's Mitchell Santner dismissed Joe Denly and Tom Rogers at the end of the 13th over and produced the throw at the start of the next, bowled by Nathan Smith, to run out Zak Crawley for 46 attempting a second dismissal effectively ended any hopes Kent had of chasing down a target of 194, and although Santner's actual hat-trick ball at the start of the 17th over did not result in a wicket, he finished with 3-28 as they came up short on 151-9. Earlier, Pope hit a 29-ball 50 as he and Dom Sibley put on 83 for Surrey's first wicket, but the visitors slumped to 126-5 before Evans - who was dropped on 15 - smashed four sixes in reaching his own half-century from nine balls fewer as he and Ollie Sykes added 54 to help them post a score of Sophia Gardens, Glamorgan all-rounder Ben Kellaway's versatility brought about the downfall of dangerous Michael Pepper for 60 as Essex totalled 183-8 from their 20 been hit for two big leg-side sixes bowling right-arm as the Essex batter passed 50 off 27 balls, he switched to left-arm and had him caught at led the run-chase in an opening stand of 91 with Will Smale, but missed out on a hundred when he was caught behind by Pepper off Paul Walter with just nine runs needed and Glamorgan reached 185-4 with an over to innings of 42 off 39 balls by Ollie Price was the only score of note for Gloucestershire, who were held in check by Hampshire's pace attack at the Utilita Bowl, headed by John Turner, who took visitors needed early wickets after posting such a below-par total but although James Vince went for 17, opener Toby Albert breezed to an unbeaten 73 off 44 balls, with four sixes and eight fours, as Hampshire reached 121-3 off 15 overs to win by seven made it three out of three with an ultimately comfortable seven-wicket win over Sussex Sharks at Hove, where the home side posted 166-8, thanks mainly to John Simpson's 58 off 42 balls, with Matt Henry taking visitors lost Will Smeed early, but two of their four Toms - Kohler-Cadmore and Lammonby - shared a stand of 89 in nine overs before the latter fell to Jack Carson for continued to 64 off 43 balls and after he was bowled by Tymal Mills, Tom Abell and Thomas Rew finished the job, hitting a six each as they reached 169-3 with two overs in hand. Saturday's fixture Trent Bridge: Notts Outlaws v Worcestershire Rapids (19:00 BST)
