Rushworth extends Durham contract

By Tim Wellock

Durham seamer Chris Rushworth, last season’s surprise package, has signed a contract extension until the end of the 2014 season.

The 26-year-old cousin of wicketkeeper Phil Mustard appeared to be nowhere near the first team at the start of the campaign, but he ended it with 38 County Championship wickets at 16.39 from nine games. That left him third in the national bowling averages behind team-mate Graham Onions and Somerset’s Abdur Rehman.

Sunderland-born Rushworth came through the Durham Academy, but was discarded during Martyn Moxon’s reign as coach. Geoff Cook kept an eye on him and handed Rushworth his first full professional contract for the 2010 season, when he played in nine Championship games.

His best figures of four for 90 at Chelmsford were not bettered until his first appearance this season after he featured only once in 2011. Rushworth’s breakthrough came in a Clydesdale Bank 40 match at home to Nottinghamshire, in which his figures at one point read five for 13, and that was after Durham had amassed 310 for four.

He played in the next Championship match at home to Warwickshire and took five for 46 in the first innings. He went on to better those figures twice, with five for 44 at home to Worcestershire and five for 37 at home to Sussex.

Rushworth said: “It was a tough season for the club but on a personal level I felt for the first time I’d really established myself in the team. I’m hoping to push on to the next level in 2013, a huge year for the club.”




Date: 22/11/2012 16:46:00 by Tim Wellock
In: Today | Durham |