Onions: Botham and Wood can revive defiant Durham
Chris Stocks discovers why, despite everything, there is a feeling of optimism in the north east
It would be natural for Durham to enter the season with a burning sense of injustice and despondency given the club’s relegation to Division Two and hefty points deduction that followed their financial bail-out from the ECB.
However, Graham Onions insists Durham’s players have put those off-field issues behind them and still believe they can achieve promotion despite the 48-point handicap they will start the Championship season with.
Onions, the former England seam bowler who is approaching his 13th summer as a professional, admits the squad were shocked by the level of debt at the club – more than £7million – and then the punishment handed to them by the ECB, which also includes points deductions in the NatWest T20 Blast and Royal London One-Day Cup.
Now, though, the 34-year-old insists it’s the time to move on. “We knew the club were in financial difficulty but we didn’t know to what extent,” said Onions.
“We had absolutely no idea and were quite shocked that as players we’ve taken the hit with relegation and the massive points deduction.
“If anybody was at the game when we beat Surrey (in September to avoid relegation) you’d have seen from the emotion on our faces how badly we wanted to stay in the First Division after a tough season. Then it was taken out of our hands. But we’ve got to move on.
“It’s basically us as a team trying to get back to where we feel as though we belong. Undoubtedly it was disappointing what happened but as players it’s been taken out of our hands so we’ve got to knuckle down and train hard.”
Hampshire, who finished second bottom of the Championship’s top division last season, were reprieved at Durham’s expense. Relegation was a blow for the north east club but the points deduction – amounting to two full bonus-point wins – means Onions and his team-mates have a herculean task if they are to fight their way back into Division One at the first time of asking.
“Some people are saying we were kicked when we were down,” said Onions. “But we’ve been through difficult times and the ECB have tried their best. They thought that was the right thing to do. Ultimately as players we’re disappointed and quite shocked with the way it went.
“That lasts for a little while and the severity of the situation was that we were potentially very close to being out of a job. That’s the way you’ve got to look at it and say we are actually quite privileged to be in a position where we are representing such a great club and we’ve got to try our best to get back to the First Division.
“I don’t think you even look at the points to start with.You’ve just got to concentrate on each game and see how it goes. We’ve got to look to win every game. It sounds stupid but if you keep looking at the 48 points you’re just heaping pressure on yourself.”
The optimism espoused by Onions is genuine and partly fuelled by the installation of Sir Ian Botham as Durham’s new chairman.
England’s greatest all-rounder, who was part of Durham’s squad when they gained first-class status in 1991, has been brought in to help straighten things out both on and off the field. And Onions believes Botham will take on a hand-on role despite his broadcasting commitments with Sky.
“I saw him at the England Players’ dinner (in February) at Lord’s and I sat with him,” said Onions. “To be honest, it completely surprised me how passionate he is to come in and do a good job. I think it would be quite easy to say ‘Ian Botham’s in charge but he’s just going to sit there as a figurehead’. But actually he’s really keen on coming and doing a good job, and that’s what we need.”
Durham, who start their Championship campaign against Nottinghamshire at Chester-le-Street on April 14, have lost key players in top-order batsmen Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick to Surrey. But Onions believes the season will offer some of the club’s talented youngsters an extended chance to shine.
“As a team we’ve lost those players but we’ve moved on,” he said.
“Those guys have chosen to move on. I think we’ve got a very young side but they’re incredibly talented. The likes of Graham Clark and Paul Coughlin, James Weighhell.
“These lads have only played a handful of games so it’s up to them to go out there and perform.”
Durham will also have the advantage of a fit-again Mark Wood available again from the start of the season.
The fast bowler, 27, is back and playing again after his third major ankle operation late last year. Wood got through 15 overs across two matches in the recent North v South 50-over series in the United Arab Emirates and England will hope he can prove his fitness for Durham at the start of the season so he can be included in their squad for this summer’s Champions Trophy.
Onions said: “Woody’s a great bloke but he’s one that England will look at to win matches without a doubt because of
the pace he bowls and the character he is. He can bat as well so his all-round game is tailor-made for international cricket. Ultimately, he’s got his injuries behind him now. He’s got to look forward and put some overs in.
“There’s a big difference between bowling five, six, seven overs in a 50over game. What he needs to look at is bowling 20 overs an innings in red-ball cricket. If he can back games up, he will get wickets and win games – that’s the way he’ll get back in that England side.
“I’m quite old school – I think you need to bowl. Basically, he needs to prove he can back up spells and prove
I think it would be easy to say ‘Ian is in charge but will just sit there as a figurehead’ but he’s actually really keen on doing a good job
he can get through the hard work of county cricket. It’s tough – especially in the North-East because you do so much travelling. So even days off you’re travelling all the time.
“With my coaching head on, I’d be challenging him to bowl a lot of overs and if he can bowl 20 overs an innings he’ll get a lot of wickets.”
Onions, who earlier in his career spent 18 months out of the game with a career-threatening back injury, knows how hard his team-mate has worked to get back to full fitness.
He said: “When you’ve been through a lot of injury troubles – and I’ve been through it – coming back bowling spells gives you a huge amount of confidence. I know from speaking to him the other day, he feels much more comfortable now after having played a few games. That’s a massive thing.
“But the bottom line is the fact Mark Wood is a fantastic cricketer, a serious asset for Durham and so I’ve no doubt he’ll work his way back into the England side. Anyone who bowls 90 miles an hour is an asset. He’ll be fine.”
The same could be said of Durham, who despite their winter of turmoil are heading into the season with renewed optimism.