by Abhai Sawkar Over the course of the past couple of years, Durham County Cricket Club lost several experienced campaigners and talented youngsters due to the grim financial saga, but quite a few players remained confident and optimistic, and have shown plenty of promise throughout a difficult but gradually improving 2018 county season. One of the upcoming Durham stars is Gareth Harte, a batting allrounder who bowls right-arm medium pace. Harte had his first taste of first-team county cricket during the 2017 T20 Blast, where he got just two games. 2018, though, has been the year of emergence for the South African born cricketer, who joined the club with the help of a British passport. Five one-day games and eight Championship games have yielded decent returns, the highlights being two Championship centuries: the first one against Derbyshire and the second against Middlesex. Having joined the club in mid-2017, Harte's first major achievement was earning the 2nd-XI Player of the Season award, and impressed mostly with his powerful, resolute batting. His bowling is not to be underestimated, either; he's done well to chip in with a few tidy overs in the 2018 One-Day Cup as well as in the longer format, too. Following a season that provided some priceless experience, Harte assessed and discussed his performances and plans for the upcoming season. Q: First up, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best, how do you feel the 2018 season went for you and the team? What was your most favorite part, and what was your least favorite part? A: 5 for me, and 5 and team. My favorite part was scoring my second 100 against Middlesex, and my least favorite part was getting out twice in a day against Mohammed Abbas. Q: Describe your journey to county cricket. What were your earliest cricketing memories and how did it go on from there to playing top-flight cricket in the UK? A: Playing cricket in the garden with my dad and my brother, and my father sent me to private coaching at a young age, and had lots of hard work that paved the way into pro cricket. Q: Who is/are your cricketing idol(s) and why? A: Jacques Kallis. He could do all 3 aspects: bat, bowl and field. Best all rounder of all time. Q: Bat or bowl? Favorite format and why? A: Bat, I like all formats, I don’t have a favourite. Each format is special in its own way. Q: Who do you think is the best teammate and why? A: Brydon Carse. He has a lot of potential to make it further and he can bowl really fast. Q: What are your resolutions for the 2019 county season? A: To get promoted into Div 1 of the County Championship with Durham, and get the Player of the Year award. Q: If you could change any ONE rule in cricket which one would it be and why? A: The toss rule in county cricket, where an away team can chose to bowl first if the want to. Q: Finally, cricket aside, got any interesting plans for off-season enjoyment? A: I've been doing studies in digital marketing to occupy my time off the field and will be heading off to South Africa to play. Having played cricket in the UK for quite a few years, Harte has enjoyed the frequent game time, as well as having the opportunity to play alongside some of the game's greats, such as the former England allrounder, Paul Collingwood, for example. The two Championship tons are setting the tone for the player he will become in the future. Durham are hoping that their newcomers are consistent enough to eventually supersede the previous crop of players, and it's evident that the transformation is in good shape at the moment. Gradual change will yield plenty of success, and a difficult start hasn't had an adverse impact on the highly rated and motivated cricketers. Despite posting four wins in the 2018 Championship, the future is looking bright for Durham. With a sizable crop of young players raring to make a statement, better times will be ahead. A true sign of strength is the ability to recover from difficult situations. Durham made it to the quarterfinal stage of the 2018 T20 Blast, courtesy a vast array of strong showings from several players of all skills. The other two formats might not have borne much fruit, but with a positive mindset and improving circumstances, improvement and greater success is on the cards.
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AuthorsAkseli Pitkänen Archives
September 2020
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